The new series of Grand Designs is back depicting fascinating homes and the equally interesting people who have built them.

Prime Time has teamed up with Home Building and Renovating Magazine to offer advice to those inspired to follow their lead.

1 - Setting your budgets

For most people, building their own homes means commissioning architects, builders and other sub-contractors. It also relies on private finance - a mixture of cash and mortgage. Always have a definitive budget, then add 10% as a contingency.

Establish just how much of your own money you can put into the project. Work out how much it is going to cost to live during the building process. Find out from mortgage providers what they are prepared to offer. A good place to start is BuildStore - www.buildstore.co.uk call 0870 8709991.

2 - Finding a Plot or Project

Finding the plot or project for your dream home is a challenge. Prices vary enormously and it is difficult to compare like with like. If you decide you want to live in a particular area, it pays to do some legwork. Obviously, sign up with local estate agents for details but also look at finding services such as Plotfinder - www.plotfinder.net call 09065 575400.

3 - The Design

Building requires passion, time and energy, good management skills and a huge amount of forward Planning. Finding the right architect or package build company is so important. Work with someone who has relevant experience and sympathy for your ideas. Interview architects and visit package build companies. Look at examples of their work and choose the one you get on with and who share your view of the world.

4 - Planning Permission

To get planning permission your design needs to fit in to the landscape and local building pattern. You may need to do some persuading. It may be worth contacting a planning consultant if you want to build in a particularly sensitive area. Remember that planning authorities are a service to the local community and not the enemy - the idea is to work together!

5 - Material Matters

Having the opportunity to specify the materials and the aesthetics of a building is appealing but, be warned, the choice can be daunting. Your architect should advise you and the planners will have their say but you will have to decide which roof tiles, floor coverings, window frames, etc, you want for your house. Look into cost, quality and availability of materials, and how easy or problematic they are to work with - before building work starts.

6 - More budgeting

A written budget is essential. It should be drawn up as early as possible and include EVERY expense. If there is no definite price, put in an estimate. When you have included everything, add a contingency fund to cover the cost of problems - at least 5-10% of the total.

7 - Getting Quotes

It can be a good idea to employ a quantity surveyor to price the building work required. Three quotes are standard for each piece of sub-contracted work. These can then be compared to the surveyor's estimate. Study these carefully, don't necessarily go for the cheapest.

8 - Working with sub-contractors

Treat them with respect - after all, these are the people who will make your dream a reality. Set out a plan of works and be prepared to be flexible. There will be problems - the weather and suppliers letting you down are typical. Keep the contractors informed, let them know when you expect them to be on site.

9 - Quality Control

Be on site as much as you can, even if you have appointed your architect or builder as project manager. This keeps the communication flowing and ensures that decisions are made without delays. Compromises will undoubtedly need to be made during the design and build.

10 - Homework

Get as much information as possible by buying specialist magazines, such as Homebuilding & Renovating Magazine, and visit one of the Homebuilding & Renovating Shows taking place around the country this year.

For more information visit www.homebuildingshow.co.uk