Embarking on the journey to construct your own home in South Africa is a thrilling and fulfilling endeavor. It offers you the unique opportunity to craft a dwelling that aligns perfectly with your desires and requirements. While the prospect of owner-building your house is indeed feasible in South Africa, it necessitates meticulous planning, unwavering compliance with regulations, and a comprehensive grasp of the construction journey. Within the confines of this article, we will offer you an insightful overview of the intricate process and the essential steps required to bring your dream home to life in South Africa.
Spoiler alert! It is certainly possible to design and build your own home in South Africa. However, you will have to appoint a registered architect or draftsperson to oversee the design and submit the plans for approval. You’ll also have to apply for an exemption with the NHBRC as an owner-builder.
Designing and building your own home might sound appealing. You get to have complete control over the design and construction and even save a small fortune. But before you decide to design and build your own house, there are a few essential things to be aware of.
You might be wondering how to get an exemption from the NHBRC and why you need an exemption in the first place. Furthermore, there are some significant pros and cons to consider before building without NHBRC enrollment. You may also be disappointed to learn that whether you design your own home or not, you’ll need to appoint an architectural professional, but let me explain why it shouldn’t be considered a bad thing.
Can I design my own house in South Africa?
Designing your own home has a lot of appeal, and no one knows your tastes, habits, or requirements better than yourself. Many feel that architects are overpriced and see this as an opportunity to cut costs. But according to the law, can you design your own house in South Africa?
In South Africa, you can certainly design your own house. Whether or not you design your own house though, you’ll still have to appoint a registered architect or draftsperson to make sure that the design complies with the national building regulations and submit plans to the municipality for approval.
Whether you design your home yourself or not, you’ll need to appoint a registered architect, technologist, or draughtsperson. There is no way around this. In fact, without it, your plans won’t even be accepted for submission, never mind approved. The appointed architect or draftsperson will be required to sign the municipal submission forms, the SACAP’s architectural compliance certificate, and the SANS 10400 forms.
OK, I seem to be the bearer of bad news here, but I don’t see this negatively!
A Good Architectural Professional Will Guide You While You Have Maximum Input
Just because you’re appointing someone to oversee the design work doesn’t mean you have less input on the design. Architects are creative problem solvers and can help optimize your design ideas, take advantage of that. They’ll guide you to understand the importance of orientation, materials, and other design elements that will improve your vision of your new home
An Architectural Professional Will Save You Time and Money
During the planning and municipal approval phase, using a registered architectural professional is not only a legal requirement, but it will save you a lot of time and effort in drawing up plans that comply with regulations. The requirements to have your plans approved are more complicated than you might think.
PRO TIP: Why not challenge your architectural professional to save you money through a better design at the outset? You may end up saving more than you’ll spend on their fees!
During the construction phase, an architect’s experience in solving potential problems will help reduce stress and give you peace of mind. A house, in most cases, is the biggest financial asset we own. Having a trained professional to guide you through the process will be money well spent.
Don’t Forget About the Engineer
I know, I know, it feels like there is no end right?
In addition to an architectural professional, you will also need to appoint a registered engineering professional to inspect and determine the type of soil that is being built on, then design and inspect the following:
- Concrete footings.
- Foundations.
- Suspended concrete floor slabs.
- Retaining walls higher than 1.8 meters.
- Roof spans longer than 5 meters.
- Stormwater disposal.
The engineer will also need to complete and sign “Schedule B” on the “SANS 10400 Form 2”.
Can I build my own house in South Africa?
Building a house is a huge undertaking and should not be taken lightly. Don’t be a victim of the “Dunning Kruger effect”; there is more to building a home than you might think. But, I guess that doesn’t answer your question. Can you build your own house in South Africa?
You can certainly build your own house in South Africa. However, you need to apply for an exemption from the NHBRC home enrollment. You may be saving a bit of money here, but you won’t be able to sell or rent your house out for five years, and you’ll have no warranty on any defects.
But what the heck is the NHBRC? Let’s look at that next and consider the pros and cons of owner-building versus enrolling your home with the NHBRC.
Owner-Builders and the NHBRC
When new houses are built, the builder (not the homeowner), needs to enroll the home with the NHBRC at least 15 days before construction. This enrollment gives the homeowner access to warranty cover against structural defects. The NHBRC can also act as a mediator between the property owner and builder if any problems arise.
As an owner-builder not registered with the NHBRC, you’ll have to obtain an exception from the “Housing Consumer Protection Measures Act”. To do this, you’ll have to prove to the NHBRC that you have the financial means to complete the project, as well as the technical skills to manage and complete the building work.
How to Apply for Exemption from the NHBRC
To apply for an exemption, you need to contact the NHBRC, and you’ll need to provide them with the following:
- Will you be appointing a contractor to assist with the construction?
- What skilled artisans will you be appointing for the plumbing, electrical, and other specialist work? You’ll need to provide their details too.
- Provide the title deed showing that you are the owner of the property you’ll be building on.
- Details of your experience in building, including any qualifications, etc.
- Agree to write the NHBRC technical assessment. This is an open-book test that consists of 25 multiple-choice questions
- Proof that you and/or your immediate family will be the main occupants of the house.
Disadvantages of NHBRC exemption
Suppose you choose to be an owner-builder and apply for exemption from enrollment. In that case, you need to be aware of the following disadvantages.
- As an owner-builder, your house will not be allowed to be sold for five years.
- You will not be allowed to rent your house out for five years.
- Some banks will not issue loans for homes that are not enrolled with the NHBRC. Other banks do, but it can be difficult.
- You will have no warranty protection against structural defects or lousy workmanship.
You should carefully weigh the pros and cons of each before you make the decision. You cannot obtain NHBRC registration after a house has been completed without it.
Enrolling your home with the NHBRC may be well worth it
Enrolling the home with the NHBRC may be well worth the cost for most homeowners. The average home will cost around R19,000 to enroll if valued at one to two million, or R34,000 for houses over two million in value. If your goal is to save on builders’ costs, and you are confident you have the skills required to oversee the entire project, why not try to register with the NHBRC yourself?
Suppose you lack the skills required to manage the building project of your new home. In that case, I’m afraid you’ll have to bite the bullet and appoint a reputable registered builder.