Most of us would love to design and build our own home. In fact, more people than ever are doing precisely this. But how exactly do you go about it? How much of the building work should you do yourself? This manual explains the entire process in plain English, backed up with hundreds of colour photos showing real self-build projects taking shape. Each chapter is devoted to a key stage of the build from the foundations right through to snagging and completion. Whether you tackle some of the works yourself, or employ architects and contractors, this step-by-step guide will show you how to stay firmly in control, get to grips with the latest planning and building regulations, and complete your project on time and within budget.

Treehouses have always been a symbol of imagination and adventure, but despite the traditional stereotype, treehouses are not just for children and children's stories. Well built and in the right spot, they can add real value to your home and lifestyle. Beloved for centuries as ramshackle palaces of backyard escape and fun, the modern-day treehouse has evolved from more traditional structures, in the process morphing and expanding its agenda to capture the heart and soul of a new breed of acolytes. Versatile and endlessly adapting, it gives us a unique opportunity for creative expression and an individualistic challenge. It enables us to build on 'unbuildable' plots, create unusual business models and even use it as a form for art installations. Using high-end interiors, landscape and lifestyle photography and styling in the specially commissioned images (photographed in all seasons and weather conditions), the book includes 35 treehouses with different budgets and styles, from the rustic that seem to disappear into the foliage to the futuristic made out of contemporary materials. Embracing a world-wide approach, the seeds of inspiration in this book come from far and wide: from contemporary minimalist treehouses, recycled urban structures in backyards, bespoke Welsh hideaways and glass walls in the African wilderness to cabins perched on trees in the scented lavender fields of southern Italy. Creativity and vision definitely anchor each and every one of them firmly to the ground. The accompanying narrative for each of these projects will give information about the location, the owners and their inspiration as well as style notes. Word count: 25,000