For 12 years, the Build It Awards in association with have been the most coveted accolade in the self build industry. Rigorous, impartial judging results in real credibility for the winners and gives them a competitive advantage. All categories are judged by a group of independent experts from across the self build & home renovation sector and the panel is chaired by Chris Batesmith, the editor of Build It magazine.

From surveyors, to architects to eco specialists – all our judges are well respected with years of experience and are champions for pushing the boundaries of self build in the UK.

Note: All categories are judged purely by our expert judging panel, ensuring recipients of an award will know they have won solely based on the excellence of their product or service – meaning that winning a Build It Award is the industry’s highest accolade.

Chris Batesmith

Chris is Build It’s Content Director, and the chairperson of the awards. He has dedicated the last 14 years to writing about self build and is a champion for pushing the boundaries of self build in the UK. Chris is also a trained site-carpenter and hence deeply understands the practical and technical challenges faced by Build It’s readers on-site. Chris has been overseeing the construction of Build It’s “Education House” which is being built on the Graven Hill site. Find out more here.

Tom McSherry

Tom has worked in the financial services industry for 25 years.  He has spent the last 10 of these, specialising in self build mortgages at BuildStore, providing expert advice to hundreds of customers embarking on major homebuilding projects.   Tom has completed two major homebuilding projects himself, and is widely regarded as a self build finance expert, speaking at a wide variety of self build shows throughout the year.

Tim Doherty

Tim was the founding MD of the National Self Build & Renovation Centre and a founding member of NaCSBA. He built his own family home in 1998 and has spent 30 years helping others to do the same. He is a professional surveyor and Chartered Builder, and runs Dobanti Chartered Surveyors.

Mike Hardwick

Since successfully finishing his own bespoke home, Mike has become a well-respected project manager and self build consultant. He is a prominent figure in the industry and general manager at the National Custom & Self Build Association.

Jane Duncan

Jane Duncan is a chartered British Architect, Director of Jane Duncan’s Architects – which she established in 1992 and was appointed President of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) in 2015.

Julian Owen

Julian is a specialist self build architect. He is the author of many books, covering topics such as extensions, timber frame homes and loft conversions. He also runs his own practice, Julian Owen Associates.

Nigel Griffiths

Nigel is one of Build It’s experts, the Director of the Sustainable Traditional Buildings Alliance and also a consultant working mainly on energy efficiency policy and evaluation. He is the author of the Haynes Eco House Manual, specialising in sustainable building.

Calum Taylor

Calum is Build It’s publisher. He is a self build and renovation enthusiast, and has completed five homes in the last 18 years. He has been working in the media serving the self build market for over 20 years.

David Hilton

David is a renewables and ventilation installer, with over 35 years experience. He is a member of the Gas Safe Register, has a Masters degree in Sustainable Architecture, and is an authority in sustainable building and energy efficiency, with extensive knowledge in building fabrics, heat recovery ventilation, renewables, and also conventional heating systems.