i am looking at pre-made architectural house plans on the Internet ranging from 300 to 800 square feet, some multi-level. I have no housebuilding experience. I don't imagine many of the millennials for which these are designed do.. I'm not even an engineer.

The question is: could a layman millennial like myself build something like this? Or would the cost of hiring builders and buying material rival that of buying a house that already exists?

If the answer is 'yes - you can do it!' maybe you'll humour me with a response to the below:

What would a shortlist of requirements for a simple own house build look like? Any good reading suggestions?

If I were to start looking for land on which to build a house from plans. These are the two simple scenarios I imagine:

1. Off the grid. No where near a water main. This is a no go for me.
2. Water main under the ground that I would have to dig down to and pipe to the surface. Add pressure regulator, water meter etc. Assuming this is all I need. Or do people sell land designed for projects like this with some other 'pre-build' kind of plumbing set up I don't know about?

I'm basically thinking that the hardest part of building a house is the ol' plumbing and electricity.

What is the order of things then?

Dig a hole for the basement and foundation. Lay down some steel reinforced foundation footing and walls, a concrete slab. Dig another hole at the water main, pipe over my liquids and I'm good to go?