With a self-build mortgage, the mortgage lender will make staged payments throughout the build project. Lenders generally work on a six stage system for traditional construction properties. The stages are:

1. Purchase of the plot
2. Initial costs and foundations
3. Wall plate level
4. Wind and watertight
5. First fix and plastering
6. Completion

At each of the stages above the lender will normally instruct a surveyor to inspect the work to date and provide a value based upon the current build progress.