Best Tender price for New home

New to this - what is best way to tender or what steps should I take in getting quotes for a self build project?

for your average house and budget

Find other self-builders in your area, ask them for recommendations, write short letter with copy of plans to that builder. He will usually ring you with a ballpark price and if you’re interested then you negotiate further and draw up a contract. Try to keep it simple, get yourself a Quantity Surveyor to do a bill of quantities on the house which should then guide your negotiations when it comes to insulation standards, fittings etc etc. Remember standard quotes from builders include things like bathroom suites which cost them less than €300 euro and internal doors which cost them €50. The real bargaining comes in when you want better quality fittings

great advice -thanks any other areas to watch out for?

It's all in the specification- two plumbers may price for the same installation and one could be a couple of grand more for the same job. Why? One uses copper the other Qualpex. You need to know what materials you want used and where; this information needs to be in writing, be it on a drawing or attached specification.