To save me reinventing the wheel, are there any Spreadsheets or other that could help me

I simply want to record each item in my journey of self build with date, task, cost and VAT if applicable

Thanks

I'd not bother hunting for anything clever, a plain spreadsheet does the job and you'll shape it to suit as you go. What worked for me was one row per invoice or receipt with columns for date, supplier, description, stage (groundworks, frame, roof, first fix and so on), net cost, VAT, gross, date paid and where the receipt is filed. Then a pivot table or a SUMIF by stage gives you a running total against your budget for each stage.

A few things worth doing from day one if it's a new build:

Keep the VAT separate and flag whether each item is reclaimable under the DIY housebuilders scheme. HMRC want proper VAT invoices with your name and the site address, and the claim has to go in within three months of completion, so file the paper copies as you go rather than chasing them at the end.

Add a column for anything your builder or subbies have zero rated so you don't try to claim it twice.

Take a photo of every receipt into a folder named by stage, as till receipts fade.

Google Sheets is handy because you can add costs from your phone on site.

1 hour ago, IanB said:

I simply want to record each item in my journey of self build with date, task, cost and VAT if applicable

Take a look at this - I found it to be very useful back in the day and it does seem to fit with your request.

Ignore the figures, they are 8 years old but the layout / format may assist.

[Although details are included, the passage of time should cover any actual information being established and considered inappropriate.]

Running costs to date.xls