Starting a new build.

MFN

We are looking at starting a new build in Co Meath. (on the Dublin border)
We are just putting it out there to see if anyone has an idea of a up to date average going rate per square meter?
What's the best heating systems to be looking at? Etc.........
We are looking at building a storey and a half, 4 bedroom house.
3 bedrooms and a study upstairs and 1 bedroom down stairs.
We will be aiming to have a large kitchen/dining area with a lot of glass to keep it bright.
This is all new to us and all advice/information would be greatly appreciated.

We understand we are asking for a lot of answers considering we are not giving much info.

With Thanks

MFN

sinnerboy

Start here and find a BER Assessor to advise on specifications for
1. the building walls/windows/roofs etc
2. the heating system
3. air tightness and ventilation strategy
4. renewable energies (which you have to install )

For costs look here

daver123

MFN wrote: »

We are looking at starting a new build in Co Meath. (on the Dublin border)
We are just putting it out there to see if anyone has an idea of a up to date average going rate per square meter?
What's the best heating systems to be looking at? Etc.........
We are looking at building a storey and a half, 4 bedroom house.
3 bedrooms and a study upstairs and 1 bedroom down stairs.
We will be aiming to have a large kitchen/dining area with a lot of glass to keep it bright.
This is all new to us and all advice/information would be greatly appreciated.

We understand we are asking for a lot of answers considering we are not giving much info.

With Thanks

MFN

Have you received your planning permission?

beyondpassive

Its about €160 per square ft builders finish including VAT and professional fees. Excludes furniture and carpets see http://www.scsi.ie/rebuild2012
(note: its for a 1200 sq ft house, a larger house will have some economies of scale)

You could cut down on the professional fees by using the local drafting service or getting the engineer to design but thats a false economy. You could self build with direct labour but thats a full time job. Generally you get value by having a good team of professionals involved. The building regs Part L 2011 and the new building control regulations due out soon are bringing about a profound change in building practice. Every house is now close to Passive, make sure all your team has upskilled. Otherwise you'll just get the same ugly, badly built rubbish that was churned out during the bubble. A well designed house is like the black suit or dress, simple and it never goes out of fashion, unlike the grey stone faced gabled dormers built in the last decade, which now are the architectural equivalent of stone washed dungarees.

Dont get too fixated on the planning process. A well considered scheme can be considered on merit. Good design is always better than trying to appease planners with pastiche. The planning solution of making one of the elevations look like a victorian farmhouse, which you see a lot of in Meath planning applications, leads to an awykard plan, avoid symmetry too.

MFN

daver123 wrote: »

Have you received your planning permission?

We are in the process of getting it.

daver123

MFN wrote: »

We are in the process of getting it.

Bear in mind planning can be a nightmare so you may not get it.

MFN

beyondpassive wrote: »

Its about €160 per square ft builders finish including VAT and professional fees. Excludes furniture and carpets see http://www.scsi.ie/rebuild2012
(note: its for a 1200 sq ft house, a larger house will have some economies of scale)

You could cut down on the professional fees by using the local drafting service or getting the engineer to design but thats a false economy. You could self build with direct labour but thats a full time job. Generally you get value by having a good team of professionals involved. The building regs Part L 2011 and the new building control regulations due out soon are bringing about a profound change in building practice. Every house is now close to Passive, make sure all your team has upskilled. Otherwise you'll just get the same ugly, badly built rubbish that was churned out during the bubble. A well designed house is like the black suit or dress, simple and it never goes out of fashion, unlike the grey stone faced gabled dormers built in the last decade, which now are the architectural equivalent of stone washed dungarees.

Dont get too fixated on the planning process. A well considered scheme can be considered on merit. Good design is always better than trying to appease planners with pastiche. The planning solution of making one of the elevations look like a victorian farmhouse, which you see a lot of in Meath planning applications, leads to an awykard plan, avoid symmetry too.

There will be nothing Victorian or awkward about our design. It's something simple and practical that we are looking for. We have a relation who is a brick layer and a very good friend that is a electrician. I know people always say not to get family or friends involved but I've seen work that they have both done and its of great standard. So going the road of self build with direct labour has crossed our mind. But it's finding the time or even knowing how much of our time on a day to day basis it will take up.
We also find that heating is a big thing. What system to go for and what systems are tried and test. There are so many different types and we are hearing a lot of different positive and negative about them all.

MFN

daver123 wrote: »

Bear in mind planning can be a nightmare so you may not get it.

Totally understand that. We have a great architect and he has done work for other people in the area recently and he is quite confident we will get it.

beyondpassive

MFN wrote: »

We also find that heating is a big thing. What system to go for and what systems are tried and test. There are so many different types and we are hearing a lot of different positive and negative about them all.

This can be a distraction. Concentrate on getting the heat demand down. So compact design, good orientation, sleek detailing, good U values, attention to thermal bridges, airtightness less than 2, MHRV. Only then think about heating, once youre demand is under 12,000 kWh per year for space heat and hot water, it doesn't really matter what you use.

Renewables are mandatory. You've a steady temperature house without need for big ramp ups in heat so you are looking at an accumulator and underfloor. The most popular systems I see are LPG boiler and 3 solar tube banks, air source heat pump and PV or wood burning boiler stove with 2 banks of flat panel.

Don't worry about how you produce the heat, concentrate on not letting it leave the house first.

daver123

MFN wrote: »

There will be nothing Victorian or awkward about our design. It's something simple and practical that we are looking for. We have a relation who is a brick layer and a very good friend that is a electrician. I know people always say not to get family or friends involved but I've seen work that they have both done and its of great standard. So going the road of self build with direct labour has crossed our mind. But it's finding the time or even knowing how much of our time on a day to day basis it will take up.
We also find that heating is a big thing. What system to go for and what systems are tried and test. There are so many different types and we are hearing a lot of different positive and negative about them all.

From the time the process starts it will take over most of your spare time very stressful, there are so many decisions to be made about stuff which is totally new. I would follow the advice from your architect as he has the training and more often than not he will be right.

I hired a builder to do the job for a fixed price to supply the specification on the drawings. It worked out great from a budgeting point of view as i had a fair idea what the build was going to cost once the foundations went in. I also did not have the hassle of having to deal with sub contractors, i just kept an eye on things.

I put in a gas condensing boiler for heat and water. I also put in a kingspan solar system that was the only renewable energy source i put in the house. It cost a few extra grand but it works out cheaper to do it when you are building than retrofit it...good luck

Tommyboy08

beyondpassive wrote: »

This can be a distraction. Concentrate on getting the heat demand down. So compact design, good orientation, sleek detailing, good U values, attention to thermal bridges, airtightness less than 2, MHRV. Only then think about heating, once youre demand is under 12,000 kWh per year for space heat and hot water, it doesn't really matter what you use.

Renewables are mandatory. You've a steady temperature house without need for big ramp ups in heat so you are looking at an accumulator and underfloor. The most popular systems I see are LPG boiler and 3 solar tube banks, air source heat pump and PV or wood burning boiler stove with 2 banks of flat panel.

Don't worry about how you produce the heat, concentrate on not letting it leave the house first.

Word of advice, stay away from air to water for any house of your size, you might save a couple of grand compared to the ground source system but you'll get that back in around 3 to 4 years of running costs,

rockabaloo

Tommyboy08 wrote: »

Word of advice, stay away from air to water for any house of your size, you might save a couple of grand compared to the ground source system but you'll get that back in around 3 to 4 years of running costs,

Are ASHPs really as bad as you make out? I mean the more recent units that have been designed the UK and Irish climate in mind. Fclauson from these boards seems to be having good success with his.