Just got planning, Builder or self build route?

straight

I have just received planning for a 2700 square foot house with a converted attic for storage space.
I am thinking of building a traditional block build house with a 6 inch cavity pumped with insulation and all internal walls built from blocks on the ground floor and first floor with a sand and cement plaster and skimmed finish (Concrete slab for the first floor). So there would be no need for any slabbing on any walls. I'd be saving on buying slabbing but paying more on labour so maybe the would cancel out roughly. For heating i was thinking of using a boiler stove with a large biomass burner outside in the garage and an efficient oil boiler as backup all connected to a buffer tank.

I have some more research to do into all the options so i am interested in any opinions or thoughts anybody might have?

Am in the process of contacting some builders at the moment and i'll decide on self build or contractor based on their quotes.

Outkast_IRE

Are you aiming for certain level of airtightness ?
If you are , then its pretty essential to hold the builder to achieving a certain level. Its about the only way to help ensure he keeps on top of the little details throughout the build.

straight

Although i would like an efficient house i'm not such a fan of an airtight home. I would like to see the window and door opes, etc. well sealed up and the dampness kept out but i would prefer natural ventilation to HRV systems.

Outkast_IRE

straight wrote: »

Although i would like an efficient house i'm not such a fan of an airtight home. I would like to see the window and door opes, etc. well sealed up and the dampness kept out but i would prefer natural ventilation to HRV systems.

Ok have you thought about how you are going to ventilate each room so ?
Open windows and doors aren't acceptable, you need a certain amount of background ventilation to meet basic building regulations.
And in my opinion and many others opinions, in a new build with high insulation levels and a decent air-tightness level the most sensible way to achieve this is mhrv .
A. because it will warm the incoming fresh air.
B. because it gives you control of fresh air incoming.
C. Its set up to extract the humid wet air from bathrooms and kitchens.

You say you like windows and doors open, but in all fairness mid winter we both know this doesn't happen enough , and if you do leave windows open mid winter you lose heat incredibly fast. An airtight home doesn't mean you cant leave windows and doors open, you can leave them open all you want. But what it does do is ensure warm fresh air when they are all closed.

sydthebeat

Getting a new dwelling to comply with regulations without a hrv system is very onerous.

The specification of your build will be determined by the provisional ber assessment. you really cannot plan anything until this is done.

BarneyMc

Just getting back to the title of your post, "Just got planning, Builder or self build route?", have you considered the project manager route?

I've decided to go this way and although we haven't started yet (due at the end of the month), I believe it's a good way to go for those of us who don't walk around building sites every day.

Worth considering :-)

kkelliher

straight wrote: »

Am in the process of contacting some builders at the moment and i'll decide on self build or contractor based on their quotes.

Just be definitive in the level of detail required from builders on quotes. What you may think is included may not be and if you are comparing this to a self build or other route you need to make sure every decision is like with like.

straight

Ya, Maybe i could get my architect to do up a spec for the house to be built to so that everybody will be pricing for the same thing. I hadn't really thought about project managers or come across any of them either. I presume they charge a percentage of the cost of the build or something like that. Will definitely look into project managers also before i move ahead. Thanks for all yer advice.

fclauson

Get a QS to do up a bill of quantities -,this is the only way to get like for like quotes