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Live self-Builds - mod warning in post no. 1

[Deleted User]

Mod Note - 9/10/2012: This thread is for discussing the various aspects of building as they arise. Do not use this thread for "pre-building" queries. Such queries should be posted in their own threads.

How many people on boards are in the process of building their own homes at the moment, have recently completed or planning to do so in the near future.

I am about 3/4 of the way through a self-build.
It would be interesting to have a "live" list of current self-builds on the forum.

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bauderline

Folks,

Some updated photos of the roof and start of stonework from early last week... lots of trades will be on site during the next few weeks, it seems we are making good progress at last !

http://www.watergate-house.blogspot.com/

Best regards, Peter.

Jollyman

That is looking very very well Peter, fair play keep up the good work!

karen3212

Piggy Number 2 wrote: »

Does waste treatment come next? and plumber first fixing and electrician first fixing?
anybody got a very very very detailed step by step account of managing direct labour. Have the time for all the phonecalls and organising but need an extremely detailed timetable so i don't forget anything. Okay i think ye get the message. Sorry for going on...

have you seen the link by muffler in the ''ideas for reference materials''
The very first post has a link to a pdf file,

http://www.newrybuildingsupplies.com/images/self-build.pdf

i don't really know , but it might be some help, it has a list of the order of things

muffler

karen3212 wrote: »

have you seen the link by muffler in the ''ideas for reference materials''
The very first post has a link to a pdf file,

http://www.newrybuildingsupplies.com/images/self-build.pdf

i don't really know , but it might be some help, it has a list of the order of things

Your point is?

karen3212

muffler wrote: »

Your point is?

I thought that link that is already posted in ''ideas for reference materials'' would be of help to Piggynumber2, I was just suggesting that he have a look at it specifically, and perhaps the other material in that thread.

muffler

karen3212 wrote: »

I thought that link that is already posted in ''ideas for reference materials'' would be of help to Piggynumber2, I was just suggesting that he have a look at it specifically, and perhaps the other material in that thread.

Ah OK so. I thought you were having a pop with the wording I highlighted.

2010House

:)Got planning granted Monday!!! It's all go now, chickening out and going with a contractor to handle it, budget is limited and can't afford hiccups of a self build when I have no clue about building at all. Looking forward to it all happening!!!

smashey

2010House wrote: »

:)Got planning granted Monday!!! It's all go now, chickening out and going with a contractor to handle it, budget is limited and can't afford hiccups of a self build when I have no clue about building at all. Looking forward to it all happening!!!

Strangely enough, now is a good time to be starting your build. Prices have come down a lot from a year ago.

I hope you have allowed for the sleepless nights.

muffler

smashey wrote: »

I hope you have allowed for the sleepless nights.

Yes indeed. Just become a moderator of this forum and it comes naturally :eek:

bauderline

muffler wrote: »

Yes indeed. Just become a moderator of this forum and it comes naturally :eek:

Really ? I reckon you sleep just fine muffler... I have seen your late nights posts at the weekend.... cough... cough....

P.

muffler

bauderline wrote: »

Really ? I reckon you sleep just fine muffler... I have seen your late nights posts at the weekend.... cough... cough....

P.

Thats it. Terrible cough I have and I have to drink liquids for medicinal purposes

Mooneman

Hi All,

Going through revised planning permission at the moment (Other half wasn't around at time of first submission)
Looking to build 3350sq foot L shape two storey house with detached garage. Recon I will build with ICF. Put in UFH and solar. Heating system I am still undecided, thinking about putting in LPG for the moment as it's relatively cheap to install and with the house insulated to 1 degree of an easy bake oven hopefully I won't need to much heat.
Going to put in concrete first floor with suspended ceilings. either double or triple glazed, alot of windows facing south so may want to maximise the solar gain with double (Oh the decisions). Also going to put in heating contraols for each room as well as centralised music system along with usual cat 5/6 phone & video distripution and possibly figure out how to connect all security cameras to computer.
Will build using direct labour know people for most parts except ICF and plastering bit, with the rest local trades, except for the electrician (Other halfs dad).
What are the general thoughts out there, will I build this to a good spec inside without whitegoods or furniture for 320. (I.E ready to move in)
Will be able to do some work myslf but limited
Any thought or suggestions would be great on the above.

Leadership

Mooneman wrote: »

Hi All,

Going through revised planning permission at the moment (Other half wasn't around at time of first submission)
Looking to build 3350sq foot L shape two storey house with detached garage. Recon I will build with ICF. Put in UFH and solar. Heating system I am still undecided, thinking about putting in LPG for the moment as it's relatively cheap to install and with the house insulated to 1 degree of an easy bake oven hopefully I won't need to much heat.
Going to put in concrete first floor with suspended ceilings. either double or triple glazed, alot of windows facing south so may want to maximise the solar gain with double (Oh the decisions). Also going to put in heating contraols for each room as well as centralised music system along with usual cat 5/6 phone & video distripution and possibly figure out how to connect all security cameras to computer.
Will build using direct labour know people for most parts except ICF and plastering bit, with the rest local trades, except for the electrician (Other halfs dad).
What are the general thoughts out there, will I build this to a good spec inside without whitegoods or furniture for 320. (I.E ready to move in)
Will be able to do some work myslf but limited
Any thought or suggestions would be great on the above.

Sounds like what we are building! Almost same spec 2500 sq/ft , L shaped, ICF, Concrete 1st floor, South facing, Automations etc. 320 would be a great price if you can do it for that, ours is looking like 320 but a fairly high spec and no garage.

Anyway started the build in ernest today, hired a digger and broke through. Looks like we will save 3 or 4 grand by doing the site prep ourselves so its a good start.

http://grianan.blogspot.com/

niallmc35

Hi,

I'm currently building a 3950sq.ft two-storey house (incl. attached garage and converted attic). I'm nearly at wall plate level. I would like to ask for advice on heating for the house. I'm planning to install a wood pellet boiler and solar panels with UHF. For anyone who has installed these, how are they working out for you? Has there been any complaints?

GoOnTaigh

sunnysoutheast wrote: »

just about to start plastering stages

4500 sq.ft. two storey in the rainy south east

build route main contractor for shell, 2nd fix and finish directly contracted

always happy to share success stories (we've had a few) and mistakes (a couple!)

SSE

Hello SunnySouthEast
I am trying to decide between direct labour for the full build or getting a builder to to shell and direct labour for 2nd fix and finish. Would be interested in getting you opinion if you dont mind, how did it work out for you and would you recommend the route you have taken? Did you supply materials to your builder or did he as part of the shell?
thanking you

Villain

I'm going direct GoOnTaigh and I have the blocks finished apart from gables on the house and it has gone very well so far, but I have to stress that I have been using friends and realatives so far so they have been given great imput.

The main thing with me is though I'm in no hurry at all, take for example my Aunt and Uncle are building a house which is 1 and a half times the size of mine and they are using a contractor, when they dug the foundations I had my floors finished and while I still only have the blocks done on the house and roof just needing slates on the garage they have the roof finished on house and garage and the garage is even plastered and the house will be plastered next week, so time obviously is very different.

GoOnTaigh

Thanks Villain, family circumstance means I need to get it built quickly but I want to have more say than just giving it over to a builder. also limited budget so thought If i get a builder to shell it and get the trades in for 2nd fix and finish it would be best of both worlds. will need to think carefully about it I suppose

Villain

Well if you can be on site every 2nd or 3rd day a contractor is not a problem, but they move so fast that its hard to have time to think and make deicisions so if you plan to go with a contracto make sure you have all the decisions made before they start.

IMO the contractor makes most his money in the shell stage, I rekon I have saved 20k with the shell going direct, I'd nearly consider the opposite of you and go direct with the shell then get a contractor in

GoOnTaigh

Thanks Villian, never thought of it that way. allot to consider. I work full time, mon to fri but live 1 mile from the site. think it would be difficult if not impossible to work full time and manage a build? Could get 3 months off max

Villain

It really all depends on how much you have to spend and how quick you want it done.

If you could get a competitive quote from a contractor (shouldn't be that hard with current times) and be able to visit the site each evening and go onsite for 30 mins a ady during lunch etc you should be well covered. If you want to go direct then you will end up being very busy every evening and weekend and you will spend a lot of time on the phone.

I moved jobs just as I started because the place I worked it was hard to make and receive calls during work or finish early the odd evening, now I can manage things during the day with calls and then arrange cement, sand, water etc in the evenings.

One thing to remember if you direct, trades will only do what they are paid to, i.e. most trades won't clean up and its very important to keep the site clean and safe, some trades expect everything be ready for them and others will gladly organise themselves there is no simple answer each persons situation is different.

If you have anyone that you can get to mark the house out and oversee the foundations and get a blocklayer to do the footings and someone to do the filling and radon barrier then I'd go that far direct and maybe even get a plumber to do first fix and then pour floors and let blocklayer at it again then see where you stand with costs etc.

gally74

dont be afraid to build on your own, we started in march and got it sealed, 3 weeks ago, the market has changed and you pull the strings now,

this month were taking a rest and planning out the inside more, heating options, questions, etc.

there is great value in building on your own, plus you own the build and can change as you go along. lot asier than i had heard people make it out to be,

budo73

gally74 wrote: »

dont be afraid to build on your own, we started in march and got it sealed, 3 weeks ago, the market has changed and you pull the strings now,

this month were taking a rest and planning out the inside more, heating options, questions, etc.

there is great value in building on your own, plus you own the build and can change as you go along. lot asier than i had heard people make it out to be,

I have to say I totally agree!
The ability to make changes as cicrumstances arise (or you re-think things!) during a self build has to be one of the major advantages

gally74

you will make changes, for instance,

by the time of roofing we got a really good offer on natural slates and the roofer only asked for 1.5K more to slate the house in natural so we went with it, on the other hand we were getting a central vac and now decided against it,

hrv, solar etc. it can all change, if you go with a builder, you get locked in, sure theyll change it if you want but it ill really cost you,

in any project management, you need a good plan, then plan out the next 2 month of activied well, so its improtant to replan every 4-6 weeks of the build,
this really drives things along,

i fell like giving a one day to people on the subject,

GoOnTaigh

thanks everyone, the biggest bit I'm concerend about is foundation level up to say first row of blocks. I've -100% experience on this side of things and afraid anyone I get to do it might make a *cough* of it. I'd hate to see a bad job of it and a big crack up the side of it

muffler

GoOnTaigh wrote: »

thanks everyone, the biggest bit I'm concerend about is foundation level up to say first row of blocks. I've -100% experience on this side of things and afraid anyone I get to do it might make a *cough* of it. I'd hate to see a bad job of it and a big crack up the side of it

If you have a mortgage you will need someone there to supervise the works and that should ensure that your founds are good.

Even without a mortgage you should still retain the services of a professional to cover you in the event that you wish to mortgage or sell the property in the future.

GoOnTaigh

thanks Muffler. Stupid qestion, but who would be best qualified to look over the foundations. Is this my architect or do I need a structual or civil engineer?

muffler

Usually a structural engineer would be the person involved but quite often people use their architects/technicians to supervise the works.

Just make sure they have P.I. cover and while insurance cover is extremely important its also important to ensure that you are retaining someone who has a lot of experience in this field.

Soldier

Starting a 3500 sq ft 2 storey on Wednesday fingers crossed

so excited.

this thread has been very helpful.

ArraMusha

Hi, the brother is building at home on farm and has got planning. He has saved up for the build and wants to know if he needs an Engineer throughout the build? or just to sign-off on it? Any advise would be great

muffler

ArraMusha wrote: »

Hi, the brother is building at home on farm and has got planning. He has saved up for the build and wants to know if he needs an Engineer throughout the build? or just to sign-off on it? Any advise would be great

If he doesn't have a mortgage then there is no onus on him to have an engineer supervise the works.

2 points however. Should he ever wish to sell or maybe run short of money before the end of the build then he will need loads of paperwork and certs from someone.

The other point is that your brother would be well advised to have someone check the works on a regular basis for peace of mind if nothing else.