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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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RKQ

I agree with Muffler.

It may be possible for you to have the pipe laid by others, acceptable to the Co Council. This option would be much more cost effective over 250m. There is also a device, if needed, for tunnelling a water pipe under a road, without excavating the road.

A past client was allowed to lay his own pipe, circa 100m, as agreed with the Council. Luckily he was a digger driver for a Company used by the Council to lay pipes!
He sorted his water during an afternoon.

DMARTINGTI

DMARTINGTI wrote: »

Steel frame structure arrived 2 weeks ago. Really starting to see progress now. Guys should be finished in a few days on the frame. Great to get going after so many rain delays.

We've got the building structure up now and the outside is clad in 14mm cement fiber board. Just wondering if anyone has any had any suggestions for the external finish. The current suggestions are to put an outer leaf of concrete blocks with a 100mm cavity filled with rockwool cavity insulation. Or blocks and filled cavity up to the downstairs window sills then suspend 100mm polystyrene on batons to make a cavity then plaster onto the outside of this. Either way on the internal frame we have 140mm so this will be filled probably with rockwool then plasterboard or softboard. Any thoughts or suggestions?

sydthebeat

DMARTINGTI wrote: »

We've got the building structure up now and the outside is clad in 14mm cement fiber board. Just wondering if anyone has any had any suggestions for the external finish. The current suggestions are to put an outer leaf of concrete blocks with a 100mm cavity filled with rockwool cavity insulation. Or blocks and filled cavity up to the downstairs window sills then suspend 100mm polystyrene on batons to make a cavity then plaster onto the outside of this. Either way on the internal frame we have 140mm so this will be filled probably with rockwool then plasterboard or softboard. Any thoughts or suggestions?

In most situations the cement board is IN PLACE of an outer block leaf and cavity..... who is advising you to build a block outer leaf?? and why??

you can simply render on the cement board.

to be honest your at a very late stage to be making these kind of decisions.....

DMARTINGTI

The cement fiber board is on instead of osb like you would have with timberframe. They gave me the same price for the cement fibre board as OSB so I took it for strength and fire protection. The cavity was advised to me by my engineer to allow the house to breath better and for any moisture to escape. Would the walls not be very thin if I just rendered onto the fiber board. Late to be deciding I know but just wanted to see what advice was out there.

Seamu$

thekooman wrote: »

built in mayo Seamus.
3200 sq ft house & 800 sq ft garage.

sent a PM with some details of prices.

Thanks very much for the info Kooman, very helpful.

angeldharma

Well this it it. I've started on the big project. I've bought an old cottage and have got plans done to renovate the cottage and build on 1500 sq ft. story and half. living room. 3 bedrooms ensuite and utility. the old building will be kitchen dining room double height. Its south facing and I've put lot of windows facing view out west. I'm nervous and excited and this is first major project after seperating. Ive been to the self build show and got some ideas. Thinking of doing a self build as would like to be involved in process and know how house ticks. but was wondering is there any course, ie.e project mgt or software for budgeting etc that you self builders think may help me. ?

smashey

It's kind of hard to beat getting out there and getting your hands dirty.

Jill

Hi there

need to decide whether to go with solid oak or veneer skirting and architrave - can anyone advise on advantages/disadvantages and also price of both..

Doors are Engineered oak

RKQ

Veneer is "usually" MDF. They can't be sanded or easily repaired if they are chipped or scuffed.
Skirtingboards are meant to protect the wall from knocks and bangs. Veneer is fine in low traffic areas.
The oak veneer I looked at wasn't hugely cheaper than solid oak.
Veneer shirting comes in limited moulded designs.

Solid oak is expensive but its worth getting 3 quotes from local Joinery's.
Solid oak will be cut to the size and design you want.

Solid oak can be sanded in the future, if required. All doors, skirtings and architrave tend to get knocked and banged during normal life.
Soild oak can be screwed and plugged (oak plugs cover the screws, so they are hidden!):)

sydthebeat

RKQ wrote: »

Veneer is "usually" MDF. They can't be sanded or easily repaired if they are chipped or scuffed.
Skirtingboards are meant to protect the wall from knocks and bangs. Veneer is fine in low traffic areas.
The oak veneer I looked at wasn't hugely cheaper than solid oak.
Veneer shirting comes in limited moulded designs.

Solid oak is expensive but its worth getting 3 quotes from local Joinery's.
Solid oak will be cut to the size and design you want.

Solid oak can be sanded in the future, if required. All doors, skirtings and architrave tend to get knocked and banged during normal life.
Soild oak can be screwed and plugged (oak plugs cover the screws, so they are hidden!):)

solid oak need walls to be very well constructed and plastered or they will look terrible..... gaps etc....

mdf easier to hide faults (im not suggesting mdf, just pointing this out)

Jill

Thanks for this - can you get the solid oak finished or will we have to do that ourselves ?

whitelightrider

Jill wrote: »

Thanks for this - can you get the solid oak finished or will we have to do that ourselves ?

Hi Jill, we got 650ft of skirting and architrave in solid oak for our house from a local guy. He sprayed the whole lot for €600. Far easier than sanding and sealing the whole lot.

DustyBin

Hi all
We've recently got our planning and will hopefully be clearing site before Christmas
Will keep you posted on how things are going and will surely be looking for lots of advice!
In the process of deciding how to manage the build but looks like we will hire a project manager and do it all direct labour through the PM
Has anyone any idea how much a project manager should be charging?
We want them to supervise from digging of foundations through to 2nd fix electrical, plumbing & carpentry
Thanks for any advice you can give

Tester46

whitelightrider wrote: »

Hi Jill, we got 650ft of skirting and architrave in solid oak for our house from a local guy. He sprayed the whole lot for €600. Far easier than sanding and sealing the whole lot.

Is that €600 for the wholelot, or just for the sealing? What size skirting are you talking about?

lanod2407

DustyBin wrote: »

Hi all
We've recently got our planning and will hopefully be clearing site before Christmas
Will keep you posted on how things are going and will surely be looking for lots of advice!
In the process of deciding how to manage the build but looks like we will hire a project manager and do it all direct labour through the PM
Has anyone any idea how much a project manager should be charging?
We want them to supervise from digging of foundations through to 2nd fix electrical, plumbing & carpentry
Thanks for any advice you can give

Right now, in the current market, I'd say "how long is a piece of string"?
Some PM's will charge a % of the construction cost, but I don't like that model - "the more you have to spend, the more I'll charge you" approach never sits well with me.

I've see PM costs for a typical 2,500 sq ft house ranging from €20k to €30k, but there have been instances where I've seen the prices agreed well below that.

You've got two advantages right now - (a) the market should be in your favour, & (b) finishing out can be a major headache for a PM, so one may be more willing to give a good price if the project finished at second fix completion.
The last thing most PMs want is to have to manage through to completion - "But Madam you did choose these tiles" ...... "I don't care, they're not what I want, change them"!!!!!!!!

If you go down the PM route make sure you drive a hard bargain in today's market.

Technophobe

Hey DustyBin!

I am exactly at the same point as you....ready to clear site and get crackin.....as soon as decide how to manage the build....!!
Have specs out and am awaiting back prices from Builders and some Project Managers and a local brickie who might Project manage it also....He too is unsure of how to charge though...so let me know how you are getting on...!!

DustyBin wrote: »

Hi all
We've recently got our planning and will hopefully be clearing site before Christmas
Will keep you posted on how things are going and will surely be looking for lots of advice!
In the process of deciding how to manage the build but looks like we will hire a project manager and do it all direct labour through the PM
Has anyone any idea how much a project manager should be charging?
We want them to supervise from digging of foundations through to 2nd fix electrical, plumbing & carpentry
Thanks for any advice you can give

getfit

The PM road is a very grey area... That's why prices are so variable. Basically, do you want the PM on site 20/30 hours a week to supervise work and co-ordinate deliveries, hire work men and make decisions!! Or, do you want the PM to just throw his eye on things and make sure no mistakes are made which could mean no hours on site some weeks and 5-10 hours on site in busy weeks...
I don't like the % of build cost model either. My PM has no clue (I'm sure he could make an educated guess) of my build cost. What I pay guys and whether I get native or foreign timbers, slates or tiles or insulated boards or porcelain tiles or solid oak floors or laminate etc. doesn't concern him. He just ensures all work is done at the right time, in the right order and correctly...

I have found 2 dramatic benefits to the PM route
1. Low stress due to the knowledge the PM brings. Mates of mine who built DL have spent sleepless nights worrying about how the sewage pipes will hook up or what type of RSJ to get or how to get the paths done or who will mark out the foundations etc. I just call the PM
2. I keep control of quality in terms of materials and labour. With a builder, he is ordering materials and hiring workmen and the temptation to cut corners will always be there as he is building to a set price...
I still have the headache of trying to hire lads and ordering materials and negotiating prices. I wanted to do this so that
a) I kept control
b) It reduced the need for the PM in those areas - and thus reduced his cost!

Glulam

Started my self build in Sep 06. Nearly there now tiling at the moment.
I did a lot of the work myself so saved a few quid. One piece of advice I would give anyone thinking of doing a self build with no prior experience is get a QS to cost it before you start. There are so many hidden costs that can really put you off budget. I spent a few months costing everything but there were still things like steel and lead which I really did not factor in.
House is approx 3200 sq ft and the garage is a 1000 sq ft and at the moment with only the kitchen and the stairs left to go in I'm at 280K. The house is very high spec UFH on 2 floors, HRV and loads of insulation plus a stone finish on 2 gables so I think I'm doing ok price wise approx 90/sqft. However if I think at the moment with current labour prices I could do it for about 70/sqft.
Really the price you pay depends on your spec. For a basic build it is is still possible to do it for 60/sqft but be prepared for a lot of work yourself.

DustyBin

DustyBin wrote: »

Hi all
We've recently got our planning and will hopefully be clearing site before Christmas
Will keep you posted on how things are going and will surely be looking for lots of advice!
In the process of deciding how to manage the build but looks like we will hire a project manager and do it all direct labour through the PM
Has anyone any idea how much a project manager should be charging?
We want them to supervise from digging of foundations through to 2nd fix electrical, plumbing & carpentry
Thanks for any advice you can give

After overcoming the small issue of an appeal against the planning granted for our house we are once again all systems go (please God let nothing get in our way this time:D)
We are still on track to start before Christmas, and, with a bit of luck, (and no rocks) we may even get the foundations poured by then.

Thanks for the replies re the PM
We decided to go with a PM in the end
We're building approx 2,500 sq ft bungalow and are converting part of the upstairs
Cost for PM came in at a very reasonable **edit: less than what is quoted above** to include painting and decorating. Also includes for BER cert, budget, engineer fees etc
Local guy who comes well recommended

Will keep you posted on how it goes

wondering...

Hope the foundations got poured DustyBin.

Just wondering if you had more information on how the PM situation worked out. Am currently looking at getting a builder, but wouldnt mind checking how a PM role would work.

I'm begining to shy away from the direct labour approach as I dont have a lot of building knowledge.

Is getting a PM a good half-way house - or am I better off sticking with a builder?

I wouldnt mind getting my hands dirty with the build, but dont want to end up with very expensive mess either

Tester46

wondering... wrote: »

Hope the foundations got poured DustyBin.

Just wondering if you had more information on how the PM situation worked out. Am currently looking at getting a builder, but wouldnt mind checking how a PM role would work.

I'm begining to shy away from the direct labour approach as I dont have a lot of building knowledge.

Is getting a PM a good half-way house - or am I better off sticking with a builder?

I wouldnt mind getting my hands dirty with the build, but dont want to end up with very expensive mess either

I was in the same boat as you. Got prices from main contractors for the whole lot. Those prices seemed to be very high. Then got a PM (an engineer) who is charging afixed price per square foot and guarantees (well, verbally anyway!) to beat the builder's quotes substantially,even after deducting his fees.

This way I get:
(a) Some level of control
(b) peace of mind about what to do if there is a problem - my engineer knows his stuff
(c) a better price
(d) the ability to make small changes without being killed for extras.
(e) someone else on my side - he can blame me and I can blame him when dealing with the builders - makes a change from them doing that all the time (!)

Downside is you need (a) a good contract with your PM and (b) good contracts with your individual contractors. You also need your PM to sign offon the build for you and for the bank.

If you want some involvement in the project, the PM is a good halfway house.

PM me (no pun intended) if you want the name of mine (I'm in Cork as well)

Tester46

whitelightrider wrote: »

Hi Jill, we got 650ft of skirting and architrave in solid oak for our house from a local guy. He sprayed the whole lot for €600. Far easier than sanding and sealing the whole lot.

Hi - did you get the skirting and get it sprayed for an all in price of €650? Whereabouts?

Scorpio Girl

hi, just a follow up to my posts back in april! moved into house on 23rd december. went direct labour all the way but had a very helpful cousin and friends for advice. tip for anyone going this route, be tough from the beginning. don't take any nonsense from tradesmen. i had a major problem with my plumber from the start and in the end i sacked him and took on another one. there's plenty of good tradesmen out there looking for work at the minute.

lanod2407

Tester46 wrote: »

Hi - did you get the skirting and get it sprayed for an all in price of €650? Whereabouts?

What prep work was done prior to spraying? Did it get sanded first?

inchbyinch

getfit wrote: »

The PM road is a very grey area... That's why prices are so variable. Basically, do you want the PM on site 20/30 hours a week to supervise work and co-ordinate deliveries, hire work men and make decisions!! Or, do you want the PM to just throw his eye on things and make sure no mistakes are made which could mean no hours on site some weeks and 5-10 hours on site in busy weeks...

Did you go the PM route? And how much did it cost per sq ft? (not saying that one can compare but it would be interesting to get an idea)

bauderline

Its been a while... but some updated photos on the blog...

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

sydthebeat

can i comment bauderline...?.

1. its risky building that roof without supporting steelwork... i hope your engineer has all his calculations figured out.

2. disabled access at front door??

3. were the boxed eaves the fascia / soffit guys idea???

DMARTINGTI

bauderline wrote: »

Its been a while... but some updated photos on the blog...

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

Progress looks great. It's a fine building. Are those windows hardwood or PVC?

bauderline

DMARTINGTI,

These are redwood windows from a company in Omagh, the Architect used them on his house and I must say I am very impressed with the quality. The front door and window at the rear should be going in today. I will be posting more pictures in the next couple of days.

syd,

1. The calculations have been done on the roof and it is very well supported.

2. That is something that needs to be addressed, on my last house the ramp was placed at the rear door of the house, but I think it must be at the front door now, maybe you can clarify the regs on that

It will be tricky to make it look well if it has to go at front... but I am sure I will figure something...

3. The boxy fascia didn't escape my notice, looking at some other building I know it can be done without the boxiness, for want of a better term. In the end I though it looked reasonable enough, maybe a little aggressive on that middle gable at the front... Do you think I should reconsider ?

I always value your input syd... so shoot.

P.

sydthebeat

no, i wouldnt change the boxed eaves at this stage, they are slightly strong and my own preference would be for no box.. but thats only personal opinion...

the regs state that the disabled access should be the main access to the dwelling. Some certifiers are happy enough to sign off on other access, personally i wouldnt. Im quite sure if building control officers saw it they would insist on the main door.... but at the end of the day its your certifiers call. People have a wrong view of what this access should be, it shouldnt be a concrete ramp... it should incorporate the ground levels sloping up to a 1200 sq platform outsid ethe door.... no 'ramp' as such....

have you an insulation spec for the roof yet??