home builds? anyone done one?
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From: barry-south wales
home builds? anyone done one?
im tempted by the idea of building my own home! anyone done one?
would you do one again? how much work did you do yourself?
would love too see photos of your builds
would you do one again? how much work did you do yourself?
would love too see photos of your builds
you need about 6 months just to plan stuff out
there are loads of places you can go to see where this sort of stuff is on show, conventions and the like, but you need make sure the land you are buying will be able to get the planning to do what you need it to do
and watch lots of discovery real time to get you used to the fact that it might be 2 years before you are finished and you may go many times over your budget
they normally say that you should budget Ł100k for every Ł70k you have worked out
so if you have a budget of say Ł250k, you should aim to build around the Ł200k mark and have a bit spare in case things go tits up
Ł250k should get you a decent sized place to live in BUT this is all based on people building houses in fields they've bought for next to nothing
there are loads of places you can go to see where this sort of stuff is on show, conventions and the like, but you need make sure the land you are buying will be able to get the planning to do what you need it to do
and watch lots of discovery real time to get you used to the fact that it might be 2 years before you are finished and you may go many times over your budget
they normally say that you should budget Ł100k for every Ł70k you have worked out
so if you have a budget of say Ł250k, you should aim to build around the Ł200k mark and have a bit spare in case things go tits up
Ł250k should get you a decent sized place to live in BUT this is all based on people building houses in fields they've bought for next to nothing
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Professional Waffler
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From: barry-south wales
good advice mate
always laugh the way they ALL go over budget
for 200k you could build a AMAZING house (not including land prices)
i wanna do as much work as i can myself like foundations, electrical system, plumming, fitting all windows and doors, stud walls, floors, and floor joists, roof and im sure there other things i would have a bash of
always laugh the way they ALL go over budget
for 200k you could build a AMAZING house (not including land prices)
i wanna do as much work as i can myself like foundations, electrical system, plumming, fitting all windows and doors, stud walls, floors, and floor joists, roof and im sure there other things i would have a bash of
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Originally Posted by GARETH T
good advice mate
always laugh the way they ALL go over budget
for 200k you could build a AMAZING house (not including land prices)
i wanna do as much work as i can myself like foundations, electrical system, plumming, fitting all windows and doors, stud walls, floors, and floor joists, roof and im sure there other things i would have a bash of
always laugh the way they ALL go over budget
for 200k you could build a AMAZING house (not including land prices)
i wanna do as much work as i can myself like foundations, electrical system, plumming, fitting all windows and doors, stud walls, floors, and floor joists, roof and im sure there other things i would have a bash of
Some of the tasks u said ya gonna do there Gareth are a tad difficult if youre not a joiner, and as for electrics n plumbing
, if youre not a plumber or sparky or a joiner then let some one else do it,
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From: Scotland
We built this place in 1991 (and it's still standing, so we must have got the main bits right!) Planning permission took a long time to come through thanks to a backlog at the council but, once we got that, we were finished and moved in within 6 months.
As stated above the land you buy should either have outline planning permission for the type of house you want to build or the deal should be subject to you getting it. You can get planning permission for land you don't own, but that just increases the value for the owner, so the deal has to be properly concluded before you waste your time and effort for someone else to benefit.
The biggest tip I can give you is forget the ideas of doing lots of work yourself to save money. The job won't be as good as a professional, and he can be working for you while you are at your job earning money to pay for it all. We thought we saved when I did stuff like the roughing joinery, but I was over 100 miles away so only had weekends and therefore paid interest on the bridging loan for weeks longer than I would have if I just got joiners in to do it in a week.
Some stuff, like electrics and gas, I think I'm right in saying you need to be certified to do yourself nowadays - and both of these make a real mess of your new home if you get them wrong, so why risk it?
Your bank or building society will need a professional (normally your architect) to supervise the project and will release money at pre-agreed stages (foundations/wind & water-tight/interior completed/landscaping etc)when your architect signs each stage of the work off as properly completed.
Can't recall the figures now, but for budgeting you normally work on a cost per squre foot + land and fees. A big contingency fund in the budget is very important - first day on our site the digger found a water culvert in the wrong place - right where we wanted toput the back wall of the house.
That killed all work for the day and the digger still had to be paid for. It took many days to get the permission revised to allow the house to move forard and one of the conditions is that the foundation had to go below the culvert and be twice as wide so right at the start we blew several hundred pounds more than planned with nothing to show for it. More importantly, the delay screwed up the whole schedule, so we had trades turning up with nothing to do, materials arriving with no-where to put them etc. So build some slack into the schedule too.
All told, I'm glad we did it. It cost about a third less than just buying the house and I have a great sense of satisfaction about it. I also know where all the wires and pipes are, which is useful if you want to change anything in future.
You do need to be very disciplined and highly organised, especially if you can't be on site every day. You also need to be good at motivating and encouraging your workers - they are no use to you if they are off working on another job somewhere. So NEVER, EVER, EVER pay in full for a job until it is FINISHED. EVER.
As stated above the land you buy should either have outline planning permission for the type of house you want to build or the deal should be subject to you getting it. You can get planning permission for land you don't own, but that just increases the value for the owner, so the deal has to be properly concluded before you waste your time and effort for someone else to benefit.
The biggest tip I can give you is forget the ideas of doing lots of work yourself to save money. The job won't be as good as a professional, and he can be working for you while you are at your job earning money to pay for it all. We thought we saved when I did stuff like the roughing joinery, but I was over 100 miles away so only had weekends and therefore paid interest on the bridging loan for weeks longer than I would have if I just got joiners in to do it in a week.
Some stuff, like electrics and gas, I think I'm right in saying you need to be certified to do yourself nowadays - and both of these make a real mess of your new home if you get them wrong, so why risk it?
Your bank or building society will need a professional (normally your architect) to supervise the project and will release money at pre-agreed stages (foundations/wind & water-tight/interior completed/landscaping etc)when your architect signs each stage of the work off as properly completed.
Can't recall the figures now, but for budgeting you normally work on a cost per squre foot + land and fees. A big contingency fund in the budget is very important - first day on our site the digger found a water culvert in the wrong place - right where we wanted toput the back wall of the house.
That killed all work for the day and the digger still had to be paid for. It took many days to get the permission revised to allow the house to move forard and one of the conditions is that the foundation had to go below the culvert and be twice as wide so right at the start we blew several hundred pounds more than planned with nothing to show for it. More importantly, the delay screwed up the whole schedule, so we had trades turning up with nothing to do, materials arriving with no-where to put them etc. So build some slack into the schedule too.
All told, I'm glad we did it. It cost about a third less than just buying the house and I have a great sense of satisfaction about it. I also know where all the wires and pipes are, which is useful if you want to change anything in future.
You do need to be very disciplined and highly organised, especially if you can't be on site every day. You also need to be good at motivating and encouraging your workers - they are no use to you if they are off working on another job somewhere. So NEVER, EVER, EVER pay in full for a job until it is FINISHED. EVER.
Thread Starter
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Joined: May 2003
Posts: 30,980
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From: barry-south wales
Originally Posted by Mr Brannen
Originally Posted by GARETH T
good advice mate
always laugh the way they ALL go over budget
for 200k you could build a AMAZING house (not including land prices)
i wanna do as much work as i can myself like foundations, electrical system, plumming, fitting all windows and doors, stud walls, floors, and floor joists, roof and im sure there other things i would have a bash of
always laugh the way they ALL go over budget
for 200k you could build a AMAZING house (not including land prices)
i wanna do as much work as i can myself like foundations, electrical system, plumming, fitting all windows and doors, stud walls, floors, and floor joists, roof and im sure there other things i would have a bash of
Some of the tasks u said ya gonna do there Gareth are a tad difficult if youre not a joiner, and as for electrics n plumbing
, if youre not a plumber or sparky or a joiner then let some one else do it, 
Thread Starter
Professional Waffler
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 30,980
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From: barry-south wales
Originally Posted by Iain Mac
We built this place in 1991 (and it's still standing, so we must have got the main bits right!) Planning permission took a long time to come through thanks to a backlog at the council but, once we got that, we were finished and moved in within 6 months.
As stated above the land you buy should either have outline planning permission for the type of house you want to build or the deal should be subject to you getting it. You can get planning permission for land you don't own, but that just increases the value for the owner, so the deal has to be properly concluded before you waste your time and effort for someone else to benefit.
The biggest tip I can give you is forget the ideas of doing lots of work yourself to save money. The job won't be as good as a professional, and he can be working for you while you are at your job earning money to pay for it all. We thought we saved when I did stuff like the roughing joinery, but I was over 100 miles away so only had weekends and therefore paid interest on the bridging loan for weeks longer than I would have if I just got joiners in to do it in a week.
Some stuff, like electrics and gas, I think I'm right in saying you need to be certified to do yourself nowadays - and both of these make a real mess of your new home if you get them wrong, so why risk it?
Your bank or building society will need a professional (normally your architect) to supervise the project and will release money at pre-agreed stages (foundations/wind & water-tight/interior completed/landscaping etc)when your architect signs each stage of the work off as properly completed.
Can't recall the figures now, but for budgeting you normally work on a cost per squre foot + land and fees. A big contingency fund in the budget is very important - first day on our site the digger found a water culvert in the wrong place - right where we wanted toput the back wall of the house.
That killed all work for the day and the digger still had to be paid for. It took many days to get the permission revised to allow the house to move forard and one of the conditions is that the foundation had to go below the culvert and be twice as wide so right at the start we blew several hundred pounds more than planned with nothing to show for it. More importantly, the delay screwed up the whole schedule, so we had trades turning up with nothing to do, materials arriving with no-where to put them etc. So build some slack into the schedule too.
All told, I'm glad we did it. It cost about a third less than just buying the house and I have a great sense of satisfaction about it. I also know where all the wires and pipes are, which is useful if you want to change anything in future.
You do need to be very disciplined and highly organised, especially if you can't be on site every day. You also need to be good at motivating and encouraging your workers - they are no use to you if they are off working on another job somewhere. So NEVER, EVER, EVER pay in full for a job until it is FINISHED. EVER.
As stated above the land you buy should either have outline planning permission for the type of house you want to build or the deal should be subject to you getting it. You can get planning permission for land you don't own, but that just increases the value for the owner, so the deal has to be properly concluded before you waste your time and effort for someone else to benefit.
The biggest tip I can give you is forget the ideas of doing lots of work yourself to save money. The job won't be as good as a professional, and he can be working for you while you are at your job earning money to pay for it all. We thought we saved when I did stuff like the roughing joinery, but I was over 100 miles away so only had weekends and therefore paid interest on the bridging loan for weeks longer than I would have if I just got joiners in to do it in a week.
Some stuff, like electrics and gas, I think I'm right in saying you need to be certified to do yourself nowadays - and both of these make a real mess of your new home if you get them wrong, so why risk it?
Your bank or building society will need a professional (normally your architect) to supervise the project and will release money at pre-agreed stages (foundations/wind & water-tight/interior completed/landscaping etc)when your architect signs each stage of the work off as properly completed.
Can't recall the figures now, but for budgeting you normally work on a cost per squre foot + land and fees. A big contingency fund in the budget is very important - first day on our site the digger found a water culvert in the wrong place - right where we wanted toput the back wall of the house.
That killed all work for the day and the digger still had to be paid for. It took many days to get the permission revised to allow the house to move forard and one of the conditions is that the foundation had to go below the culvert and be twice as wide so right at the start we blew several hundred pounds more than planned with nothing to show for it. More importantly, the delay screwed up the whole schedule, so we had trades turning up with nothing to do, materials arriving with no-where to put them etc. So build some slack into the schedule too.
All told, I'm glad we did it. It cost about a third less than just buying the house and I have a great sense of satisfaction about it. I also know where all the wires and pipes are, which is useful if you want to change anything in future.
You do need to be very disciplined and highly organised, especially if you can't be on site every day. You also need to be good at motivating and encouraging your workers - they are no use to you if they are off working on another job somewhere. So NEVER, EVER, EVER pay in full for a job until it is FINISHED. EVER.
Part of the Furniture
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 177
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From: North of Scotland
Finished mines a couple of motnhs ago, did it and garage at same time, took in a builder, sparkie and plumber, me and me dad did the rest of it.
Planning took a good while but from me digging out the founds to moving in was 6 months to the day and that was fully decorated.
Best tip, by a paslode nail gun, saves loads of pratting around with dwangs etc and machine for plasterboard screws and some extending props, me and my missus plasterboarded the whole place without any hassles.
Spend a bit of time considering where everything is going to go, boiler, water tanks/cylinders, U/Floor heating manifolds etc, we fussed over this and even where sink drains etc would exit walls and the like and it has paid dividends.
My mate has jsut been caught out as he's fitting megaflow cylinder and didn't allow for the size of it in his utility room and cannot get his units to fit.
Best thing you can do house wise and very very rewarding.
got loads of pics if you need to see anything
Planning took a good while but from me digging out the founds to moving in was 6 months to the day and that was fully decorated.
Best tip, by a paslode nail gun, saves loads of pratting around with dwangs etc and machine for plasterboard screws and some extending props, me and my missus plasterboarded the whole place without any hassles.
Spend a bit of time considering where everything is going to go, boiler, water tanks/cylinders, U/Floor heating manifolds etc, we fussed over this and even where sink drains etc would exit walls and the like and it has paid dividends.
My mate has jsut been caught out as he's fitting megaflow cylinder and didn't allow for the size of it in his utility room and cannot get his units to fit.
Best thing you can do house wise and very very rewarding.
got loads of pics if you need to see anything
I've found that life I needed.. It's HERE!!
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Posts: 1,067
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From: Belfast
I was actually wondering this too as I've thought about, although the topic isn't for me, thank's for the information everyone.
P.S. In Northern Ireland I could build an absolute mental house for Ł250,000. For a good sized house here you're talking in the region of Ł80,000 to Ł120,000.
P.S. In Northern Ireland I could build an absolute mental house for Ł250,000. For a good sized house here you're talking in the region of Ł80,000 to Ł120,000.
I've found that life I needed.. It's HERE!!
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From: Kilmarnock, Ayrshire
I have just started doing this for a living, CAM has been doing it for a few years as well. He is good for advice.
I plan to build my own home in a few years time.
Defo a good move tho, if you can get the land
I plan to build my own home in a few years time.
Defo a good move tho, if you can get the land
Part of the Furniture
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 177
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From: North of Scotland
Hope these help a bit Gareth, depending upon where your building (i.e who might be watching you'll need more scaffold than me and dad used 
)
Foundations, rock is very close to surface here thankfully.
Underfloor heating insulation and mesh for clipping the pipes too
Kit going up, panels were heavy as large doors and windows have steel reinforcing.
Roofs on house and garage
Finished, well the inside is anyway!!!!! Outside will be this summer!!
)Foundations, rock is very close to surface here thankfully.
Underfloor heating insulation and mesh for clipping the pipes too
Kit going up, panels were heavy as large doors and windows have steel reinforcing.
Roofs on house and garage
Finished, well the inside is anyway!!!!! Outside will be this summer!!
I've found that life I needed.. It's HERE!!
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 1,154
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From: Kilmarnock, Ayrshire
http://www.thomasmitchellhomes.com/
go onto the above site, goto timber frame kits and then house types.
Some nice designs there, just some pics for imagination mate.
go onto the above site, goto timber frame kits and then house types.
Some nice designs there, just some pics for imagination mate.
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From: Lancaster, Lancs
Lovely house james....
Thought about this a couple of times myself....brother in law built his....timber frame is defo the way....great thermal insulation potential...is weather tight very quickly.....and some really nice designs...
I'd be incorporating a rain harvester, geo-thremic boiler, solar panels and any other energy saving devices....consider the cost of gas and the other utilities in a few years.....
Ian
Thought about this a couple of times myself....brother in law built his....timber frame is defo the way....great thermal insulation potential...is weather tight very quickly.....and some really nice designs...
I'd be incorporating a rain harvester, geo-thremic boiler, solar panels and any other energy saving devices....consider the cost of gas and the other utilities in a few years.....
Ian
Part of the Furniture
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From: North of Scotland
Cheers Guys
we designed ourselves to suit our set-up.
from rasing the first panel it was wind and water tight in under two weeks, we were very lucky with the weather and worked until stupid o clock most nights.
Ground source heat pump and permission for a domestic wind mill in gable of shed!!!!!! as you say thermal values are very good, 6" timbers and insulation in all outer walls.
we designed ourselves to suit our set-up.
from rasing the first panel it was wind and water tight in under two weeks, we were very lucky with the weather and worked until stupid o clock most nights.
Ground source heat pump and permission for a domestic wind mill in gable of shed!!!!!! as you say thermal values are very good, 6" timbers and insulation in all outer walls.
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From: Scotland
Timber frame accounts for over 50% of all new housing built in Scotland in recent years, and an even higher percentage in Scandanavia where the idea comes from.
Its being used in more and more commercial property and England is starting to catch on to the advantages - speed of build, cleanliness, accuracy, energy efficiency, etc.
If I was doing mine again, the only real change i'd make is to make the loft space suitable for habitation - sadly, we used the standard prefabricated roof trusses and you couldn't do anything like a loft conversion without stripping the whole top off the house!
Its being used in more and more commercial property and England is starting to catch on to the advantages - speed of build, cleanliness, accuracy, energy efficiency, etc.
If I was doing mine again, the only real change i'd make is to make the loft space suitable for habitation - sadly, we used the standard prefabricated roof trusses and you couldn't do anything like a loft conversion without stripping the whole top off the house!
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