Anyone ever had their own house built?

[Wuffles]

Are you going to use Council building control or an independent? We went independent as it was cheaper, plus our place is being built off the drawings on the back of a fag packet - couldn't justify any of the architects we met for exactly the reasons you stated.

This bit I was referring to specifically.

My point was that you don't need drawings for building control from an architect, obviously you need building control sign off or you could have the whole thing pulled down let alone not be able to sell it.

 

[Charlie Woody]

Are you going to use Council building control or an independent? We went independent as it was cheaper, plus our place is being built off the drawings on the back of a fag packet - couldn't justify any of the architects we met for exactly the reasons you stated.

This bit I was referring to specifically.

My point was that you don't need drawings for building control from an architect, obviously you need building control sign off or you could have the whole thing pulled down let alone not be able to sell it.

Sorry I misread / misunderstood your post!

 

[powertools]

Thanks to those of you who have given me some encouragement.
Although most of my woodworking projects are worked out on the fag packet as I go along I feel that for a project of this size and that will need the help of many different trades a set of detailed plans is essential to avoid any confusion when it comes to costings.
At the moment we feel a bit let down by the architect but the priority now is to get a fairly accurate estimate of costs in order to see if we can arrange some short term finance for the build and are now in the process of getting the quote for the gas and electricity supplies installed.
Once we know the likely costs of the project including all the services, the section 106 to the council, the legal fees to alter the deeds of the existing house and create new deeds for the new house and the cost of the build to a dry shell we will then know the amount we need to raise in order to proceed if we can raise that we will then spend the extra money on the detailed drawings.

 

[Wuffles]

Talking of Gas...we were on oil when we moved in. Range cooker broke (that did the hot water and heating too) so we switched to Air Source heat pumps. They're terribly expensive to buy, but probably not as expensive as having a new gas feed put in - depending on distance anyway.

Our electric bills annually for 24/7 heating at 20 degrees C and for all our hot water come to approximately £1,600 (ish). Less what we get back for the solar panels on the workshop which is about £600pa - we're not on an amazing tariff either.

Do some costings and weigh up all the options before opting for gas, unless you REALLY want gas.

Just some food for thought.

And I agree with you on the drawings, just making you aware, it's not a necessity or the end of the world if you don't have them.

Whilst I'm rambling, it's worth stating that detail drawings aren't always right and that a decent trade will sometimes know better/more than an architect in that they actually put these things in day in day out, rather than hypothesize.

 

[powertools]

Just a quick update we have gone through the process of getting the costings of the project together and are now going to try and find the short term finance so we can begin.
This is a long hard road to go down and for anybody else thinking of doing a similar thing what you think will take 12 months to complete will take 2 years at best.

 

[Zeddedhed]

As a builder/site manager one of the things that i would recommend you pay particular attention to are the actual construction details.
For example, its not uncommon for architects to specify internal stud walls as 3 x 2 with 12.5mm plasterboard either side. Now I know that this is fairly standard, but it's also utterly useless. Every time a door slams or someone sneezes the whole house can hear it. 4 x 2 stud work as a minimum. After that I would then line all stud walls with 12 or 18mm sheet goods - cheapest available is probably OSB. With the wall fully filled with acoustic rock wool and then plaster boarded and skimmed its actually structurally stronger than a clockwork wall and much more soundproof. You can hang shelves, cupboards etc wherever you like. Downside is cost, more trouble with electrical back boxes (the sparks will moan) and you'll need thicker non-standard door linings.

This is just one example of things you might want to discuss with whoever is drawing up the Build regs drawings and the builder.
You'll be gutted if after you've moved in you can hear toilets flushing four rooms away and you could have solved it during the build.

HTH

Pete

 

[flying haggis]

just to chuck in my tupenceworth re the gas supply, my wife and i had a timber frame house built over twenty years ago and we are still here, i did all the electrics, second fix plumbing /woodwork etc.

when it came to the gas, there is none available in our village (5 miles from where most of britians gas comes into the country!!) so we had oil heating but bottled gas just for cooking,
one 47kg propane lasts about 10 months

 

[Leif]

There are quite a few parcels of land selling near me. The latest is 2.5 acres for 70 grand. No planning permission. Seems an expensive gamble to me, since at that price it is not for farming.