Skip to content
View in the app

A better way to browse. Learn more.
BuildHub.org.uk

A full-screen app on your home screen with push notifications, badges and more.

To install this app on iOS and iPadOS
  1. Tap the Share icon in Safari
  2. Scroll the menu and tap Add to Home Screen.
  3. Tap Add in the top-right corner.
To install this app on Android
  1. Tap the 3-dot menu (⋮) in the top-right corner of the browser.
  2. Tap Add to Home screen or Install app.
  3. Confirm by tapping Install.

Blogs

Mr and Mrs Triassics New Home

Demolition

Having promised my wife Debbie that I’d get people in to do most of the Work associated with the new house, i contacted two local demolition companies and got prices to demolish the old timber bungalow. The prices were £6,000 and £12,200. Being tight I demolished it myself, it cost the price of three skips, £540, The bonus for me was over £1,000 in payment for the scrap from the house, things like a hot water copper cylinder and piping, lead off the roof, the old cast iron AGA and two baths, the
Blackmore House

Roofing by iteration

Having vented my spleen about the DNO and AJ, its wayleave officer, it's time to move on to more interesting things, like the puzzle of getting my roofing done, amongst other things.   For my sins, whilst our house is an interesting design and has quite a few twiddly bits, they have proved to be less than straightforward to actually get built.  For a start, the house has a combination of pitched and flat roof sections, there will be an in-roof solar PV system up there and the parapet t
Blackmore House

Wayleaves etc., Part 2

If there's one thing that really gets my back up, it's someone trying to bully or intimidate me.  It rarely works, it just makes me angry.   If you've been following this blog, you may recall a post some time back in August concerning the high voltage power lines that oversail my plot, sadly very close to our new house.  They do, in fact, just about cross directly over the very furthest corner of the garage.  Now whilst these lines do not supply my new house and there is no equipment a
Mr and Mrs Triassics New Home

Somewhere to Live During the Build

Like all Self builders we found we had a limited number of options for living accommodation during the build, given that we needed to demolish the bungalow to clear the plot for the build.   The options were, rent locally or a caravan on site. Renting locally wasn’t an option due to the high rental costs, so we looked at the caravan option. The main problem was access, an 8 feet wide drive with a hairpin bend half way up, a dry stone wall, 80 feet tall trees and limestone outcrop put p
Mr and Mrs Triassics New Home

First Steps - The Design and Planning

Having done a large renovation project and turned an old 1770s vintage wreek into a fantastic Home we decided that living in Cheshire was no longer for us,  so we sold up and moved, to be closer to family in the Southern  Lake District.    However the journey was far far from straightforward, we really had no idea what we were looking for, was it to be another renovation project or a self Build? Having viewed around fifty ‘oportunities’ ranging from dilapidated houses, to an old pub, t
Salamander Cottage

The Great Crested Newt

Our neighbours talk of them in hushed tones. Our friends look puzzled, and then after a few moments get that thousand yard stare. It’s easy to bore people when you mention the humble newt. But people on buildhub.org.uk  searching for what to do about them in planning terms won’t be bored. So here is a summary of our experience in the hope that I can save you some time, money and worry.   Quick Read: The great crested newt (GCN) is a protected species. It is unlawful to handle them (unl
Our Journey North of the Border

The Build - Things have got very messy!

Hi - yes things are getting messy but in a positive manner!  I have been very busy these last few weeks, working a full 8 hours or so and a full weekend. The house has now been plastered except for the sitting room. The reason being the chimney still hasn't been completed. Should be done this week I am told! Once it has been done, the plaster boards can be finished off and the room plastered.   Allowing for the rooms which have been plastered to dry thoroughly, I have followed on with
Druim nan Darach

Roofing 2

In my last post we were waiting on two items arriving from our suppliers: Velux flashing kits and a metal roof to be fitted at the back.   The velux flashings arrived first and we were able to make good progress and finish this side.       Our joiner then came back on site to fit the metal roof. Unfortunately as mentioned in my Terrible Thursday post the flashing arrived at the incorrect angle, the plan was then to use the lead, but thankfully we d
Recoveringbuilder

Nitty gritty

As the title says we’re getting into the nitty gritty now with so many things to make final decisions on.   Kitchen is all finalised, David l Douglas have been fantastic so far, we’ve had four visits to them and two visits from their project manager to the site, we’ve got samples of sink, door handles, worktop and paint colour and their service so far cannot be faulted. We decided to source our own range and fridge freezer and had to send them a link to the exact model so everything is
Wee Hoose on the Croft

And he's building a stairway to decking

Firstly, for all you lot waiting with baited breath for my next blog update, my apologies! Since the house was opened up for guests I've needed a bit of time to switch off from what was a very full time project for the last few years. When we first opened to guests the house was missing its decking. I had gone through various ideas for the design of this, and in the end decided that less was more, and made it a fairly minimal affair, just somewhere to allow access to the big sliding door an
Blackmore House

House shaped object in a field

....is how my brother in law accurately described the state of the build now when I Whatsapped him the picture below, taken yesterday afternoon.   As you can see, MBC have been at their blitzkrieg style building speed again and this morning I arrived to find my roof all covered in membrane and battens, too, and MBC noticeable by their absence.  Actually, it's the silence that you notice as much as anything.  There were about 7 in the team over the weekend and when all the nailgun
Blackmore House

Lighting

Another thinking ahead type post, this time on lighting.   As I previously mentioned, I've been trying to firm up on the switches, sockets and all of that kind of thing that I will need to put in but wasn't making much progress.  Thinking on it further, though, I believe that my slowness was coming from the fact that I haven't decided on my lighting scheme and other electrickery, so I wouldn't be able to define exactly what I want to switch on and off.  As a result, I'm now putting som
caliwag

Black Kitchens

Bit of inspiration from Pinterest, at a price...https://www.pinterest.co.uk/topics/black-kitchens/?utm_campaign=interestrecommendations&e_t=966619f5e94f4898bd6d0198cd900cbf&utm_content=909714351701&utm_source=31&utm_term=5&utm_medium=2024
Blackmore House

After the timber frame

The timber frame will be substantially built by the middle of next week and I'm thinking through and organising the next stages, so this post is to help crystallise my thoughts and offer them out for anything I have missed that is time-critical.   MBC will be working over the weekend and the build will be substantially finished around Tuesday or Wednesday.  They are going to leave out a few of the stud walls, the ones that form the walls of the landing, until they return to do the air
Recoveringbuilder

Light at the end of the tunnel

The last two weeks have been very productive! The rendering is done and the scaffold gone.The pellet stove and thermal store have been installed as far as they can be for now and the plasterboard work is coming to an end. We had to pay a visit to David L Douglas last week to finalise the kitchen- colour, door styles, worktop, handles, sink etc they are very thorough in getting it just right. The plasterer will be in tomorrow and my kitchen and utility floor tiles arrived yesterday. After my prev
Blackmore House

Whoosh!

So not much happened on site today.   Hahahahhahaha!   Just kidding - the 'whoosh' of the entry title refers to the speed of the upper floor going up.  Just amazing.  Equally, though, it could refer to the rotor blades of a Royal Navy lynx helicopter.  Huh? Let me explain.  For some time now, ever since the slab started going down, in fact, there have been a couple of navy lynx helicopters that seem to have a regular route (I assume from RNAS Yeovilton as it's not that far aw
Blackmore House

Glued, screwed and getting all heated up

My upper floor, that is.   Due to the vast number of MBC guys on site early last week, my upstairs was ready for the underfloor heating pipes and spreader plates to go in much earlier than my plumber had anticipated so the plates were duly put in.  MBC were due back on site this morning to get the egger boards down on the first floor, so it was a case of then or never.   The downstairs UFH pipes are embedded into the concrete slab and so a different method is needed for the u
Kingseat

1: Introduction, The Site and Plans

In 2009 my wife and I moved into a 3 year old developer built house in Kingseat, Newmachar which is 6 miles north of Aberdeen.    Kingseat was originally a farming estate, in 1859 Aberdeen District Lunacy Board required a new mental health facility for paupers and acquired the site. The hospital was constructed between 1901 - 1904, the various buildings were laid out in a villa format, with lots of green space including trees, a football pitch and tennis courts.  
Blackmore House

Timber frame, day 2

Moving on to day 2 of the timber frame erection, I make no apologies for this photo-heavy post as the pictures speak far more eloquently than I can on the subject matter.  Especially as I don't know the right words for much of it.   It rained overnight here in Dorset, but nothing disastrous and it was all gone by a couple of hours into the morning.  Here's how I left the team yesterday evening:     This morning, another day, another crane.  This one, I think, was e
Blackmore House

Are you ready for this?

You had better be, because once MBC turn up on site, it's fast and furious and everything has to fit around them.  Things happen at an incredible pace and no matter how much you read about it, how many videos you look at, it doesn't quite prepare you for the reality of that speed, or not in my case.  Some surprises are good, and this was one of them.   I'll get to the photos shortly, but first a few comments on what else has been happening since the slab was finished on the 9th August,
Druim nan Darach

Roofing 1

We started the roofing last week.   We decide to go for CUPA 3 heavy slates, these are a thick spanish slate and designed for the weather we get in the Hebrides.        Let's hope they do what they say on the crate.   The first job was setting out the the various lines using a line and some red brick dye. Our roofer than graded some of slate pallets into different levels of thickness and any rejections.   Now my job was to carry the slates
Our Journey North of the Border

The Build - Getting there

Hi all - a few photos showing the house 95% plaster boarded and some plastering started. Just the cloakroom and plant room off the utility room to complete. Somewhat frustratingly, we will have to wait a full week before the plasterer returns, which holds up the decorating and second fix joinery. The ceilings for the first floor have had two layers of plaster boards fitted, which helps with sound proofing.   Whilst this has been going on, the stone ,an and his labourer have really crac
God is in the Details

One way to fix a wonky shed

Like the best magazines, this article consists mainly of pictures - as it is nearly Bank Holiday weeking and I am heading off to a Camping Barn near @recoveringacademic's place with friends.   The problem is straightforward.   About 5 years ago on moving to the current house I had a 8' by 8' shed constructed in a corner of the garden which consisted of (perceived) well-packed rubble from many years ago. We used a base of concrete fence-posts laid flat to allow some minimal gi

Account

Navigation

Search

Search

Configure browser push notifications
Chrome (Android)
  1. Tap the lock icon next to the address bar.
  2. Tap Permissions → Notifications.
  3. Adjust your preference.
Chrome (Desktop)
  1. Click the padlock icon in the address bar.
  2. Select Site settings.
  3. Find Notifications and adjust your preference.