Our Journey North of the Border

I think this highlights "If in doubt, ASK"  Someone on the forum would have been able to tell you about the window positioning for example.

Probably the neatest building site I have seen.  Manifold looks very, timber frame with double noggins.  Did the architect detail where the windows would go in relation to the frame and external cladding?  It is an easy detail to slip up on, but simple enough to remedy.  Are you on a deadline which must be stuck to (tenancy ending or whatever)?  If not, just award the project another few weeks and give yourself a pat on the back for what looks like a first class job.

Thanks for your comments @Mr Punter - No architect on board - a family relation drew up the plans for planning purposes and the TF company took them on for the Building Warrant. You are absolutely right, we are not under any time pressures, happily in rented accommodation and prepared to move in as and when the time comes. Thanks.

Ya as ProDave said above you'll get an answer to most small issues like what you're encountering within 20 minutes. You're going to start getting a LOT more questions as you manage electricians, plumbers, carpenters, etc.

 

Preparation is often the key to reducing stress. Electricians are one of the worst for asking questions as a lot of what they do is personal preference and usually need an answer instantly. Take the weekend to review every single light switch location, spot light, under counter kitchen lights, hanging lights over dining tables or kitchen islands, power socket, alarm keypad, alarm pir, TV point, HDMi to Sky or cable box, telephone point, data or computer point, where's the wifi point(s), thermostat for heating, any CCTV cables, fire alarm, CO2 alarm, etc. Think about where furniture will go (eg dining table), what way the door opens (don't put the switch behind the door). Do you need power behind a mirror in a WC or ensuite for a light? You probably have most of this on a drawing but now that you've the timber frame up it's important to review this onsite as you'll find improvements or small changes to make.

 

The following weekend take you're time and do the same when nobody is onsite for all the taps, showers, WC's, etc and just be confident in your head where everything is going. Also do it for the heat recovery duct locations if you're having MVHR. Do you want these to line up with spot lights in the ceiling for example? You have to know this in advance before they come and start.

 

Looking really great, I would call your problems no more than “teething problems” and a good chance for you to understand the cause and effect that so many decisions create on a self build. Thanks for being honest and sharing your dirty laundry so that we can all learn from it. But again it’s looking really top class, well done and good luck. 

50 minutes ago, ProDave said:

I think this highlights "If in doubt, ASK"  Someone on the forum would have been able to tell you about the window positioning for example.

 

+1. This forum is not just for blogging, but also those little niggles that hit you out of nowhere in the small hours, or when someone asks you a question you don't feel qualified to answer, and even if you do feel qualified to answer it will help to validate that your understanding is correct. Support and advice is one of the things that BuildHub provides in spades so please ask away any time. Plus all questions asked provide information for others who follow. 

 

And one of the first things to deal with on the stress front is to accept that things are going to get a little behind in certain areas. I doubt there is anyone on here who can say that every element of their build ran entirely to plan. Things happen; weather, availability of builders, suppliers letting you down, things simply taking longer than estimated are just a few examples. It just goes with the territory I'm afraid and not something you can afford to be too stressed over as anxiety can eat you alive if you let every little slippage cause you concern. Better to get things right than to rush and compromise. When I first started my build I had a gaant chart detailing the timeline and I pinned it up where everyone could see it. Hubby and the builders looked at me like I was an alien from out of space, but management was my thing and I thought that would help me keep things on track. Well I soon binned that idea as it was clear that my initial approach wasn't going to work. It was hard to adjust my mindset to accept this and it took a while in truth. I wish I had been able to accept it sooner as I could have diverted my energy elsewhere. 

 

The second thing to deal with is not to over analyse what anyone says to you before validating the information. I have a tendency to over analyse too and have blown things up to be massive issues in my head, when actually the very next person who looked at it just says 'whatever' and all of my worrying has been for nothing. Just ask on here - someone will know. Better for the mind for sure. 

 

On the positive front the build looks great. You have either struck lucky and have ultra neat builders (a rare event indeed) or you are obsessive in clearing the site regularly. I used to go round at the weekends retrieving drinks bottles, sandwich wrappers, general rubbish and 'stuff' left everywhere and it still looked like a mess all the time. 

 

Onwards and upwards. Tomorrow is a new day. 

 

Edited June 29, 2018 by newhome

43 minutes ago, Dudda said:

Take the weekend to review every single light switch location, spot light, under counter kitchen lights, hanging lights over dining tables or kitchen islands, power socket, alarm keypad, alarm pir, TV point, HDMi to Sky or cable box, telephone point, data or computer point, where's the wifi point(s), thermostat for heating, any CCTV cables, fire alarm, CO2 alarm, etc. Think about where furniture will go (eg dining table), what way the door opens (don't put the switch behind the door). Do you need power behind a mirror in a WC or ensuite for a light? You probably have most of this on a drawing but now that you've the timber frame up it's important to review this onsite as you'll find improvements or small changes to make.

 

The following weekend take you're time and do the same when nobody is onsite for all the taps, showers, WC's, etc and just be confident in your head where everything is going. Also do it for the heat recovery duct locations if you're having MVHR. Do you want these to line up with spot lights in the ceiling for example? You have to know this in advance before they come and start.

 

 

Great advice thanks @Dudda - That's our weekends booked -

20 minutes ago, newhome said:

 

+1. This forum is not just for blogging, but also those little niggles that hit you out of nowhere in the small hours, or when someone asks you a question you don't feel qualified to answer, and even if you do feel qualified to answer it will help to validate that your understanding is correct. Support and advice is one of the things that BuildHub provides in spades so please ask away any time. Plus all questions asked provide information for others who follow. 

 

And one of the first things to deal with on the stress front is to accept that things are going to get a little behind in certain areas. I doubt there is anyone on here who can say that every element of their build ran entirely to plan. Things happen; weather, availability of builders, suppliers letting you down, things simply taking longer than estimated are just a few examples. It just goes with the territory I'm afraid and not something you can afford to be too stressed over as anxiety can eat you alive if you let every little slippage cause you concern. Better to get things right than to rush and compromise. When I first started my build I had a gaant chart detailing the timeline and I pinned it up where everyone could see it. Hubby and the builders looked at me like I was an alien from out of space, but management was my thing and I thought that would help me keep things on track. Well I soon binned that idea as it was clear that my initial approach wasn't going to work. It was hard to adjust my mindset to accept this and it took a while in truth. I wish I had been able to accept it sooner as I could have diverted my energy elsewhere. 

 

The second thing to deal with is not to over analyse what anyone says to you before validating the information. I have a tendency to over analyse too and have blown things up to be massive issues in my head, when actually the very next person who looked at it just says 'whatever' and all of my worrying has been for nothing. Just ask on here - someone will know. Better for the mind for sure. 

 

On the positive front the build looks great. You have either struck lucky and have ultra neat builders (a rare event indeed) or you are obsessive in clearing the site regularly. I used to go round at the weekends retrieving drinks bottles, sandwich wrappers, general rubbish and 'stuff' left everywhere and it still looked like a mess all the time. 

 

Onwards and upwards. Tomorrow is a new day. 

 

 

Nail. Head. Thanks.

And just musing about @Dudda‘s great advice I wish I had taken the time to do the walk round of the electrical plan. There are some niggles in relation to some of the plug sockets that ended up behind furniture or are missing from locations where they would have been handy. Plus I wish I had a data point next to where I sit with the laptop that may have helped with the slooooow internet speed round here. I left it all to hubby but think I may have noticed a couple of issues as everyone sees things slightly differently. Plus there was some good advice from @ProDave on here once that was to ensure that the sockets for kitchen appliances weren’t placed behind the appliances meaning that you had to pull them out to switch them off. Mine aren’t like that thankfully but I can see how that would be a pain. 

Re sockets etc.

 

It is surprising how many people say "put them where the architect showed them.  Then when you walk around and start marking them out, you soon realise most are not in the best place.

 

Another thing to think carefully about is lighting and light switches. e.g as a matter of course I like to switch the hall light 2 way (from upstairs and down) Most only do that with the landing light, but it saves the irritation of reaching the top of the stairs and realising the hall light is still on.  I can't understand why this in not normal practice.

Oh to dream of only a weeks delay, current job I’m working on is a bit of an awkward one in the first place, yesterday I got informed that the start profiles for the cladding are going to take 2-3 weeks instead of the 2-3 days we had been expecting. This has thrown a massive spanner In the works for a whole load of reasons BUT there is F all I can do about it so we will just have to start other things ahead of time. This is all on top of me trying to work out how to make a stair case out of a limited amount of oak of an evening. Plus I would be asking church mice for loans since the wedding as it’s looking like we might have to take out a second loan to get anywhere near liveable, not finished but liveable, BUT as above there is F all I can do about it so what’s the point in worrying. 

When I find myself in a pit I turn to progress pictures of the build or in my case videos to remind myself how far we really have come. 

I also find baz lurhmans- everybody’s free helps to put things in perspective. 

 

Your build looks great and you seem to have a decent team around you. Worry about the things you can change, chalk the rest of it up as experience. It’s the only way to stay sane.

 

best of luck with the rest of it. 

 

Ed

 

 

3 minutes ago, ProDave said:

I can't understand why this in not normal practice.

 

Mine is like that, ie I can’t switch the hall light on or off from upstairs. Hubby said he had no idea how he missed that. 

 

Plus if you are having room thermostats ensure that they are not near something that generates heat. 

1 hour ago, newhome said:

Plus if you are having room thermostats ensure that they are not near something that generates heat. 

Or in direct sunlight for much of the day

Couldn't agree more with everything that has been said, and I sympathise entirely with the post as I've already had moments like that and we're not out of the ground yet.  I'm sure that there will be many, many more once we are out of the ground.

 

If BH is a gold mine, posts like this are diamonds as experiences of someone who is new to this type of thing raises issues and questions that probably wouldn't even occur to professionals because, well, they aren't problems to them.

 

Another lot of thanks for the really useful post.

4 hours ago, vivienz said:

Couldn't agree more with everything that has been said, and I sympathise entirely with the post as I've already had moments like that and we're not out of the ground yet.  I'm sure that there will be many, many more once we are out of the ground.

 

If BH is a gold mine, posts like this are diamonds as experiences of someone who is new to this type of thing raises issues and questions that probably wouldn't even occur to professionals because, well, they aren't problems to them.

 

Another lot of thanks for the really useful post.

 

Thankyou @vivienz