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Busy isn't the word. It's manic at the moment. Self employment is very much like a roller coaster. You're either on it doing 125 mph, or you're on the side watching it go by. Right now, however, I'm sat in front of my nice warm chimnea, bud in hand, slowly turning the spicy pork and Spanish chorizo sausages on the BBQ. 25 to 10 at night is my tea time, and it's magic. Picked up two one-tonne bags of white wood off site today ( thanks to the roof being just over 2.4 and the timbers having been ordered at 3m so plenty of just the right size off cuts ) and the first couple are crackling away as I type. Tres, bien. I've put 20 chipolatas on too for the kids' brekky. They love cold BBQ sausages in the morning. 4 kids vs 20 of them = no waste. If any of you have cordless power tools, then this is a good one..... http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/USB-Charger-Adaptor-For-Makita-Battery-Pack-/231881828093?hash=item35fd3be6fd:g:hxQAAOSwmmxW4Eip my ipad is currently topping up off one of those right now, from a 4.0ah makita 18v battery. Handiest thing I ever bought, ( beside the 500 other handy things I bought of course ) and charges 2x small devices or 1 tablet with ease. Great if you're on site and your mobile needs a charge, with no scrabbling around for a plug point and the phone can stay with you where you're working ( so no legging it or jumping off ladders to answer the call ). Knowledge is power......and you're all now 2% more powerful people. When you get to 80% I'll start to harvest the energy to heat my hot water

A quickly edited version of my original eBuild first post... I'm not self-building, at least not from scratch! I am however gradually "greening" our 1970 block cavity wall, suspended floor, bungalow on Skye. The house was originally a self-build of sorts, based on a standard "department" plan (IIRC it's a "No. 5", though I've never found an official reference). One of the guys involved in building it says that horizontals were judged by a half-empty bottle and verticals with a wet rope (& it's pretty windy round here) and I'm pretty sure he's only half joking! I've no relevant training, but I'm a "practical" sort and experience with trades over the years has led me towards the "if I take my time & do the research I stand a better chance of getting what I want, how I want, if I do it my self" attitude for most things... We are "all electric", with the fancy local "Total Heating Total Control" economy tariff (All the heating is on separate circuits & it's nothing like E7). When we arrived there was no fixed heating (& the house was built without a chimney). We expected to fit an oil or LPG wet system, but one of the plumbers asked "Have you considered electric"? As we had a clean sheet & were going to be doing a full re-wire anyway, we "considered electric" & it was the way we chose to go. Doesn't suit everyone, but it suits us. It may help that I'm the sort who's happy to be continually tweaking settings (& have the house so full of sensors & logging I can tell you the temp in every room, under the floor, in the loft...). Over the years since we decided to "green" the place and the way we use it we've reduced non-heating consumption by well over 50% (we average 5-6kWh/day usage - rather less for import thanks to the 4kWp of PV on the roof. We have an export meter, so we can properly assess usage). On the heating side we are down to around 5kWh/day/HDD12 in winter. We get a lot of passive solar gain (even at 57N). We added a big solar space (aka conservatory - unheated , of course) to the WSW facing front a couple of years ago. That worked out so well we then added a similar one to the "back". As I write this (May 2016) the day time mean is still only around 10C or less, but as it's bright we don't need any heating.

I have one rule in our new house. SWMBO is NOT going to plant any trees shrubs or "flower beds" in the middle of the LAWN. It needs to be one unobstructed area that you can push (or ride) a mower up and down, without having to go around "things"

Hi Everyone, I was all excited that work was starting and about to post when the other site went down! Anyway, finally work has commenced. There is a house to demolish before I start work on the new one. As I suspected the disconnections of gas and electricity have taken way longer than they should have and so they have been working around the house for a few weeks and done the interior strip out. Gas is disconnected and electricity is supposed to happen on Friday. Let's hope so. I bought the house I am demolishing in August 2014, I though I would be moving in around now! We are looking at roughly a 52 week build from here. My wife has been driving past the site pretty much every day. I am not sure that she can keep that level of enthusiasm up! Anyway the delay has allowed me to alter the kitchen plans and work on redoing my current bathroom ready for selling. A big thank you to the guys for getting the new forum up and running so quickly. Well done

Hello Build Hub! First Blog entry in our new home. So things have stalled quite a bit over the last few months. Block layers have left site as they don't want to do the peaks without roof supports. Trusses have been measured up wrong which has caused some amount of delays. Also having issues sourcing scaffolding but finally have that issue resolved. Just need to get the scaffolding to site. There have also been some issues with our window cills. Got measured up for windows and window rep informed me that the cills weren't level one side of the cill being closer to the DPC and the other being further into the cavity. This would lead to some potential issues for water ingress and air tightness so needs to be rectified before anything else gets done. There is also an issue with the height of the inner blockwork at the cills. The inner blocks are currently sitting around 5-10mm higher than the cill level so these need to be cut down a bit. Hopefully there is nothing too major required to sort this out. I also have some threads up about a potential problem with our hotpress (its only 850mm wide) and also possible solution to our 3m sunroom opening (Pivot door) This is how the house currently looks. There has also been a rather large wall built to retain my parents garden and line our driveway. This gives my parents a much bigger garden as this was previously a rather large bank. Oh and my father built a temporary staircase, just means we wont have to be up and down ladders. Also should save the proper stairs, as we wont need them in as soon. The House Front Door View Kitchen Dining Room/Part of Sunroom Dining Room View Temp Stairs Driveway wall & Garage

Hello all, I am pleased that we now have a new place to exchange ideas. Thanks very much to the sixteen. As an update, our build in Aylesbury is now watertight and we are progressing first fix, landscaping and on to the rest. Big day tomorrow - screed is poured, this is the last key aspect that (once dry) enables finishing works internally. Rajive

Greetings and thanks guys for starting the Buildhub. We, my wife and myself, are now living in our self-build here in rural Normandy. We started in Oct 2012 and moved in last July, 2015. Not bad for a couple of pensioners. We are nearly finished, just doing the cupboards on the landing, which will allow us to finish the landing flooring, strip the plastic off the Iroko staircase and see the staircase in all it's glory for the first time! Okay, so we still have to agree on the finish on the Iroko, but all in good time. The build is based on the PassivHaus principles and is small budget, low energy. I'm a retired Architect which helped with the plans, basic construction understanding, etc, but not on the actual build details. Putting a design on paper and handing to a builder to erect is completely different to having to decide on the multitude of details on site, such as how to seal around the openings, how to finish the timber cladding against the windows, etc, etc. Great fun, but seriously hard work. Happy to show anyone around - it's a beautiful tranquil area of northern France. Regards, Jonathan

I'm a sucker for the power bank things-nature of working in London is often Public Transport so compact is King. Bought my wife one that triples up as a torch & hand warmer-romance is alive & kicking in SE London.!!

Hi from another former member of ebuild - nice to see some familiar names on here and thanks to everyone involved in setting up this new forum. Our original plan when we made the move up here last year was to convert a block-built commercial chicken shed into a three bed bungalow, (just down the road from Crofter, as it happens). However, prior to us buying the site the previous owner had carried out some 'work' and left the building roofless and with the cavities exposed for a few years. The Skye weather did the rest by blowing both gables down so we took the decision to demolish what remained and are now building a new timber framed property off the existing slab. This has the twin advantage of us being able to build to a tighter spec and it is also now eligible for the VAT reclaim, being in effect a new build as opposed to a conversion. After long and protracted battles with SSE which involved relocating a pole we are having the existing electricity connection moved in early June with the kit arriving early July. Once this is wind and watertight I will attempt to carry out as much of the remaining work myself as possible.

because the women like to moan about it

woah woah woah there guys, we will have no sexism around here! It is clearly a job for any person of any race, sex or belief that fancies being a professional PITA

Evening peoples. Good or bad, im back Much thanks to those who have put in the effort to start this.

Same for us. Initially, I sent him regular progress reports and photos and expedited him to visit the site. He hasn't to site been for months and I now don't expect to see him until completion. It seems they soon get a very bgood idea of the quality of build, adherence to BR, etc and make a decision about their requirements for visits,

We have places where we have grass in our moss, not the other way round... Good job I rather like moss. For the rest, a few years ago I purchased an Austrian scythe, since when I haven't used either the mower or the strimmer. I'd only expected to use it on the docks, etc. but I found that on our ground (nowhere is flat or level) the scythe is a much better option all round. Easy start, no noise (aside from a slight 'swish'), and my knees are much happier with it (they'd ache for a couple of days after using the mower or strimmer to fight the grass on our rough ground). I started off with a 'ditch' blade. In the second year I got a fine grass blade too & with that I keep one patch of the grass closer cropped that I'd imagined possible at first. For more about Austrian scythes see: http://thescytheshop.co.uk/

> due the overun on our budgets we can't stretch to a Britania (although I am sold on it for the built in rotissiere) Where are you on your budget, and what is the price of that Britannia? Can we help you save some money? Take the "Britannia RC-11XGI-DE-S Delphi XG 110cm Electric Range Cooker With Induction Hob" I mentioned above. Price at Curry's (2 year guarantee included). Currently priced at £4799: http://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/household-appliances/cooking/cookers/britannia-delphi-110-xg-electric-induction-range-cooker-gloss-cream-stainless-steel-10025652-pdt.html Currys currently offering £300 cashback on Briitannia Delphi range via this page: http://www.britannialiving.co.uk/currys Worth £300. Quidco currently offering 3% cashback plus free delivery on Range Cookers at Currys. (Perhaps Currys do free delivery anyway) See: http://www.quidco.com/currys/ Worth £130 or so. Pay for it with Currys Gift Vouchers purchased under Morrisons Petrol Saver: http://www.morrisonsfuelsaver.co.uk/gift-card-partners/currys-pc-world That scheme gives you 1p a litre off fuel for each £10 of gift cards you buy at face value=, and they stack up to 100% of the fuel value. Spend £1000 on gift cards and you get £1 a litre off up to 100 litres of fuel. ie a bonus of up to 10% of the value of the gift card. For 4k of gift cards that would be worth up to £400 plus a bit more if you have a big fuel tank (or the max allowed amount of cans), depending on the exact price. Yuo need to be in the Morrisons loyalty scheme, but for £4k of gift voucher purchases (buy in £500 or £1k batches with some groceries), you will probably get £40 or so of shopping vouchers back in due course. Worth £400 plus £40. Buy the Gift Vouchers with a cashback American Express card or other reward card. Morrisons take Amex I think. The right Amex Card will give you 5% cashback on the first £2-2.5k of purchases as a golden hello, then 1.25%. Worth about £140. (With a different card that would take you most of the way to a "free companion" air ticket plus 8000 air miles, which could be worth thousands cashed in on long haul business class). There is also a £100 off Range Cookers voucher code floating around at the moment until late May: http://www.dealslands.co.uk/stores/currys-discount-code/ Worth £100. I make that £1120 off, or reducing the price to £3679 if it all stacks, and I think 80-90% at least will stack. Is that cheap enough? You would probably need to "click and collect" to make the Quidco cashback track. And because most of it is your side of the transaction not theirs, there's nothing to stop you price matching them to another website as well if you can find one. Others more versed in financing self-build may have a route for having it zero-rated for VAT, or some more ideas. Perhaps you can do that as well? Ferdinand

Yes.....not too shabby at all

Sunday evenings weren't the same when ebuild went - great to see the new forum with so many familiar 'faces'. We are self building in Shropshire. Timber frame, external walls, roof, windows & doors, UFH & 80% of insulation in now. Garage well on as well. Another year or so to go - slow on your own (with a full time job) but still enjoying it despite being on the go for the last year or so. CC

I find that I take on a lot of small jobs, keep putting them off and then have a mad panic as I realise that I'm about to hold up another trade. Rinse and repeat.

In the Uk at least 4x2 is not always 4 inches wide and 2 inches deep. Crazy I know, that's where the terminology comes in, which I will hopefully provide links to later starting at the largest here are just some of the different 4x2's -4x2 rough sawn, this is more of a fencing material and is very rough to the touch, It is nearly "full dimension" e.g 4"x2" or 100mmx50mm -4x2 regularised, this is usually sold in either treated or untreated (green or not) and has been planed on all sides with the corners rounded, will usually end up at about 90mmx45mm or 3 3/4"x1 3/4" -4x2 CLS (Canadian lumber standard) looks very similar to regularised but is even smaller usually around 87mmx 38mm or 3 5/8 x 1 5/8 -4x2 PAR/PSE (planed all round/planed square edged) this is more of a joinery type material usually without treatment and square corners but very smooth. this usually comes at about 90mmx 45mm -then there is the option of strength classification C16, C24, T26 -options on joinery grade material 4ths, 5ths,CVG the list goes on and hopefully it will get filled one day but for the moment just make sure you know what you are asking for HTH Ed

Dave - I came to the conclusion ages ago that you're obsessed with caravans

Welcome aboard!

Hi, We have traditional UFH in our ground floor and basement and rads + towel rads in bedrooms/bathrooms upstairs. If i was doing it all again I would do UFH everywhere. The idea at the time was that the 1st floor heating would hardly (if ever) get used - but the reality is it does make a difference and the control system on the UFH is much better than the one we ended up with on the rads. An electric UFH system would probably work fine - they key thing is to have a seperate thermostat controlling heating of each room. - reddal

have you considered buying a mini digger?

The geese are no more, and very tasty they were too! 2016 is the year of the bairn and the build, so we don't actually have any stock of our own at the moment. I could borrow some of the sheep which are on the croft (they belong to the neighbour) but moving them would be more hassle than just getting the mower out. Too many fencing projects before we can get stocked up, so the croft itself is on the back burner. I have tried to gently persuade SWMBO that it could be her wee project, but apparently babies need lots of time. Who knew?