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This will be the last entry for our self build blog. Our plan We originally commenced a self build as there was no affordable housing for us to get on the housing ladder. The approach for the self build, was whether we could build a better-quality house than what we could purchase from a developer for the same cost. This was later refined to achieving a lower mortgage if possible. For the self build we decided to split the project into three chunks. 1. Obtain outline planning, purchase of site – this allowed us to know that a build was possible. 2. Put in services, access, design – this was the first actual work and made an area of croft ground into a valuable plot for lending purposes. Commence the build over two years - using subcontractors and our own materials to eliminate any margins and ensure tight control over the specification. Doing this would allow us to complete the project and prevent us being stuck unable to finish it. What did it cost? The total cost for the project was just over £196,000 (net of VAT). This includes the land, services, professional fees, overheads and the actual build costs. I’ve summarised all of my costs into a pie chart below. How was it funded? · A small electricity grant £1,550 · We obtained a croft house grant for £38,000 · The final mortgage of £74,500 · The remaining balance of £81,950 was funded by savings from employment, which started when we were 23 and finished when we moved into the house in July 20 at 33. · Most of the work we carried out was decorating and general labouring, therefore contributed a small amount of sweat equity to the project. What is the final result? The surveyor provided a valuation back to the building society of £265,000. This was pleasing as sometimes self builds can be more expensive then the total project costs or just about breakeven. Prior to building we were aware of building cost being measured per m2. However, during the build process I realised that this method of reviewing the financial performance of a self build had room for error, as the calculation could be skewed depending on the quality of the finish. For the purposes of our project this would be £1,420 or £1,230 excluding (land, professional fees and overheads). I came to the conclusion that the best method for us is calculating the final cost per month (mortgage, utilities, council tax, insurance) to live in the house. I set a target of £500 per month and I am pleased that we have been able to achieve this. I feel this is a good measure as I wouldn’t want to live in an expensive house that has a huge mortgage. Often at the end of Grand Designs and other tv shows, the presenter asks whether they would do it again? For us I would say, yes, of course. When I look around, every single item in the house was researched, compared, purchased and gradually put together. The thought, time and energy that we have put into this build has created a much deeper connection to the property. Our blood, sweat and tears are in the very fabric of the house. The hardest part of the process was when we were focussing on saving as much of our income as possible to ensuring a low mortgage. We made many sacrifices to ensure we reached this end goal, but we knew these relatively short term sacrifices would have long term gains for our family. For the actual building of the house, we chose a two year build schedule from starting on the foundations. This allowed us planning time between build stages and made the build process more manageable. It also allowed us time to do some jobs ourselves such as fitting insulation, interior decorating etc. We enjoyed taking time to do the jobs we were confident in doing well ourselves. Perhaps we could have taken on the more tasks, but I’ve come to the conclusion that it made more sense to work a bit of overtime and pay a contractor to do the work well, rather than us doing a job slowly and at a reduced quality. In the future, we would consider another self-build, perhaps in thirty years when I will be semi or hopefully fully retired. So until then… See you next time and thanks for reading.

Yes we were in that boat, took us eight years. It's great when it's finished.

We didn't build a house but we took on a 1960's house, tore it back to a shell, renovated most of it, extended it, built garages and demolished old buildings and now on the final push to complete it all with the final parts being renovated now (parts that directly adjoined the extension). Been a hard 5 years so far, I'll be glad for it to be over if I am honest. I go through periods of what seems like total inactivity but you must remember that planning and material procurement and decisions are progress in their own right, we have recently broken the ice on about a 2-3 months period of more or less no or very little progress, but then on breaking the ice suddenly the project takes a leap, I have a JCB turning up later to dump hardcore over a wall into our garden, I have flooring arriving tomorrow/Fri, I had a painter in last week, I made some decisions and plans which then let things move again and I just need to be bold and go and buy lots of materials and hope it all works out OK! In 5 years I have had help from professionals on my site for about a cumulative 4-5 weeks, that includes a joiner for a day, a brickie, general builder (dry dashing the house), gas man, plasterers & painters. The rest has been me on my own or with limited help from friends and family. I overthink things, sometimes it pays off, sometimes it just creates issues and stress, I have actually been feeling a bit off for a few weeks now and I am sure it is stress. I pondered over the silicone job on a window sill for about 2 days at the beginning of the week deciding it let the whole new kitchen down... apparently it doesn't but because I paid too much attention to it I stood and stared at it and fiddled with it and wasted more time. I have also decided that if I do something now and I am not happy, move on, don't think about it and if at the end of it all, I still look at it and think no that is not good, then redo it, assuming it is a job that can be done in isolation obviously! Don't worry and don't you or anyone else set targets for yourself, you will not meet them and you will feel demotivated and then stress and rush and then you will step back and go, wait, I made that deadline, there isn't a deadline and suddenly a huge weight is lifted off your shoulders.

I have a venting hob with an MVHR duct above it. It doesnt make a blind bit of difference to the performance of the hob. Your venting hob is going to work by accelerating air flow to a speed way higher than what the MVHR does. A recirculating hob will vent the extracted air back into the room and the impact of this air flow which you can feel on your feet has made no impact on the ability of the MVHR to ventilate the room effectively. If anything your hob will affect the MVHR and not the other way round.

https://decoramo.co.uk/products/orbital-led-hanging-lamp?utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=Google Shopping&gclid=CjwKCAiAkan9BRAqEiwAP9X6UVH-yRmgqeaYVgBvru5sl3pktSf6kzzkwt7z76JHHEgfaTgMU82vNRoCDXsQAvD_BwE&variant=29997518258264 I've seen these in small spaces and in larger spaces, and look equally stunning if you carefully select your combination of sizes. We got our modest pendant lights from The Lighting Superstore which seemed quite reasonable on prices.

@AliG ordered from them as per this post (and some photos further down the thread). https://forum.buildhub.org.uk/topic/164-hello-again-work-has-finally-started/?do=findComment&comment=97044

After many wasted months we are starting work on it. it's a slow but almost full refurb...our builder is breaking up the existing 4/5 inch concrete slab and then digging down to give us the depth we need. the slab was put in above the existing sand and rubble floor with a dpm about 40 years ago.Never been any movement or cracking of the slab as our house sits on a sandstone hill and seems very solid The question I have is our builder wants to not put a new concrete sub slab in but to put scalpings in then wacker them down then bind with sand before laying a DPM then 150mm celotex on top... then pipes then another dpm (screed company want this before they pour) I thought you would need a new concrete slab then sand dpm insulation. I also spoke to a building contracts manager on a job nothing to do with us today and he said you can do it this way and you dont need a new concrete slab if it's done properly (our builder comes highly recommended and seems to know what hes doing... I am a controlls electrician so have no idea I just see jobs sometimes with pipe all put it. it's very confusing with lots of different opinions on this....

Combine the chaos of building work, attempting to project manage various tradesmen and coordination of items, living and working in a caravan and not knowing where we were going to live in 3 weeks time with a stressful period at work and I finally had a complete meltdown. I've been pulling my hair out (literally) so have 2 inch pieces of hair in places where I've ripped it out through stress, I look like a lovely female version of Freddie Kruger (great ? attempt) due to a stress skin reaction and anyone who asked me how I was in the last couple of weeks either got an emotional bursting into tears response or something Father Jack would utter, minus the drink. There has just been numerous things building up. I'm trying to take a bit of a back seat and the wife has stepped up to deal with a lot of things to take the pressure off me for a little while whilst I give myself a good talking to and get myself in check. Good news though slightly irnoic - the lockdown has resulted in the caravan park letting us stay in the caravan so that is one thing sorted as potentially we were going to be homeless as things are behind schedule due to three different tradesmen having to isolate due to Covid. The plus, our plasterer is amazing and has literally been on site at 6am and has worked into the small hours. He's one step away from moving in with his camping stove - I did offer him a sleeping bag and tent. This is what will be the double doors from the master bedroom into the dressing room/walk in wardrobe - basically another room that's actually bigger than our bedroom! Yes we have a lot of clothes and shoes ...... Still no solar panels in but our first fix has been done and the majority of the roof has been sorted though everything still needs something finishing off! Due to the impromptu arrival of our kitchen we managed to get our front door on so here is an early peek of that. The frame is like a stainless steel/aluminium which I'm not sure about but hopefully once the render is on will look OK.

Yes I agree. This should be sorted out by the vendors. Luckliy it's still early days and even though it's a good plot in a good position it's worthless without access to the new build lol!

thanks, great to see someone's plans that have made it to completion and interesting to see how you did away with some things during the build.

Welcome ! Without know the full details, I would guess that its going to need another planning application to get the access and drive issue sorted out, and that's something that is down to the sellers, before you agree to buy. Or sale agreed subject to PP being granted etc. if you do it with an offer to reflect that. J

We are in the same position with our next two plots The Farmer next doors says he owns the access road The seller is adamant that they own the access road and he only has permission to use it Imagine our surprise when we came to exchange contracts and every one of our questions was answered with To the best of the seller knowledge and ended with the purchaser must do there own investigation We are in limbo

Thank you. I’ve actually spoken to the two you mentioned this afternoon so quotes are underway!. Be really interesting to see how they stack up.

Just in case anybody is in the position of needing a certain bend you don’t have. They can be heated gently and made any shape you want. Have had to do it many times.

good luck. might be worth getting a solicitor involved sooner rather than later if it's definitely something you want to pursue. one upside to our frustration with the barn is that we found a better plot within 1 month of the barn falling through! and now we're almost finished the structural engineers plans and are hoping to break ground in a couple of months. ?

I used BuildDeskU which I managed to download on two occasions each for 30 days free. It had a similar looking output but I used it in 2009. http://www.builddesk.co.uk/software/builddesk-u/download-builddesk-u/

Myself and my wife did most things ourself while still both working four days per week My wife said never again But 18 months after finishing We are about to do it all again The time of year really doesn’t help It’s surprising how resilient you become

It is part of a package (NHER Evaluator) which was state of the art 2000-2010 but is no longer publically available.

Yes count me in as "In the Grind" It's been a slow build for me mostly due to finances, once the shell was up it's been a slow "build as you earn" This year has been particularly challenging with building materials being hard to source, my Multipanel got "held hostage" for 12 weeks over the summer, and then I struggled to get Oak for the door frames and even basic things like decking planks. Then I just could not get hold of the trusted joiner I had hoped to hang my last few doors so I had to do it myself. Now I have the joy of skirting boards. The jobs that are looming are also getting harder, there's a stained glass window to make, then there is the sun room, I still don't know if we can yet afford the windows for that, and what challenges that is going to present even sourcing the windows with the B word looming. I will certainly be glad when it is all done.

Thanks so much for the replies. The plot we're buying is someones garden they are selling off. The access issue is down to the fact that the planning permission for the new build shows that access will be the existing drive currently there. However, the sellers don't want us to use that drive, they want to block it off and get to their house via an alternative drive that they got permission for. So, when they got planning permission for the house someone from highways department has agreed that the new build can put in a new drive, but planning department are saying they won't allow a new drive as it would mean removing a protected hedge! So who wins? Planning or Highways? Luckily we haven't handed any cash over yet so potentially could walk away. I'll def have a read about getting builders quotes etc. And also your blog! Wish me luck!

That new chrome angle is L shaped. Does it wrap over the front tiles and the ones that line the sides of the pockets? Imagine

Illuminare - In Ayr. This is local to us so not sure if they delivery or have a catalogue. Had a few large lights on offer we hadnt seen any other places.

Can't add much except.. check that the stats are controlling the right floor loops. We had two crossed over and took awhile to figure out what was going on because the stats were eventually being satisfied.

Hello. I had worries with this too. Strictly speaking, the planning application should say 'Creation of house and driveway' or some such, but it sometimes gets forgotten, but if you look through the paperwork the entrance is there. Look on the planning permission on line for the response from Highways: here should be a diagram indicating the new entrance and any attached conditions. This might also be mentioned on the Conditions. Dont forget to research utilities and you will probably want them to come through your new entrance. Builders quotes at this stage are difficult to get, search back through previous posts for lengthy discussion.

welcome. I can't help with the builders quotes question sorry as we've decided to project manage our build ourselves and so will be getting subbies in to do the work. but, I just wanted to pass on our experience on a barn/plot we found that had confusion about access. to cut a long story short it cost us nearly 2 years of our lives and ended up with us having to walk away as the owners of the land that access was required over weren't playing ball and wanted stupid amounts of money for that access. (you can read the story in our blog on this site if you wish). so, my advice is make sure that all the access is in place before hand! and definitely before you even get close to spending lots and lots of money on other things. I wish you all the best with your journey.

Yes, looks good @zoothorn I enjoy your threads, sometimes for the wrong reason and by God sometimes they are *painful*, but it is great to see one conclude with a nice ending. I do hoping you're sprawling around on that carpet taking in that new carpet smell? Oh, is it just me that does that then? P.S. Please only mention your air pump in the relevant thread; we don't need to all hear it (pun intended!) in here...

Lots of good advice here. I agree with others, go back to them, say you will pay it but when you receive your reclaim. This is positive for both parties. In the meantime they will need to pay the output VAT, but it worth remembering that they would have been able to reclaim part of the kit cost on the materials and other overheads. The company will need to therefore finance the gap for the remaining items (staff costs and profit margin), until your reclaim comes through. Do you have a budget/projections for your self build? Might be worth thinking about this just now so you will know the position of what, is not claimable, should be zero rated etc. Lot of info here on the forum. I think you can access this once you have ten posts. Check that your current invoices will be compliant for your future VAT reclaim.

It's an anti spam measure. Spammers were joining the forum, making a very innocent looking post, then some time later editing the post to add their spam without being noticed.

I'd actually have the tall window, it looks better, it just doesn't have to be a door. But if you'd use a door go right ahead. Not a big difference between a tall window and a door. Also it is opposite the room entrance door, so again will be nice for the sightline into the garden. Reduces the number of corner cupboards in the kitchen which is always a positive in my book.

Ill ask the wife. Was only installed last week so cords should hopefully straighten up over time. Its a pain in the rear as any time you need to adjust the length of each drop you need to remove the full top plate with everything attached. As you can imagine the wide still wants some of them adjusted but after several changes already "Ill change them later".

Do you have a link to an example of such a stove, would be interested to look into the testing standard. Most stove manufacturers are greenwashing their products like crazy with the gradual awakening of public awareness to the problems of smoke pollution. I'd be staggered if a stove could genuinely in normal use achieve zero fine or ultrafine particulate emissions through the highly variable usage that results from different size, types and moisture content of fuel, lighting up, refueling, air supply, poor flue draw and wind, de-ashing the pan, etc. Likewise the efficiency, will vary through a burn cycle and isnt very controllable, you typically generate far more heat than you need compared with other domestic heating systems which can be tuned and controlled. I do appreciate the aesthetic and pleasantness of the wood burner on a cold winter's day and am a relucant convert against stoves having previously been a fan. But I think they are a lifestyle choice rather than an eco one. Dont underestimate the interior air quality impacts during a burn cycle as well - very high levels of fine and ultra fine particulates emitted each time you open the door to re-fuel creating a warm polluted fug in your sitting room for the evening, you could not fit the stoves and take up smoking a couple of cigarettes in the evening instead. ? *getsoffsoapbox*

Thanks for the replies. I have told them I will pay it but at a time when I have a spare £16k. Suppose I'll just have to suck it up! I don't have any form of receipt to say that it's paid, just an email confirmation that they received the final payment. @newhome I'll ask them to amend the invoices as the VAT one is just that on its own.

I bought mine from JTM who seemed the best priced at the time in 2018: https://www.jtmplumbing.co.uk/pipe-fittings-c433/hep2o-brass-manifolds-c661

Well only cos of you guys' input.. hugely satisfying. Looks browner here in pics, as I chose, but worryingly beige In reality I think With all the light pouring in this room. Turns out I didnt need my stupid 'alone' piece of skirting so well he did this old wall, i rather like too, but hey ho. A break now faff with me curtains etc, get moved in.. then onto the flamin door! Final job up here. Gotta be a good fit too as i can hear the dreaded CH compressor 3 rooms away even in here. Thanks zH

Or water, even

Looks good! ?

Vapour barriers go on the warm side of the insulation.

FWIW WWilts, I think it depends on your priorities and perhaps whether you're building a 'development' house or house for yourself to live in. I think that will probably drive some of the decisions. Personally, I would try to retain as much glazed area as possbile rather than reduce the open areas - nothing worse than finding it a little dark on those winter days. And northerly light has a really nice quality to it, apparently it's the best kind of light for artists to paint with. Take advantage of the views as that will help when you do come to sell. If you stick to standard window sizes, that will save you some money compared to bespoke sizes too. The other thing to perhaps consider is to put a draft window schedule together to go and get some comparative quotations for the various options such as upvc, timber and aluminium together with their various whole of window u-values. You'll then be in a much better position to make an informed decision. And if you're worried about the amount of glazing you've got facing to the north, here's my window schedule, almost exactly to the north. We did go for 3g.

The problem is that for a slow response heating system to work the house needs to be designed to work with it. If the house loses heat like it is going out of fashion then the heating system requires a rapid response time. Tightening up of building regs will eventually lead house builders to altering their thinking in terms of heat delivery but for now this is an area that self builders navigate alone. This is perhaps one of those areas where self builders struggle slightly as we are all raised and live in traditional houses that are cold, drafty and where you can flick a switch to get instant heat. The house a self builder creates will not be cold and drafty so the way in which we go about heating them requires a shift in thinking as the traditional way won't work well. That spreadsheet is a massive boon in understanding the heat losses of my build, I will now trust the numbers and proceed accordingly.

I think that traditional radiator heating systems are hampering out understanding of thermodynamic. When they started to become popular in the 50s, 60.s and 70's, people used them like fireplaces. They got home and turned the heating on. Then turned it off at night. We don't have to live like that anymore.

And a buffer tank. Could this be a case of a traditional plumber treating a heat pump system wrongly and turning up the temperature as high as they dare because 'heat pumps are not hot enough'

Have you thermally modelled the different options. You can possibly 'claw back' some of the losses with a different choice of insulation. I see you have an corner (Kitchen/Diner) on the outside. My Mother's house has something similar that is always in the dark (she keeps all 3 wheely bins and the 4 recycling box there). It is always damp and mouldy. Is the roof a warm or cold one, is the roof light needed?

I think option A (black and white picture looks better) In practical terms- Windows are cheaper than doors. Doors cause more of a cold bridge at floor level and eliminating them will help. Unless you really think you would use the second door in the kitchen area and the study door, the windows are a better option. We have three doors out of our kitchen, one has never been opened, and we use one of the other two 95% of the time. The study is a small room where a door will limit the ability to position furniture. Window D4 is marked as bifold on the plan. I would just have French doors, they are much cheaper and as it is only two doors you can have exactly the same size of opening. Also if you plan to have the design of windows in the picture then they will all look the same. North facing is not a big issue. If you plan to sell you probably won't get the money back on 3G au-clad windows that most on here use. I would probably just stick with decent quality 2G UPVC. This is what almost all developers use. You can get 1-1.2 U-Value in these. You can always price up different options to see what makes most sense.

Just had a quick look at receipt, they came from a company online called discount home lighting, I had already seen them in edmundson electrical but managed to get them a good bit cheaper online, they were £1200 for the two.

We have exactly the same setup, have not tested it yet as not moved in! ( hopefully before xmas)

Tbf he didn't specifically say where it happened just that it did.

Thanks MJN. Yes I sprawled @MJNewton once but I do have my big f-o french doors so couldn't writhe about. & the new smell.. omg is ace. why this can't be bottled & sold or summink burnt & it gives off its sheepy whiff, is utterly beyond me. My air pump like sooo sucks. it wakes me up spews out water doesn't get me warm & I shall proclaim its wretchedness.

you mean @pocster ?