SuperJohnG

Not sure if this is the right section, but house construction didn't seem to cover it. so please move to appropriate place if required mods, thanks. After numerous iterations we have nearly finalised on our layout. (See below). It made sense for us to move the master bedroom above the garage to aid the flow of the house and we really like the layout. I had however previously avoided this because I assumed we would have issues with being inside the thermal envelope and air tightness and so forth. It will be a timber frame or SIPS build and I am hoping to achieve high levels of air tightness, is there anything I should be looking at or concerned about with our master being above the garage and obviously the garage will be outside the thermal envelope and not very air tight at all. Will the floor construction need particular attention? . any other thoughts.

@Mr Punter who doesn't love the smell of BBQ..... but in all seriousness, its a big deck area, so it can go anywhere.

All, I thought I would give an update to help any others in the future, we have now updated the design and here's where we are currently (see below). We have peace with the open plan area and now made it fully vaulted inside and moved the master bedroom, which has helped with the overall flow and proportions. There is still some tweaking of the larder length and door into that area, the void area/ balustrade overlooking open plan area will be removed. I'm also doing a bit of a cost vs benefit on the dormers. But getting there! In great news though...the huge BBQ canopy stays.. as obviously now it doesn't affect the view from bedroom and also will help with solar gain. Thanks to @AliG @Ferdinand @ProDave @Temp @AnonymousBosch @Roz for the input.

We are now homing in on our final design. We have pushed the roof up so it is 1-3/4 storey and have a number of dormers (8-in total!) see below. The house is about 50m^2 bigger than I had hoped (which i underestimated, and now want this size) hence I am in a bid now to simplify construction where possible but retain the size ( not because i want it to be big, but because it is the right size). The dromers look not bad, and I like the idea, but i know they add significant complexity and hence cost. Would it be better if these were simplified to Velux style that cross the wall/roof threshold? (picture below) is it a cheaper option?

@Ferdinand the site was actually all planted 20 years ago with elm, Rowans, cherry trees, birch along with willow and Adder(sp?) lots of sitka spruce and conifers to provide protection too. This was do e by the current owner as he planned to build here but has sold to me. Like the wildflowers idea. The edges are lined with daffodils and something else so it looks great in spring. @Onoff tried that previously and gave some good stuff but nothing stuck out. @Randomiser sounds... cool but slightly wrong possibly. Lol @Jeremy Harris I have to register it but dont know if I need to follow the guidance. If so I'll be ignoring as the local area is pokelly (pokelly farm wtc) which I'm not into.... @ProDave very interesting. I've had two houses over the years which we had problems with the correct name being registered with RM and ended up causing me hassle with mortgages and things like that as addresses were different..I'll.probably pay the cash to ensure zero hassle. Even thiighbits just another bump..

We actually have a lot of Rowan trees but....my daughter is called Rowan (named before we had the plot)..so we had to rule it out as Jude would not be happy. I like Woodside but wife didnt. She likes Bonnie view...which I am not a fan of. Something in me says name it something ridiculously cool because I only plan on doing it once. But the pragmatic me says name it something so delivery drivers find it easily.

Our build will be rural hence no numbers and we need a name. We've deliberated for a while but nothing has felt great.... My favourite so far was 'Thunder thunder lightning house ' chucked into the hat by my 6 year old son. I'd have done it but..swmbo wasnt too keen. It's in Scotland, 4 acre site, with two small woods either side and a burn running through...but anything associated with that seems a little boring Woodside, burnside, treetops, house on the corner (as it sits at the corner of the road...)...and so forth have been chucked around but not getting anywhere fast. I realise it's very subjective a d hard ti name but feel free to chuck anything into the pot and help us out. Doesn't need to be directly associated....I did suggest Asgard (if you're a marvel fan you'll get it) apparently also unacceptable.

I can only comment on my experience so far. I met / discussed with about 4-5 different architects to get a good picture of what people were like and how well they matched with us. Some were so far up their own backside and couldn't possibly fathom a fixed fee basis and others were fantastic but a bit out of our budget. I was only interested in a fixed fee basis. We ended up with the second architect we talked with - actually he is an Architectural designer if you want to use the proper term as that is his qualification. We chose him because he had very good experience of modern building methods (SIPS / timer frame, which we are keen on), he was very easy to get on with, and his business ethos (or size) matched our needs. E.g He does good design but based on a pragmatic approach to building, in other words he seemed to design houses that were in our ballpark of value and similar budgets . I had talked to architects who had more flair and excellent design skills, but what scared me was they didn't seem to have a handle on modern methods, they thought stick building was best and using a main contractor was what people done, or they were designing £1.5m fully glazed passivhauses hence we would be the low end of their clientele and imo woudl have ended up not getting the attention i wanted. A further point being he matched our budget, he was 60% of what the others cost and I found that value for money and didn't grudge it. Now currently we are at this same stage as you. I presented him with my design brief, which was a 10-15 page document covering the site, sun azimuth, location plans (he already visited site before quoting me) 4-off A3 sheets of house designs and pictures we liked. Then he went on his way and produced a design for discussion. He took all that we asked for and designed a house to suit and positioned it in a good spot (albeit slightly off where I wanted it) but this is a big plot...4 acres hence moving 15m back is no issue. He fitted most of the rooms in and got a good flow and made the most of the sun position and our views. The only thing being is that it was 260m^2 when I had asked for 200m^2 ..but he highlighted that and this was the next stage for us to start to compromise and adjust. Despite the above, we felt this first revision didn't meet our expectations perfectly (my wife was actually upset at first, but she wasn't even sure why) we couldn't tell why as it met the design brief but we weren't getting the 'feels'.This initial design made me question if I had chosen the right person, as I think we were expecting perfect out the box (even though I know that's not the case as I am an engineer myself) So we have been messing with this design as we were unsure about some stuff and have since gotten another 3 variations and also a completely different layout....based on a layout which we sent him (which actually we don't like on paper ?). In fact this most recent design that we thought would be great has made us realise just how good the architects first design was and how well it worked! (If you look at my threads you'll see my open plan conundrum post). On Friday he came for a 1 hour meeting to our house which was an 8 hour round trip for him (this is the 3rd time I've met him and second for my wife. Albeit the first formal design review if you like), we went through the designs what we love and hate and it was a very easy conversation and he is now away to work up another few plans and we are really confident that he has listened but will also steer us in the right direction. As another note, I haven't received any invoice, as its not due until we finish this stage, but I have queried if he wanted some payment but he said it was fine and no rush (we have agree the fee basis though). I'm only mid way through this stage and I will have had 5-6 designs by mid week here and they have had elevations and full floor plans with sizes etc in there. Seems like a bit of a long post but in summary what I am trying to convey is that during the initial stages it is an iterative process and you may possibly feel unsettled and disappointed. However it is the job of your architect to listen first of all and try and focus on your design brief and deliver that if it is achievable, from there they can then develop the design with you and get it where you want it to be. In my opinion - he hasn't listened first of all and is now pushing to finalise quickly in order to get paid. Also if they are following RIAS guidelines or similar they should complete the stage as above and then invoice you, not mid way. I would read the contract and refer to that if you have signed one. As you will already feel in your gut, if something ain't right, it just ain't right. If you are not happy challenage it and stand your ground, ultimately feel free to walk away and get someone else.

Welcome @Joanna Susskind only just noticed you were on here. I'm actually following you in insta already. Great forum and you'll get loads of good info. Heard good things about Fleming homes I'm sure @Redoctober used them. He has a blog post about the build and all went well.

@Temp good idea with the walking behind I might check it out and the key info on furniture size. @AliG fantastic input and it's been the main point I've been trying to get away from walking through areas, in my head I wanmted to retain exactly what you were saying on walking into the room and seeing the whole view unobscured. I will have two sets of bi-folds/sliding doors and a big picture windows so I want all that outside view to come in. I'd also planned to move the larder up and was heading that direction with units. We actually are hoping not to have doors leading in there, just a wide opening (I haven't checked building regulations yet...)as I felt that immediately linked the vestibule to this open area and made it feel bigger. Great shouts on the couches too, thanks for the input it is very helpful. @AnonymousBosch @Roz once we finalise layout we will get it in 3D to check it all. I'm ok with it as I spend all day reading/ doing 3D and 2D drawings. thanks for the tips. @Ferdinand The L shape is a good idea and I did see a nice layout which may work too, defo like the idea. The future input is good too as maybe in 50 years I'll be living in that guest room. Although In my head ultimately one of the kids would get this house and we would build another on the site all on the level for us. Really great input everyone and has helped significantly to get some further input, I'll try a few layouts later in autocad. much appreciated as always.

@ProDave thanks for the feedback. I had considered moving the stairs. But it would kind of mess with the double height area right above you as you walk in. The guest bedroom is a complete PITA, I want one so people will visit and stay but it's not big enough upstairs to accomodate it. It's only just next to the living room they are currently separated by cupboards? (Assuming you're saying the snug is the play room/living room. Did actually like the windows at the end but might make it bigger so you see right down the hall from.the entrance to outside. Was planning a big TV in there.

We have the architect coming for a meeting on friday, he has done some initial designs and we are just going through iterations but currently facing a conundrum we are finding it hard to resolve. See layout below, we have a very large open plot and hence can position our house anywhere, layout also included below of house position on plot. We are ticking most boxes but we are struggling with our open plan area. The brief being - nice big open plan area, but when we are sitting in the living room area of the open plan area - we don't want to feel like we are in the kitchen. The First revision looks like below, which was not bad - but we want to modify it as I want the island located right next to a set of bi folds so I can float in and out while bbq'ing without feeling like I'm walking through the living room. I had completed this - see second and third layout, but still struggling a little getting it to feel right. We are trying to add a partition to mount a tv and split the room up slightly and zone the areas, as we feel this is what we need, but everywhere I put it seems like a hindrance. I can't make it bigger again as the house has already went from 200-260 m^2 (eek!) So I'm not really sure what I'm asking, possibly real world experiences of a completed build compared to when you were doing the design?. Will it still feel cosy if I don't zone the room up and we are worrying too much about it not feeling cosy and it'll be fine! any other advice? Other thing I should add is that the shape needs to stay as this annex gets sun all day in winter and summer and works really well for our view, its just a difficulty dividing it up. Hopefully once this is done I can get the full design up in a week or two and show you all. Also FYI, it's a standard height room so not double height or anything. Layout 2: Ignore weird line between the island and wall its a dimension between the island and the wall units (which stop just at larder door) Layout 3: Site layout: orientated to north, so annex points to SW (or SWW if you're really looking hard!) Overall design: Still some changes to be made, but pretty pleased with the architects work against my design brief so far.

Thanks @jamieled who was supplying and designing your passover slab? I haven't seen it talked about much here in Scotland but I haven't really looked that hard into it yet. Was your SER engineer separately hired or architect appointed? Or something else?

@LA3222 Thanks for that. I did discuss this with my architect this morning, as they have an in house Project engineer (structural) who will tie it all together. But I believe I can't get away from this as we have SER up here in Scotland (I don't know where you are?) and someone needs to sign it all off. I haven't read up quite enough about SER yet. But feel like I am paying three times for a structural engineer which is a pain. What sort of costs as involved in getting Tanners to do design if you don't mind me asking?

That looks great, I would definitely like to try and do this myself. I am of the same ilk that it can't be complicated. One question I have which I haven't seemed to figure out. My architect obviously needs an SE for the house - but I am buying a SIPS kit would the supplier do the SE for the kit included in the price, then I just need an SE (like tanners) for the passive raft? is that what you done @LA3222

Ahh will be good to hear how you go,.I'll try and keep an eye our for your progress. I'm sure that all sod and do e doing SIPS and passive craft can't be that much more expensive when you add in labour for doing it the other ways. Are you doing it all yourself @LA3222 ? Do you have any images of the

@davidc Did you every get a passive raft foundation? Scottish supplier? I'm currently finalising my design with architect and would like to go down the SIPS/ Passive slab route as I believe it will be better and get me further down the build route much quicker with less faffing and a higher quality output.

I'd just like to chime in a little. IMHO. Cost per m2 should be build only, not land, utilities, or landscaping. These are too highly variable. For example...I am 3.25/m2 for the land...but my utilities will cost the best part of 40k for electricity (3 fields, 5 poles and my own transformer) and water (new borehole). But the house...I am aiming for will be 1200/m2. It will be to a medium standard with me doing technical tasks like MVHR, ASHP all plumbing and heating. Its has to be build only for me as this is what we can accurately judge on. If you quote a per/m2 figure with a standard of finish and level of input and location then it helps add context.to compare with others. The table in the homebuilding and renovating mag works well I beleive

@eandg what did you end up doing here? I take ownership soon for my plot (a 4 acre field) but not starting till day August or September hence didn't want to kick full insurance off till I am ready to get going to keep costs down and make use of the full self build insurance term.

Hi all, I originally started just researching on here for self build related information, which I have found an absolute wealth of. But struggled to be able to easily find pictures , with the exception of the Blog's which are really helpful. But more recently I've found Instagram to be extremely helpful and full of brilliant self build accounts which document peoples journeys, mistakes, advice and it's been really helpful finding suppliers, architects, sureveys, contractors etc to see their work beforehand. It really helps provide confidence selecting people and also to see who has done what before and see their work beforehand and also see others journeys, mistakes etc. I have also now started a self build account on there to document ours. Was wondering who else uses instagram for this and also has a self build account? Hopefully this helps others to find more information on self building

Thanks for taking the time to pass on this info. Always good to get an inside track on the actual way it turns out. Hopefully all sorted now

I'm nearly at this point to start making applications too. Completely turned off by buildstore so far.. as @Thedreamer said.... endless fees...compared to ecology who seem to charge 300 and I hear good things. Plus buildstore have been nothing but hassle to get info and prelim numbers from..so if they are bad at the sales stage they will only get worse. One thing I wasn't aware of was that ecology say they will only do repayment type whereas buildstore said they'll do interest only on the loan. But I've still to investigate further. I am told Halifax and Newcastle building society will also lend here? (Scotland for me too)

One architect who came out to visit me recommended using a QS early on. The reason being that you have that itemised list throughout the build it might not be entirely accurate, but she said when costs start to run away you can very quickly identify cost savings and things to take off your list in order to steer the budget back in the right direction. Rather than having a panic and making rash decisions.

I'm Scotland...there is always a DPO (duty planning officer) available during office hours. That's their job during their allocated time period and they rotate it half a day each. They answers queries and provide advice to people like us...they have been extremely helpful with me in the past. I dont believe planning officers are big scary people.. I do believe people who apply for planning sometimes just dont read the guidelines or have been unable to communicate their vision well enough. Call your DPO..have a chat. They are just normal people who like building :-)

@Coops why do you want to avoid large TF companies?