Seren161

We used our builders quote because we were going with a single contractor.. In reality there is a considerable degree uncertainty regardless of which figures you go with ( our builders quote increased ten percent between acceptance and build commencement as so much time had elapsed and wood, concrete and steel prices were at their peak then) We are both self employed so ours was a little tricky as lenders prefer the security of the employed so we tendered out to a few builders for turnkey build, factored in our 15 per cent contingency( most of which disappeared at build start ..see 👆 ) and looked to see if what we wanted to build was achievable… There can be an element of nip and tuck of your spec to achieve the build cost that is acceptable to the lender within your max borrowing ..if the alternative is not being able to obtain a mortgage as you have 18-24 months to complete build… In our case with a different lender ( Newcastle) we managed to get a mortgage ( we had tried a highly recommended self build broker called Mayflower and he had told us that it was not simply possible in our case so we went to Buildstore ) ….we would have preferred to borrow a bit more but at the time ( both businesses recovering from covid, twitchy lenders etc) we took what we could get..Now in reality, this was all early last year, build commenced Nov 21 and we are 3 months away from build completion( barring any major disasters .) and while our original spec did not include things like solar panels, ASHP, battery storage, triple glazing and MVHR.. we have been able to include this items. I think if we had left it till we were able to save everything we needed.. we would still be waiting to start especially with the current inflation situation and rates … the other really important factor for us was finding a building contractor whom we had a good relationship with so that we could add these on affordably if our savings allowed etc

The Broker or No Broker choice… I used Buildstore and I found them worth the additional expense. If self employed then Brokers are definitely worth the expense. If you and any other co-applicants are employed with easily demonstrable earnings within the required threshold for your borrowing then you can go it alone… It is important to note that it is still a way more involved and significantly lengthier process than a regular mortgage and sometimes avoiding the one mistake or misrepresentation that dents your chances might be all your brokers cut pays for ..but that one mistake could mean funding or no funding…

Welcome Still looks like a pretty large home but I understand what you mean about the room in the attic situation.. we ended up reapplying for FPP as it annoyed us so much. Keep us posted.. It’s a really informative community..

Needs a real rethink .. I suppose the first question is what do you need .. extra storage? or is it mainly a decorative idea.. The open shelving so close to your heads will mean effectively looking into cabinets when you are trying to sleep.. plus the weird shadows that the shelves will cast and the dust that will be sequestered in those areas…. and the questionable sound effects from those cabinets ….. maybe a floorplan of the room and a rethink would be more appropriate

Indy, An interior designer is a brilliant idea, the deal is finding one that does not break the bank and you and your other half having a good idea of what you like and don’t like and communicating all that. I had interiors designed and 3D renders of key spaces ( living room, master suite, entrance hallway, external elevations etc) and subsequently a separate lighting design before I obtained builders’ quotes even. All done remotely by professionals. For a 360sq m property.. it cost me about £1600 in total for both sets of professionals … What did I get for this…. Brilliant 3D renders of the designed spaces including kitchen and utility rooms which have been invaluable for communication with builder, much easier to visualise and change stuff if I want.. Detailed floor plan including furniture dimensions and circulation spaces all measured so that I can do my own furniture shopping working to the dimensions and knowing it will all fit…Items we are keeping all got measured and designed in. Bathrooms and kitchen all laid out. We are now at first fix and having those renders and designed spaces has been invaluable, makes tweaking things a lot easier, decided to change our original planned cladding, it has made all the myriad of choices a lot easier to visualise and also helps when you need to make the budget based compromises. Interior design was through a website called Upwork… sort of like Bark... Done by an architect and interior designer duo in South America.. very competitively priced and you negotiate what you want with your chosen professional, all that was required was our planning drawings and a back and forth consultation via email about spaces, as well as images of what we liked from magazines, telly etc . Of course there is some variability in expertise but you are able to view portfolios etc. I can forward the details of the team I used. Lighting designer.. London based so more pricey but all done remotely, fixed price, my existing renders made job a lot more straightforward and again having the detailed lighting plan has been super useful for communicating with electrician, far less guesswork etc. My other half.. typical bloke … what do you need this for….changed his mind definitely..

We are a few months in to our 330m2 plus project which includes a basement. It’s a demolish and rebuild 5 bed detached. Turnkey with our selected builder at 575K contract sum. This includes the upward revision of the initial quote ( early 2020) to account for late 2021 building material prices Masonry build, relatively simple design but highly insulated and a fair amount of glazing. Good spec : ASHP, Underfloor heating, MVHR , Cat 6 Cabling, Triple glazed etc. So far all good. Went with a reputable local builder after tendering out to 3 reputable local builders ( East Kent) Quotes all came in between 560 and 630. My job and my OH’s jobs preclude any project management or DIY so for us turnkey was the route. Initially went to cost consultants for an estimate ( cost of just under a grand) quoted 820k without basement and 920k with basement. Another project management firm said minimum 775K cost before their charges. Prefab kit house provider quoted 650K excluding basement and groundworks and demolition. So far I’ve found the free build cost calculators ( home building and renovating etc) were much closer to the mark . ( £495k-£650k for a turnkey main contractor route plus /minus 10 percent for timber frame) I’m sure we could have done it for 85K less if we had the time but greater risk of costly errors as we are not builders, dealing with BC, warranty provider, multiple trades , likely longer build , keeping the neighbours informed especially when your lorries are going to cause temporary obstructions etc pretty daunting for 1st timers like us plus self build mortgage providers much happier with turnkey fully costed main contractor if you are not tradespeople So far brilliant progress and still on budget..sure that will change but only with our consent.. All our tendering builders knew the area well including soil type etc and we had loads of site visits to see their other projects etc as well as assessing how easy it was to get on with them etc. Flexibility etc. So far it’s been pretty good and relatively stress free.

After a handy excel spreadsheet to keep in control of costs for our demolish and rebuild project. It is a main contractor turn key build with your standard building society mortgage.. but the current materials prices ( work starts very shortly) promises to make things even trickier than one would normally expect..I fear I may have to move away from trusty scraps of paper. Anyways had a quick skim through and couldn't find any. Microsoft 365 do one but wondering if there are any more nifty or more customised here and if anyone would kindly share or signpost Cheers

Long time no post but have been reading and learning. Great forum! Following on from a year.. now about to finally commence with our build and now ( better late than never..) looking at MHVR. Any recommendations in Kent for an installer? Also at 350m2 habitable area or so Are there any single units that comfortably deal with this space or do I definitely need to have 2 units. A modest plant room planned and ideally would like the unit in the plant room. Also any arguments against MHVR? Critical analysis seems rather sparse.. Thanks!

Long time no post but have been reading and learning. Great forum! Following on from a year.. now about to finally commence with our build and now ( better late than never..) looking at MHVR. Any recommendations in Kent for an installer? Also at 350m2 habitable area or so Are there any single units that comfortably deal with this space or do I definitely need to have 2 units. A modest plant room planned and ideally would like the unit in the plant room. Also any arguments against MHVR? Critical analysis seems rather sparse.. Thanks!

Thanks Mr Punter .. Time will tell...sufficient money ..haha..will keep you all posted

Hello Buildhub community! Just received planning permission to knock down and rebuild our house. Spend all that that fighting for permission and now it’s like oh no.. actually have to build the darn thing now! It’s a large house 350m2 + and we are hoping to go the project manager route as we already have a builder who comes highly recommended but we need a decent project manager to cost, budget, troubleshoot and run the build as we will be on a self build mortgage so don’t want cash flow dramas! This feels like the scary stage.. Having said that a quick read through the forum has made me feel more normal!