DachaidhDubh

Thanks for the input everyone. The architect has come back and said we should go back to the engineers, which given my last experience with them is the last thing I want to do. We'll see.

It's a pretty steep slope, formed of boulders and gravel. You might break your fall, but it might break you! We will be putting a railing up anyway, but I just wanted to know whether there are any regulations surrounding it as I'd like to use horizontal wire railings which we won't be able to if it's an 'official' drop. And also whether building control are likely to want to get involved with it when they visit once the build is complete.

After swimming around in the internet for a couple of hours, the only thing I can find on this topic is along the lines of 'if your deck is over 600mm in height, you need a railing'. My architect can't advise either. What I can't find is any info on how much level ground is required beyond the deck before a drop. We're planning a deck that has about 600mm to the start of a fairly steep slope that, if the deck were built right up to it, would definitely require a railing. It's a bit of an 'edge case' but does anyone have any experience of this?

Looks very efficient, my only small comments are would you want the flexibility of a downstairs shower (and bedroom by converting the office or large lounge) to accommodate people who may not be able to use the stairs? In your family space next to the diner, would you want to point people towards the south facing view instead of having your back to it? Where would you put all the families boots, coats etc? Good luck, we spent hundreds of hours looking at plans and designing our own, and will finally be starting building in a few months time!

Yeah, it's looking like they're the only option to us too.

@ProDave - we're in a similar position right now, went over to Inverness last week and saw some lovely stone in their yard and subsequently got a quote. Now we're looking for somewhere else to compare the quote with - did you ever find anywhere else?

Thanks @Gus Potter !?

We came to the same conclusion so we've submitted the building drawings without the upstairs rads. We'll see what they come back with.

We're at the tendering stage right now. It's a choice between timber frame companies or a local builder to manufacture the frame. We have a preferred builder but he's busy, as all good builders are around here. So it might be a case of swallowing a bit of extra cost and getting the frame from a TF firm to move things along. Price will determine the route we go, whether we can afford to get it done mainly by a contractor, or get the frame wind and watertight then get stuck in and project manage it ourselves. I can get on the tools but will need someone there who knows what they're doing, which I most certainly do not. We used a local architect's technician to produce the drawings after designing the house ourselves.

Not fully decided yet. At the moment 200mm is specified in the drawings.

Hi, we've got a plot just outside Oban and are looking to built a tight, well insulated timberframe house with MVHR, ASHP, UFH and some PV. We're expecting the building regs drawings any day, and then it will time to find a builder and/or timberframe company.

You can, you just need to get the 'Pro' (free) downloadable version: https://www.google.co.uk/earth/download/gep/agree.html

Thanks for the welcome!

We're putting in MVHR, so under 3 for airtightness I believe is the target. We've been told we have to have heat in all living rooms upstairs, which is what is causing the stramash. The idea of the post heater was purely to get around the 'requirement' for heat supply. Interesting that you're saying UFH is cheap to fit upstairs. I have been told it would add significant cost, although that wasn't quantified.

We were planning to have no radiators upstairs with UFH downstairs, and just towel rails in the upstairs bathrooms. But our architect has told us that unless we're passive house standard (which we won't be), we have to have heat sources in all living spaces in the house. Is this right does anyone know? (We're in Scotland) And if so, would saying that we're putting a post-heater in the MVHR (which we weren't planning to do) deal with the problem?

I know! What a coincidence. Have dropped him a DM.

Heh, yeah, maybe not on the cheap, but as cheaply as possible!

These are the latest (although not completely accurate, particularly on windows) planning drawings. The idea was to create as simple a shape as possible to reduce complexity and build cost so we can invest as much as possible in the fabric

That's definitely one option - our preferred builder (although we don't know if he's available / affordable yet) does have a nice big shed where he makes frames. Part of me likes the idea of getting it built in a factory and getting it watertight fast but then I'd like to keep the cash local too. And it would probably be cheaper I guess. We'll see

Other side of the bridge from Oban. Yes, timber frame, probably no blockwork. Still unsure whether to get the frame from a manufacturer or have the builder make it - will probably depend on the quotes.

Hello all I've been skulking around these forums for a few weeks gathering info (a lot of info!) in preparation for kicking off our build process. We're building on a plot on Loch Etive, just outside Oban on the West Coast of Scotland. Me, my wife and two daughters (at high school) live in Oban just now - the plot is about 15 minutes drive - and we're planning to stay in our current house until the new one is ready. The building drawings are just about to go in and we're about to start getting prices from builders. We need to save as much money as we can by doing what work we can ourselves (we're keen but fairly unskilled) and by buying materials carefully. It's daunting and exciting at the same time, but I reckon we can handle it. (You can quote that back to me in 2 years time).