flanagaj

Thanks for the replies. Given there is a house next door that was recently built, will BC not be able to provide a very good indication as to what depth and width the footing need to be or can the makeup of the ground be very different from one plot to another?

Sounds as though you did exactly as I would be planning. Good point regarding the architect. My main motivation was just to ensure the smooth running of everything up to plate height. I don't really understand of have the inclination to be dealing with groundwork related issues ... and was hoping that by using an architect it's a crucial part that I could sort of forget about. That decision does however depend on how much it adds to the cost if I used an architect to manage that aspect of the build. I suppose using a single building contractor for the whole stage, does help simplify things considerably.

Not wanting to get ahead of myself, but I am struggling to contain my excitement as after 20 years of wanting to do a self build the planets look like they may have at last aligned. Our house sale has been agreed and is going through and our offer on a building plot has been accepted. So fingers crossed. Having been a cabinet maker in a previous life and refurbished numerous properties I am planning on doing most of the finishing work myself, second fix carpentry, bathrooms (inc plumbing) and the kitchen. I also have a brother who is a roofer and I know an electrician and carpenter for the roof. So as to get things moving quickly I was planning on using a single building contractor for groundworks and taking the structure up to plate height before then taking over and managing the remainder of the project. If I go down this route can I save quite a bit of money or would you need to project manage every stage yourself to save the most money? I also want to understand whether I would need an architect to manage the builder up until this stage? Thanks

I have identified a small plot which has planning for a 3 bedroom detached house. It's quite small and there isn't really scope to increase the footprint of the property as the original plans have already been slightly increased. So unless there are services running underneath the property which would make a basement tricky, would adding a basement be a possibility so as to add the required extra space?