Kelvin

I have exactly this one. Loads of space inside it and sized for 3 phase. Mine is a temp supply but will be our perm supply. Loads of threads on here.

Any civils company that can dig up roads etc. What is the 20 feet going across? How much of it is on your land? I did all my own digging, ducting, cabinet etc. SSE just did their bit. £1016 and I got a £564 refund so mine cost buttons really.

The yearly one I think. They did a 50% off deal just before Christmas. It also uses a credit structure for things like detailed 3D rendering. It’ll do live 3D so you can manipulate it etc as part of the software but if you want a detailed 3D rendered picture or video fly through it costs credits. You get quite a lot with your sub so I’ve not bought any more.

I have roomsketcher. I found it easier to use and much quicker. Quite a big library of materials. Also has building blocks for more awkward dimensions. It can’t do external roofs and I couldn’t work out how to do a vaulted ceiling but it’s good enough to help visualise rooms and layouts floor by floor

Go to the wrong address to pick up your brothers and you get shot in the head and arm. Chaps thread going off piste. Sorry. Welcome! The forum is publicly searchable via search engines hence why it’s suggested you don’t use your full name. An abundance of caution and all that. Be really cool to hear more about your passive builds and methods. The US can have a very extreme climate so anything specific you do to deal with would be interesting.

I’m with this. Some materials blend nicely together some don’t and I don’t think this does. I’d have a go at colouring it in as that will change the look at lot and help you decide.

Only when I laugh (cough, talk, move, sneeze, breathe 😂)

The up front cost with no financial protection is a key point that I didn’t grasp right at the start. In our case the kit includes all the panels, insulation, external and internal membranes, all 3G windows and doors, and all the steelwork. Consequently it’s a lot of cash I’ve had to pay in stages with no financial protection and I tried everything with the kit supplier to put something in place to no avail. This caused me an inordinate amount of stress as I’m a born worrier generally.

To add. You’re doing the right thing in thinking about all of this now. We went too quickly I think and based our very early decisions on the look we wanted. It was only when I learnt more about it all (fabric first) from here and some books that I realised we should have spent more time researching building methods etc. I was being driven by the impending war in Ukraine and the impact it might have on the economy driving costs up even higher than post lockdown/COVID driven inflation. My plan was to start digging in the ground the day after we completed on the land 😂 How naive was I! Wiser now and sustained my first build injury yesterday when I slipped down my trailer and cracked two ribs.

If you pay architect money then they should design a house that suits the plot and the area. If you go to the timber kit companies then they might have a design that suits your plot that could be modified but won’t necessarily be ideal. Building the house oriented correctly on the plot is extremely important for all sorts of reasons. We nearly came a cropper with this with our kit. The orientation was straightforward enough but site access was a challenge. Long story short the kit company’s first attempt meant bringing in thousands of tonnes of material to level up the ground despite me telling them this was a stupid approach. Wasted 2 months of time. At one point they even said they couldn’t work on our design any longer as they don’t have the resources to do it. Therefore if it’s a difficult plot then it could stretch the kit companies beyond their ability. From a design cost perspective the kit companies ought to be cheaper as most let you slightly modify their standard designs for free. If you make a lot of changes or keep changing then most will start charging you by the hour at circa £90/hr ex. Taking drawings or just initial ideas to them will vary from company to company I expect. Some will be able to take them and turn them into fabrication drawings for their kits others might not work that way. That’s a conversation you’d need to have with them. We are using Heb Homes. If I was doing it again I’d go with MBC on an insulated raft.

It’s my temporary supply for the build but it will become the permanent supply when we’re done hence it’s a proper kiosk.

This it in context. This is a 3 phase sized box. .

Turning up is defo covered by willing given it means ready eager and prepared.

We’re with Octopus. This is the smart meter they (SMS) fitted.

covered by willing

Jamie kept them on. Either train them or replace them. Two criteria when you employ someone. Capable of doing the job and willing to do the job.

I was chatting to my groundswork guy today about this. He told about some guys building 6 houses in the town. The had one house worth of insulation that they fitted. BC came and checked it. They then took it out and put in the next house and boarded up the previous house. Only the last house was insulated.

Yep. When a company goes bust it has far reaching consequences. Even relatively small companies. Given the lack of skilled builders about they should get other work quickly. It’s not their fault after all.

The guys above know more about it than me. But think about it logically. During the groundworks phase you’ll have the right equipment on-site and the site will be turned over due to all the other works. It’s far better and cheaper to get your drainage done properly now than end up with a problem after the house is up when access is harder and you mess up the ground again. We’ve taken a lot of care over the drainage so far and even though the soakaway isn’t in yet we have a well drained site. Consequently it’s easy to work in as it’s dry even after heavy rain. When the house goes up, with its big roof added to the garage with its equally big roof, all that water needs to go somewhere. I wouldn’t be trusting some unknown soakaway that’s been there for years even if it saved a few thousand.

Yes they are very particular about rainwater soakaways especially if in area prone to flooding. First thing is identify where the soakaway is then read up on the rules about them. You then need it sized for your new building. As said above though I’d be looking at replacing anyway. Cost shouldn’t be too great. Better to do it right now than have a problem after the house is up. I’d also get your foul soakaway and septic tank checked too. If you plan on selling the house at some point I’d consider swapping it for a treatment plant.

Had there been an insurance policy that wasn’t too dear I’d have taken it out. The fact there isn’t tells its own story given you can insure most things.

I have done a proper risk log and mitigation. There’s only so much you can do and eventually money gets you out of the hole. It even includes the kit falling off the telehandler. What I didn’t think to check was if the retaining bolts were in place holding the tines on. The kit company are responsible for the CDM at this point though.

You and I think similarly then as that’s how I’ve logically approached the build.

Sure. Obviously there’s the stuff your solicitor ought to do but there’s a bunch of stuff to consider that won’t be done by the solicitor that you need to know before buying. There’s a thread on here currently where the OP is asking about utilities costs and they’ve already nearly completed the build. Whereas I did all of that before buying the plot. I am particularly risk averse and over-cautious so possibly overthink everything. I also know of a build near me where they’ve spent £1.1 million on the house and can’t find water. 8 boreholes drilled and 7 companies. Apparently assumed you drill a hole anywhere in Scotland you’ll find water and there’s a borehole 800m away servicing 8 houses. Again finding water was a pre-requisite for the seller before we bought the land.

@ToughButterCup Due diligence pinned post would be very useful. Happy to contribute. Maybe a discussion thread where people can post their experiences/actions would be useful. Do you plan going right to the start of the process to include plot buying?