Redoctober

Wow, a stunning looking property. Those moments you snatch should be rightly cherished and you should feel proud of what you have achieved. Great feeling isn't it?

@puntloos have a look at this blog entry - might help explain a few pros and cons.

It might be worth your while sending your plans off to an online estimator - for the sake of £150 or so, they provide you with a detailed breakdown of likely costs based on your spec. If the budget needs to be trimmed, then it allows you to see where possible savings could be made thereafter.

We have had one of the "mid range models" installed and it works a treat. Ours too has been installed between JJI Joists. Fits well and have had no issues with the operating side of things either.

I don't know where you are in the country but you might find UKOAKDOORS useful as they have a showroom at Lutterworth, just off the M1 - J20 I think. Failing that, you might find this place more accessible - https://www.nsbrc.co.uk/

Agreed.

As with most things in the self build world, it comes down to budget. We went for oak skirting / door frames etc simply because I didn't want the hassle of having to paint them in the future.

I'm not sure if you are "overthinking" things here or not. Yes it is important to grasp the cost of materials but work hours is another thing altogether and in my experience few if any tradesmen work on "piece work" rates. Our plumber, electrician, window installer, builder, stone mason, plasterer and heating engineer all worked to a set price for materials and labour or labour only. I suppose bricklayers maybe different but not having used them on our build as such, it's hard for me to comment in that regard.

@Robert Clark I too have attached the spreadsheet I used. You may find it useful. Contract sum analysis - template.xls

We too used online estimators and found their figures to be very useful. It provided us with a ball park figure across various build routes and to be fair, the quotes provided weren't that far off. I would recommend them.

@joe90 we used this guy and found his services to be very professional, efficient and expeditious. No complaints at all, so hopefully you will have a similar experience.

Yes we had two drainage tests - One once the drains had been fitted and BEFORE they were buried and the second one was once the plumber had installed the sanitary ware. With us the BC asked for the drainage runs to be blocked up using rubber type bungs either end and then they were pressure tested with a bike pump type instrument [ excuse the terminology but thats what it looked like]. Our builder mentioned that some BCO's have a golf ball which they roll along the pipework to ensure there is sufficient run on them!

A message was sent via PM but for others who may be interested here are the details - As for the stone / render costs, I'm not sure how much render would have cost as we never proceeded down that route - it was always going to be stone. The cost of the stone worked out at as follows - Stones themselves - £70 per sq metre Unfortunately I no longer have any reference as to how much the lintels and quoins cost but my total overall spend on the exterior wall materials was £19,418.00 [No VAT] - On top of that I had the labour costs but again, his costs were incorporated within the builders general costs, so I had no breakdown of his actual costs.

Congratulations and welcome to the forum - Have a look at this link which is the latest I think to cover your question - Others might chip in with their views on MBC as and when. Good luck.

Yes I agree with @Crofter - we had additional insulation to install once the TF had been erected. This went on prior to the vapour barrier being fitted and then the service batons went on thereafter - hopefully these images attached will assist - the first shows the TF having been erected and the second one will show the additional insulation having been fitted, then the vapour barrier fitted and sealed. The service batons are then fitted followed by the plasterboard.

Yes welcome out of the shadows. What sort of build route are you taking - Contractor, Turn Key, DIY or a bit of everything? Shall look forward to this project unfolding and for the forum to work, please share experiences as well as asking questions. Good luck.

No idea as to the question but loving the graphic - great bit of software. Not seen that before. ??

Same as others above, we were given the name and number of the local Openreach guy. He supplied ducting and cable. Once done, they came and made the necessary connections and BT came to connect to the house - all free of charge.

@Amateur bob if you haven't already considered Fleming Homes, then I would urge you to do so. They provide various "packages" which might suit your intentions. We went with Flemings and employed a builder to do the groundworks / foundations prior to the framer arriving. We then employed a joiner to follow on once the frame had been erected by a team from Flemings. Take a look at my blog - it might help !

It's all about moderation - we are on a treatment plant and have conditioned ourselves to read the labels in more detail in relation to various products. We only use those that state they are "septic tank" friendly and bleach IS one of those products.

Sorry for the late comment but just catching up with various posts and blogs. I have to say that view and location you have secured is second to none. Photo two teases with glimpse. Are you working to a "move in date" or are you flexible? Good luck either way.

@nikki take a look at this web link - it might be useful if only to steer you towards further research / reading via the magazine itself. I'm not sure how current the prices mentioned are but it might be a start. This was one of the methods we used when we first set out trying to establish how much things might cost and whether or not they fitted within our budget. Good luck. https://www.homebuilding.co.uk/foundations-cost-guide/

Spreadsheet updated with my bits and pieces - thanks.

Well done, looks lovely and you have managed to avoid it looking to clinical which is often the way with such "accessible" bathrooms etc.

@Christine Walker we used this guy - https://www.albaatt.co.uk/ Comes from Perth - happy to travel and charged us £250 - excellent service and would fully recommend - @eandg Yes I believe it is a requirement and therefore something for you to budget for - £250 should see it.