Redoctober

@Tim Willcocks - this is a fascinating build and I for one am pleased you gave it a "nudge" by your contribution. @Pord67 Any chance of an update? This is certainly one of the most interesting builds on the forum, so would love to hear how it is going [or isn't ☹️] ?

Hi - it seems you need to really tap into the internet and gain a much clearer picture of what the costs are when it comes to embarking on a self build project. For me the basics would start with the plot - how much is it likely to cost in order to get the services connected - Search sites such as @nod suggested or the local energy suppliers. Then what type of build material are you looking for - TF - ICF - SIPS - Block work etc - Then you need to consider the external finish - render - brick - stone - cladding? For a starter take a look at this site via this link - https://www.fleminghomes.co.uk/self-build-resources/cost-calculator/ There are other companies available, so I am not endorsing this company as such - it's just a pointer for you to start gaining a fuller understanding of what the costs are likely to be etc.

Could you not approach the land owner with an offer that is "conditional" upon you receiving all the information you require. Thereby effectively "ring fencing" the land until you are either ready to proceed or pull out depending upon your findings? In addition, if the plot is well sought after, you may wish to agree some sort of "deposit" to secure it during the research period?

WOW - do these plots have planning as well ? What about services? Would love to see your costings etc for a 3 bed detached house to be built for around the £120k mark.

mmm, interesting one - Yew is a slow grower and requires plenty of water in the early years. Laurel has a faster growing rate but I'm not sure it will satisfy your 500 mm thickness requirement without too much maintenance and /or at the cost of it being "see through" in places. Closer knit hedges with a fast growing rate which can be trimmed may include Leylandii but they require a lot of maintenance to keep under control. Take a look at some native hedging such as Hornbeam, Beech or even Hawthorn. These can be purchased at various stages of growth and offer interest all year round. That said, they might not satisfy all your requirements. Sounds like your hedging issues are causing you to choose two options from a hoped for 3 - similar to the most overriding issue self builders have - Time/Budget/Quality - good luck.

? ha, I won't tell Mrs W that! ??

Given that they are for cosmetic purposes, I would say it all adds to the character of the beam. We too have a couple of oak beams which are simply cosmetic and we chose to have them "shaved" / "have the edges rounded off" in places, to reduce the "squareness" of their appearance, if that makes sense. A couple of images might help in understanding what it is I am trying to say!

Looks lovely. ? Can you recall whether or not your oak panels had the horizontal cut in them on the reverse, like my larch panels do?

Not sure whether the same applies to oak cladding but our larch cladding, has been through a process whereby the reverse side has a horizontal cut / saw line across the entire length. This by all accounts, stops the cladding "curling" up. Hope this helps.

The other thing you need to factor in is the appearance of the two woods mentioned. Pine in my opinion, can be very knotty and surely regardless of the staining process, these will show up. I have oak throughout and yes, albeit, a costly item, the appearance is far superior in my mind than pine. You often find folk opt for pine or even MDF, if they are going to paint it, thus avoiding its appearance. Examples shown below Planed Natural Pine Skirting If price is an issue then the following may be a compromise? Light Oak Laminate Skirting Board

I wish I could tell but we only placed the order last week and were informed that there is a 6 - 8 week lead time!! Will certainly let you know once it has been installed etc., so watch this space ?

Interesting thread as we too have a "wind" issue which sometimes restricts us from sitting out on the patio to enjoy the evening sun etc. We have opted for a more permanent solution by way of a vertical retractable screen. I appreciate this isn't a cheap option but I feel it is worthy of mention nonetheless. See link for details - https://www.markilux.com/en-gb/side-screens/markilux-790

Yes, I agree. We ran our UFH via the ASHP for a good 4 weeks on a specific cycle which aided the slab to dry out correctly. Prior to that it had been left to dry for a few weeks anyway. A top tip would be to put down a sheet of clear plastic, taped to the floor and then leave it to see if any moisture is evident on the underside of the plastic sheeting a day or so later.

Hi @Coalbags welcome to the forum and congratulations on getting thus far with your project. There are a few members in the Borders and more further across Scotland as a whole, so you are in good company. We like photos and plans as well as questions so please feel free to share your experiences so far and as the project unfolds.

Yes welcome to the forum and also to the Scottish Borders. This area is fairly well represented on this site with self builders currently going through the process as well as those [like myself] who have come through the other end! What is your situation ? Are you new to the Borders? Have you identified a plot? Anyway, plenty of good advice available to you - just ask away and get involved - enjoy.

Likewise - I actually filled a small skip with such stones prior to our turf going down, across 600 sq metres of earth. Back breaking work - probably not want you want to hear @Ralph ?

Hi @rebeccajane17 - welcome to the forum. This is certainly the place in which to gain a further understanding of the self build process and all that goes with it. From your post it seems you are starting from a very low base knowledge wise, so I suggest you try and break down the areas you wish to "understand" a bit more about, into bite sized chunks if that makes sense. With self building, there are many elements and yes it is important to understand where they all fit together. From a starting point, I suggest the best thing you can do is to continue with your "reading" - be it monthly magazines, blogs on here [Mine might be of use to you?] and online research. With that in mind, start researching the availability of plots in your chosen area, consider the price and then your budgets. How is the project going to be financed? What are your options? Then couple all that with specific questions / reading of past questions on this forum. Good luck.

Hi @Argento I too saw the programme and was impressed with the property the couple went to see. However, I didn't get the impression it was a "complete" self build in as much as I think it could well have been a re-build on an existing property, if that makes sense? The reason I say that is because I thought the central chimney breast was a strange "design" feature to have if building from scratch. To me it looked like a supporting wall and they decided to "incorporate" it rather than knock it down etc. If you look closely, the "chimney breast" wasn't being used as a fire place and the reverse side was nothing more than a display area for crockery. I have no idea as to the construction company were etc but don't be surprised by self build properties being completed within 6 months. It all comes back to that magic triangle - Budget / Time / standard of finish. You can often achieve two of these elements but rarely all 3 - [Rarely used as it can be done and has been done but isn't that common].

Hi and welcome to the forum - you have certainly come to right place for advice and guidance but I fear helping you with your quest for a sizable plot in your chosen area is probably beyond even the sagest of members!! That said, and out of curiosity, what is the current situation for land down that part of the world? Are you hopeful in finding such a plot within your desired budget?

A lovely uplifting thread - thanks @ToughButterCup - Thought I would try and tie in the "lawn" thread with my offerings!

I don't sadly - all this SAP business is beyond me. I just set the timers and temps and away we go. That said, I shall PM you some paperwork BU provided us in an attempt that they may assist you as it seems you understand this "stuff" far better than I do?

That is correct. BU did install our system which included the ASHP, UFH and DHW tank etc. The science and calculations are sadly beyond me but suffice to say, they would have applied the same process to our build ads they have yours and I have to say, we have not had any issues with it whatsoever. The house has sufficient heat as and when we require it and we don't run out of hot water - even when "guests" were allowed.? For completeness, ours is a 165sq m 1.5 storey house with a 5KW ASHP and 170l tank. Our air tight test, should it be relevant, came in at 4.9. Have you enquired with the other companies as to why they feel it necessary to install a 10kw or 12kw ASHP? All the best . ?

Thanks. Was going to recommend a local guy we used but unfortunately you are out of his range. Good luck.

We had ours emptied just last week after a 2 year period. Driver said it was in "good shape" as I thought we had let it go too long. Perhaps I could have squeezed an extra 6 months out of it but I wouldn't have wanted to leave it any longer. The Treatment plant we use is a Bio pure - and they "suggest" a 3-5 year emptying cycle! Anyway, like @ProDave we shopped around and found SW to be "reasonable" but with a long wait. We ended up going with a company called "SERIOUS" I think they are UK wide and the people we dealt with, operated out of Perth. The driver mentioned he is often going to the Highlands and Islands. They charged me a straight £250 and I would certainly recommend them. Good communications, trackable driver when on route and all round good service.

What part of the world are you in?