All the choices you have to make.. and when?

[puntloos]

So as starting new-builders, I keep getting told all the time: "You will have to make a TON of choices!"

 

Okay.. but - does someone have a list of all the choices? Excel sheet perhaps? Down to the max detail 

 

- which - Anything you typically don't have to choose yourself, or is optional vs which are really important

• I can imagine I don't need to bother with the choice of screws, or cement, or grass seed type..

- when will the choice need to be made

• I can imagine that the choice of brick vs timber is super early, whilst the choice of 'which doorknobs' could be done a lot later

- changeability  which choices can be made early, and which depends on tons of factors

• The choice of a hob could be made/researched today (ok.. new hobs might come out.. but e.g. induction, builtin hob etc..)
• The choice of tiles for a bathroom depends on the entire feel of the bathroom, etc?t ta

 

I'd love to just get the list now, and start researching.

- 

[recoveringbuilder]

You could start your research now, we had a lot of things chosen before we started but quite often these choices will change as other things go over budget and you need to make adjustments. We bought a timber frame package so windows were chosen at time of order then the kit firm asked us at the appropriate time to make the choices for doors, handles, wardrobe doors etc 

I had piles of samples for tiles, flooring etc long before I needed to decide and the same with bathroom fittings, all well researched before needed and you also need to take into account delivery times, 

get on with it while you have time on your hands before it all gets a bit manic!

[Roundtuit]

Sorry, no spreadsheet; too many variables.  Pretty much everything is subject to someone's choice; you just need to choose which choices matter to you and which you're happy to delegate.  Cement could be important if you're after a particular look to external brickwork; mortar colour makes a significant difference.  You're going to have to make choices about things you didn't know there were choices to be made, and when you find out that there are choices, you'll have to research the options and implications if you want to make a properly informed choice.  Don't let that put you off; self-builders chose choice! 

 

[puntloos]

37 minutes ago, Christine Walker said:

You could start your research now, we had a lot of things chosen before we started but quite often these choices will change as other things go over budget and you need to make adjustments.

 

Of course, but I was planning to have a few choices for critical things, e.g. "ultrafancy/dream one, budget conscious option"

 

 

37 minutes ago, Christine Walker said:

We bought a timber frame package so windows were chosen at time of order

 

Does that mean you can't choose 'any' window but have to pick from the timber firm's list?

 

37 minutes ago, Christine Walker said:

 

then the kit firm asked us at the appropriate time to make the choices for doors, handles, wardrobe doors etc 

I had piles of samples for tiles, flooring etc long before I needed to decide

Did you not worry those tiles needed to match with 'the rest'? 

It kinda sounds snobbish to me while I write this, but "should the entire house not match the same theme" (rather than independently start picking bathroom tiles when you don't yet know the livingroom colours etc?

 

37 minutes ago, Christine Walker said:

 

and the same with bathroom fittings, all well researched before needed and you also need to take into account delivery times, 

get on with it while you have time on your hands before it all gets a bit manic!

 

That's what I'm trying to do =)

 

13 minutes ago, Roundtuit said:

Sorry, no spreadsheet; too many variables.  Pretty much everything is subject to someone's choice; you just need to choose which choices matter to you and which you're happy to delegate.  Cement could be important if you're after a particular look to external brickwork; mortar colour makes a significant difference.  You're going to have to make choices about things you didn't know there were choices to be made, and when you find out that there are choices, you'll have to research the options and implications if you want to make a properly informed choice.  Don't let that put you off; self-builders chose choice! 

 

 

Well, I'd love to see an 'after the fact' list as well, just any list as long as it's complete-ish. =)

 

[Temp]

We couldnt keep up with our builder and in the end told him we would do one of the bathrooms ourselves after completion.

 

 

[Temp]

A starting point might be someone's VAT reclaim spreadsheet. 

[Russell griffiths]

You may not think so but screws could be a big choice 

are you having exterior cladding? If so will it be screwed and visible or nailed and visible or secret fixings not visible 

if you think there will be 100 decisions double it. 

 

 

[Ferdinand]

This would require someone to have chosen to make a list, and no one had the time ?.

[ragg987]

Just walk around your house and make a list of fixed things you see. That is your decision list. Hidden beneath the surface are all things structural and first fix. Add those.

 

Then add service providers - architect, builder, structural engineer, building control, plumber, electrician, etc.

 

So there are many hundreds of choices, you can relinquish some control if you have a trusted service provider or are not too concerned, but every decision has a knock on impact and you will live with those for many years.

 

I think this is an area where self build is different from buying a house. When you buy you have maybe 10 or 20 choices to make but limited control.

 

Sorry no list to offer as a starter, most people will list materials or tasks but that is only part of the decision making.

[ToughButterCup]

4 hours ago, Russell griffiths said:

You may not think so but screws could be a big choice [...]

 

Change '... could...'  above to are in my case.  And here's why

 

[Declan52]

If you go for a brick finish the choice of cement and sand is very important. Each different colour of cement, grey Portland or white, mixed with the vast choice you have in sand colours will give you a multitude of options for your motar colour.

Put it like this go through every option you can make, write it down then wait 2 weeks and go back and see what you have changed then go back in another 2 weeks and you will have changed more and another 2 weeks and so on and so on. That is one of the best things and quite possibly the worst thing about doing a self build. You can change everything that goes in to your build and you will change everything lots and lots of time because you can.

Oh and you will definitely change your mind on the different types of screws and once it's finished you will have moved away from the screw you can turn with a butter knife type and the X one.

[Weebles]

This week’s decisions are:

tiles for bathroom

grout colour

adhesive for tiles

washers to sit behind a vent in our larder

And where to source them all from

 

luckily I have already bought the bathroom insulation board and screws and the UFH mat

 

also need to decide on skirting board, glue to stick it on with, paint to paint it with

 

at the same time as continuing to paint, taping joints prior to tiling walls, installing said insulation board and UFH mats

 

And that is just this week. I am trying not to think about ordering the stairs, contacting the plumber, planning the foul waste drainage works, installing the MVHR unit, windowsills.....And my full time day job ?

 

I choose to be doing this ? and it’s mostly great. my advice is to make as many decisions as you can before it really gets going.  

[Ferdinand]

This week I have been introduced to a grout colour called Jasmine, which is about the same colour as Uncooked Yorkshire Puddings, as a better colour than white or grey to use with cream or lighting tiles.

[recoveringbuilder]

21 minutes ago, Ferdinand said:

This week I have been introduced to a grout colour called Jasmine, which is about the same colour as Uncooked Yorkshire Puddings, as a better colour than white or grey to use with cream or lighting tiles.

I used this in my kitchen with cream tiles but wish I’d gone with grey it gets too dirty!

[Gone West]

37 minutes ago, Ferdinand said:

This week I have been introduced to a grout colour called Jasmine, which is about the same colour as Uncooked Yorkshire Puddings, as a better colour than white or grey to use with cream or lighting tiles.

We have that colour grout in the ground floor tiles and it still looks ok with just over a year of use.

[puntloos]

9 hours ago, Ferdinand said:

This would require someone to have chosen to make a list, and no one had the time ?.

I bet someone did.. but it might be this one guy in Manchester with way too much time on their hands etcetc..

Just hoping they're on buildhub.. 

[recoveringbuilder]

19 hours ago, puntloos said:

 

Of course, but I was planning to have a few choices for critical things, e.g. "ultrafancy/dream one, budget conscious option"

 

 

 

Does that mean you can't choose 'any' window but have to pick from the timber firm's list?

 

Did you not worry those tiles needed to match with 'the rest'? 

It kinda sounds snobbish to me while I write this, but "should the entire house not match the same theme" (rather than independently start picking bathroom tiles when you don't yet know the livingroom colours etc?

 

 

That's what I'm trying to do ?

 

 

Well, I'd love to see an 'after the fact' list as well, just any list as long as it's complete-ish. ?

 

We started off with choosing the best we thought we could afford, the window style was on the architect plans, the spec was up to us, the kit firm quoted us for the style and spec we wanted, We also commanded all oak finishings and oak and glass staircase so this was all within the quote from the TF company so all this was locked in the budget from the start. I also wanted a bespoke kitchen so this was locked in pretty quickly.

 I have interior design qualifications so I always start with something I really like be it tiles , flooring or whatever and the theme then grows from there, hence the piles of samples early on and I eventually pick a starting point and work from there.

I am also living without any new furniture at the minute until I decide what I really want as it’s very easy to see something that you think is what you want then a few months down the line you regret it.

 I have now extended the design to outside, steps matching window sills, decking matching windows and so on driving hubby mad!

3 hours ago, PeterStarck said:

We have that colour grout in the ground floor tiles and it still looks ok with just over a year of use.

Dogs! That’s the problem!

[newhome]

4 hours ago, Ferdinand said:

This week I have been introduced to a grout colour called Jasmine, which is about the same colour as Uncooked Yorkshire Puddings, as a better colour than white or grey to use with cream or lighting tiles.

 

I have Mapei Jasmine but it can get quite dirty if you have pets. It’s fine on the walls. I just end up using grout cleaner and a brush every so often. Takes a bit of effort though. 

[recoveringbuilder]

5 minutes ago, newhome said:

 

I have Mapei Jasmine but it can get quite dirty if you have pets. It’s fine on the walls. I just end up using grout cleaner and a brush every so often. Takes a bit of effort though. 

I’m beginning to think you must be a bit younger than me! I came in last Thursday armed with grout cleaner raring to go to se if it really would clean it, of course I don’t have big square tiles I have the long narrow wood plank effect ones, I got down and did about 2sq m , yes it worked but I was knackered so the other 22m2 will have to wait ??

[newhome]

Lol, I don’t do it all in one go! I break it down into sections and it’s a lot of effort. My tiles are 30 x 45 so not huge and there is a lot of grout. It won’t be getting done again for a while though as I’ve just had a knee op so that rules out kneeling for a while!