ykhan16 Posted October 28, 2019 Share Posted October 28, 2019 Hi guys, My name is Yasir and i'm about to start my self-build adventure! ? Just a bit of background- I'm in my 30's, married and currently live in a terraced house in West Yorkshire with our two young boys. We've been wanting to move into some place larger and more modern/contemporary for a long time (nothing of that sort round here!) but we also didnt want to move too far from our network of close friends and family so self-build has been in our thoughts for the past few years now. Long story short this year i managed to find and purchase a decent sized plot that was only 7mins drive from where we currently live. So savings spent- the ball is now officially rolling and we've finally committed down this path. But gosh its only just the outset and i'm bloody terrified and I dont want to make any major mistakes! ? I've kind of realised why most self-builders are older/retired couples because time is such an important factor. With both myself and my wife in full time work and managing kids there isnt a lot of free time to plan, research and investigate (so much useful information out there but hard to find concisely what I need to know/learn). Similarly during construction there wont be much time for organisation, supervision and DIY- though ideally i'd like to try to do this around work to save money but really not sure how! Anyways I will potter about this forum- if anyone has a good place to start or a recommended reading list of threads/guides please let me know!? Cheers! Preparations currently done Spoke to Build store about self build mortgages and got some rough borrowing figures (~£175-200K though 2nd time i spoke to someone they gave me a lower figure hmm .....) Enquired about utilities ("we need a architects drawings first apparently....") Shortlisted a few architects one of which i'm really keen on (but they're all generally pricey) Got (free) tickets for the Homebuilding and Renovating show in Harrogate- hopefully this will be useful Massive stack of Build It/Homebuilding & Renovating magazines ordered from ebay <-- Now reading! Housebuilder's bible book by Mark Brinkley <-- Read 2 years ago (and forgotten), now re-reading Grand Designs TV show- series linked! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BotusBuild Posted October 28, 2019 Share Posted October 28, 2019 Hi Yasir, and welcome to the crazy world of self building ? My advice would be take your time (if you can), and ensure that you settle on a design you and your family are happy with, not one the architect would like you to build. Always keep in mind, or ask how is that going to be built? how is that going to work? how much is that going to cost? Being close to your new plot is fantastic (unlike my 400 mile round trips) but I guess it could be very tempting to fall into the "just going to site, dear" trap. This forum has many aspects to it, and you can dip in and out as you deem necessary. Generally the forum structure is great, but if you are unsure, then use the search facility. One thing you will find is the use of acronyms and abbreviations peculiar to the build industry. There is a thread on what they mean Good luck 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToughButterCup Posted October 28, 2019 Share Posted October 28, 2019 Welcome. Where to start you ask. Anywhere. Work out from there 1 hour ago, ykhan16 said: [...] Similarly during construction there wont be much time for organisation, supervision and DIY- though ideally i'd like to try to do this around work to save money but really not sure how! [...] Just do it, You do have Planning permission don't you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pocster Posted October 28, 2019 Share Posted October 28, 2019 Do you need any walk on glazing ? I think you do ... 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thedreamer Posted October 28, 2019 Share Posted October 28, 2019 5 hours ago, ykhan16 said: Hi guys, My name is Yasir and i'm about to start my self-build adventure! ? Just a bit of background- I'm in my 30's, married and currently live in a terraced house in West Yorkshire with our two young boys. We've been wanting to move into some place larger and more modern/contemporary for a long time (nothing of that sort round here!) but we also didnt want to move too far from our network of close friends and family so self-build has been in our thoughts for the past few years now. Long story short this year i managed to find and purchase a decent sized plot that was only 7mins drive from where we currently live. So savings spent- the ball is now officially rolling and we've finally committed down this path. But gosh its only just the outset and i'm bloody terrified and I dont want to make any major mistakes! ? I've kind of realised why most self-builders are older/retired couples because time is such an important factor. With both myself and my wife in full time work and managing kids there isnt a lot of free time to plan, research and investigate (so much useful information out there but hard to find concisely what I need to know/learn). Similarly during construction there wont be much time for organisation, supervision and DIY- though ideally i'd like to try to do this around work to save money but really not sure how! Anyways I will potter about this forum- if anyone has a good place to start or a recommended reading list of threads/guides please let me know!? Cheers! Preparations currently done Spoke to Build store about self build mortgages and got some rough borrowing figures (~£175-200K though 2nd time i spoke to someone they gave me a lower figure hmm .....) Enquired about utilities ("we need a architects drawings first apparently....") Shortlisted a few architects one of which i'm really keen on (but they're all generally pricey) Got (free) tickets for the Homebuilding and Renovating show in Harrogate- hopefully this will be useful Massive stack of Build It/Homebuilding & Renovating magazines ordered from ebay <-- Now reading! Housebuilder's bible book by Mark Brinkley <-- Read 2 years ago (and forgotten), now re-reading Grand Designs TV show- series linked! Hi @ykhan16 from reviewing your list you are heading in the right direction, the key is to become a sponge and soak up as much knowledge as possible. There are few here in your age bracket, I'm 33 and about 70% complete on our build on the Isle of Skye. Do you live or work close to the plot? Also look around at other lenders, other self build mortgage providers exist. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simplysimon Posted October 28, 2019 Share Posted October 28, 2019 3 hours ago, pocster said: Do you need any walk on glazing ? I think you do ... still got it? i thought it was swapped for some blue toughened glass ? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pocster Posted October 28, 2019 Share Posted October 28, 2019 7 minutes ago, Simplysimon said: still got it? i thought it was swapped for some blue toughened glass ? Nah that blue glass leaks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ykhan16 Posted October 29, 2019 Author Share Posted October 29, 2019 @BotusBuild Thanks for linking that acronym thread- bloody hell there's quite a few! ? 23 hours ago, Thedreamer said: Hi @ykhan16 from reviewing your list you are heading in the right direction, the key is to become a sponge and soak up as much knowledge as possible. There are few here in your age bracket, I'm 33 and about 70% complete on our build on the Isle of Skye. Do you live or work close to the plot? Also look around at other lenders, other self build mortgage providers exist. Thank you @Thedreamer -hope your build is going well! I'm actually really interested in hearing how people in my kind of age bracket went through this process and hopefully learning a thing or two. I'm going to speak to my current mortgage provider and with a few other lenders including Ecology which people on here seem to like (Soaked that info in pretty quickly! ) I think affordability is something i'm a bit worried about. Budget is pretty much £200k max (we're not really prepared to sell up and live in a caravan for a year) so i'm trying to get a rough idea of what i could build for that- ideally 150-160m2. From my chats with the architects majority of the reactions were from "ambitious" to "build smaller", the guy from Potton who I was on the phone with went deathly quiet for about 5 seconds.. . (The one i'm thinking about going with was actually quite positive about it and said its achievable if i'm smart about the fittings- i.e. ikea options). So this is my current plan- perhaps someone could critique it? -Speak to more lenders to hopefully get a more accurate budget -Finalise architect -Develop design we're happy with but must include features that cannot be upgraded later easily -size, good insulation, glazing, UFH (is this a good way to do it? Can you simply attach UFH to an air source pump or solar heating to a hot water cylinder later on?) -Apply for PP (The site already has existing PP for a pair of semi's so i'm hopeful a single detached house wont be an issue.) -If granted then (take a breather!)/plan construction phase/apply for SB mortgage. Dont want to think too much further than that just in case it gets a bit overwhelming. Hopefully by the end of this plan I should have read the majority of the 100k+ posts on this forum and am ready to start mixing the mortar! On 28/10/2019 at 18:34, pocster said: Do you need any walk on glazing ? I think you do ... I dont know? Do i? Is this some self-build in-joke? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BotusBuild Posted October 29, 2019 Share Posted October 29, 2019 4 minutes ago, ykhan16 said: Speak to more lenders to hopefully get a more accurate budget Yasir - your budget will not come from the lenders - it will come from knowing what you are going to build, which itself comes from your design. This can be a circular process until you settle on a design that you is acceptable both from a "needs" perspective and a "I can afford that" perspective. This is a balancing act. I like to keep in mind the builders triad (at least that's what I call it) of Quality - Cost - Time. For quality don't think just Good vs Bad, but think Need vs "Would really like". Also within that triad, think which two are moderately inflexible and which one can flex most. For me the big flex is Time with cost and quality being only partially so - you can't afford to be completely rigid on any of them IMHO. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProDave Posted October 29, 2019 Share Posted October 29, 2019 20 minutes ago, ykhan16 said: I dont know? Do i? Is this some self-build in-joke? Yes it's "ongoing" There is an old saying, you can have cheap, quick, or good, but you can only have TWO of those. You really won't build for under £1000 per square metre and will only get that low doing a lot yourself. Your budget is going to be tight or you are going to be busy. What's wrong with living on site in a caravan. I have done it (twice) as have many others. It's "character building" (especially in the coldest Highland winter for many years) 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
recoveringbuilder Posted October 29, 2019 Share Posted October 29, 2019 On our second build we spent 2 winters in a towing caravan (it was a big one right enough) and with this build we spent 7 months in a smaller one. It’s all down to how much you’re prepared to forego for what you want to end up with. In our case we wanted to know exactly how much we had to spend and selling our home prior to starting the build gave us the security of actually having the cash rather than worrying about repaying it once the new house was built as who knows how long it would take to sell the current property, self builds are stressful enough without having the added worry of that. Also renting is a waste of valuable resources. If I ever did it again it would still be the same! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ykhan16 Posted October 29, 2019 Author Share Posted October 29, 2019 37 minutes ago, BotusBuild said: Yasir - your budget will not come from the lenders - it will come from knowing what you are going to build, which itself comes from your design. This can be a circular process until you settle on a design that you is acceptable both from a "needs" perspective and a "I can afford that" perspective. This is a balancing act. I like to keep in mind the builders triad (at least that's what I call it) of Quality - Cost - Time. For quality don't think just Good vs Bad, but think Need vs "Would really like". Also within that triad, think which two are moderately inflexible and which one can flex most. For me the big flex is Time with cost and quality being only partially so - you can't afford to be completely rigid on any of them IMHO. Surely budget comes from how much I am able to borrow? But thanks that is really good advice and I think i'm kind of doing some of that - quality in the fundamentals of the building and saving money on things that we could add/replace later. I'll need to think more on the time aspect though- hadnt really considered it that way. 24 minutes ago, ProDave said: There is an old saying, you can have cheap, quick, or good, but you can only have TWO of those. You really won't build for under £1000 per square metre and will only get that low doing a lot yourself. Your budget is going to be tight or you are going to be busy. What's wrong with living on site in a caravan. I have done it (twice) as have many others. It's "character building" (especially in the coldest Highland winter for many years) I think it would come out at ~ £1250 per m2- maybe I might have to get involved for this too. Honestly if I was on my own I wouldnt be bothered about living in a caravan, but i dont think my wife and kids could put up with it- they struggle when we stay at a premier inn for more than a few nights! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ykhan16 Posted October 29, 2019 Author Share Posted October 29, 2019 14 minutes ago, Christine Walker said: On our second build we spent 2 winters in a towing caravan (it was a big one right enough) and with this build we spent 7 months in a smaller one. It’s all down to how much you’re prepared to forego for what you want to end up with. In our case we wanted to know exactly how much we had to spend and selling our home prior to starting the build gave us the security of actually having the cash rather than worrying about repaying it once the new house was built as who knows how long it would take to sell the current property, self builds are stressful enough without having the added worry of that. Also renting is a waste of valuable resources. If I ever did it again it would still be the same! My wife pretty much made it clear from the start that we would have to stay at our current house whilst the build was taking place. It is much closer to her workplace (and the train station for me), and my parents literally live opposite and really help out looking after and collecting our kids from school. Mostly though we dont want to disrupt our kids studies and they need space and some quiet for that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onoff Posted October 29, 2019 Share Posted October 29, 2019 I'd love to live in a caravan whilst my wife stays in our current house...... 1 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pocster Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 12 hours ago, Onoff said: I'd love to live in a caravan whilst my wife stays in our current house...... Way you are going that might come true 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Punter Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 You can get an architectural technologist to do your planning and building regs fairly cheaply. With your budget and time constraints you would do well to go for a simple rectangle 2 storey house. 10m x 8m footprint would give you an internal area of about 135m2. You could design it so that it can be easily extended later. Timber frame with brick or rendered block with pitched tiled roof is fairly low risk construction and cost wise. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferdinand Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 (edited) 15 hours ago, ykhan16 said: @BotusBuild I dont know? Do i? Is this some self-build in-joke? The answer is no, you don't. @pocster is the bloke who sold Tower Bridge to the Yanks. (Allegedly.) But they did not take delivery when it turned out to be a couple of defective skylights. They are double glazed so you could make a tall fishtank for anorexic fish. I have a standing offer of £2.01 in, so you will need to pay £2.02. And welcome. Edited October 30, 2019 by Ferdinand 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pocster Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 1 minute ago, Ferdinand said: The answer is no, you don't. @pocster is the bloke who sold Tower Bridge to the Yanks. (Allegedly.) Yep - it’s true ! I sold sand to a man in a desert . I sold water to a man in a boat I sold hamburgers to a man in Mac Donald’s I sold brexit to the public What was sold to me ? . Some incorrectly sized fecking wall on glass . ? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ykhan16 Posted October 30, 2019 Author Share Posted October 30, 2019 10 hours ago, Mr Punter said: You can get an architectural technologist to do your planning and building regs fairly cheaply. With your budget and time constraints you would do well to go for a simple rectangle 2 storey house. 10m x 8m footprint would give you an internal area of about 135m2. You could design it so that it can be easily extended later. Timber frame with brick or rendered block with pitched tiled roof is fairly low risk construction and cost wise. I'll look into that- you're the 2nd person to suggest going to an architectural technologist. My constant fear is going through this whole process with all its associated hassles- and then ending up with something that looks/feels like a boring developer home. Time isnt really a constraint as we'll still be living at our current home till its complete so perhaps I can maximize the benefit of that somehow- more reading required i think! Thank you all for some good tips- feels like i've already learnt a lot from my 2 days on here! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thedreamer Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 On a £200k budget I would ditch the architect. I used a house designer and structural engineer to draw up plans for a bespoke home and this has been much more cost effective than using a off peg kit home. Our build budget for the land and house is around £220k. You can check out my blog here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToughButterCup Posted October 31, 2019 Share Posted October 31, 2019 On 28/10/2019 at 18:34, pocster said: Do you need any walk on glazing ? I think you do ... Funny that innit, @pocster trying to get rid of his at the same time as the Chinese are stopping people from walking on theirs Hmmm, is there a link? Is @pocster a Chinese spy? or a Chinese plant? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterW Posted October 31, 2019 Share Posted October 31, 2019 10 hours ago, ykhan16 said: I'll look into that- you're the 2nd person to suggest going to an architectural technologist. My constant fear is going through this whole process with all its associated hassles- and then ending up with something that looks/feels like a boring developer home. Time isnt really a constraint as we'll still be living at our current home till its complete so perhaps I can maximize the benefit of that somehow- more reading required i think! Thank you all for some good tips- feels like i've already learnt a lot from my 2 days on here! so... do a sketch of what you want ..! also, do a few floor plans of what you, your wife and your kids want and need from the house. Just a cheap A3 pad with felt tips will do, and then find a good AT and say “make these work...!!” You need to decide what is good and right for you - start there and you’ll have less issues. Also, from a cost perspective .. 1. square boxes are cheap to build 2. glass is 5x the cost of wall 3. curves are 3x the cost of straight 4. flat roofing can be cheaper but is very difficult to get right unless you pay the right contractor 5. an hour a day on site in the morning with the trades will pay dividends 6. an hour an evening tidying and sweeping up on site means you’ll spot things and can fix issues early 7. plan floor surfaces carefully - costs can soon add up 8. do the jobs you can really do to save money - if you’re not a plasterer, pay someone else ! 9. a cheap kitchen or bathroom can be replaced down the line - cheap insulation can’t be so fabric first 10. Children can be trained to use a brush from an early age ... see No.6.... 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe90 Posted October 31, 2019 Share Posted October 31, 2019 When I designed our build I went on loads of sites for kit houses that had plans etc and found the things I liked and morphed them into what we wanted. We did use an architect but only to put these plans on CAD for our planning application (he was cheaper than normal because he worked for our main contractor). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Walker Posted October 31, 2019 Share Posted October 31, 2019 IMHO an architect won't be able to design you anything (that you like) for £200K that you can build for £200K. If you really want to use an architect, ask them how many houses they have built with their own hands and money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteamyTea Posted October 31, 2019 Share Posted October 31, 2019 6 hours ago, AnonymousBosch said: Chinese plant? What. Like 20 Number 6. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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