The project begins...

[Hilldes]

Hi all,

 

After 10+ years researching self build (including this excellent forum), have just secured planning permission for a bungalow demolition and construction of a 1.5 story 260m2 house just outside Guildford. I've designed the replacement (my first whole house design) and currently working on the developed design and costing. Current plans are for:

 

• Potentially piled foundations due to clay soils and close proximity of Oak trees
• Timber frame/SIP construction - one timber frame supplier is recommending timber frame for the walls and SIPs for the roof (1st floor has mainly vaulted ceilings).
• Build route: will place a contract for the timber frame and then project manage contractors myself with some DIY (see below). 
• External skin will be rendered - current preference is for render on boards as opposed to a blockwork outer skin.
• Will have quite extensive glazing including three glazed gables.
• Will have limited home automation technology - I've got some core Loxone components in a test rig in the current house, ready for a play when the training courses resume. Plans are mainly to control lighting in some key room + heating + alarm system.
• I've have a fair bit if DIY experience and may have have to invest much time DIYing to control costs - the parts of the build I could DIY total about 1 man year of effort :(.
• Current costing (with minimal DIY) is around £1700/m2 - which I will need to reduce.

 

Will create separate posts over time with questions on some of the above.

 

All the best , Terry

[Dreadnaught]

Welcome aboard,Terry/ @Hilldes.

 

I am using screwpiles in my forthcoming build for the same reasons that you are considering them. Mine is timber frame (not SIP). I intend to follow the same project management approach as you. My build is in Cambridge.

[oldkettle]

You are not far from us then, we are in Woking. You will likely start before us, looking forward to your updates. 

[nod]

Nice big budget Should be plenty in there for anything unexpected 

[Hilldes]

41 minutes ago, nod said:

Nice big budget Should be plenty in there for anything unexpected 

I haven't got that kind of budget ?. Needs to be nearer £1,000/m2 which I know is really challenging anywhere in the UK, not to mention the south east.

[nod]

3 minutes ago, Hilldes said:

I haven't got that kind of budget ?. Needs to be nearer £1,000/m2 which I know is really challenging anywhere in the UK, not to mention the south east.

You will have to do a lot yourself to go sub £1000 m2 

We came in at 830m2 On a good spec 283 m2 build 

So yes Doable 

Good luck 

[Hilldes]

59 minutes ago, oldkettle said:

You are not far from us then, we are in Woking. You will likely start before us, looking forward to your updates. 

Just been reading your posts on planning - did you permission for a full two story house to replace a bungalow?

[Hilldes]

1 hour ago, Dreadnaught said:

Welcome aboard,Terry/ @Hilldes.

 

I am using screwpiles in my forthcoming build for the same reasons that you are considering them. Mine is timber frame (not SIP). I intend to follow the same project management approach as you. My build is in Cambridge.

Got a lot of reading to do on piles - they sound painful ?. Amazed by the choice of types of pile and systems that go with them - e.g. Speed Deck. I fear big £££ for this part.

[oldkettle]

3 hours ago, Hilldes said:

Just been reading your posts on planning - did you permission for a full two story house to replace a bungalow?

 

Nope, PP is for an extension. Obviously, everybody is (correctly) saying "demolish and rebuild" but that would involve paying off cheap fixed rate mortgage and taking on an expensive one for the new build. Most of the VAT savings would disappear down that hole.

[dnb]

Welcome. This sounds like a fun project. Good luck with the piles and the budget. 1000/m2 is really tough - it was my desire too but I'm now forecasting going over budget.   But even so, it's not going to be an overly expensive house - I just don't get that new(ish) Jaguar at the end.

 

Your ideas are not too different from mine - I've just finished the piled foundations in an oak infested clay swamp ? laid the beam and block floor, and am waiting for the C19 crisis to end so the SIPS structure can go up. I would very much like to discuss the Loxone automation with you at some point.

 

Don't worry too much about the piles. Get to know your soil - you can do a lot from published documents - then speak to a few piling contractors who have worked locally to get initial ideas about costs and requirements. I was originally planning to use augered piles too, but had to change to driven piles because of a very high water table (bad time of year for the work) and higher than predicted chalk content in the clay. Are you planning a ring beam with suspended floor on the piles?

 

[Hilldes]

13 hours ago, dnb said:

Welcome. This sounds like a fun project. Good luck with the piles and the budget. 1000/m2 is really tough - it was my desire too but I'm now forecasting going over budget.   But even so, it's not going to be an overly expensive house - I just don't get that new(ish) Jaguar at the end.

 

Your ideas are not too different from mine - I've just finished the piled foundations in an oak infested clay swamp ? laid the beam and block floor, and am waiting for the C19 crisis to end so the SIPS structure can go up. I would very much like to discuss the Loxone automation with you at some point.

 

Don't worry too much about the piles. Get to know your soil - you can do a lot from published documents - then speak to a few piling contractors who have worked locally to get initial ideas about costs and requirements. I was originally planning to use augered piles too, but had to change to driven piles because of a very high water table (bad time of year for the work) and higher than predicted chalk content in the clay. Are you planning a ring beam with suspended floor on the piles?

 

Haven't got to the stage of designing the foundations as yet. Just know my neighbour had to use piles for an extension due to clay and tress - and we have more trees that are closer to the proposed footprint.

 

One thing I've tried is to look up building control applications online to see how often piles were used in the area, but have not been able to locate these yet.

 

I've done a reasonable amount of research into Loxone - e.g. this forum and AV Forums. Will post on here the results of my proof of concept when I connect it up. What I'm working on right now is deciding which elements of lighting to build in Loxone 24v components versus mains voltage - the latter being significantly lower cost.

[Temp]

Might be worth asking the neighbours if they had a ground condition report done. We have clay soil and trees and the SE that designed our foundations requested a report and said piles wern't needed. 

 

[Hilldes]

On 17/04/2020 at 00:19, Temp said:

Might be worth asking the neighbours if they had a ground condition report done. We have clay soil and trees and the SE that designed our foundations requested a report and said piles wern't needed. 

 

Thanks, will see what I can obtain from next door (extension) and a self build in progress down the road.