The self-build grind

[SimonD]

Who on here has built, or are in the process of building, their house themselves with very little help?

 

If so, how often have you had that experience where everything seems to progress at a snails pace, you don't seem to make progress however much effort you put in and it's all just a grind?

 

For me this feeling seems to have persisted for most of this year, covid obviously hasn't helped, but I'm wondering if it's just me?

Edited November 11, 2020 by SimonD

[Carrerahill]

26 minutes ago, SimonD said:

Who on here has built, or are in the process of building, their house themselves with very little help?

 

If so, how often have you had that experience where everything seems to progress at a snails pace, you don't seem to make progress however much effort you put in and it's all just a grind?

 

For me this feeling seems to have persisted for most of this year, covid obviously hasn't helped, but I'm wondering if it's just me?

We didn't build a house but we took on a 1960's house, tore it back to a shell, renovated most of it, extended it, built garages and demolished old buildings and now on the final push to complete it all with the final parts being renovated now (parts that directly adjoined the extension). Been a hard 5 years so far, I'll be glad for it to be over if I am honest. 

 

I go through periods of what seems like total inactivity but you must remember that planning and material procurement and decisions are progress in their own right, we have recently broken the ice on about a 2-3 months period of more or less no or very little progress, but then on breaking the ice suddenly the project takes a leap, I have a JCB turning up later to dump hardcore over a wall into our garden, I have flooring arriving tomorrow/Fri, I had a painter in last week, I made some decisions and plans which then let things move again and I just need to be bold and go and buy lots of materials and hope it all works out OK!

 

In 5 years I have had help from professionals on my site for about a cumulative 4-5 weeks, that includes a joiner for a day, a brickie, general builder (dry dashing the house), gas man, plasterers & painters. The rest has been me on my own or with limited help from friends and family. 

 

I overthink things, sometimes it pays off, sometimes it just creates issues and stress, I have actually been feeling a bit off for a few weeks now and I am sure it is stress. I pondered over the silicone job on a window sill for about 2 days at the beginning of the week deciding it let the whole new kitchen down... apparently it doesn't but because I paid too much attention to it I stood and stared at it and fiddled with it and wasted more time. 

 

I have also decided that if I do something now and I am not happy, move on, don't think about it and if at the end of it all, I still look at it and think no that is not good, then redo it, assuming it is a job that can be done in isolation obviously!

 

Don't worry and don't you or anyone else set targets for yourself, you will not meet them and you will feel demotivated and then stress and rush and then you will step back and go, wait, I made that deadline, there isn't a deadline and suddenly a huge weight is lifted off your shoulders.

 

 

Edited November 11, 2020 by Carrerahill

[ProDave]

Yes count me in as "In the Grind"

 

It's been a slow build for me mostly due to finances, once the shell was up it's been a slow "build as you earn"

 

This year has been particularly challenging with building materials being hard to source, my Multipanel got "held hostage" for 12 weeks over the summer, and then I struggled to get Oak for the door frames and even basic things like decking planks.

 

Then I just could not get hold of the trusted joiner I had hoped to hang my last few doors so I had to do it myself.  Now I have the joy of skirting boards.

 

The jobs that are looming are also getting harder, there's a stained glass window to make, then there is the sun room, I still don't know if we can yet afford the windows for that, and what challenges that is going to present even sourcing the windows with the B word looming.

 

I will certainly be glad when it is all done.

[nod]

Myself and my wife did most things ourself while still both working four days per week 

My wife said never again 

But 18 months after finishing We are about to do it all again 

The time of year really doesn’t help  

It’s surprising how resilient you become 

[Gone West]

Yes we were in that boat, took us eight years. It's great when it's finished.

[Russell griffiths]

Yep, in the last year I have had one man on site for two days, that’s it nobody here apart from me. 

 

Today i fitted 125 kg of staircase, I did stop a few times and wondered who I could get for a couple of hours to give me a hand. 

But all in now. 

 

Painfully slow but I think I will be £200,000 in front by the time it’s finished 

[Oz07]

Think @Carrerahill sums it up pretty well I reckon most of us here over think things. Original lockdown really slowed me down my second fix joinery delivery got put off for about 6 weeks. I could of got it somewhere else within a week at 20% more, was going to push the button but thought if I have to pay 20% for every item left to finish then i'll get the hump. Just moved on with other things and was generally inefficient. Anyway got the stuff in the end and old place sold quick once lockdown lifted so keep at it @SimonD one day it will all come together and jobs list will be done real quick.

[Oz07]

Also not sure about anyone else but in other houses i've built I was always dead quick to touch up if paint got marked. This one has had a tiny chip out of the plaster and a couple of marks on the walls of hallway since the carpet fitter came. I could easily touch them up but i'll only end up marking something else when I do it. One job always seems to create another. I'm chilled about this stuff now i'll get a decorator in when I move on.

[dnb]

Yes. It's grinding away slowly. There are still good moments, but right now it's dragging.

Last weekend I picked up a pack of roof battens in the  roof shop (with one of the staff - socially distanced by 4.8m!) and put it on the roof rack of the Range Rover. I only wanted two packs, so didn't see the need to drag the big trailer out there. Big mistake. I must have twisted somehow and ended up getting SWMBO to drive me home to have a lie down with a bad back and plenty of ibuprofen. One fine weekend lost. It rained heavily the previous weekend so I did nothing particularly productive on site. I've used all bar 2 days of my annual leave from work and it gets dark really early. Opportunities for decent progress are limited. I am staying sat firmly at my desk all week at work - avoiding any threat of having to run trials or move equipment so I am fit for the next weekend. This is before I start mentioning all the supply chain woes! Not helped by being on an island during a pandemic and building something out of the ordinary for the IOW by using "modern materials".

 

But I will be happy again by Sunday evening when I can cross a couple of things off the list and advance the progress bar on the Gantt chart. (Proper project management here! ) My only real deadline is getting the cladding and windows done before I have to pay for additional scaffolding time. After that, I'm planning on a break to play with some things with engines.

It will all be worth it in the end.

Edited November 12, 2020 by dnb

[Pete]

14 hours ago, Russell griffiths said:

Yep, in the last year I have had one man on site for two days, that’s it nobody here apart from me. 

 

Today i fitted 125 kg of staircase, I did stop a few times and wondered who I could get for a couple of hours to give me a hand. 

But all in now. 

 

Painfully slow but I think I will be £200,000 in front by the time it’s finished 

I am exactly the same and the amount of money I have saved is amazing but also the pride of knowing I have done the vast majority of it myself.

[Jilly]

I've just got to the point where the superstructure and drains are nearly done and with a lot of advice from you guys, I'm changing to self PM and subbies. I don't quite qualify for rolling my sleeves up completely,  but I'll do my best. I feel quite relaxed now and I will be able to control the budget and over think to my heart's content. 

 

 

[mvincentd]

Three and a half years now and still 2 bathrooms, a kitchen and a staircase outstanding plus minors like all skirting,  architrave, handles.  Not sure I can honestly claim to have done even 51% of it myself but been here for and contributed to every day of work thats gone into it.  5 days of plasterer and 2 of electrician is the only paid trade in the last 15 months, ie since we moved in.

Running out of cash and moving in before finished really slows things, any little job becomes a big slow job because speed and efficiency just means the expensive trip to the merchants happens sooner.  Also the realisation living here that the temporary kitchen is kinda minimalist cool and functions fine, we dont need 3 bathrooms, and the temporary staircase gets us up and down 100% efficiently...i've become immune to its squeaks.  The house overall is possibly more interesting now than it will be when fully finished.  My other half would not agree!

[SimonD]

 

Thanks for all the replies and reassurance, it's strangely comforting to know I'm not completely alone in this ☺️ It's also good to hear your stories, the similar issues and experiences  with the whole thing.

 

We also took this route because of finances (but something in me also strangely really wanted to do it) as we got some designs done by our architect who knew from the very start what our budget was and not at any point did he raise any concerns about whether we could do what he designed for the money. It was only once we got planning granted and spoke to builders we found out the reality of the situation (there is also a local premium in building we weren't aware of when we bought the original house). From a financial perspective, luckily for us I'd already decided to take it on when we found out that the build wasn't going to be a simple 'remove and raise roof on existing dwelling, and add a new floor,' but actually demolish a large percentage of the existing dwelling, thus doubling the size of the project. We then found that the existing house needed a lot of remedial work to make it good for the additional 1st floor. I still remember the day when my wife came home from work to see most of the ground floor gone only to ask - 'didn't our architect say this was all staying in place?' There were also silly things like the new steel columns were supposed be installed inside an existing wall but the arichtect got the dimensions wrong by 100mm so yet another wall had to come down!  So in essence the project went from a large scale loft conversation totalling 100sqm to a 200sqm almost new build. When the BCO visited to inspect the pad foundation trenches I'd dug he looked at it all and asked if we shouldn't just have demolished the whole thing and started from fresh. We did seriously consider it for a moment but couldn't bear the thought of taking it all back to planning etc.

 

Blimey, I've just reread through that paragraph and it already sounds like a proper drama from Grand Designs or something,  resonating with those warnings from books like the Housebulder's Bible and Self-build simplified of why you shouldn't do it all yourself!!! ?

 

It's taken me just over two years so far when I started to prepare us and the site for the journey ahead. Then in January 2019 I had a small team of builders in to build the walls for a ground floor infill extension. It was after having them in as potential builders for the whole thing that I made up my mind to do it all myself so started in earnest Feb 2019. It feels like an age since then.

 

Re dealines and timelines - oh, yes, I'd put those in place along with my building schedule and project management chart - that lasted a whole few months after which I threw it away and just got on site and did what I could each day. I think one of the worst things is when people constantly ask how the build is going and do we have a move in date; when will it be finished?

 

Overthinking has definitely been my problem too. I managed to find a way to avoid it when building up the walls and timber frame, but when it's come down to more detailed and important stuff I slip right back in there with that.

 

One of the things I've found to be both a blessing and a curse is the flexibility of doing it myself. We can make and change decisions as we go which obviously does have ramifications. However, it pays major dividends like when I came across how all the steels were designed to sit inside the walls leaving major cold bridging issues - I simply moved all the walls so the steels now sit inside the external fabric. This has also paid dividends when I've had to switch big tickets suppliers like the whole insulation system and the roof cover due to supplier problems.

 

I do have to admit that despite doing some difficult and challenging jobs in my career so far, this is up there as the hardest thing I've done yet.

 

As you've all said, despite the grind it's all going to feel great when it's done and there are also the the many intermediate moments like yesterday when I took down my kwikform scaffolding from the front of the house to see the newly clad facade -  it good to see the ugly billowing tarps gone from the walls. Gotta keep the perspective. It's actually starting to look like a house ?

 

[LA3222]

House is looking mighty fine @SimonD?

 

Its always good to have a bit of a vent on here every now and then, its cathartic for the soul! Everyone on here has gone through/is going through similar emotions, its always good to read others mishaps on here too as it reminds you that these things happen to all of us!

[Jilly]

It looks amazing! Well done you ?

[Pete]

1 hour ago, SimonD said:

 

Thanks for all the replies and reassurance, it's strangely comforting to know I'm not completely alone in this ☺️ It's also good to hear your stories, the similar issues and experiences  with the whole thing.

 

We also took this route because of finances (but something in me also strangely really wanted to do it) as we got some designs done by our architect who knew from the very start what our budget was and not at any point did he raise any concerns about whether we could do what he designed for the money. It was only once we got planning granted and spoke to builders we found out the reality of the situation (there is also a local premium in building we weren't aware of when we bought the original house). From a financial perspective, luckily for us I'd already decided to take it on when we found out that the build wasn't going to be a simple 'remove and raise roof on existing dwelling, and add a new floor,' but actually demolish a large percentage of the existing dwelling, thus doubling the size of the project. We then found that the existing house needed a lot of remedial work to make it good for the additional 1st floor. I still remember the day when my wife came home from work to see most of the ground floor gone only to ask - 'didn't our architect say this was all staying in place?' There were also silly things like the new steel columns were supposed be installed inside an existing wall but the arichtect got the dimensions wrong by 100mm so yet another wall had to come down!  So in essence the project went from a large scale loft conversation totalling 100sqm to a 200sqm almost new build. When the BCO visited to inspect the pad foundation trenches I'd dug he looked at it all and asked if we shouldn't just have demolished the whole thing and started from fresh. We did seriously consider it for a moment but couldn't bear the thought of taking it all back to planning etc.

 

Blimey, I've just reread through that paragraph and it already sounds like a proper drama from Grand Designs or something,  resonating with those warnings from books like the Housebulder's Bible and Self-build simplified of why you shouldn't do it all yourself!!! ?

 

It's taken me just over two years so far when I started to prepare us and the site for the journey ahead. Then in January 2019 I had a small team of builders in to build the walls for a ground floor infill extension. It was after having them in as potential builders for the whole thing that I made up my mind to do it all myself so started in earnest Feb 2019. It feels like an age since then.

 

Re dealines and timelines - oh, yes, I'd put those in place along with my building schedule and project management chart - that lasted a whole few months after which I threw it away and just got on site and did what I could each day. I think one of the worst things is when people constantly ask how the build is going and do we have a move in date; when will it be finished?

 

Overthinking has definitely been my problem too. I managed to find a way to avoid it when building up the walls and timber frame, but when it's come down to more detailed and important stuff I slip right back in there with that.

 

One of the things I've found to be both a blessing and a curse is the flexibility of doing it myself. We can make and change decisions as we go which obviously does have ramifications. However, it pays major dividends like when I came across how all the steels were designed to sit inside the walls leaving major cold bridging issues - I simply moved all the walls so the steels now sit inside the external fabric. This has also paid dividends when I've had to switch big tickets suppliers like the whole insulation system and the roof cover due to supplier problems.

 

I do have to admit that despite doing some difficult and challenging jobs in my career so far, this is up there as the hardest thing I've done yet.

 

As you've all said, despite the grind it's all going to feel great when it's done and there are also the the many intermediate moments like yesterday when I took down my kwikform scaffolding from the front of the house to see the newly clad facade -  it good to see the ugly billowing tarps gone from the walls. Gotta keep the perspective. It's actually starting to look like a house ?

 

If I was to write about our build it would read something like your description. Keep on plugging away and one day the past will all be forgotten. House looks great by the way!!

[Mulberry View]

Those whose builds have taken longer than 12 months, what was the primary reason for delay? Cash flow?

[Dave Jones]

1 hour ago, SimonD said:

 

Thanks for all the replies and reassurance, it's strangely comforting to know I'm not completely alone in this ☺️ It's also good to hear your stories, the similar issues and experiences  with the whole thing.

 

We also took this route because of finances (but something in me also strangely really wanted to do it) as we got some designs done by our architect who knew from the very start what our budget was and not at any point did he raise any concerns about whether we could do what he designed for the money. It was only once we got planning granted and spoke to builders we found out the reality of the situation (there is also a local premium in building we weren't aware of when we bought the original house). From a financial perspective, luckily for us I'd already decided to take it on when we found out that the build wasn't going to be a simple 'remove and raise roof on existing dwelling, and add a new floor,' but actually demolish a large percentage of the existing dwelling, thus doubling the size of the project. We then found that the existing house needed a lot of remedial work to make it good for the additional 1st floor. I still remember the day when my wife came home from work to see most of the ground floor gone only to ask - 'didn't our architect say this was all staying in place?' There were also silly things like the new steel columns were supposed be installed inside an existing wall but the arichtect got the dimensions wrong by 100mm so yet another wall had to come down!  So in essence the project went from a large scale loft conversation totalling 100sqm to a 200sqm almost new build. When the BCO visited to inspect the pad foundation trenches I'd dug he looked at it all and asked if we shouldn't just have demolished the whole thing and started from fresh. We did seriously consider it for a moment but couldn't bear the thought of taking it all back to planning etc.

 

Blimey, I've just reread through that paragraph and it already sounds like a proper drama from Grand Designs or something,  resonating with those warnings from books like the Housebulder's Bible and Self-build simplified of why you shouldn't do it all yourself!!! ?

 

It's taken me just over two years so far when I started to prepare us and the site for the journey ahead. Then in January 2019 I had a small team of builders in to build the walls for a ground floor infill extension. It was after having them in as potential builders for the whole thing that I made up my mind to do it all myself so started in earnest Feb 2019. It feels like an age since then.

 

Re dealines and timelines - oh, yes, I'd put those in place along with my building schedule and project management chart - that lasted a whole few months after which I threw it away and just got on site and did what I could each day. I think one of the worst things is when people constantly ask how the build is going and do we have a move in date; when will it be finished?

 

Overthinking has definitely been my problem too. I managed to find a way to avoid it when building up the walls and timber frame, but when it's come down to more detailed and important stuff I slip right back in there with that.

 

One of the things I've found to be both a blessing and a curse is the flexibility of doing it myself. We can make and change decisions as we go which obviously does have ramifications. However, it pays major dividends like when I came across how all the steels were designed to sit inside the walls leaving major cold bridging issues - I simply moved all the walls so the steels now sit inside the external fabric. This has also paid dividends when I've had to switch big tickets suppliers like the whole insulation system and the roof cover due to supplier problems.

 

I do have to admit that despite doing some difficult and challenging jobs in my career so far, this is up there as the hardest thing I've done yet.

 

As you've all said, despite the grind it's all going to feel great when it's done and there are also the the many intermediate moments like yesterday when I took down my kwikform scaffolding from the front of the house to see the newly clad facade -  it good to see the ugly billowing tarps gone from the walls. Gotta keep the perspective. It's actually starting to look like a house ?

 

 

 

someone has pinched half your roof and covered the first floor with floorboards!!!

 

How long the build been going on ?

 

 

[ProDave]

40 minutes ago, Mulberry View said:

Those whose builds have taken longer than 12 months, what was the primary reason for delay? Cash flow?

The inability to sell our old house.  A house is an illiquid asset and don't always assume you will be able to sell it in a timely manner, or for a price that you find acceptable.

 

It's still not sold having now been accidental landlords for 4 years..........

[Weebles]

1 hour ago, Mulberry View said:

Those whose builds have taken longer than 12 months, what was the primary reason for delay? Cash flow?

Having full time jobs and two kids at the same time as project managing the build and doing a lot of the work ourselves in evenings and weekends. Managing cash flow has been one of many factors. Wouldn’t change a thing (it’s a good day today so I can say that!) but it has taken 2.5 years and we aren’t yet done though at least we have moved in.

 

We have learned a lot, including about ourselves, and the pride we have has a value we can’t measure. 

[SimonD]

3 hours ago, Mulberry View said:

Those whose builds have taken longer than 12 months, what was the primary reason for delay? Cash flow?

 

1 hour ago, Weebles said:

Having full time jobs and two kids at the same time as project managing the build and doing a lot of the work ourselves in evenings and weekends. Managing cash flow has been one of many factors. Wouldn’t change a thing (it’s a good day today so I can say that!) but it has taken 2.5 years and we aren’t yet done though at least we have moved in.

 

We have learned a lot, including about ourselves, and the pride we have has a value we can’t measure. 

Lucky you to have moved in! That describes our situation fairly well too. I'm self employed and thought I could keep going with my work while also building the house. I've had to let most of that work go and just do some part-time business now. The reason for our delays are multifaceted including;

 

1. I've never done this kind of thing before so apart from some diy projects I'm learning everything as I go. The only help I've received is my nephew labouring for me part-time outside of his school;

2. Despite paying for professional services and advice, we've found quite a lot of it was pretty poor quality which has caused us some problems;

3. The project doubled in size, in part because of the poor standard of professional input we received - e.g. I've had to create all the constructions details as my architect was awful and what he did do was totally unworkable;

4. It's not a straight forward 'rectangle and triangle' building project so everything is bespoke and non-standard;

5. The winter during which I was constructing the superstructure was one of the worst on record for rain followed by a month where we were hit by consecutive storms.

6. I've been let down by two major ticket suppliers necessitating re-designs and alterations to the building. The first was the insulation system where the supplier almost doubled the price compared to previous quoted prices during specificaation so I changed supplier but had to modify the timber frame. The second was our roof supplier doing the same and then this required alternations to the roof structure, both costing me a lot of time;

7. We were hit by COVID. My wife works for the NHS so I had to take the slack and try to homeschool the boys while dealing with major supply chain issues etc. and now I'm still having to do all the school runs. I've been lucky to spend 2-3 hours a day working sometimes.

 

Sounds like a disaster doesn't it but we are where we are and I'm really hoping for a good run of it soon - windows are due to arrive in a matter of weeks and that will be so major ☺️

 

[Russell griffiths]

4 hours ago, Mulberry View said:

Those whose builds have taken longer than 12 months, what was the primary reason for delay? Cash flow?

If you think yours will take less than a year, your in for a shock. 

[Dave Jones]

5 minutes ago, Russell griffiths said:

If you think yours will take less than a year, your in for a shock. 

 

this is quite correct. Even with a builder managing the lot you will be lucky to get it done in a year.

[Omnibuswoman]

1 minute ago, Dave Jones said:

this is quite correct. Even with a builder managing the lot you will be lucky to get it done in a year.

 

Oh crikey! I've been expecting to begin in the spring and finish by early autumn. Sounds as though I need to have a word with myself!!! ]

 

[Dave Jones]

getting trades will be a problem, all the decent ones round these parts are full next year already.