Alan Posted December 21, 2020 Share Posted December 21, 2020 Hi guys, am now at the stage of researching Timber Frame Co 's with a view to obtaining quotes for our new build. It seems that a lot of these firms will offer anything from stick build to Turnkey with lots of flexibility in between. To cut costs we are prepared to do some of the work ourselves but are apprehensive as to what we should take on. We are complete novices and putting up a shelf can be challenging! What i would like to know is what jobs i should leave to the timber frame company and what jobs could we do ourselves? My initial thoughts are that as an example anything to do with the roof or ceilings i should leave well alone but should consider doing say the internal wall insulation. The other factor is time. We will be renting during the build so cannot afford for this to drag on. Any help much appreciated... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gone West Posted December 21, 2020 Share Posted December 21, 2020 17 minutes ago, Alan said: We are complete novices and putting up a shelf can be challenging! What i would like to know is what jobs i should leave to the timber frame company and what jobs could we do ourselves? The other factor is time. We will be renting during the build so cannot afford for this to drag on. Any help much appreciated... As a novice, every job you do will take a LOT longer than a professional. That isn't to say that you couldn't do it better, it depends on who you get, but it will take longer. If you're spending a lot on rent then you need to weigh up what is more important to you. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe90 Posted December 21, 2020 Share Posted December 21, 2020 I agree with @PeterStarck, but things like insulation etc is not taxing. It also depends on your time, I was retired during my build so could spend everyday on site, if your working as well it’s a different ball game . I find offering to help, clearing up or shifting stuff will give you a better relationship with the trades and help the build. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bitpipe Posted December 21, 2020 Share Posted December 21, 2020 As a similarly inexperienced first time self builder, my advice is to get the most turnkey frame erection service you can afford as an experienced crew will have your building up and ready to receive windows, roofing, cladding etc (which you pre-schedule) to get you to weather tight an a matter of weeks. If you're building to a low energy standard (good airtightness and insulation) then get that as part of the package also. We found that our time was best spent planning ahead and sourcing materials and trades, making timely decisions etc. You can also save money by having trades properly scheduled with a clear understanding of what you need them to do. I did self install the MVHR, quite enjoyed it, but it took ages. As we had a lull in the build at that stage (plumber and electrician were delayed on other jobs) I wasn't holding anyone up. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Posted December 22, 2020 Author Share Posted December 22, 2020 Cheers guys. What type of drawings do the Timber Frame Companies require? We haven't got to the Building Regs stage yet. Although we initially obtained planning permission we had to make changes so the drawings have been resubmitted to planning. We await their decision ? Will our drawings suffice or do we need more detail for quotes? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Punter Posted December 22, 2020 Share Posted December 22, 2020 They will be OK to quote with the planning drawings. Best in PDF or DWG format. Whoever you chose may point you to someone for Building Regs. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weebles Posted December 22, 2020 Share Posted December 22, 2020 We did (and are still doing some of it) the following: some groundworks - putting ducts in for utilities Internal walls insulation and ply where needed internal ceiling insulation MVHR fit painting wallpapering fitting pocket doors fitting utility room cabinets and sink internal joinery including some stud walls, box outs, hanging doors, fitting stairs and balustrade and all skirting and window boards Tidying up site and lots of other little bits of labour (insect mesh to the roof, aluminium trim on the outside, varnishing all oak finishes) we left the big stuff (foundations, timber frame, roof, windows, plumbing, electrics and tiling) to the professionals. we were novices too but we are both ex-engineers with a positive attitude to problem solving, and both pretty handy in our own domains. Him doing all the joinery, for example, me doing almost all the sourcing and research and paperwork. And all the bloody painting. it has been brilliant fun and also very stressful. We lived on site so time not so critical as for you paying rent. Definitely a consideration. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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