At the seaside - never moving again.

[JonJump]

Hi

 

Glad to be aboard.  Bought an early 50s PRC bungalow a year ago, which had been reskinned in Bradstone (fake stone) and extended in the 80s.

 

We intended to be here 2 years to enjoy for our first grandchild, remove the PRC, and move on.

 

well THAT plan didn't last long - we love it here.   In 2 weeks we had decided never to move again.  So a year in, we now have full planning to "renovate"   (although it's pretty much a rebuild apart from the slab). 

 

I used an excellent architect (whom I had worked with before) BASE up in Shropshire for the planning, and for the detail have engaged a local architect (not a reflection on BASE - I had used them very successfully for detail before but we are now a LONG way from Shropshire).

 

I hope I shan't be looked down on, but I will engage a prime for the shell and a quite lot of the internals.   My wife says I am too slow and too old, and that she doesn't have the patience for how long it would take me DIY.   She was also quite hurtful about my joinery.  I am, however, secretly grateful - please don't tell her.

 

I will be doing the computer controls because it doesn't involve any digging, and because that's my bag (I think you would call it a smart house).   For those of you interested in thus stuff, I am planning Node-Red  +  MQTT + mainly shelley devices.   The  heating controls I bodged together using just that for the existing building 6 months ago when the heating control broke seem to be working very well.

 

My biggest concerns after a prime are finding a plumber and electrician who will do what I tell them.

 

I looked at PH and heat pumps, but given the insulation levels the new BRs require and which I would specify anyway, but here in the warm South West, I can see neither the financial or ** TRIGGER WARNING **  the "green" case ***  for either.  So plan is to insulate the hell out of it, put in an MVHR and keep the existing excellent 2 year old  combi until 2029, then buy the last combi they ever make.   That should see me out, without massive capex,  at an efficiency level of 85% to 90%.

 

Delighted to be here.

 

regards

 

Jon Jump

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Thorfun]

welcome and best of luck with the rebuild. we love seeing photos and watching peoples journeys on here so feel free to update us and ask questions along the way.

[Iceverge]

Welcome welcome. Congratulations on finding a great place. 

 

Is the base worth keeping? 

 

Too often any retained part of an old building compromises the new one and ends up being worse and more expensive long term. 

 

We build PH. It was cheaper than Bregs once you factored in our lack of central heating.  (Simple design and masonry build) ASHP on the other hand would need 25 trouble free years to pay back.

 

The unmentioned factor is comfort, a colleague with an overglazed kitchen in their new build can see 40 deg in the evenings. I saw some automated motorised blinds installed in a supermarket recently that seemed to be actively responding to the sun. Very cool. I imagine someone did the sums Vs A/C and it was a favourable. 

 

No harm in subbing it all out. Gives you more time to think and direct! 

 

 

[Radian]

22 hours ago, JonJump said:

but here in the warm South West

I wouldn't count on it. If the gulf stream ever stops we'll all be in the same freezing boat. After all the crazy stuff that's happened over the last few years I've lost faith in the world being as predictable as it used to be.

But anyway, welcome!😊