Zinnia Danielle Posted October 10, 2022 Share Posted October 10, 2022 Building your first home is a big lifetime decision. It’s easy to get swept up in the whirlwind of options which can cause you to make common mistakes that you might regret later. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe90 Posted October 10, 2022 Share Posted October 10, 2022 Frankly it’s knowing what you want/can afford. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnMo Posted October 10, 2022 Share Posted October 10, 2022 First - the process overall should be enjoyable Don't get carried away with room sizes - you can end up with a huge houses. Decide things early and documented on the drawings, ideally before getting any pricing. Any change after the contractor has priced is a cost added - in many cases even a simplification of their scope. The more decisions you can make ahead of starting the build, the less stress during the build. Once you make a decision, don't change - it will cause lots of other hidden changes and snow ball, to more cost and delays Keep it simple, often things get way to complex and can ramp up costly quickly. Don't ask forums questions with open questions, as you will get 1001 answers all different, many not relevant. Do insulate way better than you think you need. Consider thermal bridging early on. Go as airtight as possible. Consider cooling if you have large windows, this can be direct aircon or solar shading externally. Question any large windows on the north face of the building as these are just heat losses - min 4x the heat loss of a wall (high performance triple glazed), generally more. Keep heating system as simple as possible. Do not zone the heating system, 1 zone ideally, a max of 2 zones. This will give your heat source an easy time and work better overall. Well insulated houses have very low heat requirements, many builders and heating companies will use generic formulas to size boilers radiators etc, none of which work with low energy housing. So check things yourself and be aware of your requirements, ask for help when needed. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ETC Posted October 10, 2022 Share Posted October 10, 2022 Keep the floor plan/building shape as simple as possible. Don't go 1.5 storey unless you choose attic trusses. Avoid valleys and structural steelwork. Insulate, insulate and insulate some more. Naturally ventilate. Avoid air-conditioning if you can. Orientate the house to maximise natural light and heat. Consider renewable energy sources. Establish a budget and stick to it. Use an architect-a real one! - one who you can work with to deliver what you want. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Posted October 10, 2022 Share Posted October 10, 2022 2 hours ago, Zinnia Danielle said: Building your first home is a big lifetime decision. It’s easy to get swept up in the whirlwind of options which can cause you to make common mistakes that you might regret later. Bit of a weird first post if you don't mind be saying! Are you a bot Zinnia? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nod Posted October 10, 2022 Share Posted October 10, 2022 Most important thing is when buying your plot That there is somewhere for your top and waste water to go Very easy to purchase an expensive field Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelvin Posted October 10, 2022 Share Posted October 10, 2022 1 minute ago, nod said: Most important thing is when buying your plot That there is somewhere for your top and waste water to go Very easy to purchase an expensive field Yes there is a long list of due diligence questions you need to satisfy yourself with before contemplating anything else. Utilities, drainage, covenants, ground suitability, site access and visibility etc. My first electricity quote from the DNO was £26,500 and final cost was £450. We nearly didn’t buy the plot due to the first budget estimate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pocster Posted October 10, 2022 Share Posted October 10, 2022 Think of the future . Increased gas / electric costs . Over insulate for sure . Pv and battery I think an essential. wet ufh ; ASHP . Triple glaze . Of course budget may be an issue …. The journey is the destination. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JackofAll Posted October 10, 2022 Share Posted October 10, 2022 2 hours ago, ETC said: Keep the floor plan/building shape as simple as possible. Don't go 1.5 storey unless you choose attic trusses. Avoid valleys and structural steelwork. Insulate, insulate and insulate some more. Naturally ventilate. Avoid air-conditioning if you can. Orientate the house to maximise natural light and heat. Consider renewable energy sources. Establish a budget and stick to it. Use an architect-a real one! - one who you can work with to deliver what you want. Interested in why you would ventilate naturally when going mad on insulation, anyone else go this route? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnMo Posted October 10, 2022 Share Posted October 10, 2022 The maths make natural ventilation a non starter as once your insulation is good, the ventilation heat loss becomes huge. The cost of running MVHR compared to heat loss from ventilation is low. Also building regs don't allow natural ventilation, unless you leak like a seize. 1 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteamyTea Posted October 10, 2022 Share Posted October 10, 2022 Knowing how much you can loose: Partner Children Friends Dignity Time Body Parts Tools . . . . . . 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twice round the block Posted October 10, 2022 Share Posted October 10, 2022 Allow 1 year to get drawings and costings done. Allow 1 year to get planning. Allow 2 years to build it and finish it completely including landscaping. After 4 year's of stress you may still be together or the place will be on the market for the divorce settlement. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twice round the block Posted October 10, 2022 Share Posted October 10, 2022 Take your rose tinted glasses off for a reality check. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pocster Posted October 10, 2022 Share Posted October 10, 2022 39 minutes ago, twice round the block said: Allow 2 years to build it and finish it completely including landscaping. Or 7 ; probably nearer to 10 😎 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelvin Posted October 10, 2022 Share Posted October 10, 2022 46 minutes ago, twice round the block said: Allow 1 year to get drawings and costings done. Allow 1 year to get planning. Allow 2 years to build it and finish it completely including landscaping. After 4 year's of stress you may still be together or the place will be on the market for the divorce settlement. I’m well ahead then. And it’s still too fecking slow 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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