New Build Intro

[Nytram]

Hi there 

 

Im about to issue plans for a new build in my garden. It will be a 3 bed flat roof house with the intention being my wife and I will move into it and sell the family home (as kids have moved on). Ive already read a lot of posts here and am learning lots!

 

At this stage (early obviously) im thinking TF (talking to MBC FlemingHomes, Ecohouses and Potton for quotes - any recommendations in South UK wellcome......) plan to go with ASHP and solar panels (no gas) - been advised that with ASHP battery storage not recommended? 

 

Assuming we get planning (shouldnt be a big issue i hope) i'm preparing plans. I plan to PM myself, my background is Project Management - albeit in IT , but im confident I can deliver. We will be living in the existing house on site and we both work from home so oversight should be easy doable.

 

Something Im looking for is a 'starting plan/list of activities' that I can tailor to my needs Im thinking along the lines below but would appreciate a high level list that others have used in the past. 

 

Planning

Foundations

-Issue tender select provider

-groundworks

-services arrangements

-Excavate

-Build Retaining wall on one side

-Foundations laid

-Service provisions

-Underfloor heating

-Concrete Pour

 

Frame

-Contract with supplier (i understand some will do foundations too)

-Deliver/Install

-Roof

-Windows

etcetcetc

 

First fit

Second fit 

etc etc....

 

 Thanks 

 

[SteamyTea]

Welcome.

 

3 minutes ago, Nytram said:

been advised that with ASHP battery storage not recommended

Seems a bit odd.

But it does depend on system sizes.

Why a flat roof when you are considering PV?

 

Have you considered energy usage at all, or just assuming that PV and an ASHP will take care of all that.

The time to think about it is now, it is hard to add another 100mm of foundation insulation once the walls are up.

Building Regulations are a minimum standard only.

[Nytram]

We have decided on Flat Roof to keep house line below that of the existing house (ease of planning acceptance)  and not to devalue existing house too much plus we like the contemporary design that it affords. 

 

Re Battery storage I was advised by large eco installation company that the ASHP would use the energy at a rate that meant the battery would generally not be efficient. No decision made yet, will continue investigation.

 

Thanks  

[ToughButterCup]

20 minutes ago, Nytram said:

.... Im looking for ... a 'starting plan/list of activities' that I can tailor to my needs ...

 

Start anywhere in your planning. It just doesn't matter where - because everything is related to everything else.

 

I know the feeling: you don't want to forget one thing on which loads of other things depend (Dependency)  ...

 

Here's a definitive - as in too detailed for most people

[Bozza]

Good luck.  Done be afraid to show us your plans in case you miss something obvious.  

[Nick Thomas]

9 minutes ago, Nytram said:

Re Battery storage I was advised by large eco installation company that the ASHP would use the energy at a rate that meant the battery would generally not be efficient. No decision made yet, will continue investigation.

 

 

I've got 3.6kWp panels and a 3.2kWh battery alongside a 6kWp (heat out - so around 2kWp electricity in) ASHP. I keep the battery 50% full at all times in case of a power cut, so it's effectively a 1.6kWh battery.

 

During a winter's day, there's more than enough solar for me to run the heat pump *and* charge the battery to full, as long as it's sunny. I seem to be topping out at generating ~10kWh and exporting 2kWh of that (so if I was happy to run the battery down, I'd rarely be exporting anything). If the heat pump chooses to run at full just after twilight, it takes the battery from full to 50% in about an hour. I could save it for overnight use instead if I wanted to by prohibiting discharge until midnight - the settings are flexible enough for that.

 

I get 15p/kWh for exported energy, and import at 33p, so a grid round-trip for energy that could otherwise have gone to the battery is ~50% efficient. The battery does much better than that, but there's the capital costs to take into account.

 

If your heat pump will use a lot more power than your solar panels, it probably makes a lot less sense ^^.

[Papillon]

What does your new house and site look like? That might help. Did you use a designer?

[Nytram]

Thanks for feedback,

 

Yes we engaged an Architect outlines of build below; 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

[Bozza]

Ooooh fancy. Is your architect happy you’ll get enough natural light into you main living space / aircraft hanger

And are you happy you have sufficiently weighed up the pros and cons of having such a huge open plan living space based upon your lifestyle etc.

[Papillon]

Really nice!!! 
 

a few spaces that are a bit large for me but nice features.
 

plenty room in the plant room for some batteries, if not for the ASHP, then for the solar panels?

 

next step would be finding a builder you trust and has availability.

the windows and balcony will make the design, so keep an eye on the spec/cost for those!

Edited January 17, 2023 by Papillon

[Thorfun]

5 hours ago, Nytram said:

Re Battery storage I was advised by large eco installation company that the ASHP would use the energy at a rate that meant the battery would generally not be efficient. No decision made yet, will continue investigation.

battery storage isn't just for running an ASHP though! what about lights at night? the TV? fridge? etc. it all uses electricity that can be powered by the batteries.

[SteamyTea]

27 minutes ago, Thorfun said:

battery storage isn't just for running an ASHP though

Too right.

I am not sure if they (batteries) can help reduce imports when an ASHP starts up, not that they draw huge amounts of current these days. Think that is more down to how fast the inverter can react.

[Nickfromwales]

12 minutes ago, SteamyTea said:

Too right.

I am not sure if they (batteries) can help reduce imports when an ASHP starts up, not that they draw huge amounts of current these days. Think that is more down to how fast the inverter can react.

Moot, as the grid would cover that / other 'spike(s)', batteries are for the 12 months use not per second  

@Nytram

I've worked on 2 MBC TF houses in Oxon ( Gravenhill and Headington ) and I speak very highly of them always. Turnkey slab / frame from the same company is a massive stress relief, but also reduces build timelines as the frame typically goes into production the same time your founds are due to start. Other spilt arrangements may see the frame only going into production when the slab can be accurately measured, then you've a huge delay where there's zero activity on site. On a previous project they were 31 days total duration from a hole in the ground to a weathertight frame ( less slates / external cladding / doors / windows ( always "by other" with MBC so they can be in and out quickly )).

 

Have had less 'fluid' experiences when being involved with other TF projects.....

 

The house looks great; get your heads down and crack on!  

[Papillon]

I don’t think batteries are a pressing concern to be honest lol

[Nickfromwales]

2 hours ago, Papillon said:

I don’t think batteries are a pressing concern to be honest lol

Yup, especially as I haven't seen any solar PV panels denoted on the drawing.........

[pdf27]

8 minutes ago, Nickfromwales said:

Yup, especially as I haven't seen any solar PV panels denoted on the drawing.........

They're the flappy things on the top of the upstairs.

[Nickfromwales]

5 minutes ago, pdf27 said:

They're the flappy things on the top of the upstairs.

Jesus......

"Should have gone to Specsavers" moment. Thanks, lol.

I would have expected to have seen them 'apex-ed' for East - West ( so they were a bit easier on the eye ), and help with the shading issues.

Edited January 17, 2023 by Nickfromwales

[pdf27]

Yeah, they've gone for south-facing instead. Front elevation is the south one though, so 🤷‍♂️

[Nickfromwales]

4 hours ago, pdf27 said:

Yeah, they've gone for south-facing instead. Front elevation is the south one though, so 🤷‍♂️

Typical architects stab lol. Shading will be a huge issue if they end up mounted that way... 

[Nytram]

All thanks for the feedback. 

 

I do like the MBC approach I guess it will come down to cost, awaiting quotes..........

 

Wrt Solar and batteries, its early days im still investigating and no doubt will adjust as I learn more.

 

Yes its a large open plan downstairs, primarily it will be just me and the missus so challenge on us to keep tidy and adapt appropriately. Re light there is a lot of glazing to front (south facing) and double aspect with large windows/doors to rear complimented by high level windows to right and left so fairly confident well be good!

 

[Papillon]

Is it like a 10m2 space? Have you ever been in a space that open. I know you’re not asking for design advice but you might need to look at how you’re going to divide and use it a bit before you move to the next step. 
 

you could put in a seating pit, shelves or something, furniture all looks a bit plonked. 

[Bozza]

Can I just echo @Papillon,s comment @Nytram, appreciate you weren’t asking for layout feedback - I also love huge open plan spaces they look amazing in warehouse & factory conversions and in magazines but they often have high ceilings and assume you ceiling height is normalish domestic heights.

 

As @papillion suggests the likes of a lowered seating pit could give you best of both worlds open plan but with some seating intimacy to prevent it from feeling like an airport lounge or a bland open space.  Internal glass walls those with metal black framed ones could even be an option.  Or recessed ceiling areas all that with a single flat ceiling could look…uninteresting.   Bad interior design choices in that space eg small dining table, could make it feel….weird.   Good choices could make it look amazing.

 

This is not a cheap build as you know you so maybes worthwhile investigating getting some internal 3d rendering done I’m sure there must be software to help ascertain natural light levels in the centre of the room.  Too late to change once it’s built.   

 

If you are committing to that open space perhaps a sensible precaution would be to ensure UFH runs, switch and socket location etc are configured to allow you to easily install internal walls in obvious places in the future.  Effectively future proofing should you have any regrets once you actually live in that space.  
 

just some wee observations 2nd opinion for thought.  
The rear corridor ground floor is very narrow unbefitting an impressive house.  You can easily make that wider stealing some space from the already generous bed 2 & bathroom.

No internal door between entrance hallway and main living space?    ok with that ? you could have some lovely impressive full ceiling height glass doors. 

enough shoe and coat storage at entranceway?  Not sure you have TBH.

 

your money / your house of course….   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 18, 2023 by Bozza

[jack]

5 hours ago, Papillon said:

Is it like a 10m2 space? Have you ever been in a space that open. I know you’re not asking for design advice but you might need to look at how you’re going to divide and use it a bit before you move to the next step. 
 

you could put in a seating pit, shelves or something, furniture all looks a bit plonked. 

 

Agree with this and subsequent comments.

 

From memory, our kitchen/diner is about 6 x 6 m, and the kitchen part is very generous. While we could have done with a bit more space for casual seating, it looks like you have over 10 x 10 m, which is absolutely enormous (as evidenced by the furniture placement).

 

I know the furniture has just been dropped there by the architect, but would you ever use two side-by side seating groupings as shown? If not, how else would you lay out furniture in this room? This sort of thing is genuinely worth considering even at this early stage. We made some silly mistakes in our kitchen that leave us very limited on furniture placement.

Also, I know it's a garden plot, but it's still unusual to have sliding glass doors on the house frontage like this. It's at least a security question, and your insurer might not be happy about it. Is it there because that's where the main garden will be? You'll also get a huge amount of solar gain through it in the morning.

 

Is there a particular reason you're going for a large footprint with only a relatively small amount of space upstairs? This isn't going to be the cheapest thing to build given you need more foundations, roof coverings, etc, for a given floor area (as compared with a more standard two-storey arrangement where the top floor matches the bottom floor). You'll also have less garden area for a given floorspace.

 

4 hours ago, Bozza said:

The rear corridor ground floor is very narrow unbefitting an impressive house.  You can easily make that wider stealing some space from the already generous bed 2 & bathroom.

Agreed. It's surprising what impact even an extra 300-400 mm can have in such corridors.

 

Also, consider making the utility room wider. Personally I'd move the wall up into the kitchen by about a metre, giving you 700 for floor to ceiling cupboards and/or shelves on the WC side of the room, plus an extra 300 width to move around in.

 

Something about the single story sticking out so far from the front of the house so far troubles me a little, but I guess if it's a garden plot, it makes sense in context.

Sorry, I know you didn't ask for feedback, but I'm bored at work and trying to finish something I really don't want to do.

[ProDave]

15 minutes ago, jack said:

From memory, our kitchen/diner is about 6 x 6 m, and the kitchen part is very generous. While we could have done with a bit more space for casual seating, it looks like you have over 10 x 10 m, which is absolutely enormous (as evidenced by the furniture placement).

Our kitchen / diner is 7M by 5M.

 

I would divide that 10M by 10M space in 2, for a kitchen diner and separate lounge.

 

We lived in the house as we built it and first to be finished was that kitchen diner which we briefly used as a living room.  I HATED a living room with the noise of the fridge starting and running from time to time, and noise of the dishwasher disturbed the peace.  I was glad to get our separate living room completed.

[jack]

47 minutes ago, ProDave said:

I would divide that 10M by 10M space in 2, for a kitchen diner and separate lounge.

 

Yes, I was going to suggest a TV/sitting room by the front door, but I note they already have a space like that on the upper level.