Newbie from South Cambridgeshire

[ToughButterCup]

3 hours ago, LDNRennovation said:

... Some architects can’t even manage it. So good luck!!!
Very brave.

 

Hence our passivhaus-adjacent  build.

 

In addition the fees payable on the way to certification are substantial. And there isn't (or wasn't when I did some research ) any real need for it. Germans like me love our certification(s) But in a for-ever home there's no point because we are not intending to sell. In addition I've seen many argue that certification doesn't ( or didn't back then) command a premium price. 

 

@Gema, we really love the way our house is full of daylight - what I hadn't expected was the effect of full moonlight streaming through the house. 

[Alan Ambrose]

>>> We'll be managing the build ourselves, as we've decided against having a main contractor. Maybe we'll need a project manager at some point.

 

I’m all for DIY - as long as your skills are up to the job. But it’s good to be aware of the areas where you don’t have skills / knowledge / qualifications / contacts and have a plan for sorting those.

 

Some questions:

 

+ do you have a ready supply of good quality trades, if not where are you getting those from?

+ do you have the time to draw detail designs / do purchasing / calculate quantities / run planning, building control, warranty, cdm etc paperwork / inspect work on site / review contracts and quotes?

+ do you have great analysis & decision making skills / risk management judgement / know when to take pragmatic choices?

+ are you resourceful in a jam? Properly practical? Know how and when to push trades out of their comfort zone? Good at managing unsophisticated teams?

+ ever done anything like this before? Built an extension, done a refurb etc.

 

[Gema]

1 hour ago, Alan Ambrose said:

Some questions:

 

+ do you have a ready supply of good quality trades, if not where are you getting those from?

+ do you have the time to draw detail designs / do purchasing / calculate quantities / run planning, building control, warranty, cdm etc paperwork / inspect work on site / review contracts and quotes?

+ do you have great analysis & decision making skills / risk management judgement / know when to take pragmatic choices?

+ are you resourceful in a jam? Properly practical? Know how and when to push trades out of their comfort zone? Good at managing unsophisticated teams?

+ ever done anything like this before? Built an extension, done a refurb etc.

 

 

Good questions actually, you got me thinking. 

 

We are ready to ask for help when needed indeed. Like asking here for other people's experiences with Building Regs and others that will probably come up. Or hiring consultants for the things that we find our knowledge / time to handle lacking. We have hired a PD CDM, we have had a QS price things out; we have a friendly architect technician who we reach out to for questions (on a consulting basis). Someone from this forum is lending a hand with Windows/doors. We have a project Structural Engineer. We will be hiring a project manager that will be on site as needed when we cannot be. 

 

We decided we'd make the time to handle all the design, diligently - including detailed plans, simulation, modelling, etc. The fact that we are both engineers in different fields means that, for example, the PH light/overheating problem, an optimization problem, is something that we are naturally attracted to and want to solve. Analysis skills, yep. Decision making, sure. Risk management, we both do that at work with projects regularly. Pragmatic choices, also check, and we have a very clear non negotiables that we will uphold through the project.

 

Since we became homeowners, I can say that I have developed the skills to manage the different trades and assess quality - as every other homeowner can probably attest to. And also when to ask someone to stop working if the quality of their work isn't up to scratch and they aren't minded to improve. Mind you, being a woman, this has taken a few by surprise over the years. At work, well, projects derail and need practical decisions all the time. So all good there too.

 

Are we biting off more than we can chew? Maybe - but it's a challenge we are willing to face head-on. We'll get help as and when needed - including from this forum! Y'all are already helping.

 

PS: my forum skills are still a work in progress, I was trying to split your questions in different quotes when I accidentally submitted ! 

PS2: @ToughButterCup... that moonlight comment has me wanting the house to be finished even more! Thank you!!! 

Edited 17 hours ago by Gema

[ToughButterCup]

One element of your build calculus appears to be missing from this thread. It's what I fell over multiple times on ours.

 

Networks.

 

Knowing who does what well and who is available when 

 

Knowing who knows someone who has experience and dealt with [...] before 

 

Knowing which other trades person knows the tradesman you're trying to contact - and failing. Because his phone appears not to be working. 

 

Knowing where that tradesman drinks. 

 

It's as restrictive a network as the so called Upper Classes, or the Landed Gentry. The White Van Class makes or breaks selfbuilding. It's taken me 10 years to nurture a core of solid trustworthy people. They're pure gold.

 

They lower blood pressure, soothe the psyche, provide military grade one liners.

 

So, since today is a Friday, get down the pub - about 4 ish- because they will be there, swapping war stories, oiling wheels, making stuff happen.

 

How do I know? My son is a chef and runs a local.

Why 4 ish ? Because by 6, they've all gone home for their evening meal. Her indoors oils wheels too. 

[G and J]

18 minutes ago, ToughButterCup said:

One element of your build calculus appears to be missing from this thread. It's what I fell over multiple times on ours.

 

Networks.

This can not be overstated.....we have been extremely fortunate to hit a stream of "gold" that has taken us from one trade to the next, and, keeping them "fed and watered" when on site, paying on the day the invoice is presented has perhaps helped to ensure that as well as recommending the next trade to us, they are happy to vouch for working with us, even though we can be very definite ("picky") about what we want.

 

Sparing his blushes @Benpointer has written an excellent blog, and is a masterclass in keeping trades on track with excellent outcomes.

26 minutes ago, ToughButterCup said:

How do I know? My son is a chef and runs a local.

Why 4 ish ? Because by 6, they've all gone home for their evening meal. Her indoors oils wheels too. 

 

So true,  but on a Friday make it 3pm!