Timber frame kit or bespoke build?

[Jdyer]

Hi,

We are in the process of applying for OPP for a timber frame barn style family home.

We know what we want to achieve but unsure which is the best route to take.

We have found a Kit company that has a design that we love - is this a good route to go down as we would save on Architect and structural engineer costs (20k ish) but do they charge a premium? (Looking at supply and erect only , not turn key) 

Or are we financially better off biting the bullet with Architect and SE costs and acquiring the plans that we want and then contracting joiners to build on-site.

Any advice from anyone who has experienced this situation would be greatly received

Many thanks.

[Thedreamer]

We used a house designer and structural engineer cost us around £2,500 in combined fees for bespoke planning and building warrant design fees.

 

Our kit will be cut by joiners on site.

 

We completed our foundations today and cutting on site allows our joiner to cut the kit to the exact size. 

 

I'm project managing our build with a RICS QS providing inspections at a number of intervals (5).

 

I have found to date having good tradesman who know the standard of each of other work has really helped to make the project work well.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 23, 2018 by Thedreamer

[jonM]

I would expect that the Design / Engineering Fees were incorporated into the kit cost.  Nothing comes for free. 

I felt that starting with a clean sheet of paper and using an Architect to design a house for my plot was a good investment to make. It was a small percentage of the overall budget and worked out well, but it does depend on your budget. 

[NSS]

The TF supplier we used has numerous 'standard' designs but, as we understood it, they rarely build two exactly the same as most clients want a degree of bespoking. We actually went to them with our own design and then they produced the manufacturing drawings, structural calculations, etc. Of course, these 'services' don't come free, but their price for that work was very keen (a fraction of what an architect/SE would have charged) but I guess they make their money on the TF manufacture and erection.

[ultramods]

@Jdyerif it's a standard design that the company offers can you share the plans and cost? That would help us let you know if it's good value for money or not.

 

Including spec (what's included and levels of insulation)

Edited May 23, 2018 by ultramods

[dpmiller]

We trawled the many "book plans" sites over here and when we found one that we quite liked, the designing Architect modified it (quite radically, an almost complete redraw) to our brief. Various TF companies then quoted against that.

[nod]

1 hour ago, Jdyer said:

Hi,

We are in the process of applying for OPP for a timber frame barn style family home.

We know what we want to achieve but unsure which is the best route to take.

We have found a Kit company that has a design that we love - is this a good route to go down as we would save on Architect and structural engineer costs (20k ish) but do they charge a premium? (Looking at supply and erect only , not turn key) 

Or are we financially better off biting the bullet with Architect and SE costs and acquiring the plans that we want and then contracting joiners to build on-site.

Any advice from anyone who has experienced this situation would be greatly received

Many thanks.

20k is a ridiculous figure

SE is a must We paid £300 for a visit and foundation design and a further £200 for steel calcs

I wouldn’t use an architect again

We changed no end of things on his design 

Roof floor B&B were designed by suplyers

We paid the Architect £2000 

So shop around 

[Jdyer]

7 hours ago, ultramods said:

@Jdyerif it's a standard design that the company offers can you share the plans and cost? That would help us let you know if it's good value for money or not.

 

Including spec (what's included and levels of insulation)

The kit we found is from Scandia Hus - the Malthouse Barn https://www.scandia-hus.co.uk/designs/malthouse-barn/

They charge nearly 200k for the kit and erection with window installation. They estimate it would cost around 350k for the finished house.

"The building set includes the timber frame with a fully boarded roof, insulation, 15mm plasterboard, plasterboard screws, Swedish triple glazed windows and external doors. Also included are Swedish internal doors, skirting boards, coving, architrave, insulated loft hatch and ladder, open or closed treat staircase and mechanical ventilation system. The estimate assumes standard foundation requirements and a good, above average specification of finishing materials. It does not include any external works, connecting to utilities or associated professional fees."

[dpmiller]

I'm looking at that spec and thinking it's about 50k too dear?

[PeterW]

@dpmiller that is the ScandiaHus premium ...

 

There are kits that are not as good but the quality is there on these but you do pay a premium. 

 

Their estimate is probably on the high side too - last time I saw one of these it was something mad like  £45k for kitchen and £30k for bathrooms in the end finished price. 

 

 

[ultramods]

Seams like an expensive way to save on architect fees.

 

Have you gone to any other timber frame companies and said that you like that design and can they do one similar?

 

My Architect (technologist) was £3300 for planning application drawings, detailed building warrant drawings and obtaining the planning and building warrants. SE was £1500.

[NSS]

3 hours ago, Jdyer said:

The kit we found is from Scandia Hus - the Malthouse Barn https://www.scandia-hus.co.uk/designs/malthouse-barn/

They charge nearly 200k for the kit and erection with window installation. They estimate it would cost around 350k for the finished house.

"The building set includes the timber frame with a fully boarded roof, insulation, 15mm plasterboard, plasterboard screws, Swedish triple glazed windows and external doors. Also included are Swedish internal doors, skirting boards, coving, architrave, insulated loft hatch and ladder, open or closed treat staircase and mechanical ventilation system. The estimate assumes standard foundation requirements and a good, above average specification of finishing materials. It does not include any external works, connecting to utilities or associated professional fees."

 

 

We used Scandia Hus, but deleted many of the items you mention (stairs, windows/doors, MVHR, internal doors, skirtings etc) not only to save money but to improve choice. Could we have got a cheaper TF kit? Almost certainly. If I was ever to do another self-build would I invite Scandia-Hus to tender again? Absolutely.

 

As @PeterWsuggests, quality comes at a premium.

[vivienz]

We looked really closely at Scandia Hus but went with architect design and building regs, with MBC doing the build and foundations.

The main factor that out me off Scandia Hus was the tight tolerances on the slab but having to find a third party to do it.

Undoubtedly the architect cost is lost in their price.

I will have paid about 10k in architect fees, 5k up to planning stage and 5k for building regs sign off. Another bit on top for the SE to design piles and drainage but, in all, no more expensive than a Scandia Hus build would have been.