Whilst we wait (and hope)... things to do - ?

[Bored Shopper]

We're currently waiting for the PP to come through, but me being all wired up on proactivity and efficiency (and having nothing to do on my hands after having read and re-read the Housebuilder Bible-12) I keep thinking what can be done whilst we wait. How to best utilise the project time?.. Need collective experience help here.

 

Things that come to mind: 

1) Choosing the builder - this will start later this week, hopefully, with intros to a few being arranged by our Architect.

2) Choosing a PM - this is likely to be either our Architect or the main contractor once chosen, so see above.

3) Getting docs together for the mortgage - in process (personal fin docs ready, but obviously don't yet have detailed confirmed plans / PP / SE calcs / costing & budget, etc, so too early).

4) Finding a rental property for the period of build - too early, they get snapped pretty quickly in our area.

 

What do normal people do at this stage? What am I missing?

 

[TheMitchells]

I'd recommend attending one of the Self Build courses at Swindon Self build Centre.  but I dont know where you live so it may be too far.  I found it very useful and it was nice chatting to others who would be in the same boat as you.  Its three days and around £390 I believe.  But it covers loads of things, all useful and opens your eyes to options you may not have heard about.

 

[ultramods]

If you haven't done so already I would decide exactly 

• Kitchen Layout
• Kitchen appliances
• Kitchen Style
• Bathroom Style
• Bathroom Layout
• Type of heating
• Bathroom sanitaryware
• Interior/Exterior lighting
• Interior/Exterior Power sockets
• Utility Connections - find out where they are all physically located.
• Floor coverings

 

The more details that can be included in the spec that is provided to potential contractors the less variations (which may be more expensive) during the build.

 

As an example I spent a couple of hours with the architect going over what should be included in the building warrant drawings in terms of lighting etc. However I hadn't really thought about it that much.

We are about to start first fix., so the wife and I studied the lighting design over the xmas period and decided we need more lighting. As we had already appointed the electrician the additional lighting will be a variation and probably cost us more compared to if we had included the extra lights in the original spec.

 

choosing floor coverings, kitchens, bathrooms etc can take a long time (we still can't decide on flooring), so allow yourself plenty of time to think about these items. Otherwise you may be rushed into making decisions that you will later regret. Also spreading out the decisions over a longer period is less stressful and leaves you with more time to focus on unexpected decisions that might need to be made during the build.

 

Also if you haven't done so already let the forum members see your plans. I didn't do this initially, but then asked a question about a bathroom layout just before we were going to order the timber frame. When seeing my plans forum members made a suggestion regarding the first floor layout. I made the changes, however they changes required updating the architect plans, structural engineering drawings before the timerframe company would manufacture the house - This led to a 3 month delay.

Edited January 8, 2019 by ultramods

[ProDave]

8 minutes ago, ultramods said:

We are about to start first fix., so the wife and I studied the lighting design over the xmas period and decided we need more lighting. As we had already appointed the electrician the additional lighting will be a variation and probably cost us more compared to if we had included the extra lights in the original spec.

 

Not with me it would not.

 

The first thing I do on a new build is go round with the customer and mark with a marker pen where all the switches and sockets are going.  Then change or add any that the want.  The electrical stuff shown on the plan is only ever a rough guide and in most cases things change.

 

Sure it might cost a bit more if it ends up with more lights and sockets, but it does not cost more because it is a "variation"

[Alexphd1]

 

33 minutes ago, ultramods said:

If you haven't done so already I would decide exactly 

• Kitchen Layout
• Kitchen appliances
• Kitchen Style
• Bathroom Style
• Bathroom Layout
• Type of heating
• Bathroom sanitaryware
• Interior/Exterior lighting
• Interior/Exterior Power sockets
• Utility Connections - find out where they are all physically located.
• Floor coverings

 

The more details that can be included in the spec that is provided to potential contractors the less variations (which may be more expensive) during the build.

 

As an example I spent a couple of hours with the architect going over what should be included in the building warrant drawings in terms of lighting etc. However I hadn't really thought about it that much.

We are about to start first fix., so the wife and I studied the lighting design over the xmas period and decided we need more lighting. As we had already appointed the electrician the additional lighting will be a variation and probably cost us more compared to if we had included the extra lights in the original spec.

 

choosing floor coverings, kitchens, bathrooms etc can take a long time (we still can't decide on flooring), so allow yourself plenty of time to think about these items. Otherwise you may be rushed into making decisions that you will later regret. Also spreading out the decisions over a longer period is less stressful and leaves you with more time to focus on unexpected decisions that might need to be made during the build.

 

Also if you haven't done so already let the forum members see your plans. I didn't do this initially, but then asked a question about a bathroom layout just before we were going to order the timber frame. When seeing my plans forum members made a suggestion regarding the first floor layout. I made the changes, however they changes required updating the architect plans, structural engineering drawings before the timerframe company would manufacture the house - This led to a 3 month delay.

 

We went the other way, give archiectect strict instructions for bare minimum lighting/wiring drawings for building control, choose sparkie and agreed on hourly  rate with us supplying material. Worked a treat! 

Edited January 8, 2019 by Alexphd1

[ToughButterCup]

1 hour ago, Bored Shopper said:

[...]

What [should] normal people do at this stage?

[...]

 

Read this board.

End to end. I'm not joking. Really - no really. There is so much here. At least you won't ask questions that have been answered many times.

[Square Feet]

Can you get any services in just now?  The long wait times and delays those bring seem to be a constant theme of self-building.

[Ferdinand]

1 hour ago, Bored Shopper said:

What do normal people do at this stage?

 

Build a hinterland, and also read all the blogs from end to end.

 

F

[ultramods]

1 hour ago, ProDave said:

Not with me it would not.

 

The first thing I do on a new build is go round with the customer and mark with a marker pen where all the switches and sockets are going.  Then change or add any that the want.  The electrical stuff shown on the plan is only ever a rough guide and in most cases things change.

 

Sure it might cost a bit more if it ends up with more lights and sockets, but it does not cost more because it is a "variation"

 

You might not charge more, but you might not know this until you appoint someone. What you could do is before your appoint electrician etc is ask for the cost of adding additional lights etc. 

 

My brother is a project manager for one of the energy companies. He works on new substation construction projects and told me before I started to try and include as much detail as possible in tender documents as otherwise from his experience you will pay more for variations. Contractors quite often bid low as they know they will increase their profit from variations.

Edited January 8, 2019 by ultramods

[ultramods]

1 hour ago, Alexphd1 said:

 

 

We went the other way, give archiectect strict instructions for bare minimum lighting/wiring drawings for building control, choose sparkie and agreed on hourly  rate with us supplying material. Worked a treat! 

 

I used light fitting's as just one example. As you are doing most of the work yourself if for example a wall needs moved or altered you can do it for free. Or if you select a fixing that is more  expensive to install your additional time is free.

 

[newhome]

31 minutes ago, ultramods said:

Contractors quite often bid low as they know they will increase their profit from variations.

 

Our groundworker / landscaper worked like this. He came and made constant suggestions about how things could be made better. He hit us with some unexpected costs for these extras that were way out of proportion to the initial quote and often for things that weren't creating any further work for him. I soon learned to say no more often when the suggestions were really minor points of detail, or if we did want the variation we learned to get an agreed price for it. Should have realised from the start TBH but he was our first tradesman so it was a bit of a learning curve. 

[Bored Shopper]

4 hours ago, TheMitchells said:

I'd recommend attending one of the Self Build courses at Swindon Self build Centre. 

 

 @TheMitchells Thank you! It's a bit of a drive from London, but will definitely explore.

 

@ultramods thanks, glad we were thinking along the same lines and are well into the selection process you listed! Highlight of the Christmas family getaway was a visit to a Porcelanosa showroom ? thought-provoking, indeed. Our provisional plans went up for a public forum beating earlier this week and the results were really helpful, working on amendments now!

 

@Square Feet we are demolishing an existing bungalow we're currently living in, so the services are connected to the plot, so hopefully will not be much of a drama to disconnect and re-connect, and we're keeping services entry points almost at the exact spots as current.

 

@recoveringacademic and @Ferdinand - believe me, we are reading it methodically (early stages), but I completely take your point! Nothing is more loathsome than newbies asking primitive questions for a 1000+'s time, can totally relate to the feelings it brings up :)) The only reason why I asked it (whilst reading everything else) was out of fear that there may be some crucial deadline I missed just because I have not yet read up to that page!  Anyway, so far this is the friendliest forum I've seen in a long time, and I wholeheartedly intend to obey the rules and not irk the Masters and the Gurus :) bad for karma, they say!

 

Everyone, thank you very much. 

Now back to reading....?

 

[Hecateh]

5 hours ago, Bored Shopper said:

 

What do normal people do at this stage? What am I missing?

Normal people do not build their own house!!!!!!!!!

[lizzie]

4 hours ago, newhome said:

 

Our groundworker / landscaper worked like this. He came and made constant suggestions about how things could be made better. He hit us with some unexpected costs for these extras that were way out of proportion to the initial quote and often for things that weren't creating any further work for him. I soon learned to say no more often when the suggestions were really minor points of detail, or if we did want the variation we learned to get an agreed price for it. Should have realised from the start TBH but he was our first tradesman so it was a bit of a learning curve. 

If the distance between us  wasnt so great I would say you had the same one as us! Maybe its a tactic that is common to men with diggers!