Do you ever feel like giving up

[Ferdinand]

If you are in London go to a show. Pamper yourself.

 

I spent £40 on going to The Curious Incident (of the Dog in the Nighttime), and it was superbly innovative in the choreography. All set out in a big box made of graph paper.

 

Far better than the one I went to 6 months ago - Kinky Boots, which to my eye was full of London Luvvie prejudices about factory workers.

 

The £20 I saved by going to the Leicester Square Booth was spent on champagne and a pizza. Just for me.

 

Ferdinand

 

Edited September 4, 2016 by Ferdinand

[Onoff]

Well.....if nothing else this thread made me realise the following:

 

1) I maybe need to finish the battening out of ALL the walls in the bathroom first rather than thinking I'll just finish that wall....as when I come to the "next" wall I've to dig out all the "wall" tools again. 

 

So with that in mind I actually did a bit last night. Admittedly part of the reason was to get away from the missus with whom I'd had a row (my fault entirely).

 

So that'll be this week spent in the bathroom each evening maybe!

 

2) I need a white board for all the fleeting thoughts about bits I might forget.

 

3) I have "garage envy"

[Vijay]

11 hours ago, jamiehamy said:

Haha, I'm the same - huge garage to build a car collection and work on mine. However, I actually took a decision to put that on the backburner to let us focus on the house - if I started the garage now, it's £25k we'd need to commit - that will get us a long way on the house. But as soon as house is done, garage will go up. It'll be part underground, 200mm ICF, insulated raft, 3m high, 10m long and 8m wide. Good for hopefully 6 cars at a push  

 

Did you go part underground to get 3m head height for a lift??

[Gone West]

22 hours ago, Vijay said:

 

Have you guys felt like that and how did you stop yourself from just giving up????????????????

 

We've been building for six and a half years now and it took years before that getting planning permission. For the first couple of years of the build it was a novelty and we took Jan and Feb off and went away for a break so it wasn't too bad. Since then we realised that losing two months every year was go to make the build go on for ever but not having a break was making the build a real struggle. A couple of years ago we tried to sell it half built, and had a surprising amount of interest, but having to demolish the bungalow put people off. We're resigned to having to finish it now but there is no pleasure in building it any more and with hindsight we should have given up when getting planning was so difficult.

I don't want to put you off because everyone is different, as are their circumstances, just think hard about now much it means to you, to do the build. Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

[Temp]

Perhaps consider hiring a project manager? Sure it will cost you but they might also save you money by bringing the project in earlier and should take a whole bunch of stress off you.

 

 

[pulhamdown]

7 minutes ago, Temp said:

Perhaps consider hiring a project manager?

 

 

 

I did, and it was the best decision I ever made.  And it saved me more money than he cost.  It also allowed me to get involved in the build doing jobs under supervision / helping way beyond my competence level on my own.  But, you need to find a good one that you can work with.

 

Colin

[Vijay]

I've always believed I would enjoy it once I got started, as it will then me at my own pace as I'm moving on my own into the house. It's just been the whole drama of architects, structural engineer, builders, suppliers which are just proving to be a headache. I'm not sure how a project manager would help me at this stage as it could just be another person who doesn't listen and comes up with solutions for the sake of one rather that the best one

[Vijay]

12 hours ago, PeterStarck said:

We've been building for six and a half years now and it took years before that getting planning permission. For the first couple of years of the build it was a novelty and we took Jan and Feb off and went away for a break so it wasn't too bad. Since then we realised that losing two months every year was go to make the build go on for ever but not having a break was making the build a real struggle. A couple of years ago we tried to sell it half built, and had a surprising amount of interest, but having to demolish the bungalow put people off. We're resigned to having to finish it now but there is no pleasure in building it any more and with hindsight we should have given up when getting planning was so difficult.

I don't want to put you off because everyone is different, as are their circumstances, just think hard about now much it means to you, to do the build. Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

Was this your first self build?

[PeterW]

26 minutes ago, Vijay said:

I've always believed I would enjoy it once I got started, as it will then me at my own pace as I'm moving on my own into the house. It's just been the whole drama of architects, structural engineer, builders, suppliers which are just proving to be a headache. I'm not sure how a project manager would help me at this stage as it could just be another person who doesn't listen and comes up with solutions for the sake of one rather that the best one

 

"Best solutions" are subjective if the requirements aren't clearly documented. If you consider the triangle of cost, time and quality then if you move one you move them  all - if you find a good construction PM who knows how to deal with trades and also is incentivised on cost saving perhaps, then you will be more likely to meet your outcome. 

 

You can get one quote or ten quotes - chances are they will all vary by up to 30-40% across the range but  unless they are all for exactly the same item then you can't do a comparison by price alone. Getting ten quotes will also take time, and you will get some that quote off the envelope as they just don't want the work. 

 

I've found the industry also works through networks and a good PM will have a black book of contacts - they will also be known to suppliers who will know the first price needs to be the best price and this cuts down the hassle factor.  

 

Decent PMs charge upwards of 10-15% of contract value but can easily save that and more on a build but you have to be prepared to let some of it go and let them have the authority to make decisions - if you can't see yourself doing that then going the PM route may not be for you and the alternatives are turnkey or main contractors.  

[Gone West]

10 hours ago, Vijay said:

Was this your first self build?

 

Yes it's our first self build but before that I renovated a Victorian farm workers cottage completely, doing all the work myself and found that more enjoyable.

[jamiehamy]

On 9/5/2016 at 08:58, Vijay said:

 

Did you go part underground to get 3m head height for a lift??

Yes - it's mostly underground. The roof will be about 500mm above ground level. We access the garage from the road. The design of the roof is such that we can park on it I think. WIll need to double check calcs with engineer- oh wait, he's gone AWOL! No joke!

[Vijay]

I'm jealous Jamie, I've been wondering how I can get head height for a lift. Friends are telling me to go the other way with a pit but I'm not convinced.................

 

I wonder if your engineer knows mine

Edited September 6, 2016 by Vijay

[jamiehamy]

Entrance in from the roadside. 

[daiking]

In answer to the OP,

 

yes, constantly

[curlewhouse]

Yes, definitely. Each time (so far anyway) nothing to do with the actual build, but just because of jobsworths on power trips and the feeling of being seen as a cash cow for people doing very, very little (except look for ways to stop you or for ways to make it cost you more), and then doing it very, very, very slowly, but exploiting the power they know they have over peoples dreams.  In truth, without our level headed and very nice architect who has stepped in and smoothed the waters or just encouraged us at times, I'd have without doubt swore at people on the phone or gone round their offices and yelled at them and we would have walked away. But also the fact is I don't want to let these tin pot dictators beat us. 

Edited September 8, 2016 by curlewhouse

[Vijay]

Just when I'm fed up with things - http://forum.buildhub.org.uk/ipb/topic/1011-great-crested-newts/

 

[HouseE]

Don’t try to finish off everything at once.Take a break and rest it out before you begin afresh.When you do things on your own you a learn a lot of things.By undertaking projects on your own you learn and gain a new skill in maintaining and upkeeping your home.Once you have learnt especially if you have learned it with interest it is unlikely that you would forget it.Taking up projects on your own saves you a lot of money,though contractors are specialists in their area they may charge a lot and you would not be properly aware on how to fix things and you would be thoroughly dependent on professional help even for small things like fixing a leak. Though sometimes it can be really tiring, it can be fun especially if you rope in your family members in to help you out.Here is a blog from a disposal bin rental company called gorilla bins that mentions the benefits of a diy approach to save money http://www.gorillabins.ca/blog/renovation-plans-save-money-with-a-diy-approach/ .  

[volcane]

I thought about starting a new topic but my query fits well here;

 

Giving Up?? 18 month war with planning, council committee meetings combined with family illness seems to have taken its tole and when we eventually did win that war I didn't feel as elated as I should have as all I could see were more battles that I'm not prepared for as the planning was so frustrating.

 

Build cost: For various reasons our planned house has grown to become a monster, about 390 sqm +garage. What will it cost when finished? Northern Ireland so some costs lower than England. Hoping for passive levels, good windows (Alu PVC) current favourite, streets done patio finished. We are fortunate in some ways that we have a house to sell to fund the new build but that will likely pay for less than half. I wonder have I gone mad??

 

[curlewhouse]

I feel your pain volcane about unexpected battles. It's the sheer opportunism to fleece you of money from so many people, and completely unnecessary power trips that got to me before even a spade went into the ground.  Watching a self build programme the other day (a repeat, but I love these programmes as there's always ideas and things to learn in them) and the poor guy had a heart attack half way through. Now they didn't blame it directly, but a certain agency were being bloody minded with him (an agency who seem quite happy to watch old buildings completely fall down into rubble but then impose massive amounts of sheer pedantry on the people who bravely buy and try to save the very same building  -  it being the easiest thing in the world to spend other peoples money of course) and it seemed to me that it can only have made his condition much worse. You often also see clearly that there have been tears. So without doubt there is a cost in this over and above money.  But to answer your question. Yes, we're all crackers, but stubborn. You can't let the tin pot dictators beat you though. But we are still less crackers than the folks buying jerry built houses from the volume developers for double the price

[joe90]

Well as some of you know I have been fighting planners for two and a half years ( to replace a building that existed) had a health scare, waiting for the second appeal to the Secretary of State and starting the foundations next Monday but found out this week my health scare has returned !!!!!. Talk about timing. Conversely my wife thinks our build will be my saviour, it's been in my head for many years and she believes the stress of waiting and not knowing is worse than getting on with it. She tells me I am better for being on site for a couple of days. So bring it on, what else could possibly go wrong ? ( don't answer that).

[Gimp]

On 9/7/2016 at 07:16, jamiehamy said:

Entrance in from the roadside. 

How come your installing a lift? Won't it cost a bit to install & run? Wouldn't stairs be just as fine?

[Vijay]

3 minutes ago, Gimp said:

How come your installing a lift? Won't it cost a bit to install & run? Wouldn't stairs be just as fine?

 

Think he means a car lift to work on cars  and yes I'm jealous!! lol

[Vijay]

3 hours ago, joe90 said:

Well as some of you know I have been fighting planners for two and a half years ( to replace a building that existed) had a health scare, waiting for the second appeal to the Secretary of State and starting the foundations next Monday but found out this week my health scare has returned !!!!!. Talk about timing. Conversely my wife thinks our build will be my saviour, it's been in my head for many years and she believes the stress of waiting and not knowing is worse than getting on with it. She tells me I am better for being on site for a couple of days. So bring it on, what else could possibly go wrong ? ( don't answer that).

 

I don't know about your health car Joe90 but your wife might be right, might give you something else to focus on and not just your health (which can really bring you down as you probably know). Good luck with everything

[Gimp]

On 9/10/2016 at 18:03, Vijay said:

Just when I'm fed up with things - http://forum.buildhub.org.uk/ipb/topic/1011-great-crested-newts/

 

I think sometimes there is a degree of luck involved. However, good site analysis can help when choosing plots.

 

My plot came up with a few issues during purchase but it all turned out surprisingly smoothly so far. A lot of the areas where big problems could have arisen turned out to be of little consequence, even ended up as probable plus points.

 

Your statements make me wonder what sort of house your building. If its a Grand Designs style build then your not setting out giving yourself the easiest time in the first place. Most builds can have something individual about them without pushing real far out. Many of the guys you sign up, Architects, SE's, Contractors, etc will likely think from a 'providing service' mentality rather than a 'real involvement' mentality so will go for off the peg solutions that are a given answer for them rather than their own individual thinking. It's not how many of them are trained up I think to think individually, more a use the accepted respected given method and they don't look real deep into whether/how it fits - its how they passed the college education system. That's my thoughts anyway. 

[Gimp]

17 minutes ago, Vijay said:

 

Think he means a car lift to work on cars  and yes I'm jealous!! lol

Oh, I see that wouldn't work for me, should have learn't but never did. Something I don't have to build in though.