Bugging out this week

[poppypiesdad]

Good luck on your build , speaking from experience , one thing I will tell you is , don't do it
From my experience it was a self build , and by self I mean we build it apart from the block superstructure, and the underfloor heating screed , we did it .
It nearly killed me and ruined our marriage, physically exhausting, mentally exhausting

Get your build insurance sorted now , because as we did , left it until the expensive stuff was going in , windows , kitchens , bathrooms , boiler , pipe and wires , no one will insure a started build

I'm negative yes , good luck and wish you well and hopefully a quick and hassle free build .

The worst point was when we had to stop to allow the screed on the underfloor heating to dry 10 days we could not go in the house . That's when the stress vented itself .

But now 2 years since we moved in , the muscles have healed , the chapped hands ,the memories of hand digging in the snow , the roof tiles too hot to lift , and the painting 3 weeks worth of painting

Would I do it again NO , would I recommend you do it yourself NO , but if all your doing is a grand design , pretending to be a site agent and signing the cheques , go for it . But it isn't a self build . Unless your blood , sweat and tears are part of the structure .

Good luck if you need any suppliers , prices or ideas please ask and I'll help in any way .

Jamie

[Grumpy'sBetterHalf]

Thanks for the advice Jamie.
I just wrote a really long reply and then the library computer told me I only had a few minutes left so I saved the draft in case I got cut off... and now I can't find it!
Oh dear. Doesn't bode well for someone who's doing all the admin for a house build does it?!

Build insurance. EEK! I was told by our insurance company that they couldn't insure a house that wasn't built yet so I assumed that was the same for all companies. I'll have to look into it next time I have library time. Will we need to have it in place before the builder comes in to do the foundations or just before we start erecting the house?

We've always wanted to do the whole thing ourselves, from scratch, but it's taken us so long to get to this point that poor old Grumpy no longer has the strength and stamina for that, so we're getting a timber-framed kit made, to our design and we're using a builder for the foundations, chimneys, and underfloor heating screed.

We don't really mind how long it takes us, since we have only ourselves to please now, and nowhere else we need to be, but I have to admit that, after almost 3 months of living in a small caravan I did have a rather vivid dream, last night, about having a bath and washing my hair (in a Co-op foodstore!)

[Grumpy'sBetterHalf]

Have you any suggestions for insurance please?

[poppypiesdad]

NFU Mutual Insurance . Given your local broker a phone

Jamie

[Grumpy'sBetterHalf]

Thanks Jamie.
In the end the guy that manufactured our kit frame added us to his insurance for the duration of the build.

We're suffering now in the cold weather been regretting it for the last few days - had a bit of a cry yesterday
Finally managed to get the builders to put in the foundations and sub-floor and they promised to come back a couple of weeks later, after we'd put up the frame, to do the chimneys and hearths. That was six weeks ago! I think I hate builders.
Trouble is we can't do it ourselves 'cos we don't have the necessary expertise and we can't put the roof on till the chimneys are in place (since it has to be cut in round them) and of course we can't do anything inside till the roof's on...

Aaaaargh!

[sniper 55]

Good luck with your project. I'm not sure I'd go for a self build (not up to it now really) but the idea of getting away from it all sounds great to me.
The only tip I can offer from the little bits of building I have done over the years is expect it to take longer than you think, with building work theres always a hold up somewhere, you'll wait for the building inspector, or wait for the windows, something will hold it up. Try and factor in some extra time.

[whenfires]

Good luck with your grand designs project. As Jamie has said, doing any kind of major project is incredibly stressful. We recently finished a near complete rebuild of the downstairs of our house which was full of setbacks with tradesmen, delays and problems. The big issue was actually living amongst the mess and stress as it constantly reminded us of how far we still had to go.

Different projects, different people though! Keep us posted with your progress and find a way not to kill each other!

[kevprep85]

im not sure if this will be of use to you but things are cold up north. it could be worth looking up "walipini" there really good for avoiding bad winds.

[Grumpy'sBetterHalf]

Well you were certainly right about taking longer than expected. The house is STILL not finished!
I'm just about ready to strangle most of the tradesmen.
The most annoying part of it is that we are capable of doing most of the plumbing and electrical work ourselves (and, in fact, Grumpy has often had to repair the plumber's botched work) but we have to wait for the professionals to get round to it (and pay through the nose for the privilege) because th council has to have certificates from them. Grrr.

Garden's up and running, since that's something we DO have control over. Trouble is we're having to freeze our gluts of fruit and veg, because we don't yet have the space to unpack and set up the dehydrator. We've been giving away quite a lot of it.

A walipini sounds like a very good idea. I've looked into it in some detail. looks like a project for the future, when we actually have the house finished.

[Deeps]

Fair play to you for going for it. You'll have a real sense of achievement when its done.