House Build from start to finish

nick w

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House to Home

So thought i would post up my blog as well as post some updates here. Main reason for the blog is so that family can keep up with the build

House to Home

Currently we are searching for an architect in the essex area.

The house was built around 1950's and the previous owners built the house when the plot came up for sale. The plots were offered to developers but they ran out of money and a handful of the plots went up for sale to anyone

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The layout is a bit messy:

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Dining Room 11'8" x 8'8" (3.56m x 2.64m)
Kitchen/Breakfast Room 13' x 9'5" (3.96m x 2.87m)
Lounge 20'10" x 11' (6.35m x 3.35m)
Master Bedroom 13' (3.96m) x 11' (3.35m)
Bedroom Two 9'9" (2.97m) x 9'6" (2.9m)
Bedroom Three 9'7" (2.92m) x 9'4" (2.84m)
Gardens 70ft approx

The plan is to knock the carport down and build a 2 story extension, this will include a brick built garage and 2 bedrooms on the second floor above the new garage. We also want to join the 1+1/2 length garage to the property to have a man/dog cave and utility space

Any suggestions or ideas are welcome!

....,...

So the house build will be kicking off in about a weeks time.

Glazing is a slowly getting sorted with the first quote for timber framed windows coming in at a smidge over £50K. Now looking at UPVC windows quotes and they are around £25k.

We are waiting to agree a 3rd party wall act with our neighbour.

These are the final plans now which have been approved by local planning. Both neighbours on either side are pleased that the work is going ahead.





















......
House to Home


A quick update

So with work now ready to start, i wanted to knock the first wall down!
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Here are a few room photos

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We have spoken to our builder and have rough costings for the build which are achievable for us. So imagine our shock when we send our drawings off to a quantity surveyor and we see this!...

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I had to pick the wife up from the floor

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Our builder came over to reassure us these prices are skewed and some of the costings on the cost list are not applicable to us or extremely exaggerated like Management and site costs, plant hire. So with that sorted, we are ploughing on with the build.
 
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I'd have a heart attack if I got the quote back and it was that much!
 
I'd have a heart attack if I got the quote back and it was that much!
My wife is still in panic mode...... I'm trying to plough on

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When we built our large extension back in 2004 I used an online estimating service, think it was estimators online. They were pretty close to what the builders were quoting once I'd made adjustments to allow for building it to a weather tight shell rather than a complete build. I seem to recollect that a good quality build and finish was about £1000 a square meter back in 2004.

Once we'd chosen builder and agreed a price, we drew up a fixed price contract, form was purchased off the internet. This laid out what was included in the price and the stage payments. This was as much to protect the builder as well as us.

Our builder was highly recommend, but because I knew how things should be built we had no end of problems with things that were not done correctly or to plan, these included a wall built in the wrong place, which when moved to the correct place ended up being built on polystyrene, drainage in the wrong location, roof built incorrectly higher than the existing, various structural problems. They also tried to massively overcharge for additional foundation works. They also built the floor joists too high, making upstairs to low.

All was done correctly in the end, but it must have cost the builder a fortune correcting things. It was a complete nightmare.

Someone who recommended him ended up taking them to court.

Just research and keep a very close eye on things and costs if you haven't got a fixed price.

Sorry if I've scared you but you do need to be aware, not saying all builders are like this but virtually every trade that worked on the build did something substantially wrong.
 
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Thanks very much for the info Ronski.
The notes on your build are very helpful. The builder is also project managing the build, is a friend. So is the bricklayer and scaffolder so getting fixed price contracts in place is difficult. We are paying in stages at the moment and have complete sight on what's being spent and done at the house.

Its stressful stuff all this building malarkey...

Thanks
N
 
It sounds like your in a good position with your contractors. Looks like it will be a great build, hope all goes well, and I'll keep an eye on the thread.

You'll probably get good prices for materials, but I set up a Build Store Self Build account, this opened credit accounts with lots of major suppliers and also gave discounts for loads of stuff, including tool hire. I'm still using some of these accounts 10 years on.
 
Thanks for the reply. I hope I am in a good position...
I have a self build account with a few build merchants which my builder has access to so I can monitor and view where our money is going.

He also has a book at the house which he notes down the out goings and who has been on site and what they have done. Which might be standard practice but helps me follow the outgoings and progress

Because the house has been gated and wrapped in a privacy sheet, my neighbour has complained saying his line of site to reverse out of his drive has been impaired and has asked to take the corner privacy sheet out... Making the whole privacy sheet around the rest of the house useless....

Anyway... Work is steam rolling ahead...
 
3rd quote just in for windows, bifolds, lanterns and 3 rear doors...27k
 
..... my neighbour has complained saying his line of site to reverse out of his drive has been impaired ...

Highway code 6.201
  • Do not reverse from a side road into a main road. When using a driveway, reverse in and drive out if you can.

Doesn't look like a busy road - he should be reversing in! :smashin:
 
Highway code 6.201
  • Do not reverse from a side road into a main road. When using a driveway, reverse in and drive out if you can.

Doesn't look like a busy road - he should be reversing in! :smashin:
That is quality. Thanks..
Made me smile reading that
 
In just 2 days

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So with the neighbour complaining about viability reversing out of his drive and the noise, the privacy wrapping is not off....

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Footings were dug today, originally they were drawn down to a depth of 1.2, but building regs saw a leylandii tree within 20 metres of the foundation line so the front line of foundations have now been dropped to 1.8m. The rest are still at 1.2.

Underfloor heating quotes have come into £3,250.

Windows have dropped since we have changed to traditional casement.
We are trying to avoid having fanlights in the front windows but that means the height is reduced slightly on the front windows.

Sash - £27,000
Traditional casement - £20,000
Traditional casement without fanlights - £19,000

We are away this week and I am scratching to get back.
 
Nick, is that quote for casement windows in timber or upvc?
 
Nick, is that quote for casement windows in timber or upvc?
That's UPVC but includes 2 layers and 3 sets of bifolds. I think the windows on their own came in at £5k to £12k depending on traditional casement and sash.

I am away this week and have emailed the company you supplied me in the post above (thanks)

To try and make our lives easier we need bifolds, doors, lanterns and windows so want just one supplier to limit any issues

Thanks
N
 
Thanks Nick, that sounds like a good price then.

Hockleys do everything, they've done my windows and now I've got a couple more weeks to wait until they fit my bi fold doors. I'm very excited about those!

Good luck.
 
Thanks Nick, that sounds like a good price then.

Hockleys do everything, they've done my windows and now I've got a couple more weeks to wait until they fit my bi fold doors. I'm very excited about those!

Good luck.
Thanks Indus. I bet you are excited. Hope the install goes OK, did you get aluminium or UPVC framea?

Thanks
N
 
I went for alumium. Though its insulating properties aren't as good as upvc imho it looks much better and longevity with regards to bi folds specifically might be better.

Cheers
 
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Sink away dug
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Foundation in and so is the water waste
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Tree in the garden meant we had to drop the front foundations an additional .4m
 
On site and ready to work..
House to Home

The Brick Gang were rained off today. Hopefully back tomorrow if the weather holds out!!!



On site with the appropriate foot wear...






I walk through the door and see this.... Water is leaking everywhere... there is still a room with bits in we do not want to lose or get wet! PANIC STATIONS!




Up the ladder to see water on the floor upstairs...


I used some of the old car port roof to help stop the water from leaking down stairs...



No more showers here, so shower cubical is removed and fleabayed!




Halfway through removing the kitchen



Kitchen CLEARED! Look at the water on the floor though.....




Brickies are ready to go! when the rain stops!!!








The house that jack built!







Lets hope we dont have any more rain for the next 4 months.....
 
No more rain! Yeah right! like that going to happen....................It looks like where getting all April's showers in May.
 
No more rain! Yeah right! like that going to happen....................It looks like where getting all April's showers in May.
Just when the roof was stripped. Just our luck.
 

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