Advice Needed

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Holly64

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Hi

I live in a house where I have had to 'make do' for a long time and at last, finally, finally - I've got the money to get it sorted.

I'm aiming to have the house demolished and then rebuilt to a new spec to suit the plot. I've got a couple of architects booked in and also a planning consultant. I've decided to go for a timber frame building. I'm quite nervous about doing this, but I will regret not doing it if I don't.

To keep costs down, I've been advised to project manage it myself. I think I can do this - with the help of a regular tradesperson who assures me he has plenty of good trades people who he can bring in at various stages.

So can anyone offer me some advice? I need a good website where I can tap into for information - do I need to be looking at self-build websites? Are there any templates that I can use so that I can start looking into costings, the full A-Z of costs which I may incur? I can't afford to simply give the job to a builder and architect as I am petrified that they will be spending more than I can afford - I want to make sure I can get my house finished without running out of money.

I no longer work so I will be on-site most days. I will also help out where I can and once the new house is watertight, I will be able to help out inside.

Any advice is welcome.
Many thanks
Holly
 
Renovating the house might give a better financial return than demolition, so factor that into the calculations.

Blup
 
Don't trust the "experts" when they tell you that things comply with regulations.
Check it yourself and double check with the architect.
Just yesterday I saw a "plumber" taking a massive chunk off the bottom of a joist (basically half of it) to pass a few pipes.
Even I know that's wrong and I'm no plumber.
If it doesn't look right it probably isn't.
 
Holly64 said:
Hi

I live in a house where I have had to 'make do' for a long time and at last, finally, finally - I've got the money to get it sorted.

I'm aiming to have the house demolished and then rebuilt to a new spec to suit the plot. I've got a couple of architects booked in and also a planning consultant. I've decided to go for a timber frame building. I'm quite nervous about doing this, but I will regret not doing it if I don't.

To keep costs down, I've been advised to project manage it myself. I think I can do this - with the help of a regular tradesperson who assures me he has plenty of good trades people who he can bring in at various stages.

So can anyone offer me some advice? I need a good website where I can tap into for information - do I need to be looking at self-build websites? Are there any templates that I can use so that I can start looking into costings, the full A-Z of costs which I may incur? I can't afford to simply give the job to a builder and architect as I am petrified that they will be spending more than I can afford - I want to make sure I can get my house finished without running out of money.

I no longer work so I will be on-site most days. I will also help out where I can and once the new house is watertight, I will be able to help out inside.

Any advice is welcome.
Many thanks
Holly
Click to expand...


Some tips:

1) it will be massively more stressful than you ever imagined

2) unless you are in construction, you will seriously struggle to get good tradesmen and even more, tradesmen that work well together - builders spend years getting the best subbies.

3) one struggle you will have is a lack of leverage to schedule tradesmen when you want them - most work for their regular building contractors who give them loads of work so they are loyal to them.


Finally: construction is all about project management.

you need 3 things to make thing happen:

Information
Materials
Labour

you will spend most of your time having only 2 of the 3!


On a more positive note:

Look into last planner / lean construction - get yourself a big wall chart planner and populate it with post it notes - you will have a visual display that will easily highlight clashes of work and will show sequential issues.

Consider a SIPs construction if it’s a conventional brick outer skin - or do you mean oak frame?
 
We self built a house in 1980 using the Walter Segal method of timber framing which does not involve any "wet" trades ( such as plastering ). Not to everybody's taste but a viable alternative to "normal" construction methods.

https://theprepared.org/features-feed/segal-method

https://www.pidgeondigital.com/talks/learning-from-the-self-builders/chapters/

THE NATIONAL CUSTOM AND SELF BUILD ASSOCIATION (NACSBA)
NaCSBA is the voice of the Custom and Self-build housing sector. Our mission is to make Custom and Self-build a mainstream choice for everyone seeking a home of their own.

https://nacsba.org.uk/

https://nationwidefoundation.org.uk...nal-custom-and-self-build-association-nacsba/
 
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