Thursday 22 December 2011

Self Build Diary - Day 11

Today I had a major breakthrough!! After a record breaking 67 calls I have finally got through and got an answer from our good friends at the electricity board. They have brought the dates forward to the 10th and 11th for electricity install!

At this point I decided that I should not get involved in anything more to do with the House today as this was surely the pinnacle of the day, nothing could improve the levels of success I had achieved at this point.

But alas I needed to get things done so we cracked on....

Mrs G has spent a lot of time looking at kitchens, talking to kitchen people, dreaming of kitchens and planning kitchens. It would seem that a lot of that time has been wasted! Not because of the hard work and effort that she has done but due to lack of listening that "kitchen experts" do! Our kitchen is about 6m x 3.8m and "kitchen designers" just want to fill it high and low with units!!! Nobody in their right mind would be able to fill this cupboard space with things! We would be able to rent out storage space to our neighbours if we had that many cupboards!

Beware of the expert, especially if the do not look like they have ever cooked a meal for themselves!

We have finally been listened to and on an email full of cad drawings mrs Gs dream kitchen arrived to her joy!


Thank you to magnet for listening and being suprisingly competitive!

Work to do still on it but it is on the right track.

Last day at work tomorrow, then its time to down tools and enjoy some festive cheer!

Neil

Wednesday 21 December 2011

Self build diary day 10

Busy day today at work but in between all of this I have:-

- rung ce electric 12 times - returned calls zero!
- organised to meet the electrician over the new year.
- chased down a could of window quotes
- confirmed to the scaffolder that we are going to tent
- discussed with the builder and the architect whether we should go with the Ufh between the joists or on a floating floor.

The last point there is quite a tough one and needs to be decided before we start, if we go for the floating floor, the installation costs are lower, the scheduling is easier but the doors need lifting up by 35mm and the stair calcs change, we also lose 35mm height in the rooms.

Needs some thinking about!

So thats about it for tonight! Not much to report I'm afraid, I hope to have completed all the chasing this week so I can plan next week! At some point I'm going to have to jump down a drain too with a camera to find out where our connections are, but at least it will make for sme good blog photos!

Neil

Tuesday 20 December 2011

Self Build Diary - Day 9 - underfloor heating overload

Well thanks to a good friend I have been full briefed in underfloor heating and all types of screed!

Who new that there were so many different types! And why does it have to take so long to dry!!!

So we are looking at concrete screeded system on the ground floor and a dry fit system upstairs.

So I have learned a lot today, I have learned that there is still so much I don't know! I'm glad I have good people around me I can trust! Architect, structural engineer, builders, contractors and most of all I have met people who have done this before, not least as recently as people who I have met and spoken to since setting this log up.

I can see why so many people get their fingers burnt in doing something like this as it is and absolute minefield of information, detail and skill. Some of this skill and talent can only be executed by professionals who have done the job and been trained to do the job! Its those people who I now rely on and it's toes relationships that will determine the success of this project.

Am I daunted....... Of course not!! I'm excited and I'm ready to learn and learn fast!

Still no news from the electricity board! I'll badger them again tomorrow! I think I'll get more luck buying them at a game of festive monopoly!

Neil

Monday 19 December 2011

Self Build Diary - Day 8

Well I can tell ou that ce electric are officially the most difficult company in the world to get hold of! I was even told it would be easier to post my comments in and they would be dealt with accordingly!! I'm impressed!

So still no further with pulling the dates forward with the electrical supply.

So this week is all abut getting as much information pulled together as possible, however almost all of the construction industry now have their Santa hats on and one foot firmly into the festive celebrations!

But we have made some progress with our budget costings and have a few gaps to fill and squeeze but this is hopefully the week to do it!

Will update you tomorrow on what's been achieved and what industries are already to drunk help!

Neil

Saturday 17 December 2011

Self build diary - days 5, 6 and 7

Well this could turning into the worlds most boring blog over the next two weeks!

What has happend since the steel turned up....... Nothing! Well we have done
Loads more chasing up and have developed more wisdom in dealings with the utilities providers!

Water.

Yorkshire water won't do anything until you have paid them, then they won't do anything unless you badger them daily! But we are now booked in for connection on the 9th jan.

Electricity

Despite the main running on the edge of our plot, they can't fit us in until the 19th jan! I have rung and rung but after 15 calls still haven't had a message returned. Monday will be kicking the electricity grid until I get to speak to someone!

Never underestimate how hard it is to get something simple from these huge firms!

What's happened on site! Well two things:

A portable loo has turned up!


The steel is there too, but it's a lot smaller than I was expecting.

This weekend, me and mrs g have looked at internal finishes for joinery and flooring, just so we can add the finishing touches to the budget. Hopefully we can now start making decisions on what contractors we are using etc.

It looks like nothing will go on now until the new year on site, which is a shame, but 2 weeks of finishing off planning, quantity calcs and budgets as well as festive celebrations and relaxing won't be poorly used time.

In true grand designs style we also have a baby due in feb so we really need to be organised and ready!

I will return on Monday - day 8 - to update you on northern power grids hold music!

Neil

Thursday 15 December 2011

Self Build Diary - Day 4 - SNOW! and Steel

Well, well, well! We have steel on site, despite the doctor who delivery information from the steel contractor, it has arrived! on site this morning THREE days after it was completed, despite their 2 day delivery time and despite them confirming it would be 4 days!

The only downside is the three inches of snow that arrived overnight before the steel turned up. Well as fast as it turned up the big thaw dispersed the snow by sundown and we are hoping to be on site tomorrow assembling steel!

Looking at the forecast overnight i will not hold my breath!

Quiet day today chasing contractors, electricity board and the water company in order to get them to do the tings that they are meant to be doing, it gets increasing obvious that the whole project needs driving and things can get out of control very quickly just by not keeping an eye on everything.

The plates are certainly spinning!

Tomorrow will hopefully bring contractors to site to start making progress, and ill post some photos tomorrow to make sure this momentous occasion is documented!

Neil

Wednesday 14 December 2011

Self Build Diary Day 3 - wind and heras fencing don't mix!

Not a lot to report today although the high winds and the heras fencing don't mix!

After 30 mins of picking it up and weighing it down, I felt a sense of satisfaction! Until tomorrow......

On Monday I had a lengthy dialogue with the steel benders (for the raft foundation) who said that the steel was done but would take two days to deliver (I.e. Wednesday) but they kep saying it would be there on Friday! A discussion ensued regarding how long 2 days is, there was me thinking that a day was an internationally recognised unit of time, however it would seem that in the world of steel bending, this digit of time can vary depending on who you speak to.

The steel should be with us on Friday we agreed, however the delivery driver rang today and said it will be with us tomorrow.

With nothing happening on site today an important lesson has been learned! No matter how organised you are no matter how well you have planned, there will be someone or something that can and will happen that is out of your control. Even the length of two days is up for question if you get the wrong person on the end of a phone!

I'll let you know if the steel turns up!

Neil

Tuesday 13 December 2011

Self Build Diary Day 2 - To Tent or Not To Tent....

So its a big dilemma, do we tent the build to weather proof it as we are building at the worst time of year for the weather.

Its going to cost £6000 extra to tent the build which would mean building a scaffold tent and then wrapping it in sheeting to water proof and weather proof the site.

Last year the construction industry lost 6 weeks in January and February to weather with the big freeze.... its a big risk to our build and our budget.

but £6000 is a lot of money....

As i write this blog, which is really designed for my own sanity rather than entertainment, i lean more to tenting, but i could do so much with £6000.

Cons for tenting
  • its £6,000
  • we will lose about £200 per week in rent if we lose time
Pros for tenting
  • It will stop us loosing any time, bar hugely drastic temperatures.
  • It will allow us to do some first fix work before the roof goes on.
  • It fixes our scheduling ability
  • We can have people on site that cant work on other sites due to weather.
  • I can do things at the weekend
  • It fixes my time line so i should be able to be in by June as i said in my first blog.

I'm talking myself into this, but creating our little tented bubble will be a risk, but a calculated one, saving £6k and hoping for good weather.......... not sure I'm that brave, this is Huddersfield after all!!

I will come back to tent based savings later to see if it works or not!

Neil

Monday 12 December 2011

Self build diary day 1

I have been down to site today to pretty much do lots of tidying up! Builder has cleared the footprint back and has in filled the footprint with hardcore for us to sit the raft foundations on top.

We are using a raft due to the potential for coal mining activity in the area, so we are working belt and braces on the foundations.

Working on getting the electricity and water connections ready for the builders starting proper. Steel for the raft has been order and we are awaiting delivery, this week hopefully!

The most frustrating part of this project is that people don't get back to you quickly with quotes or prices! I suppose it's tough so especially tradesmen don't want commit time to pricing when they have jobs on the go.

I'm feeling really confident about the budgeting, although no doubt there are elements of the build that I may have missed or need to budgEt for unknowns, we are using a firm of builders to do the entire build of the shell, they will leave it with a sealed roof, joists in but without windows.

My job is to coordinate the rest, so I have been working on pulling together quotes for all manner of things, floor boards, heating plumbing, electricians, joinery, stairs, windows, kitchens, plastering and loads more! I forgot we needed stairs until today!



This is our plot, in the middle of a gated development of 13 homes.




This is what we are building, 3 storey main property, with a 2 storey extension and single storey garage block. The house will sit on the front of the site and garage access will be from the rear garden area.

So we are off and ready! Heras fencing is up, groundworks are away! Maybe steel down before Christmas and concrete pouring first thing in the new year!

To tent or not to tent is the dilemma of the moment, it's a difficult one!!

Sunday 11 December 2011

A self build diary

Right, I'm about to start a self build project in Huddersfield, west Yorkshire and I though I would diarise the process, right here!

I will set the scene, we have purchased a plot, between a fifth and a quarter of an acre. The plot has planning, which is perfect for us! And we have just completed on the land. I'm not a manual person, so I'm going to project manage with the assistance of my architect and builder.

This is the first time I've ever done anything like this so watch this space.

I'm going to make some bold statements:

- we will live in this house before Aug 2012
- it still won't be finished though!

To top all this we have a baby due in the middle (feb) so its going to be a busy few months.

I will return with site photos and progress reports and hope that you will share in my success and failiures on the way!

Neil