The Self Builder’s blog

While Santa has been busy doing his part-time job, the building world enjoys a well deserved shutdown. 

This has meant the progress on my self-build has been limited to deciding on room layout, spotting potential bargains in the sales, and as you may have guess from the picture, creating a three dimensional model of our future home. 

When the big man was handing out craft, coupled with patience and persistence, skills, he forgot about me.  Luckily I think my old man was at the front of the queue. Look at the wonderful masterpiece he has created.

Fashioned from my Son’s supply of cardboard and tape, I think he should be very proud. By using a copy of the drawings, cleverly making the model both lifelike and to the drawing scale.  This model does give a very good impression of what the house will eventually look like.  And an idea of the proportions and how it will sit on site. 

It’s actually a useful tool for seeing things in 3-D and applying ideas to the actual.  Before now I’ve been limited to elevations and my imagination, but now I think as well as being a good thing to show to interested people I have a tool for seeing how the house will actually sit. 

A most definite worthwhile waste of my Dad’s time, which I’m very grateful for.

What a brisk couple of weeks.  I can’t believe two weeks ago the site had not changed in my period of ownership.

Well, I best be careful. The folks spent a good few sunny days cutting down the triffids that had sprouted.  But whilst that took us closer to the ground I don’t think the planning office would accept that as a start.

So in two weeks, or actually nine working days, three of them too cold to brick lay, how far have we come?

The aim of the builder was damp proof course.  We are all but there, and I’m certain would have been, but for the weather this week.

In fact, a disappointed builder thinks he would have laid the load bearing slab (I think that’s builder for part of the floor).  Still I can’t see why he should be disappointed.  They’ve done a great job. Both in quality and progress.

The brick delivery has been scheduled for Monday the 7th, and the builder is hoping to be in a position to use them. 

What’s been most pleasing this week, is my child buying into the process even more.  Today he gave everyone a tour of the foot-print, pedantically via where the doors will be. “You can’t go across there, that’s a wall.”

We actually had a few tears and a mini-tantrum when we came away, he really is enjoying the experience.

Mind, I’m really surprised he didn’t want to come into the warm. As in his words not mine, “It’s bloody cold.” Well they are actually mine, and it’s my fault he was temporarily potty mouthed. Still, I couldn’t argue.

As if by magic, or the reality of a lot of hard, near frozen graft.  We have bricks sticking out of the ground.

You can now really start to see the footprint of the house, albeit at the one end for now. 

There was a 24 hour delay this week due to the inclement weather.  Apparently it needs to be 2degrees and rising for you to brick lay, and as a rough estimate it was -10 and going nowhere on Monday!

Further demonstration that these guys really seem to know what they are doing. 

It looks like we may have lost some of the internal dimensions, due to the ‘tightness’ of the site and the force-upon-us plinth, but I hope this will matter little at the end.

No problems with the locals this week so far (I’ll deleted that sentence when they start).  In fact in my quest for a water supply at the weekend I met a lovely couple. 

The people that now own the house that my land once belong to, are really nice and accommodating.  They welcomed me into their home and couldn’t have been more helpful in supplying my builder a water supply for his mortar.  Long may it continue, and as they have just become grandparents I shall be offering them Max for training purposes!

I genuinely can’t believe the progress that the builders have made on this project.  They told me they expected to have the DPC level up by the end of next week, but I always thought that was going to be an optimistic target.

However they have done exactly as they have said this week, the foundations are poured.  And they didn’t even work on Tuesday.  They look like, and act like, they know what they are doing and what they want to achieve.

The building inspector is impressed too.  Not only at the speed of the work, but how well they have done it.  The foundations are around 1200mm deep all the way round.  Thus I reckon we have about a 600 x 600 plinth to work from.  This, remember, is on ground described as the Rolls Royce of soil.  Fantastic.

Unfortunately the neighbours are less impressed, and we’ve had liaisons with the Highways Agency, The Local Councillor, the Health and Safety Executive and the Police.   It transpired we’ve done little wrong but annoyed people that are used to a quiet life, the way they like it.  It can’t be great having the builders move in, but I’m not entirely sure the best way to object is in such a clipboard and pen manner.

Still, Junior was mesmerised again. He was in his element.  Photo on the digger, telling the truck driver where to pour the cement, and advising the building inspector that ”this is going to be my house”.  Bless him. He really is a wonder, and what makes this so worthwhile, if a little bitter-sweet.

So, end of week one.  Not without its problems and aggravations, but overall the best week in the building project by far. 

Now, this weekends task.  I’ve got to smooth talk one of my neighbours into selling me some water.  I hope they don’t all take a dislike to us. But I don’t suppose I can do a lot about that.

The diggers are back, engines running, quite literally as it’s soooo cold.  I’ve been at the site this morning to ‘assist’ with the setting out of the house.

We’ve encountered a couple of problems, only one a surprise.  Because of a decorative plinth around the building, there at the insistence of the planners, we may lose some of the internal dimensions because of the tightness of the site.  The other means a reduced pantry or its removal.  Not a problem, I’ll just have to find another place for my sweeties.

I think the builder was tested this morning, but also respectful of what a good design the house is for the plot.  That was reasurring. 

It was great to see the foot-plan of the house, and while the overall size of it looked huge, standing inside each ‘room’ made them feel small.  A feeling other self builders have told me to expect.

Still, the diggers should get going later today, and the building inspector is due on site.  He will be looking at the first trench and advise how far down we need, or need not, go.

Will be back on site later, may even take junior after nursery, must remember to put his hard hat in the car.

Not a lot, one obviously deranged magician might say, but I think, that a name can mean a plethora of things.

Parents take extensive time, consult with various resources and books that help the process. To ensure, as well as, actually liking the name, you avoid dodgy shortenings and unfortunate connections with the in-situ surname, Richard Head springs to mind. 

Many also believe that a name can characterise a person, so why not a house?  How important is it to give it a name that will reflect well on its surrounding and be in-keeping with what the properties existence will be?  The majority will never think about it, but if you’re starting from the ground, I think it’s wise to have your own name, rather than become branded by the unimaginative. 

In fact, according to some selling agents, and we all know what they spout is gospel; a house’s value can be affected by its name.  Some are even advising people to re-name existing properties, especially those that have become burdened with generic numbers, those with ugly suffixes spring to mind, like 14a for example. 

I’ve been thinking about a name for my property for sometime, probably since the site was purchased.  It actual seems quite straight forward.  Most of the properties within the proximity of mine have names rather than numbers.  They range from Royal Oak Cottage to Abbey Lodge, so I need one slap-bang in the middle. My gaff will obviously be new and will have glorious open aspect views. The views will be over fields currently scheduled to be used for growing broccoli in the spring.  Can you see what is coming?  

I’ve just received confirmation from the local planning office, that my request has been accepted and approved.  Therefore, the property will eventually have a beautifully crafted name plate with ‘Newfields’ carved into it.  As it happens it also sits quite nicely with our surname. 

The council also advised, that the previous owners of the site, who decided to sell rather than build, had asked if the property could be called ‘Rose Cottage’.  How very unimaginative, the second most popular house name in the figures I found, hopefully I’ve saved or added a few quid with my choice.

The day I doubted would ever arrive, has. It’s been t-minus my sanity for what feels like forever. I’m still pinching myself that I’ve got this far. However excited I feel, that is now dwarfed by an overriding feel of relief at this point. 

I think the next feeling I can muster is akin to feeling like I’ve gone out and left the cooker on.  Except, surprisingly, I know how to use a cooker.  I haven’t really a clue as to how you’re supposed to build a house.  What have I missed off? What T’s are left uncrossed? Who’s not told me all I need to know?

These are concerns I knew I would have, as do many self builders.  My skill is not in the knowledge of, or performance of, building tasks.  However I do have an ingrained desire to understand what is going on, regardless of my ability to perform the actual task in hand.

I think this can sometimes be my downfall, and also reason behind a fair few sleepless nights.  What also feels apparent is that many builders don’t take or find some issues too serious.  This is down to experience I believe. The knowledge of what a buildings inspector will like or dislike, or whether a planner will actually ask you to correct any of your planning permission condition failings.

Still, onwards and upwards, well actually I think we still need to go down a bit to meet the finished floor level condition, or perhaps we don’t. I’ll sleep on it!

I have an appointment with my builder, 8.00 Monday morning.  Where I’m hoping to start watching the excavation unfold. The builder has provisionally set a target of DPC pre-Christmas, for, his words not mine, blasting it in the New Year.

Fantastic news.  But I’m not sure whether to feel excited or shit scared.  Excited as the projected is finally getting off the ground, literally speaking.  Scared as I’m not sure with have crossed enough I’s and I’m sure I’ve seen some un-dotted T’s knocking around.

No worries, leave it to me.  Famous, or should that be infamous, last words.

We’re waiting on a final SAP estimate calcs, and structural engineering calcs related to a revision in the roof structure.  I’ve decided to to have an open trust effect in the master, or more specifically, my bedroom.

However the buildings inspector is happy to proceed, and the builder is chomping at the bit.  Albeit with stage payments that don’t quite add up.  Trust is the name of the game, I think.  We both agree on the actual total cost, even if how it’s been divided up has been done incorrectly.

I think it’s the unknown and lack of control in all the goings on in this project that are making me nervous. But I’m hopeful that all will start to drop, or be drilled, into place now we are finally going to see some physical action.

Wish me luck, and godspeed.