Homebuilding &Renovating BRITAIN’S NO.1 FOR SELF-BUILDERS AND HOME EXTENDERS
Builda better home forless ●Extend for under £50,000 ● Reduce your material costs ●Save ££s and learn a new skill
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THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING BUILDING WORK
HOW TO… Transform a conservatory Hire tradespeople Design a home office Buy a plot at auction Build a new home
GREENER LIVING
● Sustainable interiors ● Green roofs ● Heat pumps ● Energy efficient ways to stay cool
ED I T O R ’S
LE T T E R
Claire Lloyd has been a member of the Homebuilding & Renovating team for over 13 years. She’s currently in the midst of another renovation.
IMAGE: ANDREW SYDENHAM
B
oth the beauty and the challenge of taking on a self-build or renovation project is that you’re always learning something new, regardless of whether you’re a novice or an experienced hand; it’s par for the course of creating an individual home. The self-builders in our special report on page 120 took this one step further — enrolling on courses to better their understanding of the building process or to master a new skill entirely. While there’s nothing quite like first-hand experience on site, their new-found knowledge proved invaluable when making key decisions about their builds and, in some instances, even helped them to save money. For anyone hoping to gen up, a good place to start (aside from this magazine, of course!) is the London Homebuilding & Renovating Show, which returns this September. The seminars and masterclasses on offer cover topics from planning permission to kitchen design. Back to the issue, with the hotter weather upon us, we turn our attention to overheating and how to prevent it in our homes. Laura Jane Clark explains how to overhaul a dated conservatory (page 140), while David Hilton explores green ways to stay cool (on page 191). On a final note, last month we bid a sad farewell to the founding editor of this magazine, Peter Harris. Peter played a fundamental role in nurturing what was, some 30 years ago, a fledging industry, and in doing so, helped to lay the foundations for modern-day self-build. He will be fondly remembered by the team.
Subscribe for less Half price offer: 12 issues for just £27! www.magazinesdirect.com/hbrsep21 or call 0330 333 1113 and quote BW28
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OU R
EX PE R T S
EDI T O R IA L Editor Claire Lloyd Deputy Editor Michelle Guy Associate Editor Natasha Brinsmead Assistant Editor Amy Reeves Production Editor Jacob Barlow Web Editor Sarah Handley News Editor Jack Woodfield Digital Editor Hugh Metcalf Video Editor Matthew Gibbs Contributions by Alison Wall
MICHELLE GUY is Deputy Editor and has just completed her kitchen renovation.
NATASHA BRINSMEAD is Associate Editor and has renovated her Edwardian home.
LYDIA LUXFORD is a customer and technical support officer at Easy Bathrooms, and bathrooms expert.
ART Group Art Director Billy Peel Art Editor Karen Lawson Contributions by Bryn Davies and Gary Stuckey Senior Art Editor Emily Smith MARKETING Events Marketing Director Melanie Kay Group Marketing Manager Eve Mulvaney Group Marketing Manager Anjuman Tariq Senior Marketing Executive Alicia Maragh Marketing Executive Kerry Waite ADVERTISING AND EXHIBITIONS SALES TEAMS Commercial Director Rob Biagioni Strategic Partnership Director Jackie Sanders 0330 390 6530 jackie.sanders@futurenet.com Print and Digital Sales Manager Kelly James 0330 390 6543 kelly.james@futurenet.com Print and Digital Sales Manager Rebecca Vincze (Please contact for all media sales enquiries) 0330 390 6566 rebecca.vincze@futurenet.com
MARK BRINKLEY is author of the Housebuilder’s Bible. Read his self-build advice on page 88.
MARTIN BELL is MD of Transform Architects and shares wise words on page 147.
ANDY STEVENS is an awardwinning builder, broadcaster, and host of building podcast Build:It.
MAGAZINE AND WEB PRODUCTION Head of Production Mark Constance Production Project Manager Clare Scott Advertising Production Manager Joanne Crosby Digital Editions Controller Jason Hudson Production Manager Nola Cokely Digital Manager Tom Burbridge Digital Production Executive Nicholas Robertson Email Delivery Manager Alison Nash Web Operations Manager Laura Sturgess PUBLISHING AND EXHIBITIONS MANAGEMENT Chief Audience & Ecommerce Officer Aaron Asadi Chief Content Officer Angie O’ Farrell Managing Director Jason Orme Commercial Finance Director Dan Jotcham Commercial and Events Director Nick Noble Director of Content and Product Development Michael Holmes INTERNATIONAL LICENSING Homebuilding & Renovating is available for licensing. To find our more contact us at licensing@futurenet.com or view our available content at www.futurecontenthub.com PRINTED BY William Gibbons & Sons
MARK STEVENSON is a self-build expert and Chair of the Structural Timber Association.
SARAH HANDLEY is an experienced journalist and Web Editor of homebuilding. co.uk.
LAURA JANE CLARK is an architect and founder of Lamp Architects. Turn to page 140 for design advice.
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DAVID HILTON is an expert in energy efficiency and is the Director of Heat & Energy Ltd.
BOB BRANSCOMBE is a chartered surveyor with expertise in cost estimation.
IAN ROCK is a chartered surveyor and author of eight popular Haynes Manuals. Future plc is a public company quoted on the London Stock Exchange (symbol: FUTR) www.futureplc.com
Chief executive Zillah Byng-Thorne Non-executive chairman Richard Huntingford Chief financial officer Rachel Addison Tel +44 (0)1225 442 244
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C ON T E NT S
ON THE COV BUILDING THE DREAM A young family self-builds a new oak frame home in the Berkshire countryside
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A BARN REBORN After years of planning struggles, a mother and daughter convert a derelict barn on their property
A SIDEWAYS MOVE A small extension and DIY renovation scheme transforms a terraced home in Worcester
THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX An extension and loft conversion scheme turns a run-down terrace into a modern family home
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INSIGHT The latest news, products, virtual events and ideas for self-builders, extenders and renovators ON THE COVER EXTENSIONS BUILT FOR UNDER £50K Get inspired by these innovative extension schemes built on a tight budget
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REAL PROJECTS ON-SITE One family share their progress renovating their mid-century home ON THE COVER 13 THINGS TO DO BEFORE STARTING ON SITE From the paperwork you need to common mistakes made on site, start off on the right foot with self-build expert Mark Brinkley’s essential guide
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RENOVATION DIARY Natasha Brinsmead details how an outdoor space can provide an escape while living on site during a project
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BEHIND THE DESIGN: VENETIAN PLASTER Master builder Andy Stevens explores why this ancient finish is making a return and how to get the look in your home
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THE LATEST... ROOF LANTERNS Achieve the perfect light-filled room with these efficient and modern designs
ON THE COVER HOW TO HIRE TRADES Find out how to choose the right people for your project with Bob Branscombe’s expert advice
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HOW TO CHOOSE INTERIOR DOORS A buyer’s guide explaining what to consider when purchasing this essential feature, including cost, material and size
ON THE COVER HOW TO SAVE ON YOUR BUILDING PROJECT Andy Stevens gives essential advice on when to spend and where to save when choosing materials for a project
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ON THE COVER HOME OFFICE DESIGN TIPS Find out how to design this coveted space with our practical tips
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ON THE COVER LESSONS LEARNED ON SITE Self-builders and renovators reveal how learning a new skill or attending a course helped them achieve a successful project
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ON THE COVER HOW TO BUY A PLOT AT AUCTION Mark Stevenson details how to keep a cool head during a property auction and buy a plot for the right price
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RENOVATION FILES: DEALING WITH CRACKED CONCRETE FLOORS Ian Rock investigates the common causes of cracking and how to put it right
ON THE COVER ASK THE EXPERTS Our level-headed experts answer your questions on renovating conservatories, self-build mortgages, barn conversions, and more
THIS ISSUE!
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GREEN HOMES New for 2021, this section is filled with advice for a more eco-friendly way of living
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GREEN NEWS From cutting-edge designs to innovative inventions, discover the latest in sustainability
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ON THE COVER GREENING UP THE ROOF Sustainability expert Tim Pullen weighs up the pros and cons of green roofs in the latest instalment of ‘How green is your home?’
ENTRANCE HALLWAYS An architectural moodboard filled with ideas and inspiration ON THE COVER A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO SELF-BUILD Discover what you need to know about building your home from start to finish
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STRUCTURAL WARRANTIES Mark Stevenson explains the importance of a structural warranty and where and when to buy one in this essential guide
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HB&R INDUSTRY AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCED! Our pick of the best suppliers, products and materials on offer in 2021
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AMAZING HOMES An awe-inspiring contemporary self-build on the edge of the white cliffs of Dover
DIGGING DEEP One couple builds a new, energy-efficient pool house, using bore-holes to heat their home along with way
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ON THE COVER SUSTAINABLE INTERIOR FINISHES Considering the impact of the materials that complete a home, Tim Pullen investigates the most sustainable interior finishes
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ON THE COVER GREEN CLINIC David Hilton delves into the topic of how to keep homes cool, from heat pumps to MVHR systems
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INSIGHT A round-up of the latest self-build and home renovation news, products and events. By Jack Woodfield and Amy Reeves
Changing priorities A
IMAGE: IDSYSTEMS
ccording to research by the property specialists Bramleys, the ‘must-have’ features homebuyers are now looking for in a new home are shifting as priorities change in light of the pandemic. Perhaps unsurprisingly, a garden and parking space are the biggest draws for
buyers (60% and 40% put them as a top priority, respectively). And as people are generally working more flexibly from home, a third of homebuyers said they want to live in a more rural area while a quarter require superfast broadband, which overtook living near a good school and proximity to a local pub.
Stamp duty holiday— what now?
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ll good things come to an end, as is the case with the stamp duty holiday extension, which has now ended in its original form. The tax break exempted the first £500,000 of all property sales from stamp duty from July 2020, initially until 31 March 2021. The scheme was then extended for a further three months until 30 June. The holiday will now continue through to September, albeit at a less generous rate. A tapering effect announced in the March Budget means that from 1 July-30 September, stamp duty exemption will be double its standard level (£250,000), and then return to its current level (£125,000) from 1 October. The tapering effect also means that any deals which weren’t completed by 30 June will result in homeowners paying stamp duty on properties costing £250,000 or more. Read more at www.homebuilding.co.uk/news/ stamp-duty-holiday.
TIMELESS ADDITIONS Rutland London has added several eclectic bath styles to its collection, including this claw-footed design. Each cast iron bath is hand-finished to order at the company’s Hampshire HQ to both standard and bespoke colours. The Bryanston, pictured, is available from £2,320.
BUDGET BUY Franke’s Joy cooker hood is designed to bring an efficient yet affordable style to any kitchen. With an extraction rate of 430m3/h, the hood is priced from £120.
NEW TECH For a seamless design, Miele’s latest induction hob with eight temperature control sensors can be surface mounted or flush-fit. The KM 799 FL 90cm hob costs £4,599.
BUILD EVENTS 10 SEPTEMBER
THE NSBRC GUIDE TO RENOVATION PROJECTS National Self Build & Renovation Centre, Swindon
Homebuilding & Renovating green expert David Hilton will share his extensive knowledge of sustainable buildings to help you maximise your renovation’s energy efficiency.
24-26 SEPTEMBER
HOMEBUILDING & RENOVATING SHOW Excel London
The Homebuilding & Renovating Show in London is the go-to exhibition for selfbuilders and renovators. No matter what stage your project is at, we’ll help you to bring it to life! Come along for tailored, one-to-one advice; browse 1000s of new and innovative products to improve your home; and discover the ins and outs of everything from planning regulations for extensions and managing renovation budgets, to stylish kitchen design and integrating underfloor heating.
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Strong and stable
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he Rooflight Company has launched a new ultra-safe walk-on rooflight, the neo Advance Skywalk+. Including triple ply laminated glass, laminated inner and an anti-slip coating, the whole window’s U value can be as low as 1.19 W/m2k. From £2,050.00 excl VAT (based on structural dimensions: 1m x 1m).
Materials shortage
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he construction materials shortage is expected to continue into the summer, with Travis Perkins warning of considerable price increases affecting several key materials, including cement and paint. The retailer said in May that the price of bagged cement would rise by 15%, chipboard by 10% and paint by 5%.
STORAGE SOLUTIONS As part of its new Brompton shaker range, Lochanna Kitchens has launched a new design, The Lifestyle Larder. Created to offer affordable and accessible storage solutions, the larders allow cleaning products, ironing boards, shoes and coats to be stored in homes that struggle for space. The range is available from £5,800.
A spokesperson blamed surging demand as lockdown eases, as well as supply chain issues. There is currently a nationwide shortage of materials, which could impact self-builders, renovators and home improvers. Brian Berry, chief executive of the Federation of Master Builders, said: “Product availability is proving to be a significant and prolonged issue for Britain’s builders, and consumers need to be aware that the cost of their building projects may change in the months ahead because of this pressure. However, I would caution against homeowners compromising on quality and customer service, and defaulting to hire the builder with the cheapest quote.” Read more at www.homebuilding.co.uk/news/ construction-materials-shortages.
BOOK OF THE MONTH OUT OF THE WOODS: ARCHITECTURE AND INTERIORS BUILT FROM WOOD, GESTALTEN, 2020 Exploring how advances in engineered timber have enabled wood materials to become a viable alternative to steel and concrete, Out of the Woods showcases contemporary homes that are making innovative use of this natural material. RRP £40
Edinburgh is the most ‘future-forward’ city in the UK when it comes to sustainable lifestyles and eco-friendly homes, according to research by Rated People
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£30,000 £25,000
Garden upgrades to add value*
£5,000
Paint exterior of house
£10,000
Add a garden building
£15,000
Install bifold doors
£20,000
Add decking
*ACCORDING TO MYTOOLSHED BASED ON AN AVERAGE HOUSE PRICE OF £249,309
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URBAN DESIGN Inspired by industrial-style kitchens, Blanco has launched eight sinks in the Etagon, Vintera and Metra ranges in a super-durable, antibacterial granite called Silgranit, which has a concreteeffect finish.
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The Vogue 700 Inset wood burner from Stovax has a cast-iron door and single air control for easy operation. The stove costs £1,765 and has an average output of 7kW.
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Create a bespoke bath
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llowing each bath panel to be fully customised, BC Designs’ new SolidBlue bath collection does away with boring acrylic sides and makes it easier than ever for self-builders to put their finishing touches on every aspect of bathroom design. The fibreglass-reinforced, single skinned baths are priced from £478 and stay warmer for longer thanks to the resin and special hardening composite.
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Eurostove’s Westfire Uniq 32 is a space-saving option which has been A+ rated for energy efficiency. With an output of 5.9kW, the stove is available for £2,440.
Burn either seasoned wood or solid smokeless fuel in Arada’s multi-fuel Hamlet Solution 7 (7kW) which has been approved for Smoke Controlled areas. £538.80
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R E A L P ROJE C T OA K F R A M E S E L F -B U I L D
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dream Building the
After years of looking for a home with history and charm, Helen and Dan self-built an oak frame manor-style home with a modern twist
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t ime l ine Plot purchased 2014
Planning permission approved 2015
Planning application submitted 2015
HOMEOWNERS Helen and Dan Brown, with their children Oscar and Summer LOCATION Berkshire CONSTRUCTION Oak frame with SIPs encapsulation SIZE 378m2 plus 66m2 garage BUILD TIME One year PLOT COST £550,000 (in 2014) BUILD COST £709,500 VALUE Approx. £1.6million WORDS Amy Reeves PHOTOGRAPHY Jeremy Phillips
First fix SEPT 2016
Foundations completed APRIL 2016
Start on site MARCH 2016
Watertight shell SEPTEMBER 2016
Final decoration APRIL 2017
Second fix MARCH 2017
Date occupied SPRING 2017
in Newbury town mined to recapture the character of a period property or barn conversion in their countryside self-build. Their new home expertly combines a traditional manor house exterior with bright interiors and flexible living spaces bespoke to their young family’s life. Helen, why did you decide to self-build? We used to live in Australia and when we came home we couldn’t find a home that we really wanted. In the end, we bought a house to renovate at auction and it gave us the buzz for creating something from nothing and achieving a home we loved. From there, we really wanted to take on a barn conversion, so whenever we were in the countryside and we saw somewhere with potential we would send the owners handwritten letters. All replied to us, but nothing was successful, until Dan was looking online one day and found a plot of land. When we came to visit on a freezing cold January day we knew it could be amazing. Looking at the house it’s hard to believe it hasn’t stood for decades. Why did you build in oak frame? As we had originally wanted to convert a barn, we wanted something with that instant character. My aunt had also built using oak about 10 years ago so we were hugely inspired by her project. We went to a Homebuilding & Renovating Show at the NEC and met a few suppliers, but when we spoke to Border Oak we loved their approach, particularly the design and build parts to their business as it helped us estimate initial costs much easier than with individual suppliers.
“That was the joy of designing the house — it is built around the way we want to live” 26 homebuilding.co.uk
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DURING Once planning was approved, Dan and Helen organised the groundworks on site with friends and family working as labour to reduce costs.
DURING The couple wanted to build a home that could achieve zero C02 emissions to run so they installed a ground source heat pump for hot water and heating.
DURING The H-shaped layout of the house mirrors the footprint of the original farmhouse which stood on the site.
DURING After the groundwork was finished, Border Oak took charge on site to erect the oak frame structure.
DURING It took 24 weeks to get to weathertight stage with the oak frame, SIPs and windows in place.
AFTER Once the three year journey was complete, Helen and Dan celebrated with a house warming.
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CONNECTED LAYOUT The open plan dining, kitchen and play area leads into the sunroom at the rear of the house. The woodburning stove, from Chesneys, and the solar coating on the glass (to prevent overheating) makes the light-filled room functional all year round.
Did planning permission go smoothly? It was really important to build something that didn’t look out of place as we’re on an old farm with converted stables and barns around us. This building actually replaces the old farmhouse – unbeknownst to us with the same H-shaped footprint, which pleased the planners – so we didn’t want a new build sticking out like a sore thumb. The plot had a complicated planning history with previous applications for more modern-looking houses rejected, so we knew what the local planning authority didn’t want and worked with that. Border Oak helped us with the planning application and it went through with no issues at all. After working on a renovation, was it a challenge designing a house from scratch? We’re detail-oriented people — I’m sure the team at Border Oak will remember us for years because we’re so particular! When we first bought the plot we didn’t have kids but we knew it was going to be a family home and our designer Ed Thomas was brilliant at working with us on details like positioning the playroom by the kitchen so we could keep an eye on the children. By the time we had finished the house we had welcomed Oscar and Summer and the layout works brilliantly for us all. That was the joy of designing the house — you don’t have to fit to enjoy the house, the house is built around the way we want to live. The sunroom wasn’t initially on the wish-list, but Border Oak included it in their first design and I can honestly say that it is my favourite room in the house. Every time we have people over it is the place we socialise because you’re so surrounded by glass and greenery, yet it is really cosy to sit in.
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Did you get involved with project managing? We connected services and sourced the groundworker locally and then Border Oak built the structure to weathertight stage with Dan on site every day. After that, we took over project management for the first and second fix. The interiors are wonderfully bright and airy. How did you tackle them? I loved designing the interiors — it was such a pleasure. When we were visiting Border Oak they had samples of everything and immediately I knew the right colour for the windows and it set the tone for everything else. Because you’re doing the house in one go, it’s much more straightforward to get a flow between the spaces. I wanted quality materials that would last for years so we chose limestone flooring and a granite worktop in the kitchen but countered that with more inexpensive materials elsewhere. I also went on the most mega trip to Ikea, but that’s the lovely thing about building a quality framework around you, when it comes to interiors you can mix and match with more cost-effective pieces. How does it feel now you’ve settled in? It has been joyful. We came from a really draughty Victorian house with a 3 x 3m garden so living in a house with good levels of insulation has been wonderful. Dan has since launched a business in low-carbon materials so including the ground source heat pump to enable the house the be heated without emitting C02 was really important. On a practical level, it’s amazing how it is never too hot or too cold — it’s one of the best things about living here. I think the job for us is to make sure the kids know how lucky they are growing up here.
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spotlight on: the dining hall The couple knew they wanted a big entrance hall from the beginning of the project. “My aunt’s house has a similar grand hall and it has always stuck with us,” explains Helen. “For us, it’s all about the ‘wow’ moment when you come in or pass from one side of the house to the other. It’s right at the centre of it all and we use it for special occasions like Christmas and birthdays — we’ve had some great disco parties for the kids!” As is so frequent in self-builds, Helen’s lighting budget came at the end of the project and although she knew something special was required for the area, she was reluctant to blow it all on a chandelier. “I got in contact with the local supplier of Border Oak’s showrooms and
they provided me with the glassware,” she continues. “I then discussed with our electrician to source the right colour cables and he got up on the ladder and worked with my ideas.” A decision was made on site to reduce the size of one of the bedrooms so the full curvature of the oak frame could be appreciated inside the hall. While the couple admit they could have crammed in more rooms, they don’t need any more and the hallway is like a piece of art to them. “Although we don’t use it all the time, we are constantly passing through. Walking from the kitchen or coming down from the bedrooms through the vaulted space gives a wonderful feeling,” agrees Dan.
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OAK ON SHOW Helen and Dan chose to leave much of the oak frame exposed to celebrate the inherent character of the material throughout the house.
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BEDROOM BEDROOM
BEDROOM
GARAGE
ELECTRICS Electrics Ampere Electrical: www.ampereelectrical.org
GALLERY EN SUITE
DRESSING ROOM
BATHROOM VOID
CAR PORT
BEDROOM
DESIGNERS, OAK FRAME AND SIPS ENCAPSULATION Border Oak: www.borderoak.com
BEDROOM
FLOORING Floors of Stone: www.floorsofstone.com LIGHTING Fritz Fryer: www.fritzfryer.co.uk
FIRST FLOOR
HEAT PUMP Nibe: www.nibe.eu BATHROOMS Ripples: www.ripplesbathrooms.com
PORCH OFFICE
UTILITY CLOAKROOM HALLWAY KITCHEN PLAYROOM
SITTING ROOM DINING AREA
SUNROOM
GROUND FLOOR
LANDSCAPING MJ Flitter: www.mjflitter.co.uk; Roderick Griffin: www.roderickgriffin-landscape.com KITCHEN Optiplan: www.optiplankitchens.co.uk GRANITE WORKTOP Humphreys of Hungerford: www.humphries-stonemasons.co.uk FINAL DECORATION C&J Adlem: 01635 41516
PROJECT COSTS GROUNDWORKS £50,000 WEATHER TIGHT SHELL £550,000
THE DETAILS The traditional and natural style of the house was achieved through the use of a blend of green oak, handmade brick, handmade clay tile and lime render.
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KITCHEN INCLUDING WORKTOP AND UTILITY £20,000 BATHROOMS INCLUDING FITTING £18,000 LANDSCAPING £70,000 LANDSCAPE DESIGN £1,500 TOTAL £709,500
ove ays m sidew
Buying a Victorian house was a dream for Rachael Ball and her husband, Adam, but they had to tackle their nightmare kitchen before they could truly love it
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A SOCIAL SPACE On advice of kitchen maker Jeff, Rachael chose cream units to keep the space feeling light, with the movable island in contrasting blue. The island is the social hub, but Rachael also likes to relax with friends and family in the living area overlooking the garden.
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HOMEOWNERS Rachael and Adam Ball with their daughter Darcey LOCATION Worcester BUILD COST £45,000 WORDS Alison Jones PHOTOGRAPHY Kasia Fiszer STYLIST Melissa Denham
such charm from the outside, their eilings and ornate features beyond the front door. But the Victorians lived differently to us. The family wouldn’t inhabit the kitchen as much, especially if they had a cook, nor would they need the space for the vast amount of helpful modern appliances. When Rachael Ball fell for a Victorian house on a leafy street in Worcester, she knew it could be an ‘amazing’ place to live — but only once she and husband Adam had turned the dark, dingy kitchen, which was so cold they’d eat breakfast in the living room rather than linger there, into a light, modern space. CHARACTER APPEAL “We’ve lived here since October 2016. We lived in Stourport and Kidderminster and used to come here a lot — we loved the city. It was a good location for my husband’s work and I had a new job teaching at the high school up the road,” begins Rachael. Having previously lived in 1930s and 1970s houses, the couple were desperate for a period house when they decided to move to Worcester but when they purchased their Victorian terrace, things weren’t always easy. “I‘ve had a love/hate relationship with the house – the renovation journey has had its ups and downs,” says Rachael. “When we first looked round I thought it could be amazing, but it was going to be a lot of work. We lived in it for a year before starting the extension in September 2017. It had such a dingy
“The extension has massively changed how we live in the house... now we can be together as a family” 40 homebuilding.co.uk
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BEST OF BOTH Open shelves bring a relaxed atmosphere to the kitchen, while useful storage like the larder cupboard, convenient pan drawers and a large Belfast sink keep the space practical.
kitchen – long, thin, dark and freezing. We’d put the gas hob on to heat it up in the morning. The upstairs of the house is big but the downstairs felt cramped. To extend,to have this space, was a must for us.” HIRING TRADES Rachael and Adam got to work where they could, project managing and assembling a team for a small side-return extension. “This is our third house renovation and we do as much as we can ourselves to save costs. Adam used a software programme to draw the plans and submitted them to planning, which went through smoothly. “There were times I felt we’d bitten off more than we could chew. I’d started a new job and Adam was working away, so I was project managing, juggling a career and looking after a young child,” Rachael remembers. “Our plumber, Russell, the father of a former student, recommended Mitch, our builder. We had lots of snow during the build and were constantly battling the weather, so things ran over. It could get quite overwhelming, but he put my mind at ease.” The couple also helped out during the build with Adam painting the kitchen and fitting the flooring, radiators and
skirting boards and Rachael researching the kitchen design and overall decor. “During the build, Adam made us a kitchen in the playroom with the old units, plumbing in the washing machine and a sink. I had a microwave with hob on top to cook on. It was primitive, but we had a table so we could eat together. “We had the worktops fitted on 22 December, making Christmas by the skin of our teeth. We had a long table right down the middle of the kitchen for our first full family Christmas together.” A FAMILY SPACE “The extension has massively changed how we live in the house,” says Rachael. “One of my favourite things is to sit round the island, talking with friends, or making Sunday lunch while Adam and Darcey do Lego or crafts. “Before, we were in separate rooms when I was cooking and they were at the front of the house. Now we can be together, it’s much more pleasant for us as a family. “You hear horror stories of builds, and it was stressful. I was very hands on, making sure things ran smoothly. But it was worth it — it’s the hub of our home.”
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PROJECT COSTS BUILDING WORKS £35,000 KITCHEN £5,000 RANGE £2,300 FLOORING £1,500 QUARTZ WORKTOP £1,000 PAINTING AND DECORATING £200
SUPPLIERS BUILDER Mitchell Winwood, Ashwood Constructions: 07515 697197 PLUMBER Russell Pinfield: 07976 375607 KITCHEN Jeff Spencer: 07815 511626 WORKTOP GoforGranit: www.goforgranite.co.uk RANGE COOKER Rangemaster: www.rangemaster.co.uk KITCHEN FLOORING Ebay: www.ebay.com ROOFLIGHT Velux: www.velux.co.uk
THE DETAILS Traditional-style elements, such as the brushed brass cup handles and the Rangemaster cooker, are paired with a practical wood herringbone flooring. It was all installed, sanded and varnished by the couple. The garden was at different levels, so when he did the extension, Mitch the builder took out lots of soil to lay a patio.
OLD MADE NEW Rosie spent £15,000 on granite to repair the external walls. Only once the building was stripped back did Rosie realise there is a slight curve in the wall between the front door and the bedroom, which she decided to keep for interest.
bef ore
Barn reborn RE AL P R O JE C T B A RN C O NV E R S I O N
Persistence paid off for Rosie Bradbury, who waited 10 years to give a dilapidated barn the conversion it deserved
t ime l ine First planning application 2009
Permission granted 15 MARCH 2018
Second planning application 18 JANUARY 2018
Architect appointed JULY 2018
Planning/listed building conditions signed off NOVEMBER 2018
Build completed SEPTEMBER 2019
Build started 20 MAY 2019
“
RESIDENTS Sue Bradbury and her daughter, Rosie LOCATION Cornwall SIZE 140m2 BUILD ROUTE Project managed by Rosie with subcontractors PLOT COST Already owned BUILD COST £175,000 WORDS Alexandra Pratt PHOTOGRAPHY Simon Burt
cker than we could rmer cart shed which sits adjacent to her mother, Sue’s home in Cornwall. Shored up on one side by concrete blocks and roofed with rusting tin, the building was in danger of collapse. “It had been bodged over the years, there were trees growing inside. It was a real eyesore,” continues Rosie, who had been trying to restore the barn since 2009, when she first applied for planning permission for conversion. “Then in the winter of 2018, we lost a significant piece of wall and I realised we could lose [the whole] thing.” Unfortunately, at that time, planning policy was largely against the development of rural buildings. “It passed the second time, but with so many conditions they made it impossible,” she adds. Frustratingly for Rosie, the stringent policy of preservation extended even to recent additions, placed there simply to protect the structure. Then, several years later in 2018, planning policy changed. “Suddenly, it was the right time. Everything aligned, and I could try for the planning I felt it deserved,” says Rosie. NAVIGATING THE PLANNING CONDITIONS Finally, Rosie gained the full residential permission she needed, although once again with a list of conditions; listed building consent was also required. While the barn itself is not listed, it sits adjacent to several buildings which are, so Rosie found herself complying with requirements.
“Everyone said [the project] would take years, but we did it in four months. The team was great!” 48 homebuilding.co.uk
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CHARMING FINISHES The interiors combine period charm with a more contemporary twist — such as the black cable pendant lights, from Argos, finished with a black cable to help them stand out against the pale backdrop. The open-plan dining /living room was enlarged slightly to create a more generous space. The remainder of the home follows the barn’s original footprint.
“Things went way above my head… that’s when I brought Simon onto the project,” says Rosie. Simon Longworth-Riggs of D3 Architects was recommended to Rosie by her builders. Simon successfully helped Rosie navigate through complex planning conditions and dealt with the listing requirements. Of the several technical conditions attached to Rosie’s permission, some were routine and with Simon’s help, others were discharged including a requirement for lime mortar in the new build sections; it was also used to repoint the original stonework. A full historical survey of the roof timbers was also requested but after a discussion with the Cornwall Archaeological Unit, it was determined that is was not required. In the end,an amicable agreement was reached whereby the new roof would be designed to match the character of the barn. WORKING WITH THE EXISTING BUILDING Working for her own PR business in a neighbouring building meant Rosie was on hand every day to ensure things ran smoothly. “I always wanted to see it through,” says Rosie. “Everyone said [the project] would take years, but we did it in four months. The team was great!” Fortunately the barn did not require underpinning. Blockwork, faced with local granite, was used to ‘fill in’ the open sections. Simon specified super-thin Celotex insulation in the walls, roof and floors. Where the walls were solid stone, they were tanked before the insulation was installed, followed by battens and finally plasterboard. Rosie also ensured the upright pillars at the front of the building were tied into the stonework. Internally, the layout of this single-storey, three-bedroom home was largely dictated by existing internal walls, even if they were tumbled-down. Rosie left them in situ and had new stud walls built around them.
MIXING OLD AND NEW “I really wanted to keep aspects of a cottage but combine the character with a more up to date feel,” she Rosie. After experimenting with every available shade of wood stain for the beams, she settled on neutral tones that work so well with the natural materials present, including the creamy limestone floors that connect all the living areas. Rosie’s vision of open timber trusses and a vaulted ceiling had been part of her plans since the beginning. The design adds both volume to the long narrow building, as well as character. In the kitchen and bathrooms, Rosie’s careful eye for design combined with her robust approach to the budget. Both the Howdens’ kitchen cabinetry and the off-the-shelf sanitaryware helped to keep costs down, allowing Rosie to then re-inject some personality with the stylish hexagonal tiles in both areas. The kitchen also has base units only, with open shelving above — a smart solution in response to the compact size of the kitchen and something that also led Rosie to put the oil-fired boiler in the garden, rather than inside the house. “It prevents the kitchen from becoming boxy or dark and also meant it was easier to get the oil lines to it. Plus, it’s less noisy,” she says. In under five months from the start of the building works, Rosie moved into her new light, warm and comfortable home. “Have a brilliant team of builders you know and trust. Everyone needs to work well together as a team onsite, even the subcontractors,” she recommends. Despite not owning the barn herself (it remains in her mother’s possession), driving the building’s journey from wreck to home has been a deeply personal story of persistence and attention to detail. “I didn’t want it just to look alright, it had to be perfect,” says Rosie. “I loved it and I would do it again in a heartbeat.”
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COUNTRY TOUCH The cream limestone tiles in the hallways and main living area, from Flooring Superstore, was a practical choice for the rural setting.
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TRADITIONAL STYLES The Tewkesbury kitchen by Howdens was specified in Dove Grey. The doors and windows are all timber and follow the original openings in the structure, while the bedrooms are divided by the original walls as they were the perfect size in which to fit a double bed.
P RO J E C T
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C O N V E RS I O N
t he
pl a ns SUPPLIERS Cart Shed Cottage is now available as a holiday let: www.cartshedcottage.com ARCHITECT D3 Architects: www.d3architects.co.uk
BEDROOM
KITCHEN Howdens: www.howdens.com PAINT Velspar: www.velspar.com
EN SUITE
BUILDER Mitchell & Andrew Building Services: www.mitchellandrewbuilding.co.uk
HALLWAY
STONEMASON AND LANDSCAPER JMH Stonemasons & Landscaping: www.cornwall-stonemasons.co.uk JOINERY Top Notch Joinery: www.topnotchjoinery.com
KITCHEN
ELECTRICS Malcolm Ford: 07831 596866 PLUMBER Steve Gray & Sons: 07811 612132
LIVING AND DINING ROOM
BATHROOM
BEDROOM
BEDROOM
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THE DETAILS With such good insulation and central heating, Rosie rarely needs the woodburner, from Modern Stoves, but it acts as a focal point. The timber windows and fascias have been painted in Velspar’s Cottage Charm.
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B X o u g tsi n i k
the de
Thin
b e f o re
What began as a potential investment opportunity soon turned into a renovation project for Tim and Aisling Cooney. With the help of their architect, the couple transformed a run-down terrace into a contemporary family home
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GOING BOLD To complement the shades within the original Victorian brickwork, Tim and Aisling opted to wrap the new additions in corten steel
E X TE N S I O N
from Stark & Greensmith. As well as weathering beautifully over time, the material adds some serious wow factor to this historic home.
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t ime l ine Property purchased JUNE 2017
Started on site SEPTEMBER 2018
Planning approved MARCH 2018
HOMEOWNERS Tim and Aisling Cooney LOCATION East Dulwich, London PROJECT Contemporary extension and loft conversion of Victorian terrace SIZE 180m2 BUILD TIME Eight months (Sep 2018 - May 2019) HOUSE COST £875,000 BUILD COST £405,800 VALUE £1.6million WORDS Jennifer Grimble PHOTOGRAPHY Simon Maxwell and Joe Traylen Photography
Moved in JUNE 2019
Works complete MAY 2019
East Dulwich ng in a compact apartment block when Aisling fell pregnant. The couple knew it was time to find a suitable family home and decided to keep an eye out for any ‘For Sale’ signs that cropped up in the area. “After living in cramped flats with low ceilings, we wanted light and height,” Aisling says. “With a child on the way, we were keen to have our own garden and a practical interior layout that connected well with the outdoor space.” The pair eventually settled on a double-fronted Victorian house with lots of potential. The couple had travelled past the house for years, and its location, scale and garden were perfect for their needs, but it needed modernising. The neighbouring residence had been converted into flats and initially, Tim and Aisling liked the idea of a home that doubled as an investment opportunity. “We thought we could live in one of the apartments and rent them out later, if we moved,” Tim says. “Whatever we did, we wanted to be respectful of the house and its history.” CHANGING PLANS The property came with confused deeds and a gentlemen’s agreement concerning the boundary line. A party wall surveyor was appointed to address the issues and an Award was agreed. Once this issue had been resolved, the couple considered several architects, before hiring Stephen Butt of Lendel Stephens. Stephen designed two schemes simultaneously: a
“I’ve always seen the kitchen as the heart of a family home. It’s the perfect space for us” 62 homebuilding.co.uk
GARDEN VIEWS Sliding pocket doors from Maxlight provide views of the garden, while a large custom roof window also brings natural light deep into the floorplan. (The kitchen units are from deVOL.)
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SAVVY STORAGE Clever spacesaving ideas, including a slideout cupboard under the stairs, provide Tim and Aisling with plenty of room for storage, while retaining a sleek, modern finish. ZONING ROOMS A light-filled living room leads into a dining room, separated by steel-framed doors, which allow the two spaces to feel connected yet distinct from one another.
flat conversion and plans for a single home. “The conversion into flats was a long shot because the council’s planning policy promotes the retention of family homes in the borough,” Stephen says. Sure enough, the idea was rejected, so Tim and Aisling ran with the family home design. The Cooneys knew they wanted the kitchen to be the heart of the home. “The basis of the design was ensuring that the interior worked for our busy lives. It needed to flow and we wanted to be able to close off spaces when needed,” says Aisling. Stephen proposed opening up the front of the house, removing the cramped hallway and re-orientating the staircase. “The design removed a reception room, but created a spacious entrance with a WC, utility room and bespoke staircase,” Stephen explains. He also suggested that the home’s new additions be clad with corten steel and material lover Tim was immediately taken with the idea. “We chose a lot of the materials simply because Tim wanted to have a play,” Aisling laughs. “I needed some persuading because I thought it might look harsh, but Stephen had a vision and it made sense.” The finished design incorporated an extensive internal reconfiguration and makeover, and a kitchen extension and a loft conversion, formed from three corten steel boxes. GETTING UNDERWAY Stephen took on project management duties [see page 69 for more] and the couple, who rented locally, visited frequently to check on progress. Regular site meetings were held and Stephen developed drawings with the contractor for the home’s bespoke joinery and corten cladding, which proved to be the most challenging aspect of the build. The steel was custom-made in the West Country and transported to London. Since there are only a few specialists that work with corten, this part of the project was handed to another contractor. “Errors were made along the way, but there was a refreshing willingness from the contractors to correct
mistakes and real pride was taken in the finished product,” Stephen explains. “It was great working with quality materials and craftsmen.” A fabric-first approach was also taken, with high performance glazing specified and the existing building fabric insulated. A green roof was added to the ground floor extension; this can be seen and enjoyed from the rear bedrooms. FAMILY-FRIENDLY FINISH Eight months later, the couple moved into their new home. While the front retains its period charm, the rear of the house is beautifully contemporary, thanks to the corten steel. The material steps down the façade, binding the new spaces together and providing a striking contrast between old and new. Inside, the kitchen is the focal point and opens up onto the landscaped garden, thanks to sliding pocket doors. “I love cooking and I’ve always seen the kitchen as the heart of a family home. It’s the perfect space for us,” Aisling says. The top floor has been transformed into a stunning master suite with enviable views, an en suite and a dressing area cleverly partitioned off. The room’s full-height sliding glass doors are shaded by a perforated privacy screen. The rest of the house blends period styles – cast iron radiators, sash windows and traditional ceiling roses– with modern, family-friendly materials, such as oak, terrazzo and polished plaster. “The plaster looks great and is extremely low maintenance,” Tim says. “The house isn’t ostentatious. Every detail was chosen for its quality, durability and value for money.” For Aisling, the best part was moving in. “The house is perfect for our needs and surpasses anything we could have envisioned,” she says. For Tim, it’s the little things. “It seems mundane, but being able to see through the house to the garden is the most satisfying thing for me, especially after years of living in small flats,” he says. “Creating a bespoke space is very rewarding. We’ve achieved what we wanted and now have a home that works for us.”
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THE MASTER SUITE A partition wall has been added behind the bed to maximise space and act as a private dressing area. The corten screen in the en suite also allows for privacy and brings natural light into the space. The polished plaster and terazzo are lowmaintenance material choices.
spotlight on: Hiring an Architect to Project Manage As first-time renovators, Tim and Aisling didn’t know what to expect. Initially, Tim was keen to take a hands-on role in the process, but quickly realised that, as he would be working abroad at the time and Aisling would be caring for their new-born, hiring Stephen Butt, their architect, to project manage meant they could continue their busy lives while their project was in safe hands. “We made a conscious decision early on for Stephen to take on this role,” says Aisling. “We had a very transparent relationship and a lot of confidence in him, so it became clear that he could remove a lot of the stress. Putting our trust in an expert was by far the best decision we made.” Thanks to clear lines of communication, the planning stage was easy and even enjoyable. And being experienced in dealing with contractors, Stephen was also able to handle any issues that arose during the build, without having to involve the Cooneys unnecessarily. “Builders can sometimes cut corners, but Stephen ensured everything was completed as planned, to the highest possible standard,” says Tim. “Everything was tightly understood. That clarity made the project a success.” Stephen was able to react and make alterations quickly to keep the build moving too, and when it came to budget management, his assistance proved invaluable. “He helped make the project what it is and shielded us from problems,” Aisling says. Tim agrees: “On reflection, if we’d have tried to project manage, we’d have made mistakes we couldn’t afford. The scheme would have gone in a completely different direction.” As for advice, Tim has one clear message: “If you choose to trust an expert, try not to interfere,” he advises. “We agreed to the design and were disciplined enough not to make changes along the way. We trusted Stephen’s vision and allowed him to guide the build to a smooth finish.”
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pl ans PROJECT COSTS
THE FLOORPLAN Opening up the front of the house means there is now a clear line of sight all the way to the garden, flooding the house with natural light and making the once cramped entrance far more inviting. The first floor now houses three large bedrooms and two bathrooms, while the new loft conversion offers a striking master suite with enviable views.
SECOND FLOOR
PRELIMINARIES £21,000 DEMOLITION AND ALTERATIONS
£25,500 EN SUITE
MASTER BEDROOM
SUBSTRUCTURE (foundation and slab)
£10,000
UPPER FLOORS £9,000 DRESSING AREA
ROOF STRUCTURE AND COVERING
£36,000 STAIRS £8,000
STORAGE
EXTERNAL WALLS AND CLADDING
£35,000 GROUND FLOOR
WINDOWS AND EXTERNAL DOORS
FIRST FLOOR
£47,000 INTERNAL DOORS £7,000 INTERNAL WALLS £13,000
GREEN ROOF
WALL FINISHES £8,000
KITCHEN DINER
FLOOR FINISHES £23,000 CEILING FINISHES £7,500 DINING ROOM BATHROOM
EN SUITE
BEDROOM
DECORATION £12,500 FITTINGS £30,000 KITCHEN £25,000
UTILITY
HALLWAY
MECHANICAL INSTALLATIONS £30,000 LIVING ROOM
ELECTRICAL INSTALLATIONS £20,000 BEDROOM
BEDROOM
DRAINAGE £9,000 EXTERNAL WORKS £11,300 VARIATIONS £18,000
WC
TOTAL £405,800
SUPPLIERS
POLISHED PLASTER Decor Tadelakt: www.tadelakt.co.uk
ARCHITECT Lendel Stephens: www.lendelstephens.com
ROOF WINDOWS
MAIN CONTRACTOR AND JOINERY
RMC Design and Build: www.rmcdesignbuild.co.uk PARTY WALL SURVEYOR ASH Chartered Building
Surveyors: www.ash-surveyors.co.uk QUANTITY SURVEYOR
The Rooflight Company: www.therooflightcompany.co.uk SASH WINDOWS
Global Doors & Windows: www.globaldoorsandwindows.com TERRAZZO BATHROOM FLOORING
Diespeker & Co: www.diespeker.co.uk
MESH Construction Consultancy: www.meshcc.com
KITCHEN deVOL: www.devolkitchens.co.uk
SLIDING GLAZED DOORS Maxlight: www.maxlight.co.uk
LIGHTING Astro Lighting: www.astrolighting.com
TIMBER FLOORING The Natural Wood Floor Company:
JOINERY AND BESPOKE STAIRCASE DESIGN
www.naturalwoodfloor.co.uk
Lendel Stephens: www.lendelstephens.com
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Extensions
£50k
for under
Adding extra space without breaking the bank can be tough; find out how these projects managed it
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A social space
With a brief for a larger kitchen and dining area that was practical for everyday use as well as for social occasions, Resi designed a rear extension that retained the country charm of the existing house, while expanding the living areas. The simple square construction fell under Permitted Development Rights to reduce overall costs while including high quality features, such as bifolding doors, a slate-clad wall and a reclaimed oak beam. Similar build projects would be estimated at £50,000.
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Opening up
IMAGES: ADAM SCOTT
Architect Lewis Bailie and his wife Preeya added a 20m2 single-storey extension to their family home in Kent but kept costs to a minimum by managing contractor contracts themselves. Although compact, the masonry-constructed addition features a pitched Siberian Larch roof which ensures the room feels spacious and practical. A flat glass link joins together the old and new sections of the house, injecting light deeper into the floorplan. The high quality finishes throughout the interiors are impressive, especially with final build costs estimated at just £40,000.
homebuilding.co.uk 75
Stepping out
IMAGES: ADAM SARAN
Side return extensions are a cost-effective way for terrace houses to gain some much needed space. Wanting to add a new bathroom and an open-plan kitchen, the owners of this London terrace ground floor flat chose Build Team to design and build their 7m2 extension to a budget of £50k.
Despite the tight budget, the homeowners were also able to include a new bathroom and underfloor heating for a luxurious finish. The new space is also now light and spacious, thanks to new rooflights and large bifold doors which lead out onto the patio to create an extra outdoor living area.
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A home renewed
Homeowners Richard and Kirsty wanted to replace their existing inefficient conservatory with a new rear extension that could incorporate a large kitchen diner. The stylish new space opens up gracefully towards the garden with bifolding doors, while the vaulted ceiling with two new rooflights in the extension creates a bright and airy atmosphere. Sentinel Design & Build were recommended by the couple’s architect and were asked not only to construct the new space to a high quality while on a limited budget but also to remove the existing pebbledash and give the original bricks a clean, resulting in a new lease of life for the house. This project cost £39,000 in 2020; current estimates for a similar project by the company would be approximately £49,500.
homebuilding.co.uk 79
The glass box
Extending a listed property can be tricky to get right, but this glass box extension makes it look easy. Designed by Eastabrook Architects, the structural glazing (supplied by IQ Glass for £34,000) injects natural light into the open-plan kitchen and adds an elegant, modern touch to the classic Cotswolds cottage. Planning permission requirements meant the original stone walls had to be left untouched so the existing openings of the
cottage were utilised. This meant that significant structural alterations were minimal. Built almost entirely of glass, the structure features large sliding doors, frameless glass walls, and an inward-opening aluminium casement door for easy access to the garden. The structural glass was also stepped over the roof structure and painted black to hide the supports and create a continuous glass box effect.
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O N - S I TE
“It was incredible how quickly the house came down” Ben and Karen Foufa are in the middle of a major renovation in south Buckinghamshire
IMAGE: DANIEL BLINKS
W
e’d moved into Beaconsfield in 2017 hoping to buy a new family home, but there was always something we wanted to change. So, with advice from Andy Stevens [project manager and HB&R contributor], we sat down and drew up what we wanted on squared paper and then got an architect to draw it up more formally. We found the house, a 1950s property, on a large plot in a sought-after street — the same one as the girls’ school. We decided to go for a renovation rather than starting again, although now we’re done very few elements of the original are left — just one wall and a room. Our builder asked why we didn’t just knock the house down, but our architect pointed out that this would put us back a year. We didn’t want any delays, especially with lockdown and the cost of materials going up, and doing it this way has meant we’ve been able to re-use some of the existing foundations. It was incredible how quickly the house came down; it probably only took a week, and the builders have been very good at reusing materials. Rather than shipping out the old rubble and bringing in new, they’ve hired a crusher and kept the rubble on site. It’s cost-effective as well. This is the first time either of us have taken on a renovation, and we’re learning as we go. If I was doing this again, I’d start earlier and think about things earlier. We are quite organised, but crunch points with knock-on effects come up much quicker than you expect. For example, choosing a window size for the back of the house could affect the entrance because of the steels and posts in the frame. Our biggest challenge has been the budget. You can always slightly upgrade, so we had to be mindful so things didn’t spiral out of control. We’ve spent a little more than we set out to, but we stayed pretty well on track; there are lots of spreadsheets! One of our best decisions was to draw a line under the planning stage and just crack on and do it. We were given a start date by our builders, so we needed to just make it happen. It’s also been great having our builder, Steve, and Andy Stevens as project manager. The project wouldn’t have got off the ground without Andy’s input. Our builder used a drone to give us aerial shots of the demolition and the foundations going in, which made a great story for our Instagram. Our girls have really enjoyed seeing what’s happening to the house.
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A D V E RT ORI A L
Modern modular houses
Quickly becoming the self-builder’s preferred approach, Baufritz explains why building its modular house designs are a great option
B
aufritz have established themselves as one of the top ecological timber framed house manufacturers in Europe. We have over a hundred years’ experience in Germany and have been in the UK for more than a decade. Our houses are constructed using natural local materials, sourced from the sustainable forests located near our manufacturing facility. These materials have been used for millennia to create alpine houses and have shown themselves to be tough and durable in a harsh environment. We have evolved a process using modern manufacturing methods to create extremely well-engineered prefabricated modules in our state-of-the-art factory. These modules can then be transported to the client site and erected in a few days. Typically, our houses can go from concept and design to completion in less than 12 months — a significant improvement on traditional construction methods. SUSTAINABLE DESIGN We believe your house should be free from the harmful chemicals which have become standard in traditional building methods. As a consequence, all of our materials are tested to ensure no harmful chemicals are present. Climate change mitigation has also placed a focus on the energy consumption of buildings. New builds must deliver
significant energy-efficiency improvements. Traditional house designs and construction methods simply cannot meet these standards. All of our houses have excellent energy-efficiency ratings and we have constructed a number of projects to the Passivhaus standard. Many clients include PV (photovoltaic) panels, solar heating and ground source heat pumps to further reduce energy consumption. You may be surprised to find out that unlike many house builders, there is no such thing as a Baufritz style house. Our approach is to design and construct houses which meet our clients’ needs. As a client you can select a shell project, where Baufritz deliver and construct the walls and roof, or decide on a full turnkey solution, where all aspects of your build are managed by our in-house teams. For more information, visit our website, www.baufritz. co.uk, email: enquiries@baufritz.co.uk or call us on 01223 235632.
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E X P E R T
A D V I CE
13 things you need to do before
starting on sıte If you’re about to take on a self-build then be sure to follow Mark Brinkley’s pre-build essential steps for project success
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Sort site services
E MARK BRINKLEY is the author of the ever popular Housebuilder’s Bible and an experienced selfbuilder. He has just finished his latest self-build
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very self-build journey is made up of many stages. Some of these will be easy to navigate, while others will be considerably more arduous, but that’s all to be expected. The trick is to know roughly what to expect and to be prepared for it at each stage, so you avoid undue stress — as much as that’s possible on a self-build project! Let’s assume you’ve purchased your plot, hired a designer or architect who’s put plans in motion, and lined up a builder who’s poised to spring into action. What can you do to make sure you’re good to go on site before building works begin? From site services and amenities to waste management, site security and health and safety, here we outline 13 things you can get organised to get ahead of the game before you break ground.
Are there facilities for people working on your site? You need running water, electricity and a toilet. On rural sites, you can get by with a static water tank, a generator for electricity and a portable loo. Subcontractors are adept at making the most of limited facilities and will happily eat in their vans, so you don’t need canteens or changing areas, but you can’t run a building site without the aforementioned basics. A preferable option is to have temporary supplies, especially for water and electricity. Both these will have to be incorporated into the finished home, so it’s sensible to get them installed at the outset. Your water supply can be connected to a standpipe, which should be located somewhere it’s not going to get in the way. Electricity requires a temporary meter box. Your supplier will be able to give you a design brief about its location and assembly.
WORK WITH THE SITE YOU INHERIT This self-build, designed by Rise Design Studio, was built on a site with a slope of16 degrees. The subcontractor didn’t realise how steep the site was, so didn’t bring the right equipment on the first day — they had to come back a week later! Clever workarounds like conveyor belts (below) were created to excavate the site as it was too steep for diggers and dump trucks.
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IMAGES: C/O RISE DESIGN STUDIO, PHOTOGRAPHER EDMUND SUMNER (TOP)
Get a builders’ merchant account
If you are running the site yourself, as many self-builders do, then you will be purchasing a lot of materials and hiring many items. Your job will be that much easier if you have trading accounts set up with key suppliers. You will also get extended credit, provided you can prove you are a good financial risk. If you have never had a trading account before, you need to introduce yourself — tell the builders’ merchant you are a self-builder who will be buying a lot of materials over the coming months and say you would like an account. Offer a bank reference as evidence of your standing. Once you have a couple of accounts set up, things will get easier as new applications can be supported by references from other suppliers. Having an account makes invoicing much easier to understand and it also makes the task of reclaiming VAT much simpler if you have trading accounts covering most purchases.
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Take out insurance
You would be very unwise to plough ahead with building a house without taking out insurance. Policies are available that are designed specifically for self-builders and cover the normal site risks. There are several key issues to address: perhaps the most important is the risk of injury to people on site, both workers (employers’ liability) and visitors (public liability). As the owner of a building site, you are responsible for the safety of everyone on site, including uninvited guests, such as children exploring the site after hours, so it is vital to have a policy in place to cover such risks. Self-build insurance also covers more typical householder risks, such as fire and theft — theft from building sites is unfortunately common. Many policies, such as Self-Build Zone’s Site Insurance policy, can be tailored to fit your own requirements, so that caravans or legal expenses can be added to the policy as needed. Self-build policies typically run for one or two years and cost between £600 and £1,000 per year.
4 6 IMAGE: C/O MOLE ARCHITECTS
If you have neighbours, be sure to contact them and let them know your plans (though they will doubtless have looked at the planning permission details already). Explain how you plan to go about building the house. Listen to their anxieties and address them where you can. Offer your phone number and let them know you’re available to talk if they have any issues. It is usually much better to talk than to send emails or texts.
SE L F- B U I L D
GOOD NEIGHBOURS With no rear or side access to the garden once this house was built (our author’s self-build), most of this home’s garden works had to be done first. Supportive neighbours allowed unrestricted access, temporarily sacrificing some of their own garden space.
It’s worth getting a warranty Warranties are a specialised form of insurance that is routinely required by mortgage lenders. A warranty is taken out once, as a one-off payment and it lasts 10 years. It involves having the plans vetted by the warranty provider, and a series of site inspections take place throughout the build process. Sometimes an inspector will insist work is redone or repaired. The cost is usually between £1,000 and £3,000. There are alternative options, notably getting an architect to oversee the work and sign it off on satisfactory completion. For more on warranties turn to page 169. Talk to your neighbours
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Investigate the Party Wall Act
Is your site close to neighbouring buildings? Are you building on a boundary? You may have to get to grips with the Party Wall Act, which is designed to smooth out potential disputes with neighbours and ensure that your works don’t damage other properties. You must give neighbours at least two months’ notice before works start, and take steps to ensure that they will not be adversely affected. You may also have to hire a Party Wall surveyor, which is likely to cost around £500. For more information, check the government’s online advice – search Party Wall Act. Different rules apply in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
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Plan to store and secure
Think out how you will store materials on site, especially if access is restricted. The early parts of building work tend to involve storing and moving large quantities of low-value materials, like sand and bricks. The crucial issue here is to get everything on site at the right time and placed where it is easy to access for bricklayers. As the job progresses, you will take delivery of high value products like joinery and bathroom fittings, making security more important. The conventional way of dealing with this is to aim for a wind and watertight date, after which it becomes possible to lock up the shell of the house overnight. It is a good idea on most sites to erect security fencing to prevent casual access. This can be hired on a weekly basis and, while it won’t stop determined thievery, it will deter casual visitors who might be tempted to pilfer. CCTV on site is also an effective deterrent.
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Work out a waste strategy
Building sites create a great deal of waste, so you need to have a strategy in place on how you are going to handle it before you start. The heavy groundworks stage usually comes with a ‘muck away’ facility included in the price but once the job moves above ground the responsibility will fall on you. The main options are to: ● Get a pick-up or small truck and use it to drive to the nearest tip that will take waste ● Hire skips. This is best done by getting an account with a skip hire firm
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Work out working hours Many planning permissions now come with a working hours condition to protect the neighbourhood from out of hours noise. Typically, this will rule out building work before 8.00 and after 18.00 on weekdays, while restricting it to mornings on Saturdays and prohibiting it altogether on Sundays and bank holidays. Ensure your workforce knows these times and sticks to them, unless you are completely confident that your neighbours are happy with weekend working.
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● Arrange grab lorries to order. These can take more than
skips, but materials in temporary piles can be blown away ● Ask your builder to remove all the waste as part of their contract (the cost will inevitably come back to you). Don’t be tempted to burn waste, and be careful of storing timber offcuts for burning on a wood stove, as they may well be treated with chemicals. When working out a waste strategy, look at how your site is to be kept clean and safe. Up to 15% of a builder’s time can be spent clearing up packaging and offcuts. If your subbies do it, you get less time from them; if you do it, you will be busy.
Organise your documents
You will be running an office while you organise your building works and good offices require systems and organisation. Most of the paperwork side of things has moved online over the past few years but even online files require a certain amount of structure. Create a filing system — most likely a selection of folders — where you can find documents that you may need to retrieve. You will need to be checking quotes, retrieving information and plans, storing invoices that are essential for VAT claims, managing insurance policies and certificates, cataloguing photos and images, and running accounts. You will also accumulate brochures, both printed and online. You’ll find that running a site diary provides an invaluable resource, especially if you are paying labour by the hour or by the day, as it can be used to check payments.
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Maintain a health and safety file
Under the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations (CDM Regs) you are required to maintain a health and safety file, and to notify the Health & Safety Executive that you have a build in progress. Most of this can be done online. Identification is handled via an F10 notice and the file can be created via the CDM Wizard app. This explains the procedures for creating a health and safety file and holds useful information about health and safety matters.
Detail delivery instructions
Often new building sites have surprising problems with deliveries. Frequently the postcode is unknown at the outset and the property has no identifying features, other than being a building site. Write brief instructions on how to find your site and identify any problems there may be in accessing it. Mention whether HGVs can turn around on site, or whether there is a narrow single track road that requires a difficult reverse to get out from. If your site is in a built-up area, help out suppliers and visitors with some parking instructions.
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Don’t forget to discharge conditions Many people think that obtaining planning permission gives a green light to construction, but it’s rarely that simple. Most planning permissions these days come with numerous conditions, so read the documents carefully. Many conditions are simply things to be aware of, like permitted working hours, but others involve completing supplementary works before the main project starts. These might include surveys, or prior approval of the materials being used, which may involve building demonstration panels.
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CREATING AN OUTDOOR SOLACE
Although thought of as one of the last jobs in a project, this month Natasha Brinsmead explains why getting the outside spaces shipshape early on eased the stress of her renovation
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lthough I realise sprucing up your garden is likely to be the last thing on your mind when getting stuck into a renovation, I am here to tell you that creating some solace outdoors can make all the difference to how you feel about living on site. In our case, it was a necessity. When we first bought our house, the outdoor spaces mirrored the indoor ones in reflecting the age of the previous owner (a 90-year-old lady) and harking back to a very different way of life. For starters, there were no driveways — the former occupant had got around everywhere on her trusty bicycle. Instead, there was a large, beautifully tended front garden with pristine flowerbeds and a neat little pathway winding its way up to the front door from a sweet bright blue gate. All this was undeniably pretty, but practical for a family with two cars and young children? Nope.
NATASHA BRINSMEAD Associate Editor Natasha has two renovation projects under her belt — and is now looking for the next challenge...
Then there was the back garden. Once again, it showed how life was once lived. This was a practical space, completely given over to providing fresh produce for its owner — there was no lawn space for kids to run about or seating area for summer barbecues. Instead the entire thing was a tangle of thorny fruit bushes laden with heavy clumps of raspberries, blackcurrants and gooseberries. Running between them were pathways of concrete crazy paving, uneven with age.
While it would have been easy to feel nostalgic at the sight of this hardworking space, we needed a garden we could spread out, play and entertain in. It broke my heart to see the manicured front garden scraped away by a mini digger in order to create a driveway, but parking way down the road and lugging bags of shopping up to the house with a toddler in tow wasn’t an option. We saved what plants we could and moved them round to the back where they have,
SPACE TO PLAY The jungle of fruit bushes is gone and the garden is now a space where both the children and us can relax — many of the plants in the border were rescued from the old front garden.
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miraculously, given my limited gardening knowledge, gone on to flourish. Parking aside, the new driveway also provided an invaluable space where skips could be positioned off the road and larger deliveries of building materials could be left. Meanwhile, in the back garden, we heaved more than 50 raspberry bushes from the ground and went to war in the gooseberry patch, emerging like human pincushions having prised the plants unceremoniously from their longtime homes. We tried planting some of them elsewhere, but the only survivor of the fruitbush massacre was the rhubarb, which even now refuses to give up. Of course what we were left with was a great big mud bath where all these bushes had once grown. As we slowly tore the house apart inside we began to feel like little more than hooligans, callously destroying the pretty cottage that we had fallen in love with and its tenderly cared-for garden. Because we were primarily focusing on getting on with the interiors, when it came to the rear garden we limited our ambitions to creating a usable space where we could sit out and the children could play safely. Pergolas, patios and artfully placed pots could all wait. With this goal firmly in mind, we turfed the mud patch, leaving a bare strip down either side of the new ‘lawn’, which we filled
with all the plants and shrubs we had rescued from the front garden — mainly cottage garden staples such as roses, honeysuckle and peonies. Elsewhere, we left things as they were, to be dealt with when the house was finished. These modest measures took a week or two at most, but the difference they made to how we felt about living on site was huge. We could take breaks from DIY to sit outside and eat lunch on the grass, the children could have friends over to play in the garden, and when it all got too much we could just storm out there and take a few deep breaths. We have since prettified the space and now have the pergola, patio and, yes, even the artfully placed pots. My advice to anyone living on site during a renovation project would be to spend a bit of time creating some outside spaces to retreat to from time to time — it really was of enormous benefit to our wellbeing and, in the case of the driveway, it made day-to-day life much, much easier.
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CREATING A DRIVEWAY Although the front garden was pretty, it was impractical — we moved plants to the back garden and created space for parking instead.
SUNNY SOLACE The garden, once a tangle of brambles, is now a place to relax and enjoy the fruits of our labour.
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Venetian plaster
D E S I G N
A great alternative to tiling, Venetian plaster is making a comeback. Here’s how to get the look
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heartofVenetian plastering is an ancienttechniquethat is enjoyingarenaissance. OftenreferredtoasItalianplaster, marbleplasterorpolishedplaster, Venetian plaster was traditionally made from fired limestone and water combined to make a fine lime putty. It has evolved over time to include marble dust and sometimes acrylic resins, too.
IMAGE: JAMES MERRELL
PRACTICAL BENEFITS
Venetianplasterisaversatilefinish withdifferenttypes–marmorino, stucco(polishedandcement)and tonachino,forexample–thatall deliveradifferentappearancewhen applied,fromahigh-endpolished marbleeffecttoamoresubtle washedstonedesign.Andthere’s noshortageofcolouroptionsand effectssothere’splentyofchoice. There is also a growing focus on biophilic design (bringing the outside in) and with Venetian plasteryoucanachievethisintwo ways:1.Byusingitonsurfaces insideandouttocreateaseamless connection,and2.Choosingtohave thefinishlookandfeelearthywith pitted,slightlyrougherdetails,fora morenaturallook. Another benefit of Venetian plaster is how durable and low maintenance it is. It’s almost as flexible as paint in terms of upkeep and application. Years ago it was a lot harder to repair and you often had to replaster the whole wall, but now you can repair a small mark or blemish by fixing in situ.
ANDY STEVENS Is an awardwinning builder, broadcaster, and host of building podcast Build:It
WHAT ARE THE COSTS?
Comparedtotraditionalmultifinishplasteringandthenpainting orspraying,Venetianplasterdoes costalotmoremoney.Depending onthecolouroftheplasterused,the typeandthequantity,thematerials canbeanythingfrom£5to£20/m, withapplicationcostingup to £150/m. This is mainly down to the fact that it is lime-based plaster. There is also a specialist primer you have to use and then a wax to finish. You also have to use a smaller trowel than one you’d use to apply traditional multi-finish plaster so it takes a lot longer.
HOW IS IT APPLIED?
Using a special spatula or trowel, Venetian plaster is applied in a few (usually three) thin layers fairly loosely, not in straight lines like a multi-finish plaster. This technique provides depth as the swirls created provide a fluid effect
BLUE HUES Textured Venetian plastering provides a durable and lowmaintenance finish in this bathroom, as well as a nod to its coastal location.
rather than a flat, rigid surface finish. Once you have applied the layers, you finish with a wax coat, then polish it, which gives it a beautiful finish.
SPECIALIST VS DIY
Applying Venetian plaster is a skilled job and there are many reputable companies who specialise in it, so it’s worth doing your research. If you’re a competent DIYer, want to save on costs and are keen to learn then, like any trade, you can go on a course. Search online and there are plenty to choose from, like Décor Effects Ltd based in Bury (www. decoreffectsltd.co.uk); the course provider John Boyle has over 40 years’ experience in this art. Ideally, you need to learn on a job site as well. Do bear in mind that this isn’t a cheap material so if you get it wrong it will cost a bit to replace all the materials.
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ALIWOOD’S RECTANGLE Made using sustainable Redwood timber and low VOC paint (two internal and six external choices are available), this roof lantern also uses highly insulated, toughened glass with a low E coating. Price on application.
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JUST ROOF LANTERNS’ CANTERBURY Designed to suit period homes, but with the efficiency of contemporary design, this aluminium roof lantern features self-cleaning, dual-sealed double glazing and can be specified in dual colours. Standard sizes available, starting at around £950.
ROO F LANTERN S Bring extra light into your home
KORNICHE’S ROOF LANTERN This roof lantern has a slimline aluminium design, a highly insulating T-bar and can be specified to any RAL colour for a truly unique look. Plus, complete roofs can have U values from 1.2W/m2K. Price on application.
KEYLITE’S ROOF LANTERN With 60% solar heat reflection and a U value of 1.2W/m2K, this thermally broken aluminium lantern offers a traditional timber look as well as the security of modern design. While bespoke options are available, standard sizes are from £1,395.76.
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W I S D O M
HOW TO HIRE TRADES T
BOB BRANSCOMBE Bob is a chartered surveyor with 30 years’ experience running residential and commercial projects
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here is a (not altogether unfounded) perception that finding people to work on your project is challenging and almost always fraught with disappointment. While it’s not true in most cases, there does remain some stigma and wariness in this area, and it’s not always an easy situation to get right.
Getting a quote
Even once you have made contact, getting a quote presents a challenge. Often you end up with a vague or inaccurate estimate, and the price you pay is seldom the price you thought you had agreed. Sounds familiar? This is nearly always due to the quality of the information provided by you. Keep in mind that while some unscrupulous individuals do exist, bona fide tradespeople make a lot more money turning up and doing a job than they do seeking claims and bogus costs. The quicker they are done and onto the next job, the better for
them. Therefore, they want to know exactly what is required prior to pricing any work — what you want doing, how extensive it is and what standard you want it doing to. Provide a scope of works document – a schedule of the work – either room by room or task by task. Provide as much information on what you are expecting as possible. This can include drawings, pictures of finishes, samples or data sheets of specific products such as radiators or skirting types, as well as an approximate idea of when you require the work carrying out. The tradesperson can then understand the full scope of what you’re asking for, and with no assumptions or guesses they can go ahead and prepare a proper estimate. Do not be afraid to query the quote to make sure you understand what you are buying. Remember that this ‘pre-contract’ period is there to enable you both to fully understand and agree to the terms and requirements of the tasks
being quoted for. The key here is to appreciate that the accuracy and reliability of the quote will be entirely dependent on the accuracy and reliability of the information provided. Equally, you need to think about things from the trade’s perspective. We all want to think we are important to everyone else, but at this stage you are just another potential client to the tradesperson. They will be assessing you and your scheme to see if they want your work over someone else’s (we are in a market where there is nearly always demand!). If your information is ambiguous, or generic they will look at it, judge it a risk, and pass you by. Getting people to work for you is about making your scheme more attractive than the next. It’s not about passing out mugs of tea; it’s about having a scheme prospective workers know they’ll be able to turn up to, work on, and get paid for efficiently, promptly and in a costeffective way.
MAIN IMAGE: ANDREW SYDENHAM; WYLE COP ROOFING
Looking for the right people for your project, but not sure where to start? Bob Branscombe explains how to get accurate quotes and get the best from tradespeople
The strongest motivator to get a job done efficiently is to have a fixed cap on the money. If the works can be done in two days for £1,000, why on earth would they take seven days? The main challenge in getting things done quickly is when you have appointed a tradesperson on a ‘day rate’ or similar — there’s a lot less motivation to be speedy when they get more money for taking longer. Day rates negate any planning, cost forecasting or control you may have, and should therefore be avoided. They are only useful if the work cannot be defined or planned; while this might be the case on some renovations, this is not so for new builds. Usually, day rates are only used where neither trade nor self-builder have done enough preparation prior to the former procuring the work! A fixed price arrangement is also helpful in getting people to turn up. Bear with me here. The type of professionals who are comfortable and confident in working to a fixed price are also likely to be good at managing themselves, their work production rate, and their internal cost basis. This would give a sense that they are also expecting the same of their clients, and of the project as a whole. If they are managing their costs with your scheme, you can bet they are also managing the time, as they will have another scheme to go onto after you, and that will have been booked and programmed. This is a strong motivator for them to do the work they planned in the time planned for it. Try to procure from people who are professional in their approach to the fixed cost and programme aspect of construction, and they will reward you by taking a professional approach and delivering a quality product.
Clear communication
As with all aspects of self-build, communication is key. Text message and email are not
effective ways of chasing or confirming things with people in the first instance — face to face, or at worst, telephone, is the way forward here. You want to get some personal commitment from the people you employ and we all tend to react more positively to people we have met in person, rather than via an email. Get that personal contact, and you will get a more personal service. Bear in mind as well that things do go wrong — our personal lives interfere with our work on occasion or existing jobs unexpectedly run over, and sometimes this is unavoidable. The trick here is to remain reasonable, and try to get a commitment that is realistic and firm, rather than open-ended. It is better to rebook for a few days’ time than rely on platitudes and commitments to ‘get there as soon
as possible’. For peace of mind, a booked date is better for planning, and a lot less stressful. If the tradesperson doesn’t turn up at all, and you have to make alternative arrangements, be sure to ‘determine’ your previous contract — that is, notify the person that they are no longer required to avoid them arriving later, finding out they are not wanted, and sending you a bill for wasted time! Note that if they have already carried out any work, as unpleasant as you may find it, you should pay for that work as long as it’s done correctly and to specification. Keep in mind that trust is needed on both sides of any contract, and you need to remember that we are all human. Keep firm, negotiate strongly, but also recognise that plans sometimes go awry.
TRADE COSTS
REGION TRADE & COST
SkiphireUK collected data on the average cost (based on day rate) of hiring builders, plumbers and electricians across the UK. Here are the results…
NORTHERN IRELAND BUILDER £131 PLUMBER £200 ELECTRICIAN £162
WEST MIDLANDS BUILDER £198 PLUMBER £244 ELECTRICIAN £219
WALES BUILDER £178 PLUMBER £357 ELECTRICIAN £223 SOUTH WEST BUILDER £211 PLUMBER £268 ELECTRICIAN £234
SCOTLAND BUILDER £216 PLUMBER £259 ELECTRICIAN £251
NORTH EAST BUILDER £205 PLUMBER £245 ELECTRICIAN £214
YORKSHIRE AND THE HUMBER BUILDER £199 PLUMBER £221 ELECTRICIAN £219
EAST MIDLANDS BUILDER £194 PLUMBER £232 ELECTRICIAN £210 NORTH WEST BUILDER £194 PLUMBER £229 ELECTRICIAN £215
EAST OF ENGLAND BUILDER £218 PLUMBER £263 ELECTRICIAN £242
SOUTH EAST BUILDER £220 PLUMBER £261 ELECTRICIAN £245
LONDON BUILDER £215 PLUMBER £279 ELECTRICIAN £266
IMAGE: GETTY
Fixed price agreements are key
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Internal doors don’t only perform a practical function — the impact they have on your home’s look and style is huge too. Our guide will make selecting your perfect doors a breeze
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INDUSTRIAL CHIC The Chelsea 4 Pane Black Primed Absolute Evokit Single Pocket Door with reeded glass, available from Direct Doors from £1,007.93.
CREDIT: LEADER DOORS WWW.LEADERDOORS.CO.UK
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onsidering that interior doors are constantly used, touched and seen up close, and that they appear in pretty much every single room of the house, it is surprising how many people fail to give enough thought to choosing the right ones for their homes. Even casting the matter of aesthetics aside, internal doors are still crucial to home design — their size, material and ability to increase a sense of space all need to be carefully considered to ensure your doors really do your home justice. Unfortunately, it’s too often common for a poorly chosen style or material of interior doors to let down an otherwise great home — clashing with other finishes, blocking light, appearing out of proportion or looking out of place in a period property. Our guide to choosing internal doors covers what you need to know to ensure you select the perfect products for your home, style and budget.
WHERE TO START?
There are a few questions to ask yourself when starting the process of choosing internal doors. These include: ● How many doors do I need? ● Which rooms are they for? ● What size are the door openings? ● What special requirements do I have? These might include wheelchair access, the need for more natural light, a lack of space for standard doors or irregular sized door openings
● Do I need fire doors?
● Should I opt for doorsets or simply door leafs?
(See overleaf for more detail on this.) The answers to these questions should help you get a rough idea of the quantity and type of doors you will need and whether you can buy off-the-shelf products or need to go down the bespoke route. With this in mind you can go on to work out how much they are likely to cost, and where might be a good source to buy them.
INTERNAL DOOR SIZES
There are several standard sizes that doors come supplied in, although it is also quite possible to get bespoke doors custom-made to fit your home. It’s worth bearing in mind the standard door measurements in the UK, which are as follows: ● 1981mm x 762mm x 35mm ● Widths between 610-686mm are also available for doorways in restricted spaces, though going below 750mm should be avoided where possible ● Where wheelchair access is needed a width of 838mm is required ● Standard fire doors tend to come in the same height and width, but with a thickness of 45mm as opposed to 35mm When measuring up for new doors, measure three points both widthways and lengthways within the lined opening, using the widest and highest points to determine what size of door you will need. You might find, if buying off-the-shelf, that your doors
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CONTEMPORARY OPTIONS Above: The Raw internal doorset in American Black Walnut (£2,482) here, from Urban Front, looks great combined with the Sorrento Front pivot doorset in Fumed Oak; Above right: The Internal White Primed Cottage Door from Leader Doors. £129.
will need trimming to fit, so be sure to choose a door that is suitable for this — some cheaper, hollow core doors, for example, will not be.
WHAT IS A DOORSET?
You have two ways of buying interior doors. When you see an interior door sold as a ‘doorset’, it means that it comes pre-hung in a door frame (or lining, as they are more commonly called in the case of internal doors). In most cases, they’ll also be complete with all the hardware you need. Doorsets are more expensive, but installation tends to be quicker compared to purchasing and putting in the elements separately. If you already have a lining or plan on using an existing door frame, you can buy a single door or door ‘leaf’ instead. These are also sometimes referred to as ‘slab doors’. If you are buying all the elements separately, you can buy flat packed door linings, usually supplied in three pieces (two upright sections and one overhead). These are designed to be trimmed down to fit your opening.
WHICH INTERIOR DOORS WILL SUIT MY HOUSE?
While it is important to think about the overall style of your house when choosing doors, there are other factors to take into account too. Flush, fully-glazed, sliding and bifold doors are all great choices for those aiming for contemporary appeal. Panelled, barn-style and ledge and brace doors in timber finishes are brilliant for period homes. Crittall-style industrial looking doors tend to suit both well.
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However, you also need to think about how your doors will sit alongside your furniture and flooring. Will timber doors with a solid walnut veneer go well with your walnut floors, or could the effect be a bit too… walnut? Avoid giving your home the ‘too-much-timber’ look by opting for painted or glazed doors, or those with metal frames, where you have wooden floors. Consider the scheme as a whole, taking into account natural light levels too — dark solid doors will do nothing for a house lacking in natural light, where painted doors in white or a light colour or glazed would be a wiser choice.
SOLID OR HOLLOW CORE?
Internal doors tend to be either solid, engineered or hollow in the way they are constructed. Solid doors, as the name suggests, are made of solid material, usually timber. They look great but are prone to warping or cracking over time. Hollow core doors are cheaper, but less sturdy, usually featuring a cardboard honeycomb or polystyrene core, faced with a timber veneer, PVCu or moulded MDF skin. Engineered timber core doors are made up of many layers of timber fixed together in different directions meaning they are unlikely to twist or warp. Solid doors and engineered doors offer better sound and thermal insulation than hollow core.
INTERNAL DOOR MATERIALS
The internal door material you choose should be based on the look you are trying to achieve within your interior scheme, as well as your budget.
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While practicalities are important, for many people their choice of doors ultimately comes down to style — how are your
doors going to look in your home? There is a door style out there to suit all kinds of homes and needs, including:
PANELLED A popular style featuring anything from a single panel up to multiple panels, although two and four panel doors (as above, JB Kind) are a good choice to create a traditional look. Panels can be solid or glazed. From £117.
GLAZED Glazed doors are ideal for those who want to ensure their home is full of light — doors can be fully glazed or feature just small glazed sections and glass can be clear or opaque. Metro doors from JB Kind cost from £355.75.
SLIDING Sliding doors can glide along a wall on a track (as here with Internal Double Easi-Glide Door Frame & Hardware Kit from Leader Doors, £274) or, as with pocket doors, disappear into a void created within the wall.
BIFOLD Short on space? Bifold doors are not just for patios, as these doors from Origin show. They stack up, concertina style, to save on space and can be solid or glazed. Origin’s OB-72 doors cost between £1,200-£1,500 per sash.
DOUBLE DOORS A popular way to fill larger openings and available in many different styles — space for both doors to be fully opened will be required.
FLUSH These pocket doors, the Pintado from Direct Doors, feature no panels or decoration. They are flat-fronted and can be architrave free — great for a modern look. £492.66.
BOTTOM LEFT IMAGE: ANDREW HATFIELD
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TIMBER DOORS
This is an obvious choice for owners of period properties, where the warmth and character of wood is hard to beat. There are many timbers to choose from, including softwoods such as pine and hardwoods such as oak. Softwoods will be cheaper but will require priming and painting or waxing, oiling or lacquering in order to protect them. If you are worried about movement, opting for an engineered timber as opposed to solid is a good idea. METAL DOORS
Great for those after an industrial look, metal framed internal doors often evoke the vibes of the original Crittall windows and are, like external Belgian doors, very popular at the moment. Glazed aluminium internal doors are a great alternative to solid metal doors, which can look overly sterile. PVCu DOORS
PVCu hollow core doors are easy to wipe down and clean, and are lightweight, meaning they are easy to fit on a DIY basis. They come in both solid and glazed designs. While they are low maintenance, they do not offer the same durability as some other types of door and can lack character. You should also take care if you plan on trimming them to fit — not all will be suitable. MDF DOORS
Wood fibre or MDF is often used for moulded doors. These are a really good option for those on a tight budget and can be hollow or solid core. They come in various designs and can be primed, painted or left in their raw state for DIY finishing. Some come with a convincing woodgrain finish.
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HOW MUCH TO BUDGET
It is impossible to give a fixed price for an internal door as what you end up paying will depend on the material, style and size of the doors, as well as whether they are standard or bespoke. Single moulded door leaves (not part of a doorset) can be picked up from around £30 but this price can easily rise to £200 per leaf, not to mention the cost of door furniture. Complete doorsets start at around £100 rising to well into the thousands.
DOORS FOR PERIOD HOMES
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ADDING CHARACTER The right doors can make or break the interior of your home. In this new oak framed house by Border Oak, the simple doors with classic thumb latch handles are spot on.
If your original doors are missing and you want to remain authentic to the era in which your home was built, you should find a good choice of suitable doors by scouring salvage yards and by keeping an eye out for auctions. If you do decide to buy a reclaimed original door check it over — sometimes the door dipping or stripping carried out to remove old paint will have caused damage. Check for cracks, rot and signs of warping, too.
WHEN TO BUY FIRE DOORS
Fire doors are constructed in such a way as to delay fire from spreading between different areas of the home when closed. Building Regulations state when and where fire doors are required and if you are carrying out a loft or garage conversion or are the owner of a home with more than two storeys, you may well require fire doors. It is worth noting that ironmongery such as hinges and locks must all be CE marked and fire protected too. When it comes to fitting a fire door, call in a professional rather than trying to do it yourself.
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WHEN ARE INTERNAL DOORS FITTED?
Some suppliers offer a fitting service, for which there will usually be an additional charge. When fitting standard doors into standard-sized openings using a doorset kit, some people choose to hang them on a DIY basis. This tends to be easier with lightweight softwood doors, moulded designs or PVCu — glazed and hardwood doors, along with bifolds, sliders and pocket doors, really need the experience of a professional. Another way to get your doors fitted is to ask your joiner. A skilled joiner will also be able to make doors for you or to point you in the direction of a trusted supplier.
DO OR
No door is complete without door furniture, by which we mean handles and knobs and, if you need them, locks, too. Both doorknobs and handles can suit contemporary and traditional-style doors — it is more the finish and design that
DECORATIVE The Liberty door lever from Covet House, is made from polished brass and would inject a touch of glamour to your interiors. Price on application
MODERN BRASS Simple and contemporary yet eye-catching thanks to the solid brass finish, these levers are from Plank Hardware. £84.95
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WHO WILL FIT DOORS?
While the fitting of internal doors, and often their linings too, is often left until last during a renovation or self-build project to avoid them becoming damaged, this most definitely doesn’t mean they should not be planned in and chosen from the off. Your doorway sizes, the number of doors, and any special requirements all need to be decided on well in advance to avoid delays or disruption. This is particularly important in the case of pocket doors, where a cassette within the wall will need to be fitted, and with sliding and bifold doors where tracks will need to be taken into consideration.
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STYLES TO SUIT Left: JB Kind’s Tigris Cinza laminate door with with dark grey coloured wood effect. £270.06; Right: Barn-style door from Direct Doors. From £177.91.
FUR N I TU RE ? will dictate the overall look. Brass handles on a backplate, for example, suit classic doors, while brushed metal knobs in a simple, fuss-free design look great on contemporary-style doors. Take a look at our favourite five…
SUBTLE STYLE The Hirst interior handle from Dowsing and Reynolds is made from solid zinc and comes with a matching thumb lock. £99.99
ANTIQUE STYLE This round mortice door knob in natural antique brass is from Cox & Cox and would be perfect for renovation projects with its classic design. £29.25
BLOW THE BUDGET While this is not is a handle for those on a budget, Pullcast’s Skyline certainly makes a statement with its iconic, eyecatching design. £337.59
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Building for the future
Increasingly favoured by architects and self-builders for its speed, build quality and energy efficiency, the structural timber route is here to stay
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hoosing your build route is an important decision — up there with choosing the right plot and making design choices. Here, the Structural Timber Association guides you through the design, project planning and building stages of building with structural timber. DESIGN OPTIONS Structural timber frames, whether SIPs, glulam, CLT or timber frame, lend themselves beautifully to extensions and self-builds, across the full range of design and cladding options. Whether you’re keen on dramatic double height walls, curved structures (glulam and CLT score highly here) or more traditional designs, this build route will deliver. And with the slim profile of the timber frame, it’s ideal for smaller projects where every millimetre counts. Timber frame can even be used on restricted sites where access is tight, as everything is manufactured bespoke and the panels can be designed to suit. There is far less disruption for the neighbours because of the overall speed benefit. Be aware, though, if your site is quite tight, a prefab timber frame may not be for you, as it may be difficult or expensive (or both) to bring the frame onto site.
CHOOSING THE RIGHT SUPPLIER We recommend that any structural timber supplier on your shortlist is accredited via our STA Assure Scheme, as all our members must meet or exceed current legislation and requirements. It’s then up to you to decide whether you want to commission a full turnkey project or take a more hands-on approach where you fit out the shell yourself. Finding a mortgage and insurance for your structural timber project should be straightforward, too, as selfbuild and high street mortgage lenders consider this a mainstream build route and will happily lend on it. BUILDING BEGINS Now you can really start to reap the benefits of off-site manufacture. You won’t find the project held up by bad weather or unexpected problems with tolerances or specifications, as the frame of your home or extension is precision-manufactured under factory conditions. Once fabricated, the frame of your new home will be assembled on site within days — and your moving-in date is in sight! To find a member of our STA Assure Scheme in your area, visit www.structuraltimber.co.uk.
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HOW TO SAVE ON YOUR BUILD These tips for repurposing old materials will not only help you reduce your build costs, but will be kinder on the environment into the bargain ANDY STEVENS Andy is an award-winning builder (www. eclipseproperty consultants. co.uk), broadcaster, and host of building podcast Build:It.
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e all love saving money, and you can save a significant amount on your build by thinking outside the box. There are many ways to keep your spending down; many of them involve shopping around and being savvy about what you buy, but without a doubt, the first thing you should concentrate on is saving materials at the demolition stage. Waste disposal costs like skips and grab lorries can run into the thousands. By planning to repurpose as much ‘waste’ as possible you can save money twice over: once on getting it taken away, and again on the materials you would otherwise have to buy
in. You don’t even always have to repurpose materials; you can often save money on your build by simply reusing them. You can sell them, too. A simple check online to see the value of something or a chat with one of your trades could pay dividends. A fringe benefit of this, of course, is that you’ll be reducing the environmental impact of your build. Here are some examples:
old Bricks Nice bricks can be reused to preserve some of the character of an old property, but even ones you’re not keen on, as long as they’re clean, can be used as
hardcore in your oversite. Old paving slabs, broken up concrete and even crazy paving can also be used this way. Concrete blocks are good for this too (but not thermalite ones — they are not strong enough). All you need to do with these materials is break them up, which you can do with a normal hammer. Not having to order and pay for hardcore (whether type 1 or cheaper scalpings), then move them to where you need it is a boon. Think ahead; if you’re going to want a shed, office or patio, you can keep some hardcore aside for the base. You’ll be surprised how much you save, not just in materials, but in labour as well.
Roof raising funds Your roof is full of hidden gems. I personally love reusing old ridge tiles, roof tiles and bonnets as they look a lot better than bright, shiny new ones, but even if you’re set on a brand new roof these elements are worth reclaiming, as you can sell them for good money, especially if you have a
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good quantity of them. The broken ones can go in your homemade hardcore with everything else. Rafters can be reused as well — they’re ideal for building temporary stud partitions and the like. Timber is not cheap, especially in the aftermath of Covid and Brexit, so try to get your hands on a planer thicknesser, then run the rafters through it. Make sure you’ve taken out all the old nails and screws first though!
Feature floorboards
A lot of old floors provide their own golden opportunities to reuse or sell materials. Victorian floorboards can easily fetch £35/m2, and parquet flooring is popular too, so it doesn’t take long to earn cash selling these! On the other hand, people are willing to pay handsomely for good reason, so think about whether you’d like to reuse these materials before passing them on. If you decide to reuse them, these floors can be restored to beautiful condition by the right professional. It’s also possible to get creative. They could
paper-thin ones of the ’70s and ’80s are pretty much worthless. In any case take a quick look before throwing any doors out. You’ll be surprised how much a good decorator can do to renovate a door you’d be forgiven for thinking is beyond repair; a two-minute chat with them could mean reusing your existing doors rather than having to buy new! Door furniture can be worth a surprising amount, too. A renovation I worked on some time ago featured a number of old Art Deco-style door handles. After a bit of research, I discovered they were being sold for £80 a piece. The moral is that what may look like rubbish could be treasure hidden in plain sight. It doesn’t take long to check, and remember, every time you sell or reuse something, you haven’t had to put it in a skip.
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4 MATERIALS REPURPOSED
Save on skip hire by repurposing materials in your renovation
RE-KINDLING OLD WOOD Old lathes can be used for kindling — so long as you’ve made sure they’re clean.
Fuel for thought
If you’re taking down any lathe and plaster ceilings and walls, separate the lathes and bag them up. They’re hundreds of years old and couldn’t be drier, and so they make incredible kindling for a fire. You don’t typically need
CHARACTERFUL BRICKS These old London stock bricks can be reused or sold on (for as much £1.40 each!).
What looks like rubbish could be treasure hidden in plain sight. It doesn’t take long to check, and every time you sell or reuse something, you haven’t had to put it in a skip become part of a feature wall, staging for your greenhouse, or even a table.
Cash in the kitchen
Recycled kitchens are a growing trend, and kitchen carcasses can be reused. Decent carcasses can be given a new lease on life with a new set of doors, either from an online supplier or DIY shed, or a local carpenter, who will be able to make them up in any style, design or colour. The kitchen sink may even clean up enough to start a second life as your utility sink.
The door to riches
Victorian and Edwardian doors fetch good money, but the
fire lighters; just take some old newspaper, cover it in the lathes, and with the touch of a match — whoosh, you have a fire. Before you get carried away burning rafters, skirting boards or the like on an open fire though, make sure there is no lead paint present and the timbers have not been chemically treated. All in all, I hope it’s clear that there’s a cornucopia of riches built into even the most dilapidated old houses. Not everything can be sold or reused, but if in doubt, check it out! Once you get used to the idea that a lot of things are still useable somewhere, a lot of your problems with waste disposal will turn into opportunities.
HARDCORE Clean bricks that offer no aesthetic value can be crushed to create hardcore.
REPURPOSING OLD FLOORS If old floorboards can’t be saved then they can be upcycled in creative ways.
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ome office
Dedicated room or nook under the stairs, find out how to plan and create a functional, practical and inspiring home office with whatever space you have
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WORDS: MICHELLE GUY; IMAGE: IKEA
ith home working looking like it’s here to stay, it’s more than likely got most of us thinking about setting up a dedicated home office or area for home working. Before you start planning your home office, start by thinking about your typical working day and your working style (do you mind noise?), as well as who you share your home with. Once you’ve pondered these questions you’ll have a better idea of where to locate a space to work. If you’re building a new home or remodelling then you can plan in a home office at the design stage. If you’re working with the existing floorplan think about siting a work area in an otherwise redundant space or define a spot in a multifunctional room. Whether you turn a room into an office, adapt a nook under the stairs or carve out space in an open-plan living area, there are a few key things to consider. Lighting, electrics and heating are all areas to think about. As is a good broadband connection, and a comfy chair! Follow our tips to start planning your own home office.
LIGHTING If you can set up an office in a space with a window, evaluate the amount of natural light that comes in. If it’s too bright then it can be an unpleasant place to work and of course there’s the potential of screen glare, so you’ll want to invest in appropriate window treatments to adjust the light throughout the day. Good artificial lighting is key too. “Ensure fittings are positioned so that you’re not working in your own shadow. Use low glare LED downlights, for example, to cross light over the work space,” advises Luke Thomas, design director of John Cullen Lighting. HEATING When it comes to heating, installing smart radiator valves so that you can control which rooms you heat at any one time can be worthwhile. If you’re building a new home, underfloor heating will help minimise draughts and cold spots, perfect for a home office. ELECTRICS If you’re self-building or remodelling then you might want to think about sockets and where you want your desk from the off. Adding new sockets to an existing circuit would require a Minor Works certificate and if the electrical work involves a new circuit or a new consumer unit, or if the work is carried out in a new dwelling, then you’d need an Electrical Installation Certificate.
ERGONOMICS It’s important to pick the right chair, desk and screen to make sure you’re working comfortably and minimising back problems and repetitive strain injury, for example. Pick the best you can for your budget, particularly if you work from home for the majority of the week. Also factor in storage if your work involves files and other paper-based items. INFRASTRUCTURE AND BROADBAND “Technology changes rapidly and high tech infrastructure and wiring today is often obsolete or outdated within a few years. Most of us just need lots of double sockets and the correct Wi-Fi connection. But if there’s more than one of you working from home a wired ethernet, Wi-Fi and/or Cat 6 wiring with Wi-Fi extenders, for example, can offer lots of flexibility,” says Merry Albright from Border Oak. A DEDICATED SPACE The key to creating a comfortable and practical environment to work in will be down to where your office is located. It’s got to fit with you, your home and who you share it with, so talk through ideas to establish what will work best for everyone. “Whether you like to be in intimate
spaces which are closed off or you look for a sense of openness and connection between areas in your home, think about what kind of space you work best in and then make whatever adjustments are possible to make it work well for you,” advises Nimi Attanayake, from nimtim architects.
OFFICE SETUP A purposeful office space, with plenty of storage (IKEA units shown) and light, can make an ideal spot to work.
Find out more about soundproofing measures for your home office at www. homebuilding. co.uk (search for ‘soundproofing’)
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LESSONS LEARNED ON SITE
Taking on courses or attending lectures can be invaluable in providing the necessary knowledge before starting a project — find out how it helped these homebuilders
WORDS: AMY REEVES
A BEGINNER’S INTRODUCTION
Bob and Mary Williams attended a course so they could better understand the self-build process Building a home can be daunting. With so much money on the line, finding a plot, working on the design and choosing the many products and materials required is enough to make anyone’s head hurt. Firsttime self-builders Bob and Mary Williams, who found a bungalow plot that was perfect for their new home, used an introductory course at Potton’s Self Build
Academy to get up to speed on the build process, planning permission and working with trades. The course gave the couple the confidence to adapt their site’s existing planning permission, which was for a contemporary home that would have been out of character for the area. After working with Potton using their ‘Ideas Book’, they reapplied with a design suited to the vernacular. After a successful project, both Bob and Mary would highly recommend the course for anyone considering a self-build.
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IMAGES: SIMON MAXWELL
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BRIGHT IDEAS
LIGHTING MASTERCLASS Georgia’s kitchen extension combines recessed spotlights (in a functional grid) with pendants, LED unit strips and adjustable spotlights.
A lighting design workshop gave Georgia Blundell the tools she needed to redesign her renovation and extension plans “Originally we had a lighting designer who helped us with the kitchen plan so we asked her to help us with the rest of the house. When the drawings came back I was really disappointed because I thought lighting design was supposed to be unique, whereas it was all just spotlights in a grid,” explains Georgia, who also acted as designer and chartered surveyor on the project. Despite her reservations, the design was implemented in the snug and playroom, but she decided to pause mid-way through and begin again, this time taking the lead herself. “I started researching lighting and happened upon John Cullen Lighting in Chelsea,” she explains. “They do product evenings with lighting design instruction, which was really helpful because they demonstrated how different lights work, the effectiveness of it, colour temperature, wattage. I took an awful lot away from that.” From this experience Georgia began speaking directly with different manufacturers about how to get the most out of bulbs, lights, switches and drivers. “It gave me the confidence to question electricians and suppliers on combinations to avoid the strange humming you can get. It also made me prioritise how easily each element could be replaced down the line.” She successfully redesigned the plans for the house, confirming the technical aspects with manufacturers.
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PHOTOGRAPHER ALISTAIR NICHOLLS
PASSIVHAUS PLANNING
Chartered surveyor Richard Clayson designed an EnerPhit barn conversion – only the seventh in the country at the time – after attending a course to become Passivhaus certified “I knew about Passivhaus through my work but before I started my own barn conversion I went to the BRE Academy to do their Passivhaus training — it was five solid days and an exam at the end of it,” begins Richard. “Unfortunately I failed the exam the first time around – it was by far the most difficult exam I have ever experienced – but it gave me the knowledge I needed to begin considering airtightness, insulation, ventilation systems and so on in terms of the building.” The barns were a blank canvas, with only the bare minimum in terms of electricity supply, so Richard used the Passivhaus Planning Package (PHPP) to design a ‘house-within-a-house’. The central idea of the scheme was the construction of a highly insulated timber frame inside the barns. “The timber frame interior shell had to be built in a way that allowed insulation to be added to corners in a particular way,” he says. “The PHPP is incredibly detailed but adaptable. With retrofits it shows if you spend a bit more on insulation in the short term what the longterm savings will be.
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A UNIQUE HOME Richard now lives in his barn conversion with his partner, Lucy (left). The project was completed in just nine months with Richard also acting as project manager.
“While it might not be useful for everyone to go the whole hog, doing a course or rigorous research is a great plan to get an idea of the principles — there is definitely a learning curve of what is involved.” A year after the build was completed Richard tried for the second time to become a Passivhaus consultant, through a different course, which he happily passed. He is now certified and has his first consultancy on a retrofit arranged. “I’ve also got a new extension plan for this house, which will also feature the Passivhaus principles.”
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GOING GREEN-FINGERED
SMART DESIGN Helen admits that now the landscaping is complete she has officially caught the gardening bug but thanks to her plan to crowd the beds, she doesn’t spend all of her time fighting off weeds.
Helen Day attended a flexible online landscaping course while living on site to learn how to start a garden from scratch “When we moved onto the site while our self-build was taking place there was nothing here apart from trees around the outside,” explains Helen Day, who built an oak frame home with her husband, Vic. Due to contamination, the whole site’s soil had to be replaced and relevelled before groundworks so the couple started from scratch with a blank plot. “I had no clue where to begin. I thought while we were stuck in a caravan during the build I would do a course so I would be ready for when the house was finished.” Helen found Successful Garden Design who offer a range of courses depending on the requirements of the garden. “It went through everything from measuring your plot to landscaping and planting — it really covered everything. Plus, you can dip in and out of the modules so I could take as long as I wanted. “We did everything ourselves,” says Helen. “Luckily Vic is a builder so he did all the hard landscaping – the patios and the paths – while I sketched out what I wanted it to look like. Doing the course made everything so much simpler.” To match the traditional-style home, Helen planned a cottage garden with dedicated wildlife-friendly areas to support the large pond nearby, keeping the spaces duck-friendly as they spend a lot of time visiting the garden. “We have only been here four years and it looks like a really established garden.”
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AD V I CE
HOW TO FIND A PLOT PART THIRTEEN:
BUYING LAND AT AUCTION
The excitement, the tension, the bang of the gavel… here’s how to buy land at auction without regrets
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ver the previous month, we’ve covered the essentials of how to identify, appraise and value a building plot. I now think it’s worth revisiting one of the most common ways to buy land: at auction. Auctions are scary places, especially for those who aren’t familiar with them. This isn’t surprising given the amount of cash involved and the nature of the bidding process, where the fall of the hammer is final. That said, buying at auction shouldn’t actually be a frightening process, provided you do thorough research (which reinforces what I’ve been talking about for the past couple of months) and you leave your emotions at the door. So, let’s dive in by exploring why auctions are such popular sources of land, and outline what you must do to buy successfully at auction.
Why is land often sold at auction? When property is sold at auction, it’s tempting to think that it must have problems that prevent it being sold elsewhere. While
there is some truth to this idea, when it comes to building plots you should remember that all land is second hand and has a history that will inevitably throw up a challenge or two. Auctions aren’t the exclusive outlet for problem plots, and you shouldn’t be any more or less guarded when buying land at auction than you are when you go through an estate agent or other means. Auctions are a popular route for selling land because of the complexity of determining its value by other means. As I explained last month, a plot’s value will depend upon many factors, including the home it has the potential to support, exceptional costs, and what type of developer you are (a self-builder or a developer looking to build for profit?). From a seller’s point of view, auctions, where buyers compete against each other, are a great valuation tool as the bidding process pushes up the price. Landowners therefore find this route attractive as it both competitively values the land and offers a reliable and quick route to a completed sale.
Preparing to buy land at auction
MARK STEVENSON has worked in construction for 30 years and is Potton’s managing director
An auction plot may have planning consent or be offered with ‘planning potential’, but that doesn’t mean you can buy it without any further investigation. Words and phrases like ‘potential’ and ‘subject to consent’ are signposts for caution, so don’t get sucked in by positive rhetoric. Successfully buying at auction requires thorough preparation to steer clear of nasty surprises. (See overleaf for a quick list of tips.)
Know the process To prepare for buying a plot at auction, it’s a good idea to attend a few first to feel the vibe of the auction room and experience what happens first hand. A familiarity with the process in practice will help you to avoid falling foul of the less intuitive rules. That said, auctions are surprisingly straightforward. It’s important to know that if a bid is accepted, the fall of the hammer
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A DV I C E
P L O TS
CASE STUDY
“We looked at about 400 sites before we found this plot which was up for sale by public auction, and although we came second in the bidding we fortunately ended up with the plot as it transpired the winning bidder didn’t have any money. As the plot had no access or planning permission we got a good deal,” says architect and self-builder Jake Edgley (www.edgleydesign.co.uk), who went on to build this incredible new home in south London.
IMAGE: JACK HOBHOUSE C/O EDGLEY DESIGN
APPRAISING PROPERTY OFFERED AT AUCTION
signifies exchange of contracts, so if you change your mind, you cannot withdraw from the sale. On the upside, gazumping can’t happen either — the seller is committed too. As you’re making a legal commitment to buy the plot, you must make sure you have the necessary funds. This usually involves paying a non-refundable 10% of the price on the day of the auction, with the balance to be settled at completion, which usually takes place within 28 days. Auction lots are offered with a legal pack, so look out for those. They explain what’s being offered and will form part of the contract of sale, so study them carefully — more on this later. When you attend an auction as a buyer, don’t forget to bring along appropriate identification, proof of residence, details of your solicitors and, of course, access to a good supply of ready cash! You should be aware that not all land promoted for sale makes it to the podium on auction day. Sometimes plots are withdrawn, and occasionally land can be sold prior to the actual day. Of course, this can work in your favour as well as against you. Check whether the auctioneer allows pre-auction sales. If they do, it might be worth submitting an offer and avoiding the risk of the price being inflated in the heat of the auction room.
Arrange the finance
If your bid is accepted, the fall of the hammer commits you to complete the purchase. You must therefore make sure you have enough money to pay both the auction fees and a deposit on the day of the auction. By buying a plot at auction, you’re likely to be committing to building out the whole project. Therefore, you must also make sure you’ve got the funding in place to pay for the balance of the plot as well as the rest of the development costs to complete the building of your new home. To make sure you can raise the development funding, it’s a good idea to consult a specialist selfbuild mortgage broker well before going to the auction. Your broker will be able to assess your financial circumstances and advise on what you can afford to pay for the land. They’ll also help you to secure an ’approval in principle’ for any mortgage finance you may need.
Read the pack; get advice
A legal pack is a seller’s explanation of what’s being offered for sale. It will hopefully contain title deeds, searches, conditions of sale and other pertinent information about the plot. Legal packs are available well before the auction day
To work out an accurate plot value and determine your maximum bid, you’ll need to carry out a thorough appraisal before going to the auction. Auctioneers expect this and will allow access for you and your professional team to visit the site to carry out necessary investigations and surveys. As I’ve already covered the ins and outs of appraisals over the last few months, here’s a list of the key things that should be checked as part of your due diligence. PLANNING STATUS If the plot has planning approval, read the consent and make sure you understand the planning conditions. If you want to change the approval, first discuss what is and isn’t possible with a planning professional. A planning consultant will also be required to validate planning potential in the case of land that requires planning approval. RIGHT OF ACCESS Check the land ownership extends to the public highway. If it doesn’t, ask the conveyancing solicitor to look into what rights of access there are, and assess the implications of crossing any potential ransom strips. MAINS SERVICES Make sure the essential services are readily available and verify with service providers that they can be connected for a reasonable cost. Check that any existing services crossing the site don’t prevent the proposed home being built or accessed. LEGAL IMPEDIMENTS Review the title deeds and look for restrictive covenants, such as overages, that may prevent development or impose financial penalties. GROUND CONDITIONS Get a structural engineer to verify that the ground conditions will support the construction of a house. Look for visible evidence of problems such as ground water, site levels and contamination. VISITING THE SITE Go to the site and walk the plot, looking beyond its boundaries to see if there’s anything that might affect your development aspirations.
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and form part of the contract of sale when the hammer comes down, so they should be read and understood beforehand. However, just because an auction plot comes with a legal pack, that doesn’t mean all the due diligence has been done. To make sure you understand the contents of the legal pack and any legal impediments your plot may come with, it’s a good idea to seek advice from a conveyancing solicitor.
Go armed with a proper valuation and stick to it!
TOP TIP Don’t be fooled by the guide price. Auctions’ guide prices for land often seem too good to be true — because they are. These prices are generally marketing hype. The auctioneer knows that more people in the auction room means more competition and therefore higher selling prices. As a result, guide prices are often pitched low — ironically as a means of selling high! For this reason, take them with a pinch of salt.
this your hard ceiling and avoid the temptation to break it in the emotion of the moment.
Before you buy land at auction, you should do your best to work out its value from both your own perspective and that of the competition. As I explained last month, valuing a plot is a case of considering all the costs involved in its development and taking them away from its expected end value. Consider all the development alternatives and how they’ll affect the value of the land, then work out your maximum bid, as well as your best guess at the maximum bid your competitors will make. Once you’ve worked out the highest figure that fits your budget, make
Making your bid
Once you’ve done your research and set your ceiling values, you’re now ready to place your bid. If there’s an art to auction bidding, I wouldn’t know where to start explaining it, so instead I’ll confine myself to offering you a few practical tips. l Get to the auction nice and early to bag a place where you feel comfortable and you’re easily visible to the auctioneer. l If you’re not able to make it to the auction in person, arrange to bid either by telephone or by proxy by confirming your maximum bid in
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P L O TS
writing to the auctioneer, who will have a member of their team bid on your behalf. l Try to read the form by predicting what other plots will sell for. If you judge that people are paying over the odds, prepare for potential disappointment. l When the time comes to bid for your plot, hold your thunder and don’t bid too early. Wait to see who’s bidding. l Stick within your limits. If the bidding exceeds your maximum, walk away! l If you are the winning bidder, wait until the end of the auction to sign the sales memorandum and pay your dues.
What if the plot doesn’t sell?
The plot will be offered with a reserve price, so if this isn’t reached, it won’t be sold. If you still want to make an offer for the plot, register your interest with the auctioneer at the end of the auction. Don’t forget to ask what the reserve price was, as this might offer a clue as to what the seller will accept. NEXT MONTH: In the final instalment I deliver my top plotfinding tips
T O P PLOTS ON THE C OA ST This month’s selection of choice finds from plotfinder.net
BOURNEMOUTH, SOUTH WEST, £200,000 Planning permission for a three-storey, four-bed detached house with kitchen-diner and separate lounge makes this plot in Bournemouth a tantalising prospect for the right buyer.
PORTREATH, CORNWALL, £650,000 There’s actually permission for two homes on this prime plot in a Cornish village, so it could be an opportunity to snag a bargain by teaming up with another ambitious self-builder.
LITTLE BROUGHTON, CUMBRIA, £65,000 Located near the Solway coast, this small plot overlooks an idyllic Cumbrian settlement and has planning permission in place for the construction of a two-bed bungalow.
PEMBROKE DOCK, PEMBROKESHIRE, £37,000 An opportunity has come up to renovate and extend this stone-built garage. Permission exists to create a two-bed dwelling with an open-plan kitchen-diner and en suite bathroom.
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A D V I C E
THE RENOVATION
FILES CASE #2:
THE CRACKED CONCRETE FLOOR
Lifting a carpet to find a sizable crack in an old extension floor raised alarm bells for our firsttime renovators. Chartered surveyor Ian Rock steps in to find the culprit — and a novel solution
IAN ROCK Chartered surveyor Ian Rock MRICS is the author of The Haynes Home Extension Manual, and is a director of www. rightsurvey. co.uk
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ometimes it’s not until renovation work starts that troubling defects come to light. This was certainly the case with first-time renovators Jason and Rebecca, who got in touch with me recently to ask about a large crack that they’d stumbled upon in their extension floor. Googling the issue had unearthed horror stories of extensions built over old cesspits filled with explosive methane, and giant sink-holes consuming entire highways. Unsurprisingly, this had done little to sooth their nerves. It wasn’t possible to inspect the property in person due to lockdown, so the detective work had to be conducted remotely, relying on photos, personal
testimony and cross examination by email. The property was a 1950s semi-detached bungalow that the current owners had purchased at auction two months earlier. A single-storey rear extension of conventional cavity brick construction with a solid concrete floor had been added some 50 years previously. Although the bungalow was in a tired state, no major defects had come to light prior to purchase. It was only when the floor coverings in the extension were lifted in preparation for a new kitchen that alarm bells began to ring. Peeling back an old carpet and some thick underlay revealed an ominous crack in the concrete floor of sufficient width to accommodate the fingers of one hand. So what had caused such a sizeable hole? Ruling out mutant concrete-eating mice, we couldn’t entirely dismiss the risk that the extension had been built on ground of insufficient load-bearing
capacity or over an old drainage system. After all, auctions can sometimes be used by wily developers to offload properties with defects, both physical and legal, in the hope that novice buyers won’t look too closely.
The lay of the land Properties of this age and type are generally solidly built, so it’s rare to encounter structural problems other than those caused by ill-conceived alterations or ageing materials wearing out over time. On the other hand, the build quality of many old extensions isn’t brilliant; the most common weak points are found at junctions with the main house due to differences in foundation depths or poor attention to detail, particularly at roof level. In this case, however, as far as I could decipher from the photos, the problem appeared to be confined to the concrete floor. But appearances can often be deceptive because a
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certain amount of unevenness and cracking isn’t unusual in solid floors and is rarely serious. Indeed, the quality of floor screeds in a lot of new housing today is rather hit and miss, and shrinkage cracking is commonplace. So was the movement superficial or a symptom of a deeper malaise? There’s a simple test you can do in these circumstances: stamp. Does the floor sound hollow?
Cross examination
Solid concrete floors can be prone to sloping or uneven surfaces, cracked tiles and damp patches. Less commonly, floors of this era can bulge due to a chemical reaction between cement-based concrete and contaminated hardcore causing the floor to expand, crack and hump upwards. Where internal walls are built off sunken floor slabs it’s common to find doors sticking in distorted frames, with diagonal cracks appearing around their linings. Another thing that can happen is the whole wall being pulled downwards and gaps appearing at ceiling level. Here, the cracked floor had settled and dropped. I asked Jason and Rebecca to check for clues such as large gaps under skirting boards. By now the evidence was accumulating. The stamping test had elicited a hollow ringing sound in the vicinity of the crack, and a 20mm gap had been discovered under a nearby length of skirting, so the issue appeared to be slab settlement causing instability. Luckily, the damage seemed to be confined to the
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immediate room and didn’t affect the main walls. This was confirmed by checking the door thresholds at the edges of the room which were perfectly level compared to the cracked and sunken surrounding floors, due to the wall foundations being comparatively deep.
the guility party
So why should a solid concrete floor become unstable and sink? Most likely, the original hardcore base wasn’t properly compacted during construction, or the hardcore was ‘unclean’, meaning it contained detritus like bits of old plaster, rusty nails or wood that had inevitably deteriorated. These problems would have led to the hardcore settling and leaving a void, causing the floor above to crack and drop. A similar problem can occur where the excavation for the floor isn’t sufficiently deep.
remedial work
Floor screeds are traditionally made on site from a weak mix of sand and cement. Done badly, this can result in a poor quality mix and yield a patchy screed with weak spots that become cracked and uneven. Re-laying or filling such a defective screed is a fairly simple; a levelling compound may be all that’s needed. Unfortunately, in this case we had a more serious problem requiring deeper remedial work. Traditionally, sunken concrete floors either have to be underpinned at huge expense or excavated and rebuilt, both of which would mean a couple of weeks of mess and upheaval. Instead, I suggested they contact Geobear, who specialise in geopolymer injection work, a new technique for filling voids to stabilise and lift sunken floors. Because
“We knew we had a severely cracked solid floor which appeared to have suffered slab settlement causing instability” There are two powerful external forces that can also cause solid floors to subside: drought and flood. Extreme dry conditions can make the subsoil under solid floors shrink, particularly when those floors are built on clay. Conversely, flooding or a persistent leak can make the supporting ground marshy or even wash the soil under the slab away completely. Either way, once a void has formed under the concrete slab there’s nothing left to support it, so it inevitably cracks and subsides.
Solid concrete floors are built by excavating the ground at least 350mm deep (or as advised by building control) and laying at least 150mm of clean hardcore rubble which is compacted using a wacker plate compactor machine. This provides the base for the thick concrete slab laid on top. A surface layer of sand/cement screed, about 70mm thick, is then normally put in place to level the floor. Damp proof membranes (DPMs) and insulation in solid floors did not become a Building Regulations requirement until the late 1960s and 1990 respectively.
the main wall foundations were not affected, the floor was likely to be a suitable candidate. This would need to be confirmed by an initial site survey to determine the cause of the problem by drilling down and analysing the data. This would also need to consider any contributory factors such as tree roots or leaking drains. Helpfully, remedial work can be completed in a single day. The process involves drilling a series of small injection holes in a grid pattern at 1m spacings and then pressure injecting an expansive geopolymer resin to fill the voids and stabilise the ground. Once filled, the injected material forces the concrete slab back up, so it can then be re-levelled and the surface cracking made good. The cost on a typical extension is around £3,000, a price that is roughly the same as excavating and rebuilding the floor for a job that is quicker, cleaner and covered by a 10-year warranty.
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ASK THE
EXPERTS
Got a burning question about your self-build, extension or renovation project that you need answering? Drop us a line by emailing homebuilding@futurenet.com and your question could be answered by one of our magazine experts
EMMA LUND is a finance journalist
MARTIN BELL is MD of Transform Architects
LAURA JANE CLARK is founder of Lamp Architects
CREDIT: SECOND NATURE KITCHENS
KITCHENS: MIXING DESIGN STYLES BRUCE BENDALL has been a builder for over 30 years
LYDIA LUXFORD is customer and technical support officer at Easy Bathrooms
GRAEME SMITH is head of design at Second Nature Kitchens
JACK WOODFIELD is news editor for www. homebuilding. co.uk/news
DAVID NOSSITER is founder of David Nossiter Architects www. davidnossiter.com
DOUGLAS KENT is technical and research director at SPAB (society of the protection of ancient buildings)
How can I best mix traditional and contemporary elements when renovating a kitchen?
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The juxtaposition of a contemporary kitchen with traditional architectural features can provide a kitchen scheme that is both modern and sympathetic. The clean, unadorned lines of today’s fittings work incredibly well with the more elaborate cornicing and skirting details found in Victorian or Georgian properties, for example. On the other side of the coin, adding a Shaker kitchen to the blank canvas provided by contemporary builds can add much-needed character and charm. Colour and material choices make a huge difference here. A marble worktop can work as a nod to heritage eras, while a modern shade on a traditional-style cabinet door can put a new twist on a classic. Graeme Smith
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T R A N S F O R M I N G O L D C O N S E R VAT O R I E S We have a conservatory on the back of our house. It’s connected to the kitchen via doors but it’s so unusable that it ends up being a dumping ground! We want to create a space that’s integral to the floorplan that we can use as a family. We don’t know whether to knock it down and start again or keep it and make good. The space is 2.7m x 2.7m.
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Conservatories tend to suffer the same affliction countrywide: with plastic roof panels and leaking PVCu structures, they are uninhabitable for much of the year. Often, conservatories are stuck onto the back of a house with little or no regard as to how they will work with the rest of the layout. They are generally accessed through the former garden doors and retain the original threshold step, precluding a seamless
connecting floor. Rather than providing a sunny, temperate, Mediterranean-style indoor/outdoor living space, these rooms end up doing little more than extending the route into your garden and filling the intervening space with unused furniture. What could be a beautiful addition to the home more often ends up being used to dry washing, or filled with bikes and recycling. In the example given, the square floorplan of the conservatory forms an L-shape with the kitchen and dining room. In theory, this layout could work quite well, giving some zoning to an openplan kitchen diner. However, the existing French doors connect the conservatory, creating a split in the layout. The threshold step is a physical barrier and the doors cannot fold all the way back onto the wall, meaning they must sit closed to stop them taking up floor area. In addition, the way the kitchen breakfast bar projects out worsens the funnel-like feeling between the three spaces. Getting to the garden from the kitchen means walking out past the breakfast bar, down the length of the dining table, over the French door threshold step and through the conservatory before finally turning back on yourself to get outside. Obviously, we do this without a second thought but when you really start to look at it in this way, you can quickly understand why the spaces do not connect or function well. It’s plain to see that the circulation takes up a huge part of the floor area and criss-crosses through each room.
EASY WINS
A simple alteration would be to swap the projecting breakfast bar to the other wall, or remove it altogether, replacing the lost worktop area by moving or getting rid of the utility door to the garden. If the existing connecting French doors were widened towards the kitchen area and the threshold step removed, this would decrease circulation in the kitchen diner, creating a quick route through and freeing up usable floor space. When looking to renovate a conservatory there are a few straightforward ideas you can think about. Taking off the lightweight sheet roof and replacing it with an insulated tiled roof with roof glazing is often the most logical thing to do, as it cuts down on solar gain and heat loss, thus making the conservatory a much more pleasant and controllable environment. However, before changing the roof it’s important to check the structure of the original conservatory, particularly its foundations. You must employ a structural engineer to confirm that the existing overall structure and the footings are robust enough to take the increased weight of a solid roof. Alternatively, you can remove the entire PVCu structure and replace it using the original dwarf walls below. This will give you more control over the style, finish and durability. Rather than replacing like for like, think about creating a timber frame structure that will allow you to include large picture windows rather than a grid of white plastic windows. Render or timber cladding can be used to give a variety of styles within your garden, and by using composite cladding you will have a maintenance-free build.
ILLUSTRATION: LAURA JANE CLARK
IDEAS FOR REPL ACEMENT
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If you are replacing your conservatory altogether, don’t fall into the trap of limiting your thinking to typical square or rectangular floorplans. Rather than projecting a box three or four metres into your garden, consider a narrower extension along the whole width of your rear elevation. You will be amazed at the difference that extending out your whole floor area by just one metre will have. This will allow you to reconfigure your
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Q &A
FINANCE: SELF-BUILD MORTGAGES My wife and I are in our 70s and we would love to build our home. What’s the likelihood of getting a self-build mortgage?
IMAGE: MO PHOTO C/O KE-DESIGN
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kitchen and enlarge your access to the garden. If this slim extension is connected to your existing house with roof glazing, it will flood the space with light. Just be sure to include a solar film to guard against the problem of overheating. If you decide to replace your conservatory’s structure, think about how you want to use your replacement garden room, how it connects the rest of the house with the garden, and how those features can guide your redesign. Your garden room doesn’t need to be a replacement of what is already there. Think about framing the views out with a picture window and maximising the floor area by including a deep window seat with integrated storage. PVCu conservatories have a bad name in this country, yet if you can see past the white plastic, a little bit of planning and consideration can unlock a gorgeous garden room that works for your family. Laura Jane Clark
SWAPPING OLD FOR NEW The homeowners of this three bed house took down the old conservatory to create a more open and connected kitchen dining and living space for their family. The new scheme was designed by KE-Design. Bifold doors and a roof lantern punctuate the space with lots of natural light.
Whether you’ll be able to get a self-build mortgage when you’re in your 70s will depend largely on your personal circumstances. While there isn’t a blanket age limit for self-build mortgages, individual mortgage lenders might have their own. Most of these age limits refer to when a mortgage is paid off, rather than when it is taken out. For example, a particular mortgage lender might only lend against mortgages to be paid off by the age of 75, 80 or 85. This means that if you take out a self-build mortgage when you’re aged 70 or over, you’ll likely be confined to a shorter mortgage term than if you were younger. If you’re retired, or planning to retire, you’ll also need to show you can afford to pay the mortgage when you stop working. This is so the mortgage lender can assess how affordable the mortgage will be for the duration of the loan. Each mortgage lender will have its own specific requirements about who it will accept for a self-build mortgage, and you will need to meet the affordability requirements in exactly the same way as a standard residential mortgage. This usually means ensuring you have a stable regular income, a good credit score, and little to no debt. It’s important to shop around when applying for a self-build mortgage. A mortgage broker will be able to suggest a lender that not only lends to self-builders, but will also be open to lending to older borrowers. Emma Lunn
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Q &A
IMAGE: AQUABELLA
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BATHROOMS: SWITCHING A BATH WITH A SHOWER We have a reasonably sized en suite and I’d like to swap the bath for a shower. The shower would be positioned in the same place as the bath so the hot and cold pipes will be in situ, as well as the waste. What work will be involved?
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Exchanging a bath for a shower is a fairly straightforward process, however a couple of areas need to be addressed before you begin. While it’s usually beneficial to have
water and waste pipes already in situ, the position of any pipework can affect what type of installation it’s best to opt for — and how much it will cost to undertake. If you wish to have a floor level shower tray, for example, the waste will need to be positioned under the current floor height where the pipe exits through your wall. In some bathrooms this will already be the case and therefore the work involved should be minimal. However, if the pipe is above floor level you will need to consider moving it or raising the shower tray to suit. The hot and cold pipework for a bath is usually positioned in
front of the wall under the bath. These pipes may need to be repositioned into the wall to allow for a shower installation, but this shouldn’t be a problem, as when you are exchanging a bath for a shower you usually have more than enough space to build a false wall to conceal the pipework. This not only saves on the cost of moving the pipes but also offers the opportunity to add some built-in shelving to your showering area. For the majority of households, this is a great bonus. The arrangement will also give you enough space to add some lighting into the alcoves, so it’s a win all round. Lydia Luxford
SPACIOUS SHOWERS Integrated alcoves and wetroomstyle areas are all options, as shown in the examples above from Aquabella.
IMAGE CREDITS: CARPENTER OAK; DYE BRICK; GETTY IMAGES
W H AT ’ S O N w w w. h o m e b u i l d i n g . c o . u k
Oak frame conservatories Oak frame conservatories will invite natural light and garden views into your home. Discover everything you need to know. Search ‘oak frame conservatories’.
Brick tinting Brick tinting can provide a solution to mismatched brickwork — from repairs to a new extension. Search ‘brick tinting’.
Builders’ quotes beyond budget You’ve gone out to tender and the quotes received back are way over budget. Find out how to avoid this unhappy situation from the off. Search ‘builders quotes’.
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Q &A
BARN CONVERSION: SURVEYS EXPLAINED I’m hoping to convert a barn into a home. What surveys am I likely to require?
IMAGES: C/O DAVID NOSSITER ARCHITECTS, PHOTOGRAPHY STEVE LANCEFIELD AND THE MODERN HOUSE (TOP); BOSCH (BELOW)
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When undertaking a barn conversion you should gather as much site information as possible, both to learn about the idiosyncrasies of the plot and to accompany planning applications. Both of these requirements will involve commissioning surveys. Below is a simple guide to the more frequently requested types. Budget between £1,500-2,000 per survey, depending on its scope. Structural survey: This is one of the first surveys to commission, generally as part of the purchase a site. Undertaken by a structural engineer, it will identify any weaknesses. It is not unusual for the structure of barns to be inadequate or for ad hoc structural repairs and alterations to have taken place. Timber survey: Many barns are timber-framed; most have a timber roof structure. Disused buildings fall into disrepair, allowing weather ingress. In turn, causing timber decay in the form of wet or dry rot. Insect infestation may be found within historical timber frame buildings. A timber survey will highlight any issues and recommend remedial measures. Measured survey: A survey of the topography and existing
buildings of a site in order to produce accurate drawings that will underpin any design proposals. Environmental survey: Commonly stipulated by planning authorities for barn conversions, an environmental survey will identify protected and invasive flora and fauna on the site. If protected species are present mitigation procedures have to be agreed to ensure their protection. Contaminated land survey: This type of survey is typically required by planning authorities
on brownfield sites, which are those that have been built on previously. The survey determines ground contamination from previous uses. Drainage survey: Usually undertaken by CCTV to record and gauge the condition of the drains, if present. Traffic survey: A survey to assess the traffic and parking usage of a site and whether the facilities are adequate, often as part of a planning application. David Nossiter
NEW HEIGHTS David Nossiter Architects brought this once derelict barn to life again. A vast central gallery and kitchen space celebrates the architectural heritage of the building.
TOOL REVIEW
Bosch PSB 1800 cordless drill The Bosch PSB 1800 is a great cordless combi drill for DIY novices, offering ease of use, plus 20 pre-set programmes to help you perform an array of projects, such as assembling furniture or hanging pictures. It also supports the same batteries as the rest of the Bosch range. £79, Amazon. Jack Woodfield
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CONSTRUCTION: HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT MORTAR We’re intending to clad our self-build with bricks. How do we go about finding the right colour mortar to complement the brickwork?
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If you are embarking on a project with facing bricks or stonework then the colour of the mortar is a crucial part of creating the overall look. There are several types of sand and the ratios at which they are mixed with each other and the cement or lime, or both, all have an effect on the finished colour, as well as the workability for the bricklayer and the ultimate strength of the bond. I have been asked to build several small brick wall samples so that clients can compare mortar colours against their bricks of choice so this is definitely
something you can ask your brickie to do for you. Once you have settled on a ratio that gives you all the characteristics you are after you must stick to it, even down to the manufacturer of the cement. The colours vary a lot between the different makes even though they are al OPC (ordinary portland cement) which is supposed to mimic the portland stone colour found on the south coast. Changing colour halfway through because the contractor or client has been unable or unwilling to source the correct ingredients is a huge red flag and could result in an untidy finish. In these current times it is also worth checking the future availability of preferred materials before starting the job. Ratios then are key to a consistent mortar mix so it is important to be accurate. The most common mix for blockwork is 4-1, that is four parts sand to one part cement, but there are variations. For instance if you are using a
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softer brick then 5-1 or 6-1-1[six sand, one cement, one lime] may be more suitable. If you are mixing different sands to create a colour then you will need to experiment to get the effect you are after but the golden rule is pails or buckets to measure the ratios not shovels —it is not possible to get shovel fulls accurate enough for brickwork. Buckets should be filled to the top and levelled so that each one is identical, ideally using enough buckets to do the entire mix before you start so that you do not lose count. The look can also change dramatically depending on the way it is pointed. Most commonly a pointing iron will be used giving a shallow dished look with the edges flush. A raking tool can be used to give a recessed look. Sometimes a bucket handle could create a tramline effect. Victorians used to use a very fine bed of lime mortar and strike it flush. Bruce Bendall
WORDS OF WISDOM Although a design and access statement is meant to be a brief, readable document, it’s nonetheless important to work with your architect or designer to ensure the correct technical detail is present to prepare this document. As such, the design and access statement should always be included within the fee if the architect is working up to the submission of an outline planning or full planning application (known as RIBA Plan of work 2020 stage two and three). Martin Bell METAL-FRAMED WINDOWS Our timber-framed building has metal-framed windows. They have some distortions in places — can these be rectified?
IMAGE: GETTY IMAGES
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Distorted frame members are best left alone unless they are hampering the operation of your windows or are serious enough to put the glass at risk of cracking. Except for cast iron, which is brittle and may break, the metals used for window
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JARGON BUSTER
Facing bricks Are those that make up the external walls of a house or building and are chosen because of their more aesthetic qualities. There are generally two types of facing brick: extruded or wire cut, and soft mud. Wire cut bricks are the most popular with a contemporary appeal, and have distinct holes (called perforations) running down the middle which make them easier to handle. Soft mud bricks have a more reclaimed appearance.
frames are usually sufficiently malleable to allow distortions to be eased readily back to square. Stiff opening casements should first be serviced to ensure proper operation. All major work will, of course, require prior removal of the glass. This may enable the window frame to be pulled back into position. In some cases, significant distortion may need the affected component to be strapped onto a rigid timber framework with ratchet straps that are gradually tightened over a number of days. Douglas Kent
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A D V E RT ORI A L
Let’s decorate
Get the perfect finish when you decorate your home, with these helpful tips from Harris Brushes
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any people have taken a crack at decorating and been disappointed by the results. But taking care to prepare the walls properly, as well as using the right decorating tools, will help to achieve a great finish.
PREPARATION IS KEY Filling, sanding and cleaning walls are tasks that are often ignored or rushed, but good preparation is an essential part of getting the perfect finish. It’s surprising how much battering our walls have to put up with over time — from hanging pictures, to moving furniture or swinging doors too wide. Taking care to remedy these imperfections by fixing cracks, holes and dents before picking up a paint brush is worth the time and effort and will significantly improve the end result. You’ll find great ‘How to’ tips on perfect preparation at www.harrisbrushes.com/how-to/. BUY GOOD QUALITY PAINTING TOOLS Spending on the paint, but not the tools is a simple mistake to make but one many homeowners get caught out by. Cheap rollers frequently leave streaks while loose brush bristles are infamously irritating. Choose Harris brushes with Harris NO LOSS® Technology to avoid loose bristles and combine Harris Ultimate Flat Brush for quick painting and excellent coverage with Harris’ Ultimate Blade Brush Technology for cutting in for a neat and precise finish.
Harris has created a series of ‘How to’ videos with plenty of helpful advice, tips and tricks on decorating to help you get the very best finish. Go to www.harrisbrushes.com or visit the Harris social media channels (@Harrisbrushes) to see the latest updates.
THE RIGHT TOOLS FOR THE JOB There’s nothing worse than spending hours decorating a room and then finding your hand wasn’t as steady as you’d previously thought, leaving a feature wall with an avant-garde or wiggly edge. Using taskspecific tools will make the painting process much easier and result in far fewer blemishes. Plus, quality brushes and rollers make the entire process quicker and more enjoyable. The Harris Ultimate range includes products for precise control as well as products for speedy painting (like this 50mm flat bush, above) and great coverage. There are even products for extra reach and for awkward to paint areas. With Harris’ task-specific tools, colour-coded on packaging and product, it’s simple to ensure that you have chosen the best, and right, tool for the job.
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A R C HI T E C T U R A L
M O O D BO A R D
hallways Entrance
Entrance halls should be given just as much consideration as the other rooms in your house — if you are lacking inspiration, our roundup of ideas is here to help
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WORDS: NATASHA BRINSMEAD
he entrance hall is often given scant attention when it should be thought of as one of the most important spaces in the house. The space where you arrive at and depart from your home can have an enormous impact on how it feels to return from a tiring day, welcome visitors or leave for the day ahead. Hallways come in all shapes and sizes, from pleasingly spacious places that all rooms lead off from to those that are little more than a metre square, yet the treatment of them can make all the difference to the tone they set and the practical role they can perform. When planning a new hallway or updating an existing one, consider both
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natural and artificial light sources — you don’t want to be fumbling around in a dimly lit space as you try to get your children out of the door for the school run, for example. You should also aim to maximise storage — sometimes a more ingenious solution than shelving or a console might be required in order to overcome space restrictions. Finally, do bear in mind that practicality is key in an entrance hall, particularly if you have children or dogs, or live in the countryside. This is the space that bridges the gap between inside and out, so choosing flooring, surfaces and finishes that are durable and easy to maintain is vital.
OPEN PLAN HALLWAY More and more people are opting to keep their hallways open to the rest of their layout rather than shutting them off from other rooms. In this home by Welsh Oak Frame, the exposed timber frame creates visual distinction between different spaces without physically separating them from one another. Layout aside, there are a lot of other features here that make for a dream hallway; generous glazing above and around the front door brings plenty of light into the double-height space, with practical, large-format floor tiles completing the look.
IMAGE: NICK YARSLEY
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IMAGES: JEREMY PHILLIPS X 2
GLASS BOX HALLWAY There is zero chance of this entrance hall lacking natural light thanks to the fact that it is made up of frameless glass walls. This is a hallway with wow, offering unobstructed views of the lush gardens beyond. The oversized front door, from Urban Front, in a bold shade of blue, only serves to enhance the breathtaking nature of the space. A hallway like this really sets the tone for the rest of the house by giving an enticing glimpse of the kind of spaces you can expect beyond the entrance. It’s one for homeowners with reliable window cleaners though, and they’ll also have to be happy for visitors to get a clear view of the spaces within before the door has even been opened.
THE THROUGH VIEW A through view is a feature beloved of many architects — and this contemporary home is a great example of why. Although the entrance hall here (designed by Studio Bloc) is a simple, narrow space, this almost goes unnoticed thanks to the huge picture window that lies directly opposite the front door. The eye is drawn away from the walls and straight out to the garden at the rear of the house, tempting visitors to venture into the home to see what lies beyond its simple, industrial façade.
SAVVY STORAGE It is crucial that your hallway has plenty of storage — as the entrance to your home, the last thing you want is to be tripping over shoes and bags. This should be a space that makes life easier — so somewhere to organise outdoor clothing, keys, shoes and, where applicable, pet accessories should be high on your list of priorities. This is a great example (designed by Cando) that makes the most of a relatively small space. Drawers and hanging space have been cleverly designed into the bespoke staircase to ensure no floorspace is taken up.
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IMAGE: LAWRENCE LIDDY
BROKEN PLAN An open-plan hallway isn’t for everyone — perhaps you have a dog who is a little over enthusiastic in its welcoming of guests, or children who you want to steer away from the front door. However, keeping your hallway separate from the rest of the house need not mean it feels isolated; a broken plan layout can be the perfect compromise. Here, glazed, industrial-style double doors give a clear view of the spaces within but can be closed off when required. The large-format flagstone floor increases the feeling of space, while the slimline console table from Garden Trading is a handy spot for shoes, keys and other hallway essentials.
IMAGE: OAKWRIGHTS©RICHARD KEILY
A WARM WELCOME A great entrance hall should feel thoroughly welcoming, drawing you in and hinting of even better things to come once you enter the rest of the house. The hallway of this home (right), by Oakwrights, demonstrates the point admirably, exuding character thanks to an exposed oak frame, and an oversized front door that makes the space feel protected from the outside, immediately cosseting those entering. The hallway is tucked away, and yet not closed off from the spaces beyond, a balancing act that creates a natural flow and pulls visitors straight into the heart of the home. Meanwhile, the limestone flag floors ensure the space is a practical one.
DOUBLE HEIGHT If you want your entrance hall to draw gasps from your visitors as they enter your home, consider creating a double- height space. Not only do double-height hallways feel open, airy and, usually, flooded with natural light from all angles, but the landing above will also benefit. In this hallway, exposed stone, richly-toned timbers, glass balustrades and expansive glazing come together to create a space that feels contemporary, characterful and exciting all at the same time.
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WE’RE BACK!
Find ideas and inspiration to create your dream home We are back and can’t wait for you to join us LIVE at the London ExCeL. Visit us at the show this year and get access to:
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From planning regulations to managing budgets, unlock the potential of your home by receiving a one-to-one meeting with one of our experts.
The virtual world is all very well but there’s nothing quite like meeting the experts and being able to compare and contrast the quality of products in person.
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Visit the Homebuilding & Renovating stand and pick up your exclusive subscription offer to the Homebuilding & Renovating magazine, as well as some of our other leading homes titles.
Choose from a range of seminars, delivered by experts and tackling a range of key self-build and renovation topics including how to avoid the most common self-build mistakes.
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to the London Homebuilding & Renovating Show, visit london.homebuildingshow.co.uk/hbrseptember Terms and conditions apply. *Offer expires 3pm 23rd September 2021. Saving based on a two day ticket price. Children under 16 and under go free.
M O O DB O A RD
NARROW SPACES Hallways are often long, corridor-like spaces. If you have a narrow hallway, there is plenty you can do to ensure it is still a useful, welcoming space. The owners of this home opted for a glazed front door to light the entrance hall, increasing the flow of light even further by choosing glazed double doors leading into the centre of the house to the right right of the door. The colossal artwork that greets visitors draws the eye away from the narrow proportions of the space.
IMAGE: DAVID BARBOUR
CREATE DRAMA There is no shortage of drama in this grand yet effortlessly elegant entrance hall. The combination of a sweeping timber staircase, an enormous eye-catching contemporary light fitting and large-format matt tiles from Tile Mountain all make this a seriously stylish space. Thanks to the simplicity of the fittings and finishes, the architectural details, such as the arched doorways and elegant windows and doors, are allowed to shine.
KEEPING IT SIMPLE Even if you don’t have the capacity in your home for a vast double-height hallway, you can make the most of the space you do have by keeping it uncluttered and simple in its design. This entrance hallway benefits from a double front door and high ceilings, which are highlighted using an enormous pendant light. As the door is solid, the wall and floor colour has been kept pale to ensure the space feels bright and fresh. Even though the hallway here, from Norsu Interiors, is sparsely furnished, it still features a console, mirror and storage baskets — all prerequisites of any self-respecting entrance hall.
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IMAGES: GETTY; *HBR SELF & CUSTOM BUILD MARKET REPORT 2017
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Beginner’s guide to elf-build T
here are many benefits to building your own home. It is an opportunity to create a unique home tailored around your lifestyle. It can be a route to creating a home that will adapt as your needs change, for instance accommodating wheelchair use. It also offers scope to build a property that is low maintenance and energy efficient. What’s more, self-builders often achieve a larger home and garden compared to buying a new home on the open market — the average self-build project is 247m2*, more than double
the size of the average new-build developer home. And, as an added bonus, self-builders typically enjoy a handsome profit of 25% on their investment*. Once you’ve decided to build your own home, there are some key questions you need to begin answering: where will you build your new home, what do you hope to build, how will you finance your project, who will build it and how will it be built, for instance. Follow our in-depth beginner’s guide to find out how to start this incredible journey…
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Pre-build essentials
Here are some of the key things you need to consider before ‘going on site’ with your build
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nce you have purchased your plot there are a good number of steps you need to take before you can begin building your dream home…
Designing your new home
You’ll likely need a designer on board to help you formulate plans for your dream home. This might be an architect, an architectural technologist, an architectural designer or an in-house designer at a package company. The design process is likely to take at least a couple of months, possibly considerably longer. Then you’ll need to apply for planning permission…
Applying for planning permission
The cost of submitting a planning application varies across the UK, but is currently £462 in England. However, the real cost of obtaining planning permission arguably comes from design fees to prepare plans and documents, as well as any surveys that may be required to support your application. You should usually find out whether your local planning authority has approved your scheme after eight weeks — although more complex schemes can sometimes take longer. News of approval doesn’t necessarily mean you can start work. The conditions attached to your planning consent might require resolution first. Make sure they are capable of being satisfied, as failure to do so could hold up your build, and in the most extreme cases, invalidate the consent altogether. You may also find that you are required to discharge certain conditions during the build, too.
Building Regulations
All new homes need to adhere to the Building Regulations, and for this reason a building control inspector will visit at key stages of the build to inspect the work and ensure it complies. These stages include: excavation for the foundations, pouring concrete for the foundations, building the oversite, building the damp proof-course, drainage, a visit prior to completion and a final visit on completion. A completion certificate will then be issued following the final inspection. You’ll need to decide who will carry out your inspections: your local authority building control department or an approved inspector from a private company. Both these options have pros and cons in terms of costs and benefits.
Lining up your project team
You can establish contact with a builder, main contractor or package company during the design and planning processes, but they won’t be able to give you an accurate quote for their work until your Building Regulations drawings have been finalised. One of the best ways of finding a good builder and subcontractors is through word of mouth — people you know locally who’ve built their own homes will be more than happy to provide recommendations. Much like finding a designer, choosing a builder requires plenty of research. It’s best to meet with them to discuss your project, see if you get along with them and ask for a quote (your designer can help you prepare tender documents for this purpose).
The best builders and subcontractors will be booked up months in advance, so start your search early. The same goes for package companies. You’ll likely wait three months or so.
Bringing services to site
If you need to get services to your site, the cost could be as little as £500 or in excess of £10,000, depending on the site’s location, what services you need, and the land connections need to be made across. Private land will require a wayleave to grant access, while public highways may involve road digs, which will need to be done by approved contractors. If the cost of bringing in mains gas and drainage is prohibitive, it may be time to investigate the off-mains alternatives, such as oil, LPG or a renewable heating and hot water system, and a sewerage treatment plant for drainage. It’s important to note that, while electricity is not essential during the build, a water supply is often needed early on.
Where will you live?
This is one of the biggest decisions you’ll need to make prior to your build. Some are in a position to remain in their existing homes while self-building. However, many need to consider an alternative. You could stay with family or friends, but remember that the average self-build project takes around a year on site, and be realistic about timescales if you plan to rely on someone’s hospitality. Renting temporary accommodation is another option, but an expensive one. You could also live on site in a caravan, a static or an outbuilding built first.
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Financing your build Funding your project may require a specialist self-build mortgage…
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here are two significant costs when building your own home: the building plot and the build itself. There are also a few additional costs that you’ll need to factor in — see the box on the bottom right of this page.
Funding your build
You’ll need access to money to buy a building plot, to pay for professional services such as architectural designers’ fees and any site surveys required, and to fund the build itself. How you find this money will, of course, depend on your financial situation. It may come from your savings, equity in your existing home, a self-build mortgage or, most likely, a combination of all three. Surprisingly few high street banks provide formal facilities for self-build finance, so you’ll probably need to approach a specialist self-build mortgage provider, who will be able to offer you a mortgage product tailored towards the way you pay for a self-build project — with money released in several stages, rather than all at once (as it would be if you were buying a house). Finance will be released at key stages as the build progresses, for example when the foundations are laid or when the building is made weathertight. There are two main types of stage release mortgage: an arrears stage payment mortgage, which sees funds released as work is completed, and an advance stage payment mortgage, which pays out before each designated stage of the build begins. The latter has the obvious advantage of assisting cash flow and is generally better suited to those who do not have large pots of savings to fund their build as it progresses.
Some, but not all, self-build lenders are willing to lend on plot purchases too. Rates of interest for self-build mortgages are typically higher than those that are currently available for a standard house purchase or remortgage. The arrangement fees also vary significantly from lender to lender, so be sure to shop around. Once the property is habitable, some lenders allow the borrower to switch to a lower rate of interest, so be sure to look for that feature and factor it in to your decision. The amount you can borrow will depend on similar factors to those that would govern your limit on a standard house mortgage; in most cases these will include an affordability assessment, income multipliers and LTV (loan to value ratio — a measure of lending risk). Lending policies change regularly, but lenders may, for example, offer to provide funding for up to 85% of the value of the building project. In order to progress your application you’ll likely need to provide plans and a breakdown of the potential build cost.
DON’T PAY WHEN YOU DON’T NEED TO Reclaiming VAT
One of the major benefits of building your own home is that you can reclaim VAT using HMRC’s VAT431NB form. This includes materials that are fixed into the house. The interpretation of this can be complex. For instance, you can reclaim VAT on timber flooring, but not carpet. You cannot reclaim VAT for design fees or services. You can only make one claim, so keep your VAT receipts safely in one place.
CIL exemption
The Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) imposes a fee on the creation of new homes, which is determined by the local authority and is based on the size of the house. The good news is that, subject to certain criteria, self-builders are now exempt from paying CIL. That said, you’ll need to be extremely careful to have all the paperwork in place for your exemption; each step of the process needs to be followed to the letter to prevent CIL becoming chargeable.
REMEMBER TO FACTOR IN THE FOLLOWING COSTS...
In addition to the plot and total build cost, there are other costs associated with building a home that need to be accounted for, including those associated with purchasing the plot (legal fees and stamp duty), a topographical survey, any surveys you need for planning purposes (such as ecological surveys), design fees, planning fees and the cost of creating plans for Building Regulations purposes. You’ll also need to purchase self-build insurance as soon as you buy your plot, and it’s a good idea to get a warranty too. Another common ‘hidden’ cost is the price of bringing services like electricity, water and mains gas to site. These extras can add up fast, so stay on top of them.
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Finding your self-buildplot It’s the starting point to any self-build dream. Here’s what to consider when plot hunting
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ou may be fortunate enough to have a plot already at your disposal — a large side garden, for instance. However, for many selfbuilders, their journey begins with finding a suitable plot. It’s important to keep an open mind when looking for a plot. Typical plot types do include greenfield sites as well as fully serviced plots offered by developers with self-builders in mind, but plots may also be brownfield land, or old buildings that can be replaced. In these latter cases, it’s important to consider potential pitfalls such as contamination, which can be costly, but provided you’re careful, there are hidden treasures everywhere. The key is to treat every home as just a temporary occupant of a building plot — once you get into this mindset, opportunities begin to present themselves all over the place.
What makes a building plot?
A piece of land is not a building plot until planning permission is granted. Access is another key requirement (see box). If you do identify land with the hallmarks of a potential building plot, then as long as it doesn’t fall outside the settlement boundary or contravene other planning policies, there is nothing to stop you applying for planning permission, even if you do not own the land. If you opt for this route, ensure you have a contract in place with the owner so you can purchase the plot for an agreed sum if you are successful. More commonly, you will have purchased a plot with outline or full planning permission already in place. The good news is, you can reapply for planning permission for a design that
more closely resembles your dream home. That said, the existing design and planning history of the plot will provide a good clue about what is and isn’t likely to be approved.
What to pay
The price of your plot will reflect the local housing market. Ideally, the real value of a plot should equal the end value of house minus the total build cost (visit www.homebuilding.co.uk/calculator). You should also try to factor in any ‘additional’ costs and put aside 10-30% of your build cost as a contingency to cover any unexpected expenses. Typically, self-builders pay between £100,000 and £275,000 for a plot. However, this varies across the country.
WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR WHEN ASSESSING PLOTS ● Ensure planning permission has
not expired and is not about to expire. There is no guarantee that reapplications will succeed. ● Keep an eye out for access. If doesn’t extend directly up to the adopted highway, there should at least be a legal right to cross third party land to access the plot in perpetuity. ● Check for covenants that could limit the ways the land might be developed, and for overages — obligations that may involve further payments to the previous owner down the line. ● Ensure services are in place. If they are not, then research your options, and establish the likely cost of bringing them to site. You might also plan to use off-mains options, which are readily available for heating, hot water, and drainage. ● Check whether the title deeds are ‘absolute’ or ‘possessory’, and negotiate on the plot price accordingly.
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SIX WAYS TO FIND A PLOT
1
STUDY THE LOCAL AREA Think like a developer and search out opportunities others overlook. Get out and about in your chosen area or use Google Maps to look for homes on large plots that have either a large side garden, or infill land.
2
SIGN UP TO PLOTFINDER. NET Register with specialist plot services like www. plotfinder.net, which collects information from those selling land (including estate agents and individuals who are not selling elsewhere) and makes it available via subscription.
3
CONTACT EXPERTS Some package companies, such as Potton and Border Oak, hold lists of available plots online.
4
VISIT LOCAL AUCTIONS Many opportunities are sold via auction, so establish who the key agents are in your area and get on their lists for catalogues. If you haven’t been to an auction, go and experience one first hand to familiarise yourself with the process.
5
CHECK YOUR LOCAL AUTHORITY’S WEBSITE Check recent planning applications on your local authority’s website. The details of the owner are often included on the application, and there is nothing to stop you contacting them directly.
6
READ OUR IN-DEPTH PLOT FINDING COLUMN To get the real inside track, self-build expert Mark Stevenson’s advice is indispensable — take a look at his series on page 129.
TOP TIP Get insurance lined up Self-build projects require specialist insurance to protect against public liability issues, fires, storm damage and more. Get cover in place as soon as you exchange contracts on your plot.
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Choosing a build route Self-build is a broad church — you needn’t lay a single brick if you don’t want to!
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elf-build is a broad church and there are many routes to getting an individual home built. However, generally speaking most self-builders choose one of the following routes: Project managing the entire build themselves, including hiring and coordinating subcontractors – such as plumbers and electricians – to complete the build, as well as buying most of the building materials.
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Choosing a main contractor or builder to manage and coordinate the build on their behalf. In this case, the builder or main contractor will often take on the job of buying all or the majority of the building materials.
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Choosing a professional project manager to coordinate their build.
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Building their own home by hand — the ultimate DIY route.
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Outsourcing the project to a package company, many of which coordinate everything from initial design concepts right through to completion. Other package companies may offer the opportunity to decide on the level of service required.
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Only 16% of self-build projects are undertaken on a DIY basis, with the majority (57%) of self-builders choosing to instead project manage subcontractors to build their house for them*. The reality is that most self-builders use a combination of the approaches outlined. One popular route involves commissioning a package company
to build the ‘superstructure’, with the self-builder managing the groundworks before and interior fit-out after (first and second fix work, decoration and the like). Choosing the right self-build route for your project is a decision only you can reach, but there are undoubtedly a number of important factors that will influence this choice — your finances, how much time you can devote to the project and how capable you are at carrying out jobs yourself, for starters. Those looking for significant cost savings need to understand that the more work and time they put in, the more they will save. The Homebuilding & Renovating Self & Custom Build Market Report 2017 found that people who build their own homes through DIY save 25% on their build costs against those who simply manage their own projects, while self-builders taking on the role of project manger saved 17%, compared to those who used a professional main contractor.
Choosing a construction system
There are a number of different build systems to choose from — no longer is the choice simply between timber frame and masonry. In most instances, your chosen construction system will have little impact on how the exterior of your home will look, as most cladding materials can be used with all the main construction systems. Construction systems can be broadly divided into on-site methods, such as masonry and ICF, where the majority of the structure is built where it will stand, and off-site methods, where the main structure is constructed elsewhere and delivered to site to be erected. The latter
DID YOU KNOW? Project managing your own home is the most popular build route for a self-build. Find out what’s involved by visiting our website: www.homebuilding.co.uk/ advice/could-you-projectmanage-your-buildingproject
tends to result in a faster build once the materials arrive on site. There are essentially three things to consider when deciding: price, quality and speed. If you are not too concerned with how your house looks ‘under the bonnet’ or feel unable to make this decision, then it might be best to hire a professional to do this for you. Your chosen architect, structural engineer or builder may have preferred methods of working and in such cases you would be well advised to work with your appointed specialist on the systems they know and like. Alternatively, they may offer advice on the most cost-effective or suitable construction system for the home you hope to build. Conversely, if you have your heart set on a particular construction method – maybe oak frame for its character, or another timber frame because you hope to project manage once the superstructure is built – then it’s a good idea to approach a designer or package company well versed in that construction system right from the outset. Each construction system has its own set of parameters and design challenges, and designing a home with said construction system in mind is a cost-effective route.
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Structural warranties SEL F - B U I L D
E S SE N TI A L S
What are they and how can they help protect your selfbuild against any unforeseen problems once built? IT’S AN INSURANCE POLICY
MARK STEVENSON Has worked in construction for 30 years and is Vice Chairman of the Structural Timber Association
A structural warranty is an insurance policy that covers a new build against unforeseen problems, such as defective materials or poor workmanship, for the first 10 years after it is complete. A warranty isn’t actually a guarantee but can provide insurance cover to resolve problems if they occur. Self-builders should always make sure their provider can provide cover for the full period of their warranty; the easiest way to do this is to opt for a reputable, longestablished warranty provider. Bear in mind that, while a structural warranty is an insurance policy, it doesn’t commence until the home is complete so site insurance will be required during your build.
DO I NEED ONE?
Having a structural warranty isn’t required in the same sense as compliance with Building Regs. However, if you’re funding your build with a self-build mortgage your lender will probably require one and therefore you’ll have little choice in the matter. If you’re fortunate enough not to need a mortgage then it’s still worth considering a structural warranty in case you want to sell your property within the first 10 years.
HOW WILL THE INSURANCE PROVIDER BE INVOLVED?
Warranty providers are risk averse so they may have specific requirements that they believe mitigate risk. Factor in time to develop a well-considered design proposal that meets the warranty provider’s expectations and allows time for you to reflect on them before making a submission. Once the construction proposals have been approved, resist unnecessary design changes which may have implications on compliance. At the very least, before making changes, check with the warranty provider if there are any implications that should be addressed or avoided.
AUDIT AND INSPECTION
Warranty providers will conduct a technical audit, checking plans before work starts on site much like approved inspectors do. Once building work has begun, warranty surveyors will also carry out inspections at key stages (again, much like approved inspectors) and will look for potential defects that might give rise to a claim in the future.
STRUCTURAL WARRANTY FEES
Fees will depend on four factors: 1. How competitive the warranty provider wants to be; 2. The complexity of the build, especially if it offers any additional risk; 3. The size of the proposed home; 4. Whether any ancillary buildings are included. To give you an indication of cost, my last warranty (including a combined building control fee) set me back £3,400 for a three-storey, 170m2 house and garage built in timber frame with masonry cladding.
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HEADLINE SPONSOR
WINNERS REVEALED The Homebuilding & Renovating Industry Awards were launched last year to acknowledge and celebrate the amazing and diverse businesses and people that make our sector what it is. The shortlist was compiled by a panel of experts with all companies, products and services demonstrating a positive impact on the lives of self-builders and renovators. Voting was then opened to the public, who decided the winners : read on to discover who won in each category!
ASSOCIATE SPONSORS
WINNER LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT
Door supplier of the year Window supplier of the year
KLOEBER
PETER HARRIS Peter Harris was the founder of this publication and the popular Homebuilding & Renovating Show. “Peter played a huge role in shaping the custom and self build market as we know it today and was a great supporter of NaCSBA and its work,” says Michael Holmes, Vice-Chair of National Custom & Self Build Association (NaCSBA). “He was a true pioneer on many fronts.” PAUL KEMPTON Paul was founder of Sennocke International Insurance Services and brands Self-Build Zone, Build-Zone and BZSS. “Paul was a well-respected figure in the sector,” says Michael Holmes, NaCBA Vice-Chair and HB&R Director of Content. “He worked tirelessly to support selfbuilders and builders with a range of dedicated brands — helping many more people fulfil their dreams.”
WINNER Flooring supplier of the year
AMTICO
Kloeber specialises in made-to-measure bifold, sliding, French and entrance doors, as well as bespoke windows, in aluminium, timber and alu-clad materials. The front door range includes their award-winning FunkyFront door solution. The window options include tilt & turn, casement and fixed. Kloeber provides a full window package, from initial meeting and showroom visit through to liaising with architects and builders, site survey and installation by in-house fitters.
Solihull-based Amtico has been designing and manufacturing luxury vinyl tiles for more than 50 years. Today its timber, stone and abstract designs work equally well across kitchens, bathrooms and living spaces in the home. Its new Amtico Form features antimicrobial technology that is proven to reduce bacteria by 99.9% over 24 hours. A network of specialist Amtico flooring retailers across the UK and Ireland offer design, installation and maintenance advice.
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WINNER House designer of the year Oak frame supplier of the year
BORDER OAK
WINNER Insulation supplier of the year
ROCKWOOL
WINNER Kitchen supplier of the year
WREN KITCHENS
WINNER Render & cladding supplier of the year
EWI PRO
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Border Oak Design & Construction are a family-run business specialising in bespoke handmade oak frame structures. The company revived the craft of traditional green oak framing, later combining this with SIPs (structural insulated panels). Over the past four decades their portfolio has grown to include residential houses of all descriptions, alongside commercial and international projects and domestic outbuildings.
Rockwool has been manufacturing its eponymous insulation material from lava deposits of volcanic rock since 1937. Since then, generations of builders and architects have specified rockwool for its outstanding thermal insulation properties. The recyclable material is fire-proof and durable, lasting at least as long as the life of the building. Its dense structure has useful acoustic benefits, too, cutting down on nuisance noise, and its non-organic nature means it will not contribute to damp or mould in the home.
This family-run business has been designing, manufacturing and supplying fitted kitchens since 2009 and is now the UK’s largest kitchen manufacturer and retailer, with 105 showrooms nationwide. Here customers can talk to Wren Kitchens designers; 3D modelling software is also used to create an interactive visualisation. Once the design and exact specifications and kitchen measurements have been finalised, in-house craftspeople and fitters build and install the kitchen to the customer’s specification.
EWI Pro’s External Wall Insulation System comprises a range of BBA- approved external wall insulation and render products. EWI Pro systems are technically designed and manufactured to improve thermal performance and external appearance for UK properties, both old and new. Based on formulas used across Europe since the 1960s, the EWI Pro systems provide long-lasting solutions to customers and installers alike.
WINNER Heating & plumbing supplier of the year
STOVAX
WINNER Joinery supplier of the year
Based in Exeter, Stovax was established in1981 to design, manufacture and distribute woodburning stoves and fireplace accessories. By 1988, its sister company Gazco was formed to develop and produce electric and gas versions of the stoves. Both companies have continued to develop their product ranges so that today the combined businesses have grown to become one of Europe’s leading manufacturers of stoves, fireplaces and fires, with exports to countries across the globe.
Established in the UK in 2017, London-based Sopa Bespoke Joinery offers a versatile product range of interior and exterior furniture and fixtures, including kitchen sets, bedrooms, interior and exterior doors, interior staircases and windows. All are manufactured from pine, ash and oak. The company also specialises in paints, stains and other wood products.
SOPA BESPOKE
WINNER Loft supplier of the year
MODULOFT
WINNER Rooflight supplier of the year
KORNICHE
Yorkshire-based Moduloft is a modular conversion company and loft extension specialist. Using offsite building technologies, the company can carry out a loft conversion in most modern homes within a few weeks, up to eight times faster than a conventional attic conversion. The company can also convert low roofs with little fuss. The conversions are built off-site in a factory, and arrive fully fitted with electrics, windows and doors, thus keeping onsite work and homeowner stress to a minimum.
This rooflight supplier, based in the north east of England, is synonymous with its Korniche Roof Lantern: a lightweight aluminium roof lantern that is fast and easy to install, strong and secure, thermally efficient and with slim sightlines, allowing more natural light to flood into the home. The lantern is designed with a fixed pitch of 25 degrees and hips both ends, making it suitable for modern and traditional designs. The Korniche is available in regular and custom sizes and any standard RAL colour.
AWA RDS
WINNER Roofing supplier of the year
The world leader in natural slate, Cupa Pizarras provides quality slates suitable for roofing and wall cladding, with a wide range of grey tones, thicknesses and textured surfaces. Its Thermoslate range captures solar energy for heating, hot water or pool heating. The Spanish company supplies one in three slates installed on projects globally, and is officially a carbon-neutral company.
CUPA PIZARRAS
WINNER SIPs supplier of the year
SIPS ECO PANELS
WINNER Bathroom supplier of the year
Smart home supplier of the year
LIGHTWAVE
Insurance provide of the year
SELF-BUILD ZONE
Sips Eco is a family-run business with over 36 years in the construction industry. Based just outside Edinburgh, the company is the largest independent structural insulated panel manufacturer in the UK. Their dedicated team of highly experienced, professional and friendly staff will help and advise self-builders and renovators through any stage of their project. From the planning and design stage through to managing and supporting the build process, the Sips Eco team provide the assurance needed.
With a long history stretching back to1886, this company specialises in beautifully designed, award-winning showers, bathroom and kitchen taps, and valves. Research and development is an important driver for Methven, with its patented Satinjet, Aurajet and Vjet spray technologies that significantly save on water usage without compromising on shower aesthetics or functionality.
WINNER Ventilation supplier of the year
TOTAL AIR QUALITY
WINNER Renewable supplier of the year
GEO GREEN POWER
METHVEN
WINNER
WINNER
A pioneer of smart home technology, Lightwave developed its first internet enabled devices in 2008. Since then, the company has gone on to offer integrated smart home solutions across lighting, power, heating, controls and sensors. Lightwave provides a free smart home consultation to help homeowners make their home smart in whatever way suits them, whether that’s reducing energy bills, making their home safer or allowing them to control the home while away.
Self-Build Zone has been providing specialist insurance to self-builders since 2003 and is the current market leader. They cover any type of construction method approved by Building Regulations and their structural warranty is approved by UK Finance, which means that most lenders in the UK will accept it. Their in-house team BZSS can relieve the stress of self-building by facilitating surveys. For example, they can combine building control and technical audit surveys to save time on site visits.
With over 30 years’ experience in the domestic ventilation market, Midlands-based Total Air Quality offers a full service including design, supply, installation, commissioning and servicing of all ventilation systems, including MVHR systems. The company employs NICEIC and BPEC accredited domestic ventilation engineers/installers, which means they are trained to a standard that complies with Building Regulations Part F and exceeds NHBC guidelines.
Geo Green Power was launched in 2009 to supply solar PV for homes and businesses. Today, the company also specialises in heat pump installations, biomass boilers and other renewable and energy efficient technologies for commercial clients and homeowners. The not-for-profit company aims to create the most cost effective and efficient renewable solutions for customers’ heating and energy needs, re-investing all profits and available assets into R&D to drive the renewables industry forward.
H I G H LY C O M M E N D E D Door supplier of the year Ultraline Architectural Limited Flooring supplier of the year The Wooden Floor Store Heating & plumbing supplier of the year Gazco House designer of the year Croft Architecture Limited Insulation supplier of the year Q-Bot Kitchen supplier of the year Roux Kitchens Loft supplier of the year Loft Leg Ltd
Render & cladding supplier of the year Corksol Uk Rooflight supplier of the year Just Roof Lanterns Roofing supplier of the year Wallbarn SIPS supplier of the year JML SIPs Window supplier of the year The Residence Collection Smart home supplier of the year Moss Technical Services Ltd
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Homebuilding & Renovating
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Green from the top down
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ne of the ironies in the endeavour to build a greener home or extension is that ecology is typically lost by the very act of turning a plot or garden into a new home or additional living space. However, there are ways to help mitigate the habitat lost — of which the introduction of a green roof is one of the
most effective. The self-builders behind this home, for instance, not only excavated the site in order to lessen the dwelling’s visual impact on the landscape, but also installed a green roof atop the single-storey section that appears to blend into the woodland behind. You can find out more about green roofs on page 185.
THIS MONTH
IMAGE: ALISTAIR NICHOLLS
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Sustainable interiors ● Eco alternatives to air con ● Green roofs
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*ACCORDING TO A CHECKATRADE STUDY
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Green light for heating project A
A GREENER WELCOME Water-based paints from COAT feature grade-A ingredients and are low in VOCs and odour; the UK company is also carbon neutral, and provides infinite tin recycling. The hardy exterior paint is suitable for wood, metal and masonry.
49%
groundbreaking heating project in a Cornish village is set to encourage residents to switch to renewable heating and hot water systems. Stithians village will host the first stage of ‘Heat the Street’, an £8.7m Cornish project in which local residents will have ground source heat pumps installed. Kensa Utilities, based in Cornwall, has been awarded a £6m grant to part-fund the project. Kensa is looking for private households in Stithians interested in switching to a new renewable heating system worth around £20,000 per household, comprising ground source heat pump, radiators, hot water cylinder and smart thermostat. Visit kensautilities.com/heat-the-streets-stithians to register.
of Brits would consider installing a heat pump in the future*
Myecohero: #2 David Hilton nominates a product which is a breath of fresh air Mechanical ventilation involves getting fresh air into your home and taking stale air and pollutants out. But what happens when the air you bring in is not exactly fresh? You may live near a busy road, there may be lots of pollen in the air, or possibly dust or pollution from local industry. Step in the Blauberg CleanBox: the filter box cleans the air entering your mechanical ventilation system, whether it’s MVHR or simply a forced air ventilation fan. It has three sets of filters: a coarse dust filter, a PM2.5 particulate filter, which protects against particles and aerosols 2.5 micrometres wide, and a NOx filter, which filters fumes from petrol and diesel engines. The Blauberg CleanBox ranges in price from around £250 to £400 depending on duct diameter. In my view, it‘s a very good addition to a ventilation system in homes where clean air is a priority.
GREEN BUILDING EVENT 27-28 NOVEMBER
PASSIVHAUS WORKSHOP National Self Build & Renovation Centre, Swindon
The most successful and cost-effective way of achieving Passivhaus is by incorporating the standard before your designs are complete. Learn how with this free workshop, delivered in partnership with the Passivhaus Trust.
FRONT RUNNER Flooring Superstore has launched a new range of rugs and runners made from recycled t-shirts, available in a geometric pattern in four neutral shades. The rugs are available in two sizes – small (100 x 150cm) and large (160 x 230cm) while runners are 60 x 180cm. As the products are made completely from waste materials – the large rugs are manufactured from 19 disused t-shirts, for instance – for every m2 sold, Flooring Superstore saves 1.6kg of discarded products entering landfill. The flat woven rugs and runners are also suitable for use with underfloor heating.
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Mark and Clare Shenton were keen to replace their dated pool house while dipping their toes into energy-efficient heating — so they looked underground for a novel solution
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A CHARMING DESIGN Externally the pool house has been weatherboarded to embed the new structure into the historic site.
t ime l ine Plot purchased 2013
Demolition APRIL 2016
Planning application submitted JUNE 2016
be f ore HOMEOWNERS Mark and Clare Shenton LOCATION West Sussex SIZE 385m2 BUILD COST £1.5million CONSTRUCTION Oak frame with encapsulation panels WORDS Amy Reeves PHOTOGRAPHY Guildford Photographer
Second fix APRIL 2018
Foundations completed FEBRUARY 2017
Planning permission approved AUGUST 2016
Watertight shell JUNE 2017
Final decoration JUNE 2018
d Mill, the UK’s oldest ton moved into the 17th century millhouse, which had been restored by volunteers in the 1980s. Now Mark tells us about the latest addition to the plot: an oak frame pool building that fits perfectly with its historic surroundings and provides renewable energy to heat itself, the main house and an adjacent property. Mark, we’ve never seen a pool house quite like this. Can you tell me how the project began? When we bought Oldland Mill House it had a lovely oval shaped pool. I think it was designed to be outdoors but the previous owners built a structure on top of it. It looked okay, but the foundations were shoddy and within about six months of us living here the polycarbonate roof had started to weaken. We’re on an elevated bit of land and the wind ripped off some of the panels so we got architects in to work out how to re-support the building and recover the roof. We also found a fantastic heating engineer, Michael Turner, to explore heating the pool building – as well as our house and the cottage next door – with a bore heating system. He explained that the oval pool was going to be problematic because of the restrictions on what kind of cover you can fit to keep the heat and moisture in. He was also concerned that the underground pipework wasn’t going to be up to standard — sorting that would have dramatically increased costs and effort, so we decided it would be best to start again. Did you always want to build the structure with oak? My wife and I both love oak frame buildings and lived in a 15th century house before we moved here. We approached a few local suppliers but decided to go with Oakwrights because they seemed most comfortable with the scale of the project.
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“To put a wooden building over a body of water sounds mad but it has worked really well”
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If you’re building a normal house you’re not working with a massive hole full of water in the centre so there was so much more to consider. We sat down with Darren Blackwell of Oakwrights and talked about what we wanted to get out of the building. The original pool house had a courtyard with an outdoor kitchen area and its own bathroom to change in, so we designed this one to have its own kitchenette and a storage room that can be used as a bedroom for guests. We went for full planning permission and although there were some local concerns that we were trying to trick the council into building a five-bed house because of the traditional oak design, it went through first time. How did the build go? The first thing we had to do was get the access road strengthened with 149 piles so it could withstand the heavy lorries and cranes for the oak frame. We didn’t realise just how much concrete had been put in the ground until we excavated the old pool — it was horrendous. We crushed it all up and built foundations for a new small road to the building as there was no access before. I think we recycled or reused pretty much everything on site. Being retired I had time to be immersed in the project, but Michael the heating engineer worked with me and helped project manage throughout the build. Pools aren’t known for being particularly environmentally friendly, how did you counter this? While we were doing the groundworks, the borehole drilling company put in 21 boreholes, each of them 145m deep, which I was blown away by. It now works as one continuous pipe loop to absorb the warmth from the ground and transfer it up to the pool house to heat the structure, the pool, our house and a cottage nearby. There is also an incredible amount of insulation in the building and an air ventilation system that comes through the floor to keep moisture levels down. To put a wooden building over a body of water sounds mad, but it has worked really well — our moisture metre on the wall is the same level as in the house. It was a great project — really challenging, but we’re absolutely over the moon with the finished product.
FUNCTIONAL SPACES The pool house includes a gym, which Mark uses daily, a kitchenette, dining space and a bathroom for changing.
SUPPLIERS OAK FRAME AND ENCAPSULATION SYSTEM Oakwrights: www.oakwrights.co.uk PLANNING APPLICATION AND PROJECT PLANNING Oakland Vale Architects: www.oaklandvale.co.uk HEATING AND VENTILATION ENGINEER Michael Turner Plumbing: mt.heating@btinternet.com ELECTRICS Neo Electrical: www.neoelectrical.co.uk TILING Tony Halls: achalls55@gmail.com INTERNAL JOINERY Josh Ellis of Charles Linton Carpentry: www.charleslinton.co.uk ROOFING Lee Szabo: leeglenszabo@aol.com GROUNDWORKS Horizon Groundworks: www.groundworkssussex.com GLAZING KB Glass: www.kbglass.co.uk SWIMMING POOL Fowler Group: www.fowlergroup.co.uk
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Greening up the roof tim pullen Tim is an expert in sustainable building methods and home energy efficiency. Contact him at Tim@ weatherworks. co.uk
Green by name, but are green roofs green by nature? What are the actual pros and cons of this popular feature? Tim Pullen investigates
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reen roofs have become very popular recently, at least in big urban developments. The 67-acre Kings Cross estate in London has 40% of its roof space green. Developers across the country are being offered financial encouragement to include living roofs. A three year study by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority into the social, economic and environmental effects of green roofs found benefits in all those areas, but the idea hasn’t gained the same traction with homeowners.
ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS
In an increasingly concrete-covered country green roofs provide much needed habitat, food and shelter for a host of insects and birds, but that is only the start of the story. The plants on the roof absorb carbon dioxide, emit oxygen, and filter particulates from the air. They store water, which is a significant benefit in an increasingly flood-prone climate. Another, often unsung, benefit is that they extend the lifespan of your roof – where an ordinary flat roof might have a lifespan of 20 years, a green roof will at least double that.
ENERGY BENEFITS
There’s a myth that green roofs are good insulators. In fact, dry
soil has a thermal conductivity of 0.74W/mK (about 1/20th as good as Rockwool), and it only gets worse as it gets wetter. Soil does have an advantage though: thermal mass — it can absorb a lot of heat. This can smooth out the peaks and troughs of a house’s heating cycle, helping to prevent the rooms below overheating in hot weather and giving up heat to mitigate the worst of the cold spells.
PROBLEMS
A green roof is more expensive than a conventional one. It’s also heavier, requires a stronger supporting structure, and has to be designed and installed by experts. Then there’s maintenance. Extensive green roofs (see right) are low maintenance, but they do need a bit of care. Intensive green roofs (see right) need regular weeding.
CONCLUSION
Whether a green roof makes a house greener depends on what you actually mean by that. The effect on your house’s energy consumption won’t justify the extra cost, but the impact on the local environment and ecology could be, perhaps should be, the deciding factor. In any case, a green roof certainly makes a very visible statement and will make the homeowner feel good. So what’s not to love?
TYPES OF GREEN ROOF ● EXTENSIVE – a thin growing
medium (usually 100mm to 150mm) planted with sedums and moss. Extensive green roofs are not usually accessible as a roof garden. They are suitable for retrofit and new build projects.
● INTENSIVE – a thicker
growing medium (at least 200mm) with a wider variety of plants. These roofs require more maintenance in the form of weeding, but can be used as roof gardens. Intensive green roofs are best suited to new build projects.
● BIODIVERSE – Also called
brown roofs, these are roofs that are specifically designed to meet the needs of rare flora and fauna in a specific location. They may include sand and stones as well as planting to encourage particular species. Again, they are usually suited to new builds but they can work with retrofit projects, too.
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Sustainable interior fınishes Tim Pullen explains how to finish your home in a more eco-friendly way
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aving gone to all the trouble of designing and building a house or extension in a sustainable way, perhaps with Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC) certified timber, natural insulation, high levels of airtightness and thermal efficiency, LED lighting and possibly renewable energy, rainwater harvesting and the like, it seems natural that you would go that extra step and finish the project with the same degree of care. The paint, tiles, floor coverings, architraves, skirtings and doors are the forward-facing elements of the build, the bits that you and visitors see, feel and appreciate. There are of course more and less eco-friendly options for all those things. In some cases it is a matter of considering materials, in others it’s about choosing a particular product.
IMAGE: DUG WILDERS
MATERIALS
It almost goes without saying that natural materials are more sustainable than manufactured ones, and that the most obvious starting point when it comes to sustainable materials is wood. It has lots of potential applications and as, in this context, none of them are structural even reclaimed wood can be put to use. Your local salvage yard is likely to hold a wide and interesting selection of timber, ideal for floors, architraves or skirting boards. One method of measuring a material’s or product’s sustainability is to look
TIM PULLEN Tim is an expert in sustainable building methods and home energy efficiency.
at its embodied carbon (EC), the CO2 emissions caused by its manufacture and supply. It is fairly easy to guess that a plank of wood, grown and sawn in the same country will have lower EC than a sheet of aluminium manufactured in China, but it is more tricky working out whether slate floor tiles are more or less sustainable than ceramic tiles. The Green Building Encyclopaedia provides an estimate of the EC for virtually every possible building
REPURPOSED This kitchen from Sheffield Sustainble Kitchens features a reclaimed iroko worktop (right). The freestanding unit is made from locally sourced oak with shelves in Richlite, a recycled paper solid surface.
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IMAGE: DUG WILDERS
WORK SMART This ingenious work station, by Sheffield Sustainable Kitchens (ssk. uk.com) is constructed from iroko reclaimed from old lab benches. The company’s core kitchen base units are also made from a special particleboard produced from 100% recycled timber.
material, which can be found at bit.ly/3wa3Qus. Aluminium is near the top of the list at 11.46kgCO2/kg of virgin material (recycled aluminium is just 1.69kgCO2/kg), copper pipe contributes 3.65 kgCO2/kg and slate roof tiles are 0.06 kgCO2/kg. This shows that there are some surprises in the sustainability of materials if EC is taken as the measure. As an example, ceramic wall tiles have less than half the EC by weight of wallpaper and a third that of vinyl paint. Making ceramic tiles takes a lot of energy, all of which emits CO2 but manufacturing companies have gone to a lot of effort to capture and reuse that energy as a means of minimising costs. The same cannot be said of all paint and wallpaper manufacturers. (Although eco paints – a topic covered in depth last month – make this a moot point.) Obviously, in terms of weight we use far less paint or paper to finish a wall than we would tiles, but this still illustrates that, in sustainability terms, products aren’t always what they seem.
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Bamboo is another case in point. It is far easier and quicker to grow bamboo than, say, a pine tree, but the latter can be grown locally whereas bamboo usually originates from further afield. It also takes a lot more processing and energy to turn a bamboo stick into a useful product like floorboards than it does a tree — and if that pine board is FSC certified then we can be sure that it has been responsibly sourced and another tree planted in its place. There isn’t, as yet, a comparable standard for bamboo. A study of the Green Building Encyclopaedia forces us to a few conclusions: plastics are to be avoided (although we don’t really need an encyclopaedia to tell us that), locally produced materials and products are almost always better than their counterparts from further away, and in general this is a subject area that throws up more than its fair share of surprises — like stone generally having low EC and slate in particular having one of the lowest ECs of all materials.
APPLICATIONS
Finishing materials are decorative by nature, but for some features of our homes, like floors and doors, they need to be functional as well, which will affect what you choose when you come to specify these elements of your build. Suspended timber floors, as long as the wood used is FSC certified (and preferably sourced from the UK), can be thought of as sustainable with a reasonable degree of confidence. Solid floors are more tricky; concrete has a higher EC than timber. Finishing with tiles like those from Marazzi Group (which have particularly low EC) will help, as will a pure wool carpet. A carpet made entirely from recycled material, like those offered by Halifax-based Associated Weavers, whose Sedna collection is made from waste collected from the sea, is better still. When it comes to wall and ceiling treatment, avoiding vinyl is a good start. Beyond that, there’s plenty to choose from. The Dorset company Rose of
T H E
Jericho offers a wide range of non-vinyl paints and an internet search for non-vinyl wallpaper will find an equally wide choice. It may be argued, with some justification, that the amount of plastic in paint and wallpaper is small enough to make little difference when it comes to climate change. But equally, why use plastic when there are good alternatives on the market? Ceramic tiles have a surprisingly low EC at just 0.74 kgCO2/kg, although this is still higher than stone and even terrazzo tiles, which are just 0.12 kgCO2/kg. If you’ve got your heart set on ceramic though, then look for companies, like Marazzi, that have the Ecolabel, an EU standard that ensures responsible use of resources and energy. A door is a door, and the vast majority of interior doors are made of wood, so what makes a door more or less eco-friendly? The answer is in the manufacturing process, the glues used and the source of the timber. Companies like Ecomerchants ensure that the doors
they supply use FSC certified timber and that their manufacturing process minimises the embodied carbon. When it comes to kitchen worktops a wide range of wood, stone and recycled glass options are available, some of them at very good prices. Companies like Stoneville and House of Worktops are a good place to start. Kitchen cabinets are trickier, as they tend to be made from MDF or similar materials, some with questionable eco-credentials and alternatives are difficult to find. Some at least use solid wood doors. Companies like The Real Green Kitchen use FSC timber, and heat their workshops with offcuts. Another simple answer might be to use your local joinery company. That not only keeps things local but also gives more control over design and materials. In terms of environmental damage, the big culprit in the bathroom is the chemicals we use to keep it clean. In terms of bathroom fittings, the worst issue is once again plastics. Basins, toilets, and the rest tend to be ceramic,
FOCUS
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IMAGE (CENTRE): RICHARD CHIVERS
Sustainable flooring choices include FSC-certified wood flooring, cork, lino, wool carpets and some of the choices outlined below, but it also pays to take a holistic view — looking at what lies beneath and on top. One interesting new product
RECYCLED MATERIALS Flooring Superstore has launched a range of carpets, Serene, made using Econyl, a yarn made from recycled nylon fishing nets. Its eco textile backing is manufactured from recycled PET plastic bottles. The Saxony carpets – Neptune Caribbean Ash shown – cost £39.99/m2. (www.flooringsuperstore.com)
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so the same rules as for tiles apply. The problem area is the bath. Most often these are glass fibre reinforced plastic, or acrylic, both of which have very high embodied carbon and are difficult to recycle. The sustainable options – stone, cast iron, steel, copper – all tend to be expensive by comparison.
CONCLUSION
The Green Building Encyclopaedia shows that minimising CO2 emissions is not just a matter of the efficiency of your gas boiler and the amount of insulation you install. The materials you choose to build with also play a crucial role in your home’s environmental impact. There is of course the question of how far we should go with this, as the difficulty of fitting out a bathroom in a sustainable way highlights. The purist will say that wherever a more sustainable option is available it should be used without fail. The pragmatist will say that we should go as far as reasonably possible, and that any step in the right direction is a good step.
FLO O RI NG is Tredaire’s Renu, a carpet underlay made from 98% recycled materials, which is 100% recyclable at the end of its life, for instance. Non-toxic adhesives and floor finishes might also be a priority for the eco-conscious self-builder and renovator.
RESPONSIBLY SOURCED LVT Polyflor’s Colonia Wood PUR LVT is made from responsibly sourced materials, typically comprising around 40% recycled content. The luxury vinyl tile is recyclable, and offcuts from installation can be collected by the RecoFloor vinyl takeback scheme for recycling. It has a BRE A rating. (www.polyflor.com)
RECLAIMED WOOD FLOORING Indigenous Reclaimed Weathered Barn Oak is from 60 to 125 years old and is taken from European barns. The floor is engineered, with a 20mm wear layer and finished by hand. Boards are between 100 and 200mm wide and come in random lengths of 1,500 to 3,000mm. £183/m2. (www.indigenous.co.uk)
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Are there greener ways to staycool? Can air conditioning ever be green, asks one eco-conscious self-builder. David Hilton looks at the alternatives
I DAVID HILTON
is an expert in sustainable building and energy efficiency and a director of Heat and Energy Ltd. He has over 35 years’ experience
t’s common for people to worry about heating their homes more than keeping them cool. However, anyone who’s ever sweltered in a hot home office or struggled to sleep at night in the summer will know that overheating is as much a problem as keeping warm. If we don’t think about the impact of our solutions to this problem we could be faced with the irony that we’re making the world hotter in the long term in order to stay cool right now. High humidity levels in many parts of the UK mean the best way to cool our homes is with air conditioning. A number of alternative cooling systems are available, but the cooling they achieve must be put into context so that we can be sure they deliver according to our expectations. It’s worth noting that keeping a home cool starts at the design stage. A good amount of thermal mass, like high density concrete blocks, will absorb heat and keep your property cooler. Keeping the summer sun out by shading sun-soaked windows will also help, especially on the south side of the home. Cross ventilation can be surprisingly effective, especially high-level ventilation that moves the warmer air near the ceiling. Just make sure that the air entering the property is as cool as possible; dark hardscaping or roof tiles may actually heat air up before it comes in.
DOUBLE DUTY FOR HEAT PUMPS
Technologies like heat pumps that work by moving heat from one place to another can potentially be run in reverse to cool things down. If you have a ground source heat pump, water can be circulated between the ground loop and the emitter circuit to deliver cool water to the emitters (either radiators or underfloor heating) without having to run the compressor. In this case the water in the emitters will only be as cool as the natural temperature of the ground loop, which means that vertical borehole collectors might not
be suitable for this plan, as water from deep in the ground may be too warm. You can, however, run the compressor to actively cool the water in the emitter circuit and dump the heat in the ground. This works with an air source heat pump too, with the heat being taken out through the outdoor fan unit. A downside of this is that the emitters can become cold enough for condensation to form, resulting in water dripping from radiators and wet areas on the floor. Some mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR) systems have designed-for-purpose cooling options. These include inline water chillers that pass the air flowing into a house over a heat exchanger that has cool water running over it. The limits of these chillers are determined by the temperature of the water and the flow rate of the air. Some MVHR systems incorporate a small heat pump, either as a bolt on or as a factory-manufactured unit, that delivers chilled air to all their supply valves. These systems normally run 24 hours a day, so although their cooling capacity is small in the short term, the system makes up for its low power by running constantly. Because of this slow and steady approach, these types of systems are great for maintaining cool temperatures but they struggle to cool areas that are already hot. They also have a limited capacity to keep areas cool where there is a lot of heat gain from large windows or high activity. In summary, there are lots of ways to temper the air temperature in your home in an environmentally conscious way, but sometimes you’re going to want effective cooling in targeted areas, and when you do there is no real alternative to air conditioning. If you have photovoltaic (PV) panels then at least you can limit your air conditioning’s operation to the daytime, when the need is greatest and the electricity will be green and free.
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SOURCING SUPPLIERS
MEMBER
FOR YOUR DREAM HOME? The National Custom & Self Build Association campaigns to remove the barriers to more people in the UK building their own home. Look out for the NaCSBA stamp and be assured that you’ll be working with a company you can trust.
MAKE SURE YOU LOOK OUT FOR THESE NACSBA STAMPS
O All members are committed to working with self- builders in a fair and transparent manner O All members are funding the growth of the sector so more people can have an individual home O All members are covered by NaCSBA’s consumer Code of Practice – to protect you if things go wrong
A FULL LIST OF MEMBERS CAN BE FOUND AT:
www.selfbuildportal.org.uk/members
N E X T Building quotes: Why they’re coming in over budget! How to create a greener home
M ONT H Designing a new kitchen Converting your loft
IMAGE: MARK BOLTON C/O OAKWRIGHTS
Timber cladding
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On the edge
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he homeowner initially approached our practice as the existing house was very cold and didn’t work for his family — we tried to keep it but it didn’t make much financial sense. The homeowner is Scottish and he wanted his new home to feel like a Celtic castle, so we took inspiration from the idea of ruins buried into the land — the new house sits within the landscape rather than just sitting on it. All of the surrounding houses look like their eyes are wide open; their windows capitalise on those sea views! The challenge here was not simply to make the
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most of this incredible setting but to balance this with protecting the house from the winds, as the plot is very exposed 60m up on the cliff. In a way the house is all about appreciating the nature of the site. When you’re in it you’re looking out towards the sky and the sea, but when you’re looking from the outside it’s about the house being embedded into the cliff with its curved form and green roof. All of the windows have planters built in and I can’t wait to see these grow and for the house to feel part of the landscape as the years go on.
IMAGE: ROBBIE WHITFIELD
This striking self-build replaces a tired house on the white cliffs of Dover. Mike Tonkin of Tonkin Liu Architects explains the ethos behind the design
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