Selfbuild Autumn 2020

Selfbuild EXTENSIONS RENOVATIONS NEW HOMES INTERIORS GARDENS

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AUTUMN 2020 £3.75 / €3.99

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Dream it . Do it . Live it

PLAN YOUR BUILD YOUR 32 PAGE GUIDE TO EVERY THING YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE YOU START

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EDITOR'S LETTER

Astrid Madsen - Editor astrid.madsen@selfbuild.ie

lot of changes are happening here at Selfbuild – some we’ve planned such as this magazine redesign, replete with a brand new Selfbuild Guide section to help you navigate through the process of building or extending your dream home in Ireland (turn to page 100).

Others we’ve had less control over and, as everyone has, we’ve been busy adapting to the new normal of Covid-19. Some exciting news to follow.

And above all, we want to hear from you! Feedback

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on the redesign is most welcome, but also do get in touch to let us know how you are adapting on site with Covid-19, to share any design or construction details about your project, or just to see your home featured in the magazine.

We are here to share information, advice and inspiration from selfbuilders across the island of Ireland, showcasing how it’s done – warts and all.

In this first instalment we look at Planning Your Build, covering everything you need to know before you even start designing the house.

Stay safe and happy building!

Selfbuild Guide

COVER PHOTO Paul Lindsay MARKETING Calum Lennon calum.lennon@selfbuild.ie SUBSCRIPTIONS Becca.Wilgar becca.wilgar@selfbuild.ie BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Niamh Whelan niamh.whelan@selfbuild.ie EDITOR Astrid Madsen astrid.madsen@selfbuild.ie

99 Selfbuild Guide

ADVERTISING SALES David Corry david.corry@selfbuild.ie

Maria Varela maria.varela@selfbuild.ie

100 Overview of the self-build process.

ACCOUNTS Karen Kelly karen.kelly@selfbuild.ie

102 Can you build on the site?

SALES DIRECTOR Mark Duffin mark.duffin@selfbuild.ie MANAGING DIRECTOR Brian Corry brian.corry@selfbuild.ie

DESIGN Myles McCann myles.mccann@selfbuild.ie

Nicola Delacour-Dunne nicola.delacour@selfbuild.ie

CHAIRMAN Clive Corry clive.corry@selfbuild.ie

Shannon Quinn shannon.quinn@selfbuild.ie

Lisa Killen lisa.killen@selfbuild.ie

DISTRIBUTION EM News Distribution Ltd

The publishers cannot accept responsibility for errors or omissions nor for the accuracy of information reproduced. Where opinions may be given, these are personal and based upon the best information to hand.

At all times readers are advised to seek the appropriate professional advice. Copyright: all rights reserved.

4 / S E L F B U ILD / AU T U M N 2020

110 What can you build for your budget?

120 How will you manage the project?

128 PROJECT: Building the dream

CONTENTS

Projects Learn from other self-builders all over the island of Ireland who have built new or renovated their home.

18 At the movies

Building your own home has a lot of upsides. One is to have the luxury of adding a home cinema, as this self-build in Co Fermanagh showcases.

28 Part of the landscape

Co Wicklow is well known for being a difficult place to get planning permission; estate agent David Dobbs and his wife Alex managed to integrate their house into the landscape with a sprawling design.

50 62 The multigeneration house

This newly built Co Antrim brick house fuses an apartment complex for a grandparent and a fully functioning family home; three generations live under the one roof yet everyone has the space and privacy they need.

Advice 83 Ask the expert

Get to grips with specifying your heating system and find out if it's still possible to build a house for under 150k.

84 Cheap Irish Homes

Top house hunting tips from RTE co-hosts Maggie Molloy and Kieran McCathy.

86 Budget: Staircases

One of the most expensive items to budget for; here’s where you can save on costs.

66 Standing out to blend in

90 Miscommunication

Top tips on how to avoid one of the most common self-build pitfalls, from a self-builder in Co Down.

92 Seed saving

How you can play your part saving the planet and its biodiversity.

94 The hardest working space in the home The bedroom has to pack a punch to make sure you get a good night’s sleep.

SELFBUILD: THE ALL-IRELAND All articles equally cover the 32 counties; when we refer to the Republic of Ireland the abbreviation is ROI. For Northern Ireland it’s NI.

66 38 15% discount

This new build project in Co Cork was influenced by its forest setting thanks to a clever use of cladding alternating dark green corrugated metal with timber laths.

Anthony Cash’s extension and renovation project in Co Antrim was partially financed by a little known VAT rebate for homes left unoccupied for two years or more. It also boasts a unique black brick external finish and polished concrete floors.

72 A keeper

50 The puzzle house

Chris and Serena Gillick took a very hands on approach to their Co Meath self-build – Chris built the frame himself, with the help of a friend, from timber lengths he cut to size and assembled on site. We also delve into whether this DIY approach is realistic for most self-builders.

Martin and Saoirse O’Dwyer struggled to get planning permission to extend their home in Co Sligo but manged to get their design over the line with a barrel roof addition. The next step was to figure out how to build it!

The story behind how a lighthouse keeper’s house in Co Cork has been given a complete facelift, from increasing the level of insulation to installing a heat pump with underfloor heating.

76 Timber warrior

AUT U M N 2020 / S EL F BU IL D / 5

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NEWS . ANALYSIS . PRODUCTS . REVIEWS

Trustmark publishes covid rules

Andy Broughan with her fiancé Adam

Build it for Andy A town in County Laois has come together to build a family home for a local rugby player with a life threatening illness. ndrea Broughan, who used to play with the PortDara Falcons, has been busy designing her family home and picking colours from her hospital bed in Dublin convalescing from two cerebral strokes.

The community around her has pulled together to help her fiancé Adam and two young children, Evan and Elena, build a family home that will be accessible to Andy's needs.

Local businesses have donated materials such as slates, insulated plasterboard, blocks and cement, roof

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coverings and tiles, while local tradesmen donated their time to tile and run services in the house.

The family is aiming to raise €40,000 through the gofundme page on Facebook @builditforandy with over €30,000 donated since it was set up in March.

According the organisers that will cover 20 per cent of the cost of building the house, fully furnished, as 80 per cent has been donated in labour or in materials.

At the time of going to print the plasterers were working both inside and out, with the windows and doors ready to be fitted next.

Mixed messages from employers and unions have led to a lack of clarity over covid safety rules on site. For homeowners, the ‘Work Safe. Safe Work’ campaign, developed by TrustMark with the UK Department for Business (BEIS), has been endorsed by the Construction Leadership Council.

They say the new campaign will help builders and homeowners adapt to ‘new normal’ with communication at the core of the campaign.

However for larger building sites it seems the guidance isn’t providing as much clarity as the union Unite would like. They argue face masks are not appropriate PPE when a two metre distance cannot be maintained.

Self-build demand strong, says survey Half (49 per cent) of self-builders say they have increased their budget as a result of the coronavirus, with only 9 per cent saying their budget had significantly decreased.

That is according to a survey Selfbuild conducted during the month of June 2020 which received 1,107 responses.

The results show that 96 per cent of self-builders were happy for work to take place in their properties, even with social distancing, and that 97 per cent would continue with their new builds this year.

Nine out of ten agreed that lockdown created time for them to conduct further detailed research into their project.

AUT U M N 2020 / S EL F BU IL D / 7

THE UPDATE

Coronavirus planning delays COVID-19 measures are adding at least six weeks to planning decisions in ROI with the Minister for Housing, Planning & Local Government introducing measures to pause the progress of planning applications. his order took effect from 29th March and was due to end on the 20th April but has been extended by an additional 19 days, up to and including 9th May 2020.

This means that planners have 14 weeks, as opposed to the normal eight weeks, to process planning applications.

In NI there are no set timeframes, as the Chief Planner of the Department for Infrastructure said it is important that Councils provide the “best service possible in these challenging times” and to “work pro-actively with applicants” and “where necessary agree extended periods for making decisions.”

A number of local Councils have issued statements, confirming that they will be continuing to progress applications. The Chief Planner advised that councils should “maintain decision making” and to “take an innovative approach, using all options available, to continue the planning service”.

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Open window policy Active sound control technology could allow you to keep your windows open and not be bothered by the noise of traffic.

Bedroom design on page 94 8 / S E L F B U ILD / AU T U M N 2020

The Guardian reports scientists have installed noise cancelling speakers throughout a room to cancel out traffic noise. The system was almost as effective as closing the window, said the researchers, the equivalent of halving perceived noise levels, and could enter production in five to 10 years.

The research was developed by universities in Singapore, Japan and the UK; it was originally reported in the journal Scientific Reports.

NEWS

Back to business for retailers FROM virtual consultations to appointment-only showroom visits, the self-build industry has adapted to the new normal of COVID-19.

At the height of the coronavirus lockdown, the majority of self-builders were either planning the next stage of their project, working with materials they had on site or doing landscaping. That’s according to a poll we ran on the SelfBuilders & Home Improvers Ireland Facebook group.

The reason self-builders have had to cut back on their efforts was due to many businesses temporarily closing their doors. And even though most remained open for phone consultations and quotations, deliveries and pickup of materials were suspended in most cases.

Now that restrictions have lifted, here’s a bird’s eye view of how companies are adapting on the ground.

Bathroom retailers.

Sonas is operating under normal conditions with their showroom open, offering a next day nationwide delivery service.

Field sales teams are mostly operating remotely with retailers only facilitating essential business meetings.

Building materials.

Insulation supplier Xtratherm has launched remote support services along with their external online learning for self-builders, architects, and specifiers. The team has launched a new One to One Self Build Consultancy as part of their Xi Platinum Service – online, by phone or at Stand G12, Self Build Live Dublin 2020. They will look at your plans, do the calcs, and complete a DEAP Energy calculation for you as guidance. Then in your time, by phone or online, discuss ways of achieving an affordable A-rated home that suits you.

Roadstone, meanwhile, has accelerated its digital offering having launched an online

seminar platform in April and an interactive online showroom for paving and walling products which can be viewed on the product pages. Bricks and mortar shops are open and relevant safety precautions have been taken regarding social distancing, hand sanitisers, safety screens and signage.

Gas.

As a provider of essential services, Flogas ROI and Flogas NI are operating as normal through their customer support centres in Drogheda and Belfast for LPG, natural gas and electricity. You can still get their offer of 1,200 litres free LPG when switching from oil to gas. Flogas local representatives will first respond to your enquiry by phone and will then arrange a site visit, where possible, in compliance with current social distancing guidelines.

Glazing.

If you are looking for roof lights, know that Velux is still manufacturing to ensure they have plenty of stock to make deliveries; you can contact their customer service by phone or email. Eco Window Concepts Ltd., suppliers of Internorm and Solarlux, are also now open with all three showrooms (Dublin, Cork, Carlow) open for visits but viewing is by appointment only. The showroom is sanitised after every visitor and hand sanitiser, gloves and contact tracing records are provided.

Heating and hot water.

Pipelife products are now available for pickup but you will have to stay in your car and an employee will come out

to you; other coronavirus specific procedures include employees having to wear face masks, sanitisation stations around the factory, etc.

Meanwhile Grant Engineering has put various measures in place in terms of distancing, sanitation and temperature checks on arrival at the premises, to protect the safety of staff and customers and to ensure production levels remain at routine level. Grant’s technical team are all back in the office and on hand to provide technical support to customers and installers where needed. In addition, the technical team is continuing to provide their free of charge home heating design service for those working on selfbuild and retrofit projects.

Insurance and warranties.

The team at Self Build Zone is working from home but operating as normal, with their surveying network still in operation for those who purchase/have purchased from them. It’s worth remembering that site insurance covers you for the whole build, including new and existing structures as well as tools, whether or not you or your trades are on site.

Ventilation.

The BEAM sales team is no longer working remotely, but is back on the road again, meeting customers on site, adhering to all social distancing rules. Installation and distribution teams likewise; the office is open for customers to call and collect materials with social distancing rules, and is open remotely for enquiries, quotations, specifying systems and talking through proposals by phone or video calls where possible. Stores have continued to dispatch orders and materials daily with little disruption.

AUTU M N 2020 / S EL F BU IL D / 9

THE UPDATE

Escapism FOR those looking to take self-isolation to a new level, know that it is possible to buy an entire island off the coast of Ireland.

Currently on the market is the 62 acre West Calf Island, West Cork, price undisclosed. The island is home to several derelict farmhouses and outbuildings which would provide a good basis for a planning application to upgrade or rebuild them. There are no utility connections but the island has historically been lived on.

Garden tops house hunters' priority list ccording to a survey by UK housebuilder Redrow, those with children under the age of 10, or who are currently expecting a child, are most likely to have changed their priorities when house hunting (53 per cent vs UK average of 24 per cent), followed by those who have been working from home due to Covid-19, either part-time or full time, or who have been placed on furlough (39 per cent).

The majority of the 2,000 respondents (60 per cent) stated that having access to private outdoor space, such as a garden, terrace area or balcony, will be the most important factor when choosing their next home. Two in five will be looking for a home with a large kitchen with ample space for food preparation, while over a quarter (29 per cent) will be after excellent levels of energy efficiency.

More time spent indoors also saw DIY projects boom – with nearly two in five (38 per cent) people trying their hand at home improvements during the lockdown.

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Construction activity resumes Tourism facilities may be favoured by the planners so the listing on privateislandsonline.com suggests: “There is a fresh water lake traditionally used for livestock on the Island so perhaps Alpacas might add the necessary spice.”

Recently taken off the same website was 157 acre Horse Island, West Cork, which had a thriving copper industry in the 19th Century. The island now boasts a 4,500 sqft two storey stone residence, an entire village with six houses, a tennis court, gym and a helipad. Plus farm facilities. Three diesel generators and an aquifer supply the services. The asking price was $7.5 million and it sold for €5.5 million.

Available on the website too is 30 acre Shore Island for just shy of one million dollars; it is on the Shannon Estuary and has the shell of and old house. Fresh water has been piped to the island.

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Construction activity has picked up in June after the coronavirus related drop in building.

The Ulster Bank construction index was at 51.9 in June 2020, up from 19.9 the previous month. The index tracks changes in construction activity, with anything under 50 indicating a fall.

The housing sector recorded the most gain at 55.8 as compared to 21.4 in May. The price of goods, meanwhile, continued to rise.

Simon Barry, chief economist with Ulster Bank, told RTÉ a shortage of inputs and delays from some UK suppliers were part of the problem.

Within the home, renovators and DIYers were busier than ever during lockdown. In order of searches on the internet, in the UK people were building pizza ovens, pergolas, decking, sheds, desks, and putting up wallpaper. All of these searches more than doubled as a result of Covid-19, according to research by The Hairpin Leg Company.

Research from clearitwaste.co.uk, meanwhile, shows that the lily family of house plants is one of the most toxic if ingested despite their low maintenance and air purifying qualities.

NEWS

Design briefs are changing as covid hits self-builders’ psyche County Kerry architectural designer Niall Healy MCIAT MCABE reflects on how design briefs are changing as a result of the pandemic, and what the new normal means for design. s the lockdown experience has required us to reimagine the place we call home, perhaps we can learn some lessons and appreciate that, in the words of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, perhaps less is more. Think of the reduction in our carbon footprint alone if we collectively reduced commuting miles by 20 or 40 per cent by working from home one or two days per week, as for many, work is what you do, not where you go.

The increase in the number of people working from home will probably be one of the biggest cultural changes to come out of the pandemic. But creating a dedicated space for

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the home office is not as straightforward as it might seem, especially in an existing house.

From a wellbeing point of view, it is important to have a workspace that can be completely abandoned and out of sight at the end of a working day. My own home office is at the end of the garden and it has, from time to time, become the spare guest room, the gym and the occasional karaoke club with friends on a Sunday afternoon.

In fact, adapting spaces and repurposing them for other functions, such as an exercise class, is taking on greater importance than it might have had in the past. Our relationship to spaces can encourage habit; during the

Finding a (re)purpose

pandemic in our home we have installed a curtain track to easily transform a utility space into a calm sanctuary. The result is a haven conducive to mindfulness practice.

Good design always took into account these requirements; but for households that spent most of their time away from home, a different layout and design would have been created than one suited to a stay-at-home family.

Design is never a one size fits all exercise, but as our relationship with our homes becomes more intimate, we need to get them to work harder than ever before.

LOCKDOWN PROJECT

During the lockdown wedding designer Peter Kelly of Co Cork designed and built a Cayman Island summer shack at the bottom of his garden with daughter Jessie Mai; a little oasis to read a book, have a cocktail, paint or take a zoom call.

He reflects on his experience: “The best part of it is the memories of building it with my daughter.

Showing her how to create something out of things that others may have thrown away; for example we repurposed an old chest of drawers into a bar and coffee table.”

AUTU M N 2020 / S EL F BU IL D / 11

THE UPDATE

Promise of serviced sites and better grants The new ROI Programme for Government (PfG) promises to deliver serviced sites to selfbuilders at cost price and introduces a retrofit strategy which is expected to extend grants for energy upgrades in existing homes. ith news of government formation came the confirmation that the PfG had been adopted. Of most interest to self-builders is the rolling out of the serviced sites scheme, whereby self-builders will be able to buy a plot, at cost price, with utilities all set up, from their local authority.

The sites will be ‘clustered’ or grouped together, in townlands, so it won’t be a question of getting a one-off plot in the middle of the countryside.

According to Fine Gael’s Martin Heydon, the Rural Serviced Sites scheme will target 700 towns and villages with populations of less than 2,000, to boost growth outside the main cities, as set out in Project Ireland 2040.

The serviced sites will only be sold to owner occupiers, i.e. self-builders, and is similar to mainland UK’s Right to Build, a policy measure that excludes NI.

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Retrofit scheme As Selfbuild went to print Minister for Housing Darragh O'Brien said the Retrofit Taskforce report would be published in the third quarter of 2020 to inform the future design of retrofit schemes.

The PfG tantalising states the government will “offer grants to owners of private properties” – possibly increasing the amounts available under the current grant system and/or increasing the type of works that are grant eligible. Could we see triple glazed windows fall under this new regime?

The PfG also vows to get heat pumps in every home that is eligible (built before 2011 and with good insulation and airtightness standards), and pilot schemes are expected to start in 2021.

Green TD Francis Noel Duffy tells Selfbuild it remains unclear whether the deep retrofit scheme, which closed in 2019, will be brought back and rolled out nationally. It offered grant support of up to 50 per cent for homeowners who wanted to upgrade their home to a Building Energy Rating of A and replace fossil fuel

12 / S E L F B U IL D / A U T U M N 2020

heating with a renewable system. There was a significant demand for the scheme, despite the initial slow uptake.

The PfG also endorses what it calls “smart finance” which seems to have a lot to do with loan guarantees from banks and credit unions.

An Post is going to become a finance partner as well.

The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland has in fact been looking at the ‘pay as you go’ model for many years but nothing has come of it as of yet; and yes, maybe now is finally the time. This would allow you to get an energy upgrade done on your home at minimal upfront cost, paying it back through your energy bills.

Interesting too is that the government, in a bid to get as many homes as possible up to a high insulation and airtightness standard along with adequate ventilation and low carbon

heating, will develop “standard designs” for “all property types”.

It will also support “using pre-assembled materials”, whether that means plug and play technology or structural off-site construction methods, on an island where blockwork construction is close to people’s hearts and wallets, remains to be seen.

The PfG also supports a large scale retrofit scheme, with energy upgrades to be partially or fully funded by government, but these measures appear to only apply to social housing. Houses will be grouped together (again, ‘clustered’) to benefit from economies of scale.

NEWS

Housing market stabilises in ROI ccording to Daft’s June Housing Market Report, sale prices for ROI homes was 3.3 per cent lower in 2020 as compared to June 2019 with an average sale price of €254,000.

Meanwhile the Property Regulator and the sector's leading representative organisations have published a Joint Sector Protocol for Property Services Providers safety document. The recommendation is to conduct viewings and auctions online where possible.

If an in-person viewing does take place, detailed Covid-19 signage must be displayed and hand sanitation facilities must be widely available.

HSE guidelines in relation to social distancing must also be followed.

Stamp duty cut for NI The UK government’s Plan for Jobs published in July has announced a cut in stamp duty but NI is missing out on £5,000 energy grants ringfenced for English homeowners.

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Stamp duty, which is the tax levied on property (house or land) transactions, currently does not apply to transactions below £125,000 and the change will increase the threshold to £500,000, temporarily until 31st March 2021.

The government expects the average stamp duty bill will fall by £4,500 and nearly nine out of ten people buying a main home this year, will pay no stamp duty at all.

The move comes as UK property transactions fell 50 per cent in May with house prices falling for the first time in eight years. House building alone supports nearly three quarter of a million jobs.

Another announcement had to do with the Green Homes Grant which the government expects will save households up to £300 a year on their bills and will cover at least two thirds of the cost of upgrading the energy efficiency of up to 650,000 homes. The grant amount is up to £5,000 per household, available from September but only in England.

Source: Daft.ie Housing Market Report, June 2020

Dublin average price range €304,406 to €570,311 depending on the area.

AUTU AUTUM MNN 2020 2020 // SSEL ELFFBU BUIL ILDD //13 13

THE UPDATE

Rugged and ready A project in Sheep’s Head, Co Cork, awaiting planning permission in an Area of Outstanding Beauty, showcases how a design tailored to the site, needs and epoch we live in, can respond to the planner’s expectations of 21st Century design. he site consists of two ruined cottages which, with others, once formed part of a traditional clachan cluster of dwellings typical of the 18th and 19th centuries.

“The design carefully avoids many recent examples where the renovation and refurbishment of existing ruins is taken to a point too far where the existing original character is overcome and consumed within the body of the new proposal making the original all but invisible,” says architect David Leech.

“Within the existing walls of the east ruin a delicate new glass and frame structure is inserted internally to provide conditioning and comfort without concealing the patina of the aged stone walls behind. The old field stones so carefully stacked to form the massive stone wall are kept visible through an insulating glass which provides the required U-value.”

From this inhabited shell a new (glass) house extends out, screened by a shallow colonnade of rainwater downpipes, falling towards the coastline. The living spaces are

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1 4 / SE L F B U IL D / AU T U M N 2020

directional, following the topography and the view.

Technology as building material

The house is completely self-sustaining, requiring no connection to existing public infrastructure, electricity or otherwise.

A glass photovoltaic (PV) roof reflects the sky and the ever-changing weather.

Aluminum patent glazing bars are fitted with PV glass sheets as a rainscreen over a single ply pitched roof. These evoke vernacular roofing materials and the DIY nature of greenhouses. 58 polychromatic powder coated aluminum downpipes both act as a façade and as a sustainable way to distribute surface water run-off directly into the ground without the need for heavier infrastructure.

The shallow colonnade they form is detailed to give the impossible impression of holding the weight of the roof above whilst also acting as a screening device to provide privacy to the glazed curtain walling behind.

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Projects AUTUMN 2020

RENOVATIONS . EXTENSIONS

NEW BUILDS

18 28

66

A planner-friendly design that makes the most of the views

A house in the countryside for entertaining

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See your home featured in Selfbuild magazine by emailing info@selfbuild.ie More photos of these projects available on selfbuild.ie

A house that stands out to blend in

Home renovation project partly funded by a little known VAT rebate.

50

Building a barrel roof is easier than it looks!

AUTU M N 2020 / S EL F BU IL D / 17

NEW BUILD

Part of the

landscape David and Alex Dobbs’ self-build journey was all about creating a quality, bespoke home that suited their lifestyle…and maxed out on the incredible sea views.

Words: Heather Campbell Photography: Dermot Byrne

1 8 / S E L F B U IL D / AU T U M N 2020

CO WICKLOW

Overview Size of House: 300sqm / Bedrooms: 4 / Size of Plot: 2 acres Cost (everything except professional fees): â‚Ź550,000 / BER: A3 Heating & Hot Water: 16kW air to water heat pump, combined with stove (heat only, for aesthetics), underfloor heating throughout Ventilation: Mechanical with heat recovery Build method: blockwork (cavity walls) AUTU M N 2020 / S EL F BU IL D / 19

NEW BUILD

e were both very keen that we wanted to self-build instead of buying an existing property. It was our belief that we would end up living in a better built house; one that was purposely designed for our lifestyle and finished to a higher standard,” says David.

“We built on my parents’ family farm, on the ridge of a hill with commanding views up and down the coast and across the Irish Sea towards Wales, which we can see a clear day.

Hence the name of the house: The Ridge.”

“We knew that it would be difficult to secure planning permission for a new house, and as it happens, there was an existing, vacant cottage on the site owned by people who lived in a property on a different part of the family farm. So we arranged a bit of a land swap,” adds Alex. “We bought the vacant cottage and gave the owners extra land to extend their garden.”

“Without the existing property, we probably wouldn’t have got permission,” says David. “Fortunately for us the planners allowed us to keep the original three bed cottage and build a new house beside it.”

“At the time, we were living in my grandmother’s house, in Greystones. She lived to be a grand age of 100, but when she did pass away, her home had to be sold. The timing in relation to the grant of probate was perfect, as we moved directly from Greystones to our new house.”

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A change of plan

“We are a large family, with four children and two dogs. Regardless of the layout, we wanted a house that was over 3,000 square feet to accommodate everyone as they grew, prioritising the living spaces,” says David.

“Our first application was for a dormer bungalow, but when we received a Further Information request from the planning authority, we realised that would not pass.”

“One of the things they asked for was to lower the height of the house. Wicklow County Council gave us the opportunity to adjust our plans – they said they would have a preference for a single storey dwelling.”

“The planners also said we should follow the contours of the land. The redesign was completely different to our original plan.

Now the house was single storey and stepping down on three levels.”

“This did add to the cost, mostly because the upper storey windows made the roof more complicated and therefore more expensive. The redesign also meant it took us at least an extra three to four months to get planning approval.”

“The orientation of the house was another significant design consideration as we wanted to take in both the views and as much light as possible. Fortunately for us, south also corresponds to our sea views.”

“Our home is essentially made up of two buildings, linked by a zinc-roofed glass box, which is our entrance hall,” says Alex. “At the front door, you see straight through to 20 / S E L F B U IL D / A U T U M N 2020

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CO WICKLOW

Q&A with David...

What surprised you most about your self-build journey?

The biggest surprise to me was the lack of clarity we got from some of the professionals when we had to choose between different materials, systems, etc.

What single piece of advice would you give budding self-builders?

As soon as you make the decision to self-build go to the greatest lengths to appoint the correct builder, architectural designer and engineer. If you do these things right, you will have a much better chance of success.

What are your favourite features?

The glass section in the middle of the house that links the two parts. I love sitting here looking out to sea. It opens onto a patio that is a slight drop in level from the house and is covered by the zinc roof. I think it’s an interesting design.

Would you do it all again?

If I knew what was at stake at the start I still would, but I’d do things differently.

If you don’t get what you expect for the money you spend it’s extremely stressful.

What would you change?

5 The one coat, spray-on render was cheaper, easier and quicker to apply than a traditional sand and cement finish. David says the jury’s still out on whether it was the right decision: “While it looks amazing it’s a much softer material. Only time will tell, but so far so good. Also, you need to be sure there no coniferous trees planted nearby. Apparently, the needles can stain the render.

We haven’t planted any for that reason.”

The build process was particularly stressful because we made a few poor decisions, so this is probably where we would put more scrutiny into the process if we did it all again. We have since renovated a small cottage, and it was a totally relaxed and satisfying experience as we didn’t get upset when things didn’t go to plan, or when other issues came up.

We have learned to take it in our stride.

So maybe I have to say that the biggest thing we would do differently now is to simply not sweat the small stuff too much.

The covered outdoor patio area doubles up as a brise soleil to prevent overheating in the summer, and provides shelter on rainy days.

AUTU M N 2020 / S EL F BU IL D / 21

NEW BUILD

Energy efficiency A-rated

“It goes without saying you can’t build a home that’s not energy efficient these days,” says Alex. “It has to be A-rated. We actually wanted to get it certified to the German passive house standard, but it was just too expensive to implement with our design.”

Bills are averaging out at €250 every two months with thermostats set in all rooms at the constant temperature of 21 degC.

Energy assessor

On a project that aims to achieve a really good Building Energy Rating (BER), an energy assessor is often brought in at the early design stage, to help the architectural designer get rid of, or at least minimise, areas of the design that are susceptible to thermal bridging (heat loss where two elements meet, e.g. junctions between walls and roof).

“On most projects I would calculate the thermal bridging factor out, because it helps in getting a much better BER than using the backstop (default) thermal bridging value specified in the building regulations,” explains the energy consultant on this project, Oliver Walsh.

“But 1 David and Alex’s design had so many architectural, nonstandard details that we had to use the default.”

The building is however very energy efficient and airtight. “The key to getting insulation and airtightness right is installing them correctly. When I came to brief the builders about airtightness, for the floor and making sure the junctions on the walls would be taped back to the reveals, I realised I knew them from another job, and their workmanship was very good, which is the most important thing.”

“On a build like this I would strongly suggest getting an airtightness test done mid build to catch any air leaks before they are boarded up. An airtightness test at the end is mandatory,” says Oliver.

“Due to the high level of airtightness, we specified a mechanical ventilation system with heat recovery, which we had little involvement with,” adds Oliver.

“Under the current set of building regulations (Part F 2019) energy assessors must validate both the design and the commissioning of the ventilation system. This means that we request the drawings from the manufacturer, check that they comply, then on site visits check that the installation is going according to plan and that the commissioning sheets tally with our plans.”

22 / S E L F B U IL D / A U T U M N 2020

“

Architects might not have cost at the top of their agenda, and many builders won't have a concept for the latest technology.

CO WICKLOW

the opposite window and out to the views beyond. But, the price you pay for having far sweeping views like ours is that it can be incredibly windswept up here. That is a serious challenge.”

“From an energy efficiency point of view, we could have installed double glazing on the south elevation but we needed a home that would protect us from the elements. So we installed triple glazed aluclad windows throughout, designed to withstand Norwegian wind. This was our most significant single expense, coming in at €45,000.”

“Externally, we chose Spanish natural slate; it was a lot more expensive than concrete or engineered slates, but it looks so good. For the same reason, we chose a zinc roofing material from the Rhine area of Germany, which is where Alex was brought up. The zinc has a greenish tinge to complement our green windows.”

Building phase

“Our builder managed the construction, but we had other people overseeing it, such as the architect and engineer,” says Alex. “We went to tender with five different builders and got three quotes back, choosing our builder based on recommendations and cost.”

“The house is built using traditional methods, i.e. blockwork and a pitched, cut timber roof. The cavity is fully filled with 150mm of insulation, which was my preference,” adds David.

“This was to avoid having to insulate externally or internally. If we had had a 200mm cavity then the wall ties would have been more expensive and with 150mm, we were well within our energy efficiency target in terms of U-values.”

“In the attic, we used spray foam insulation, which I would recommend. It is straightforward to install with no need to cut

boards and it offers excellent airtightness.”

“But not everything went to plan during the building phase,” says Alex. “We dug into a main electricity cable to start with, which cost €5,000 to move and two months’ delay due to storm Ophelia happening at the same time. ESB Networks were so busy due to the storm, we had to literally beg them to come out.”

As the build progressed, issues also started cropping up on site. “A combination of a frosty night, heavy rain and no frost protection on the blockwork walls, meant the mortar was washed away and we had to knock down and rebuild some of them.”

“Our relationship with this contractor continued to sour as we didn’t think he was building the house to the standard we had specified. For instance the lead valleys were lower grade than they should have been and

Wooden floors. David and Alex chose solid wooden floors, sourced from Germany, partly because they felt they would absorb the sound better than high quality laminate.

The acoustic panels on the vaulted ceiling cost €1,000 to install but David says they have been very effective and they look great, installed symmetrically with a laser measurer.

Alex designed the kitchen with a local cabinetmaker. A conscious choice was not to include a kitchen island, because they felt it would have taken up too much space and acted as a magnet for clutter.

AUTU M N 2020 / S EL F BU IL D / 23

NEW BUILD

David's tips...

Consider shopping abroad for fixtures and fittings.

You can save money and get better quality and choice. We flew over to Germany and sourced all our bathroom sanitaryware for about the same cost as a budget range in Ireland. For €100 the manufacturer shipped it all over to us on one pallet, within the same timeframe as if it had come from a Dublin supplier. We did the same with the timber flooring.

Don’t overspend where you don’t need to.

Go for a cheaper kitchen rather than leave out the landscaping. Go for a cheaper slate so you can afford to have the house painted properly by a professional.

Don’t rush to make it homely.

Pick the furniture over a period of time.

It’s easy to put furniture in, much harder to take it out; people are natural hoarders.

Keep away from colour trends.

My experience of the property market tells me it’s a good idea to avoid the ‘in trend’ colours, unless you really love them. Colours or styles that become very popular tend to eventually fall out of favour (remember when everyone wanted Shaker-style kitchens?). Just choose what you like, not what’s on trend, that way your choices will stand the test of time.

Set aside a contingency...

Many of our internal walls are load bearing and they are all built in blockwork. One of these was built with the blocks on edge but ended up higher than structurally allowed in the building regulations. To solve that problem, we had to reinforce it with steel, which led to an additional cost we weren’t too happy about!

…and keep a bit of money for the end.

You won’t get the satisfaction of finishing the job if you don’t have any money left.

Don’t let yourself run out of money – remember you need to close the project.

24 / S E L F B U IL D / A U T U M N 2020

had to be replaced, which had the knock-on effect of reslating the entire roof.”

“This was an incredibly stressful time and the builders eventually walked off site. We were going to hire the tradesmen directly (direct labour) but managed to find another contractor who finished the job to the required standard, and we were really grateful to have found him.”

What it takes to self-build

“All in all you’ve just got to be really tough when you are self-building. The alternative is to compromise too much on quality,” reflects David, who drew on his experience as a real estate agent to tackle the build. “I have visited many properties built to a substandard level.

That was something I wanted to avoid at all costs.”

He also says you have to do a lot of research to come up with the solutions that

are right for you. “Architects might not have cost at the top of their agenda, and many builders won’t have a concept for the latest technology. A builder might recommend a type of insulation that they’re familiar with, but it might not be the right choice for your house.”

“The construction industry is changing rapidly in terms of the number of new regulations that are coming in, for example, and in the choice of insulation – there are so many options!”

The success of this project was in large part due to the fact that it was a team effort.

“Alex and I made the decision at the start

CO WICKLOW

Timeline Planning permission applied: July 2016 Planning granted: February 2017

Broke ground: August 2017

Build finished: February 2019 Wide hallway. “We have a gymnast in the family, so when we know no one is coming to visit, we put the mats down and let the backflips commence! A hallway can be much more than circulation space."

Moved in: March 2019

Landscaping: 2019-2020

that I would concentrate my attention on the structure of the building, and she would orchestrate the interiors.”

A signature design feature is the vaulted ceilings throughout. “We love how they lend the sense of extra space and light,” says David. “Although this did create a challenge as I am particularly susceptible to noise.”

“We took advice from a sound engineer who installed fibre plates to dampen the pitch and echo. They come in a wide range of colours so we were able to match our wall colour – you can’t paint over them.”

“And in the end it was the double height that also allowed us to install a mezzanine in one of the boys’ bedrooms. The floor of the room is the play area and they sleep in the mezzanine.”

The blood, sweat and tears have paid off, in spades. “There’s no doubt we spend most of our time in the kitchen, living and dining area, which is how we designed our house to function – and to take in the views,” says David. “From the kitchen sink, you look outwards. In fact, everything in the house is oriented to look out at those views. We got exactly what we wanted.”

AUTU M N 2020 / S EL F BU IL D / 25

NEW BUILD

More photographs available at selfbuild.ie

Project info 2520

Find out more about David and Alex Dobbs’ new build project...

UTILITY

LARDER

2520

SITTING ROOM

0

KITCHEN/DINING

WC

1

ENTRANCE 105

STUDY 7450

LIVING ROOM CONSERVATORY

BEDROOM BATHROOM

800

BEDROOM

8155

ENSUITE ENSUITE

BEDROOM 2010

BEDROOM

26 / S E L F B U IL D / A U T U M N 2020

SUPPLIERS ASSOCIATED WITH THE PROJECT

SUPPLIERS Windows

Nordan, nordan.ie

Heat pump

Nibe, unipipe.ie

Sanitaryware

Roofer

What do Navitus offer?

MVHR

� � � � � �

Jack Goucher Roofing, Rathdrum, Co Wicklow Vent Axia, vent-axia.com

Villeroy & Boch, villeroyboch-group.com, reuter.de

Sound absorbing panels

Builder

Wooden floors

Tom and Ciaran McCabe, Rathfarnham, Dublin, website or phone number?

Energy consultant

Oliver Walsh, Navitus Energy Consultants, Dublin 15, navitus.ie

Kitchen

Eden Design, edendesign.ie

Insulation

Xtratherm full fill CavityFirm, xtratherm.ie

Big Bear Sound, bigbearsound.com Holzboden, holzboden-direkt.de

Zinc roof

Rheinzink, rheinzink.ie

Main roof covering

Sierra Spanish natural slate, lbsproducts.com

NZEB Specialists Air Tightness Testing Thermal Imaging Acoustic Testing Project Management Technical Guidance Documents, Part L, F & E Compliance � Commercial & Domestic Building Energy Ratings (BER)

Render

Monocouche by Weber, uk.weber

Photographer

Dermot Byrne, dermotbyrnephoto.ie

SPEC Walls: masonry, cavity walls, 150mm full fill rigid PIR board, U-value 0.16W/sqmK. Floor: screed on underfloor heating pipes and 150mm PIR insulation, concrete subfloor, U-value 0.11W/sqmK. Note from energy assessor: The minimum recommended with underfloor heating is 120mm PIR board; for the sake of an extra €3 to €5 per sqm we went with 150mm. The U-value exceeds the 2011 (and the current) Part L requirement of 0.15 for floors with underfloor heating.

Roof: pitched timber roof insulated with spray foam insulation, U-value 0.13W/sqmK. Windows: triple glazed alu clad, U-value 0.81 W/sqmK, solar transmittance 0.37

Navitus Building, Portmanna, Clonee, Dublin 15 www.navitus.ie 01 8252698 info@navitus.ie AUTU M N 2020 / S EL F BU IL D / 27

NEW BUILD

Overview House size: 2,750 sqft / Bedrooms: 4 / Plot size: ¾ acre Build cost: £165,000 / House value: £250,000 / SAP (EPC): 84 (B) Heating and hot water: oil boiler (97 per cent efficient) and stove with back boiler Ventilation: Positive input ventilation Build method: blockwork (cavity walls) 28 / S E L F B U IL D / A U T U M N 2020

CO FERMANAGH

At the

movies While Orlean and Elton McCaffrey loved the council house that they had bought in 2002, seven years ago they decided that they wanted more privacy, space and a house in which they could entertain family and friends.

Words: Debbie Orme Photography: Paul Lindsay

AUTU M N 2020 / S EL F BU IL D / 29

NEW BUILD

riginally from a small rural location in Co Fermanagh, Elton had found a site in his village to build on – to then discover that the owner’s daughter had her own plans for it. He and Orlean moved on with their search but didn’t see anything that particularly appealed to them and so began to compile a portfolio of houses that they liked.

In 2014 Elton was driving past the site he had first set sights on, and noticed that it was up for sale. The couple approached the owner and were delighted to put in an offer. “Since the owner’s daughter had already secured planning permission, the bank approved a self-build mortgage and so we were able to start building,” says Orlean.

“As soon as the mortgage was agreed, we approached Donal our architect and told him that the plans the previous owner drew up were not what we wanted. At this point we were able to show him the portfolio that we had already compiled including photos we had taken on our phones when house hunting.”

“Our ultimate aim was to create a house that would act like one big sunroom and so we focused on big windows in targeted zones.

Our open plan design left plenty of scope for light to stream through the whole house all day long,” adds Orlean.

“Yet in other areas, the house has very few

O

“

1

2

windows. This was to ensure that the modern look of the windows wasn’t compromised, so we only had openings for aesthetic balance and where building control dictated for safety. We also wanted windows we wouldn’t have to dress, for the visual impact and for cost reasons.”

The only setback that the couple encountered in the planning process was that they had wanted to turn the front of the house in more of an anti-clockwise direction to face looking up the hill, but this was turned

“Our ultimate aim was to create a house that would act like one big sunroom and so we focused on big windows in targeted zones.

Orlean McCaffrey

30 / S E L F B U IL D / A U T U M N 2020

down.

Also, turning the house any more would have limited the views due to the rising ground. “In the end, the approved position takes the best advantage of natural south facing sunlight, and the view desired – striking a good balance between both,” adds Orlean.

They also had to seek the permission of the landowner to use the dry shuck, a dry waterway only used for excess water draining from the road and field, to allow the treated

CO FERMANAGH

Q&A with Orlean What would you change?

We would change the external cinema steps to the back of the house, but it probably wouldn’t have worked as well aesthetically as it does now.

What’s your favourite part of the house?

It has to be the cinema, closely followed by the view from our landing halfway up the stairs as it is surrounded by glass.

The staircase itself is a big feature of the house; it is a bespoke oak floating staircase with glass balustrades and balcony above the hall and a glass wall overlooking the kitchen into a vaulted ceiling.

Would you do it again?

Yes. Although it’s a stressful process, it’s also very rewarding since it is an education watching it being built from scratch.

What would you tell a budding self-builder?

Be patient. Don’t rush any processes.

The house drying out, for example, will happen naturally. Also ensure that you have contingency money because what you think things will cost and what they actually cost tend to be two different things.

What surprised you?

By the time we applied for the electricity connection, we discovered that the guy who had owned the site had got the last place on the transformer, so we got a bill for £13,500 for a new transformer and two poles.

5

Timber Cladding. “The cladding was difficult to source because we wanted it to look authentic,” says Orlean. “Anything we looked at locally was too thin and looked more like fascia board so, in the end, we had to source it from across the water.”

6 AUTU M N 2020 / S EL F BU IL D / 31

NEW BUILD

Feature lighting. The spiral lighting in the hall and above the kitchen table were difficult to source because they had to have a 3m drop instead of the normal 2m. LED spots were used in the rest of the house.

32 / S E L F B U IL D / A U T U M N 2020

septic tank water to filter through the land and down into it.

Tech central

“What we envisaged,” says Orlean, “was a house that would be a storey and a half, and we initially thought of having an external garage with a cinema on the upper level.

We’re both big film buffs and so the idea of having a cinema on site was a no-brainer as it would allow us to indulge our favourite pastime without having to leave the house!”

“Elton is crazy about movies – particularly about how they are made and, in our old house, we always had a projector so this was the next step up. We are in a very rural area and the cinema room provides us with a way of ‘going out’ without the hassle. It also has its own wee bar and toilet; it’s totally practical.”

The couple’s idea was taken further, however, when their architect reviewed the plans and reconfigured them. “Donal

suggested something more modern, and integrated the cinema room into the house, with its own external entrance.”

“There is a secret internal door but at the moment it is blocked off, behind a mirror, and we can break through at some point in the future if we want to.”

In fact the home automation aspect of the build was an important part of making the house easy to live in. All of the bedrooms are hard wired back to the computer, or comms, room and all have USB ports, which enables all mobile devices to be charged.

“The comms room is a fully functioning centre for all of the house’s communication systems and the house is hardwired with CAT6A cables. This means that there are no TV boxes in any of the rooms – they’re all in the comms room,” explains Orlean.

“Upstairs we have large spacious bedrooms to cater for storage and TVs on the wall. We also opted for curved ceilings, which gives a really cosy feel to larger bedrooms.

Each of the bedrooms has anthracite grey horizontal radiators, as have the master ensuite and main bathroom.”

“In terms of the bathrooms upstairs, we opted for a wet room in the main bedroom.

It’s about the size of a double shower lengthwise and was designed for when we get older. The master bedroom also has a walk-in wardrobe. Each of the other bedrooms have a shower in their ensuites.”

Discerned choices

Orlean and Elton wanted to hire local builder Peadar, about whom they’d heard great reports, but he was reluctant to take on the job as he was concerned he wouldn’t be able to get it finished within the timeframe the couple wanted.

“Donal took charge of the tendering process,” says Orlean. “There were five

CO FERMANAGH

AUTU M N 2020 / S EL F BU IL D / 33

NEW BUILD

Orlean's tips Research as much as possible.

You can never do too much research. The portfolio that we had compiled over a few years proved to be invaluable in terms of having something to show our architect.

Check out examples of other work your builder has done.

We spent quite a bit of time going and looking at other houses our builder had completed. It gave us peace of mind that his work was of the standard that we wanted.

“Because we have underfloor heating downstairs, we thought the radiators upstairs – along with carpet – gave our home a warmer feel,” says Orlean.

builders tendering for the job, although initially Peadar wasn’t one of them. After much encouragement on our part, he put his in and his price was the most competitive, following Donal’s tender review of all valid returns. Out of the five, four came back, one of which was after the deadline.”

“Peadar started work in June 2016 and was contracted to finish the job within 15 months which was a timeframe he was happy to work to. And once the work began, we were delighted to see all of our plans taking shape,” she adds. “We opted for block walls with cladding and slate for the roof, which Donal recommended for its longevity.”

“We also opted for the more expensive option of triple glazing, which, although it was more expensive, I think saved us money in the long run. One side of the house takes the brunt of the wind and rain, and the triple glazing has been very effective in maintaining a steady temperature within the house.”

“The multi-fuel high efficiency stove with back boiler and the oil fired boiler (97 per cent efficiency) set up means that we have a dual form of heating in the house. We also have machine learning thermostats, which means that for the first weeks we had to regulate the temperature to give the algorithm a reference data set. The thermostat then learned our schedule, i.e. which temperature we wanted when, and so now we get a steady 23degC.” “The smart thermostats detect when we are not at home (determined by sensors and our phones’ locations) and shifts the heating system to energy saving mode. We also have smoke and carbon monoxide alarms with multiple sensors, including a photoelectric sensor to detect smouldering fires.”

“As a result of this set up we only invested a middle-of-the-road level of insulation, to meet compliance levels in NI which is quite 34 / S E L F B U IL D / A U T U M N 2020

a bit less than what’s required in ROI, yet our oil bills for this 2,700sqft house were £700 to £800 this past year, plus £200 for briquettes and coal to feed the stove.” The house is still performing better, at a B energy rating, than the average in NI for a new build which is a C energy rating (SAP of 79).

“Then our electricity bill is about £720 per year for the rest of our energy needs which includes positive input ventilation system.

Even though it was relatively expensive it was worthwhile to install as the house is airtight; in the hot weather it’s refreshing and in winter you can turn the setting down.”

Solar gains also help bring in some heat.

“To be honest, the fact that the house is a complete sun trap means that last year we didn’t have to use any form of heating for about three or four months.”

CO FERMANAGH

Settling in

Orlean and Elton moved into the house in April 2018, even though the build wasn’t complete. “We had to move out of the house that we were renting because it was just wasting money on the rent and we were also paying a bridging loan,” says Orlean.

“We moved into the guest bedroom, which is the only bedroom downstairs,” says Elton. “All of the other bedrooms are upstairs but these weren’t ready when we moved in. Having a guest bedroom downstairs is good for privacy and practical for those with reduced mobility.”

“In addition to the bedroom, we also had the use of one bathroom and a toilet, so we really had everything we needed. We had to run a generator to dry the floors and walls, but it was fine.”

The build was finally completed in April 2019, by which time the couple had also worked on the garden and exterior of the property.

“The house takes up most of the site,” Orlean continues, “but we have made the most of the outdoor area. We’ve already put

“

...the house is a complete sun trap which means we didn’t have to use any form of heating for about three or four months.

Timeline Research: 2012-2016

Planning applied: July 2015

Planning granted: October 2015

Building start: June 2016

Building end: December 2019

Moved in: April 2018, officially March 2020 Landscaping: Ongoing since January 2020

in a row of silver birch trees – positioned 2m out from the embankment, each with a light at the base. We’ve used railway sleepers around the boundary and are planning on putting bark or pebbles in between them.”

“At the back we’ve planted trees that came as cuttings from neighbours and family members. One, for example, is from my dad’s grave. We just felt that this gave our garden a really unique, personalised feel.”

“The section at the top is quite wild and there are badger sets, so we’ve scattered wildflowers to encourage pollination by bees. We’re also planning on getting our own beehives soon. We have to have hedges within five years, and we’re using locally sourced plants throughout.” A true haven.

AUTU M N 2020 / S EL F BU IL D / 35

NEW BUILD

More photographs available at selfbuild.ie

Project info

Find out more about Orlean and Elton McCaffrey's new build project...

GROUND FLOOR Bedroom/ Study

Utility Store

Kitchen

Bedroom Entrance p/s

Dining

Living

FIRST FLOOR

Bedroom

Bathroom

En-suite Bridge Walk in wardrobe

Bedroom

36 / S E L F B U IL D / A U T U M N 2020

Cinema

The home cinema The cinema has its own exterior entrance, with steps leading up to it.

In total, it’s about 7m x 5m, has a movie picture screen, a projector, a two-seater and three-seater settee and a worktop bar. It also has a curved ceiling with built-in surround sound speakers.

The upstairs carpets are soft cream in the bedrooms and walk-in wardrobe, and silver grey for the landing and concrete walkway above the hallway which allows access to the cinema.

SUPPLIERS ASSOCIATED WITH THE PROJECT We offer a wide range of tiles for your Kitchen, Living Areas Hall & Bathroom including Ceramic, Porcelain & Mosaic. We also offer a wide range of Laminate and Engineered Flooring.

Also available are a full range of accessories: Adhesive, Grout, Trims, Tiling Tools, Bathroom Fixtures & Fittings, Fireplaces, Stoves & Paint

SUPPLIERS Architect

Donal McPhillips, mcphillipsarchitecture.com

Block and precast

Quinn Building Products, quinn-buildingproducts.com McMonagle Stone, mcmonaglestone.com

Energy design and airtightness test

Qel Air Ltd, email qelservices@aol.com

Positive input ventilation

Large range of Fireplaces

Bespoke floating staircase

Euroscroll Engineering, euroscroll.com

Patio stone

Open: Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm and Saturday 9.30 to 3pm

Acheson & Glover, ag.uk.com

Rakeelan Industrial Estate, Ballyconnell, Co. Cavan

Tiles

00353 (49) 952 6551 | info@tilermade.ie | www.tilermade.ie

Tilermade, tilermade.ie

Cinema Supplier

Richer Sounds, richersounds.com

Feature lights

Drimaster

Archers Lighting, lightingnorthernireland.com

Boiler

Photographer

Grant Vortex 26-36kW condensing module, oil fired 97 per cent efficiency, grant.eu

DESIGN - SUPPLY DREAM HOME!

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Walls: 350mm cavity wall construction consisting of 12.5mm render on 100mm dense concrete block, 1 EPS beads pumped inside the 50mm cavity, on 100mm dense concrete block, on 12.5mm plasterboard, U-value 0.19W/sqmK Floors: 100mm screed on underfloor heating pipes on 100mm PIR floor insulation on 150mm concrete sub floor on blinding on compacted hardcore bed. Vertical edge insulation. U-value 0.16W/sqmK Pitched roof: 10mm slate over bitumen felt, 22mm timber, 22mm ventilated cavity, timber, 100mm PIR boards, truss, 25mm PIR board, 12.5mm plasterboard finished with lime plaster, U-value 0.2W/sqmK Airtightness test: 3.07m3/h.sqm

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15% discount Anthony Cash’s home renovation project was partly funded by a little known VAT rebate.

Words: Astrid Madsen Photography: Paul Lindsay

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CO ANTRIM

T

he house we bought hadn’t been lived in for a while, and at the back of my mind I knew there was some sort of VAT rebate we might be eligible for,” says

Anthony.

“As it turns out, after two years of a house being empty, the VAT rate on a renovation is 5 per cent as compared to the normal 20 per cent. For us that meant being able to finish the project the way we really wanted to.”

“Before we knew we would be eligible for the rebate, we had no plans to get the old windows replaced,” he adds. “They were

dated but we could have lived with them from a thermal point of view.”

“However with the entire house renovated, there is no doubt we would not have been happy with them. We also got to put a patio area outside, which we love, and rendered the walls. In other words, if we hadn’t had the VAT rebate, we wouldn’t have the home we have now.”

More reconfiguration than extension

“We were actually looking for three or four years before we came across this property,”

Overview Renovation cost: £160,000 including kitchen at £20,000 House value: in excess of £525,000 House size before: 160sqm House size after: 212sqm Bedrooms: 4 / Plot size: ¼ acre Heating system: natural gas condensing boiler, stove for living room space heating Ventilation: Natural Build method: blockwork (cavity walls)

AUTU M N 2020 / S EL F BU IL D / 39

R E N O VA T I O N & E X T E N S I O N

Black bricks. It was the architect Aisling’s idea to create some pattern and texture to the rear with protruding bricks. “The bricklayers were very good and patient about it, followed a brick plan, and did some trial sample panels for us to approve joints, etc. before they built it,” she says. “It was the first time I had tried this approach and if I were to do it again, I would be bolder in making the bricks project more (at least an inch), as it’s quite subtle. I don’t think the builder charged extra for it, certainly not a lot. There was a heavy snowfall during the build and the snow landed on the projecting bricks beautifully in little white lines, drawing out the texture.”

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adds Anthony. “The size of the site was a big selling point, which is massive for a city garden.”

“I originally saw it and thought it was out of our reach financially. I couldn’t get my head around how we could renovate it within our budget constraints. So we asked a builder to come along and advise us, and some things I thought would be budget busters were not that big a deal after all.”

“For instance, I was concerned about having to rewire and replumb the house and about the layers of wallpaper on the ceiling that would have to be removed. The builder shrugged it off saying he would take the ceiling down and rebuild it, which would make it easier to feed the services.”

“Because everything needed updating

and the house hadn’t been touched since it was built in the 1950s, there was no messing about. We were able to strip it back and start with a clean slate, which is actually the cheapest way of doing it.”

“We were bidding on the house around the time of the Brexit referendum; as a result of the other bidder pulling out we paid substantially less than we were ready to. We were also very lucky that thanks to family support we were able to live in our old house during the renovation.”

Then came the time to delve into the specifics. “Our architect Aisling had come highly recommended by a friend,” relates Anthony. “We met her right after we bought the house and had a chat about our ideas on site.”

“We wanted an open plan kitchen/dining and a secondary living area. I had an idea of how that would work, then the logistics of it actually working was Aisling’s job. The sketches she came back with were exactly what we were looking for, so it was a really easy decision for us to hire her.”

“We got the keys of the house end of

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R E N O VA T I O N & E X T E N S I O N

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August 2016 and worked on the plans through to January, back and forth. We took away the flat roof garage and old porch, extended over it and rebuilt the garage which was in a state of disrepair.”

“Aisling basically created a wrap-around extension that opens the house up towards the sun. A new bathroom and master suite with dressing room were also added upstairs; the entire space was reconfigured.”

“Rather than extend the living/dining space we flipped it around and moved the utility. The door into the house from the garage was moved into the porch so we could use the wall for that new utility room.”

“It is now technically a four bedroom house but we turned one of them into a walkin wardrobe. It will be easy to turn it back into a bedroom if we need to, as we have a pocket door to it from the bedroom and a separate entrance from the hallway.”

“The old porch at the front probably wasn’t part of the original house, added on over the years. But once the planners had accepted it as part of the house, we were ok in that we were just building onto it, and replacing the garage. Slate-coloured Staffordshire-blue brick complements yet contrasts the original red brick.”

“The new garage is plumbed for an ensuite and it is insulated to the same standard as the rest of the house, so it can be converted as an independent living area in the future. We 42 20 / S E LF L F B U ILD IL D / AU A U T U M N 2020

currently use it for storage as we can’t park the car in it. We could have applied to widen the garage, but that would have meant losing access to one side of the house and we didn’t want that.”

The budget and VAT

“The irony is, we didn’t need to go through planning so quickly. We certainly didn’t expect the decision for full permission to come back within seven weeks, which was a record for Aisling.”

“We were in no big rush because of the

2

VAT rebate; the property had to be vacant for two years before we could start, which happened in June 2017. In the interim we worked on the internals and the finer details, and putting together the tender documents.”

“It can be very hard to prove the house has been empty for two years; there are empty home officers in England for unused properties but not in NI. What we ended up doing is getting a letter from the previous owner’s nursing home stating when she moved in.”

“We then approached the neighbours

CO ANTRIM

“

“We were able to strip everything back and start with a clean slate, which was the cheapest way of renovating.”

Anthony Cash

Q&A with Anthony What single piece of advice would you give a budding renovator?

The choice of people you will be working with is by far the most important decision to make. You have to get on with them as you are going to be spending so much time in their company.

What would you change?

It took a year and a half from start to finish, and snags were resolved over a period of a year. What I hadn’t realised was that the final payment wasn’t for another year, which amounted to 5 per cent of the build cost. If I had realised that, I would have put underfloor heating in the bathrooms, it would have been a few hundred pounds for the electric mats but I didn’t think I had it at the time. Apart from that, maybe more spotlights in the bathroom.

What surprised you?

In terms of the finishes, I hadn’t realised how much plastering cracks; we got the house painted white throughout as a base colour by a professional and I’m glad we did to get it finished properly.

Would you do it again?

We probably would, but this really is our forever home. The location is where we want to be and the house is one we love and feel connected to.

What is your favourite room or feature?

I love the 6mx7m concrete floor downstairs.

How did the concrete floors compare to another type of floor covering?

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We would have spent the same on good quality tiles (supply and installation) as we did on the concrete pour and polish.

Perhaps the biggest surprise with the concrete floor was that it was really dark at first. It took four or five weeks before it started to lighten up to the colour we wanted.

Concrete floors require breaks, or metal dividers, to prevent the finish from cracking. In our case because we have a support beam/pole in the open plan, the floor has reinforced metal all around its base. That meant we only needed one break, at the pantry door. We’ve only had a tiny crack in the utility but our builder did say our concrete floor is the best he’s ever seen for cracks.e AUTU M N 2020 / S EL F BU IL D / 43

R E N O VA T I O N & E X T E N S I O N

Windows. “We were aiming for a bespoke design with a large glazed window which would feature an openable timber louvre at one side, rather than an openable glazed window,” says Anthony. “It would have made the fixed glazed windows the same size but we couldn’t find any window maker who would do it and provide any sort of guarantee.”

“In the end we actually had to pay more for the aluminium than what we had budgeted for the mahogany. The aluminium matches the 4m sliding door.”

44 / S E L F B U IL D / A U T U M N 2020

who were also happy to provide us letters stating that nobody had lived in the house since the previous owner had moved out.

The accountant of the builder we ended up working with was happy with these documents as proof.”

“And so in June we went to tender; we sent the specifications and construction drawings to three builders and two got back to us with a price. One was quite a lot more expensive, about 30 to 40 thousand, and with a longer timeline, about twice as long. It was a big builder and they probably didn’t want the job.”

“The builder we went with was the one who’d come with us house hunting and he’d worked with Aisling before. I really liked him from the beginning and was inclined to give

him the job regardless,” adds Anthony.

“We didn’t consider direct labour, or hiring tradesmen directly, because we didn’t have the time or experience and also because of the VAT rebate which only applies if you have a main contractor. Our financial advisor also said it was best to have the one builder certify the entire renovation for when we would remortgage the house.”

“But even our chosen builder’s tender challenged what we initially thought the renovation would cost. It was significantly more to rewire than it would have been a year before, so we had to make the specification fit the budget.”

“The skylight in the living room was reduced from 5m to 3m, which reduced the cost considerably. And we were going to have a double sided wood burner in the open plan area to break up the room; removing this from the design provided another large saving.”

“We are now glad we don’t have the stove, we were going to put in shelves but we prefer it all open. For the live flame effect on a cold winter’s day we put in a stove in our second living room’s existing fireplace.”

“And as it turns out having a stove in that room would have required extra ventilation to meet building control requirements which might have caused some problem because when it came to the kitchen island extractor, the direction of the beams meant we couldn’t feed it to the outside, so we have to circulate the air internally.”

Written in concrete

“One thing I wanted from the start was a concrete floor and we specified what company we wanted for the pour; the builder dealt with them directly for pricing. That research was done before the tender stage.”

“In fact neither of the tenders that came back to us had a breakdown of cost, we only

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R E N O VA T I O N & E X T E N S I O N

Anthony's tips

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Prioritise your spending.

There will be changes, and you will need to cut back on certain aspects. But spend as much as you can afford so as to have no regrets. We accepted the cost of certain things, just to make sure there would be no corners cut.

Hire a project manager.

Get your architectural designer to manage your project. We weren’t stressed at all and feel quite spoiled for it.

2

The 5 per cent VAT reno Instead of paying the standard VAT rate of 20 per cent, if you hire a main contractor he should* be able to apply the reduced VAT rate of 5 per cent for the following type of work: l installing energy saving products and certain work for homeowners aged over 60 l converting non-residential buildings, such as barns, into residential use l converting a building into a house or flats or from one residential use to another l renovating an empty house or flat (minimum two years empty) l home improvements to a domestic property on the Isle of Man *For full terms and conditions see HM VAT Notice 708 on gov.uk

46 / S E L F B U IL D / A U T U M N 2020

received one price for everything that had been specified. We agreed to that and then any additional items we had to get during the build, the builder would find for us and these would be itemised. Aisling drew up a contract, which clearly stated when payments were due and for what work.”

“So our builder basically sourced everything and paid for it all from his account, this helped with VAT and I found that it simplified the process for us. For example we sourced the kitchen but the company worked with the builder once we’d chosen everything.”

“And it was during the build that we found the make and model we wanted for the wood burner, and our builder got a really good price through a contact of his so we did save

in some instances. For the electric gates we found pictures online of what we wanted in cast iron and he had someone make them at a reasonable price.”

“For the construction phase we asked Aisling to manage the project, which is the best decision we made,” continues Anthony.

“Anyone who tries to do it themselves is mad!

There were regular site visits, at least every couple of weeks, with both the builder and Aisling. I remember one particular visit when we could see all the way up to the roof from downstairs. The house was all stripped back to the brick. It was impressive.”

“We paid the builder as we went along, based on the contract, and as we didn’t have to work around him (we weren’t living in the house) I think that probably helped our

CO ANTRIM

Timeline Started house hunting: April 2014 Bought house: August 2016 Planning permission requested: Mid Jan 2017 Planning granted: March 2017

working relationship. Aisling did site visits with us and gave us certificates for each stage and that is when we would pay. Sometimes payments got delayed when things were not done but overall it went smoothly.”

“We were on site to discuss the finest details, Ailsing would then produce the architect’s instructions to the builder,” continues Anthony.

“There was another design change during the construction. It turned out that because we wanted a wall hung wc there wasn’t enough room for it and the basin side by side. You need to build a false wall for the bracket, to get the wc up which had the knock-on effect of having to move the basin.”

A central design feature is of course the polished concrete for the ground floor.

“When we went around to suppliers they couldn’t get their head around us not wanting a marbled finish,” says Anthony.

“The company we went with, the salesperson lifted a sample of raw concrete and asked if that’s what we wanted and we said yes. He said he’d done a new build like that, with concrete all downstairs, and we were able to go see it.”

“We loved it and specified the concrete mix for the same outcome; the only issue we had was that the company that polished the concrete missed some corners when power floating although I think I might be the only one who notices.”

“Overall the house exceeded our expectations in more way than one and we’re really grateful to get to live here.”

Construction started: August 2017

Construction completed: December 2017/ January 2018 Moved in: February 2017

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R E N O VA T I O N & E X T E N S I O N

More photographs available at selfbuild.ie

Project info Find out more about Anthony’s renovation and extension project...

SUPPLIERS Architect

Aisling Shannon Rusk of Studioidir.com

Builder

Warner Johnson, wjbuilding.co.uk

Bathrooms

Plumbing & Trade Supplies, ptsireland.co.uk

Windows

Carrolls Glass, carrollsglass.co.uk

FIRST FLOOR BEFORE

Patio and concrete for floors

RTU, patio in Exposa finish, rtu.co.uk

Kitchen

Robinsons, robinsoninteriors.com

Light finishes and furniture Maven, Belfast, wearemaven.co.uk

Lights and furniture Muuto, muuto.com

GROUND FLOOR BEFORE

Other furniture Hay, hay.dk First Floor Key

Ground Floor Key 1. Living Room 2. Dining Area 3. Kitchen 4. Key Store Ground Floor 5. Garage 1. Living Room 6.

Porch 2. Dining Area 7. WC 3. Kitchen 8. Study 4. Store

First Floor Key

GROUND FLOOR AFTER

5.

6.

7.

8.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Garage Porch WC Study

Bedroom 1 Bathroom Bedroom 2 Bedroom 3 Cupboard

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Bedroom 1 Bathroom Bedroom 2 Bedroom 3 Cupboard

New boiler

Worcester Bosch system boiler and Maxipod hot water cylinder, worcester-bosch.ie

Blue slate bricks

Ibstock 2232: Staffordshire Blue Slate imperial brick, ibstockbrick.co.uk

Insulation

Kingspan Insulation, cavity wall Ecobead Platinum, floor Kooltherm K3, roof Thermaroof TR27 LPC/FM, kingspaninsulation.com

Flat roof

Trocal, sika-trocal.com

Roof light

Glazing Vision, glazingvision.co.uk

Photographer

Paul Lindsay, paullindsayphoto.co.uk

SPEC Walls: 100mm dense concrete block, 110mm cavity filled with blown graphite coated EPS beads installed strictly in accordance with manufacturer’s instructions by approved contractor, 102mm blue slate bricks, U-value 0.27W/sqmK

FIRST FLOOR AFTER Ground Floor Key 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

Living Room Dining Kitchen Living Area Utility/Wash Room Pantry Garage/Gym Porch WC Study

48 / S E L F B U IL D / A U T U M N 2020

Floor: 100mm 35N poured screed with A-193 mesh and underfloor heating, powerfloated as finished floor, 500 gauge vapour barrier, 100mm phenolic board insulation, 150mm thick ground bearing concrete slab, 1200 gauge continuous DPM radon barrier, First Floor Key blinding min. 225mm thick well-compacted hardcore 1. sub-base, EnsuiteU-value: 0.15W/sqmK

2.

Bedroom 1

Flat roof: Proprietary system consisting 3. Dressing Room of fully adhered single-ply membrane, 4. membrane, Bedroom 150mm 2 Breather phenolic board 5. 19mm Bathroom insulation, exterior grade plywood 6. softwood Bedroom 3 to achieve 1:40 fall, deck, on firrings 195x50mm timber joists at 400mm centres, 12.5mm plasterboard, U value: 0.13W/sqmK Windows: Aluminium framed doubleglazed, U-value 1.4W/sqmK. Rooflight 1.1W/sqmK.

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R E N O VA T I O N & E X T E N S I O N

Overview Renovation cost: â‚Ź1,311/sqm Extension cost: â‚Ź1,261/sqm House size before: 60sqm House after: 170sqm Galvanised deck area: 30sqm Plot size: 1 acre Heating system: oil-fired condensing boiler and stove with back boiler Ventilation: Convection fans Build method: blockwork (cavity walls)

50 / S E L F B U IL D / A U T U M N 2020

CO SLIGO

puzzle house

The

Buying a derelict cottage isn’t for the faint hearted but it was a challenge Martin and Saoirse O’Dwyer gladly took on.

Words: Heather Campbell

Photography: Suzy McCanny

AUTU M N 2020 / S EL F BU IL D / 51

R E N O VA T I O N & E X T E N S I O N

Scorched larch. To complete the look, and to weatherproof the façade, Martin and Saoirse chose scorched larch to clad around the curve of the gable window. Martin burnt each board (tanalised) with a roofer’s gas torch, lightly wire brushed them and washed with water.

Cladding. The barrel roof and the rest of the extension were clad in steel; the grey colour is RAL7016.

52 / SE L F B U IL D / AU T U M N 2020

hile house hunting we fell in love with the panoramic views from this tiny derelict, coastal cottage,” explains Martin. “The vista reaches across sand dunes and spans County Sligo’s Grange estuary and Donegal Bay.” Not even the trees growing out of the ruin put them off. “We basically bought a pile of stones with ocean views,” he jokes.

“I have estimated the date of construction to circa 1890, where it first appears on the historical online maps. Despite its age, it was not listed which meant we could go ahead and renovate the cottage in the first instance without planning permission.”

“The cottage floors were mud and cobble with some flags which sloped downhill

W

towards the doors below. I was informed that the design here was to facilitate the livestock sleeping in the lower section and the slope aided washing out the waste through the doors in the morning. The occupants slept in the ‘uphill’ bedroom.”

“An interesting feature is the clear remnants of a large door opening suggesting access for livestock. Also, locals have remarked that the stones used in the chimney are very big and may have been from another, larger house.”

“There may have been two sheds joined together to enlarge the cottage after the large fireplace was built, but that is just my guess based on the state of the walls,” adds Martin.

Renovation

“I took a year out from work to renovate and make the building habitable so we could move in. There was no water, no electricity or waste facilities.”

“The first thing on the list was to remove the trees which had taken root in the roof of the main living area. I replaced the tin roof with slate, then drilled a well for potable

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R E N O VA T I O N & E X T E N S I O N

water.

“By putting in a new roof we were then able to apply for an electricity connection, as ESB Networks requires a dry structure. I then removed all the internal plasterwork with a kango hammer, gaining an extra foot of space in return, with the internal stone walls acting as a heat bank,” continues Martin.

“It was important to me to conserve and display as much of the original stone walling as possible, so I turned to stonemasons David and Carol, who helped me point them in traditional lime mortar.”

“Then I had to completely remove the floor material. In the bedroom three little springs squirted up, I was in despair! The solution was to put in a geotextile membrane, and a 6inch coiled (like a snail) drainage pipe directed out to an external water drain. While I was there I fitted a pipe to provide a tertiary air supply for the cottage wood stove.”

“The room is as dry as snuff since, I am happy to say.”

The cottage floors were upgraded with insulation, concrete and finished with an oak engineered wood.

“Even though we didn’t have to apply for planning permission for the renovation, we did have to agree with the council what wastewater treatment system to install, an eight population equivalent system. The local authority’s environmental department recommended a system, pointing us in the

54 / S E L F B U IL D / A U T U M N 2020

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direction of their favoured supplier in Cork.”

“A bugbear of mine about this is that, on the one hand, environmental concerns drive the high spec of the system (fine) but on the other I was made install a system which requires I pump from the treatment tank to the tertiary tank which sits on 20 ton of washed pea gravel. The tertiary tank is downhill of the treatment tank so I must pump waste downhill, arghh!”

“Conclusion of the story we had to pay €10,000 for the tertiary waste treatment

CO SLIGO

Q&A from the owner What is your favourite part of the house or design feature?

My seat by the curved gable window, where I can take in the energising ocean views.

I have a strong connection to water and I always wanted to live near it. I also love the galvanised deck. We can sit out here in the summer and also take in the views of the ocean and the surrounding countryside. I have a cage of blueberries growing up there as well. It’s like having an extra room.

What would you change?

I do regret not planting more trees from the get go. If I could go back in time I would plant more than I needed or wanted and thin them out as required later.

But on the whole, I think we made all the right choices. We're happy we got this far and I'm very content with what we have.

What single piece of advice would you give a budding self-builder?

Don't give up if you come across difficulties with your planning application. Have a plan A, B and C ready. I would have felt terrible if we had missed this opportunity because of some bureaucratic matter. And find a builder you can click with or someone knowledgeable to help you if you are going down the DIY route.

system before moving into the cottage, ready to connect to the new extension once completed.”

“Meanwhile, the twins had arrived. In the cottage we had added a mezzanine level (with a supporting steel) to accommodate our bedroom and used the only bedroom on the ground floor for the boys to share. We created a small kitchen in the open plan living/ dining area as well as a separate bathroom.”

“After we had the heating system in, we moved in.”

Would you do it again?

At the moment no, but I never say never. I loved the process, the puzzle-solving and creating something new.

What surprised you?

Planning process

“Once you're actually living in your property you have far more rights than someone who wants to build a new house. Because the house was derelict, if we had applied for planning to increase the footprint before we moved in, it would have been classed as a new build and I’m not sure we would have gotten permission.”

“When you’re already living in it, it’s an extension. That was the strategic approach we took. Despite that, it still wasn’t easy to gain planning approval for our extension.”

“Like so many traditional Irish farm cottages, a row of stone-built agricultural sheds ran back 90 degrees from one side of the building with a 6ft gap between them.”

“Our original plan was to develop that footprint by maintaining the shape and location of the outhouses. But the planning officers didn't agree with us. So we had to rethink it. They turned down three or four

5

subsequent plans; we were hitting a wall.”

“One day Saoirse went for a walk up the hill behind us and noticed how the landscape was dotted with cottages then hay sheds then cottages and so on. She took photographs, printed them out and presented a file to the planners demonstrating that this was the vernacular style of the area and that we would copy it.”

“The planners eventually agreed and we 6 got approval for a two-storey barrel roofed

I discovered within myself the surprisingly powerful need to conserve the heritage of the cottage and surrounds as much as I reasonably could. I believe concrete is inappropriate as a material in these old buildings so I was very careful to use traditional dry stacking methods and lime mortar to enable the eventual reuse and repurposing of the beautiful stone.

Stove with back boiler. “We installed a stove with back boiler in place of the open fire and an oil-fired condensing boiler,” says Martin. “We opted for an extra large water tank with a third coil that in the future will be linked to solar panels to heat our water.”

Floors. There is underfloor heating on both floors; the covering is a combination of tile and high quality laminate flooring.

AUTU M N 2020 / S EL F BU IL D / 55

R E N O VA T I O N & E X T E N S I O N

Timeline Pre-planning meeting: September 2013 Bought cottage: March 2014 Wastewater treatment planning process: Summer 2014 “After three years living in a 59 sqm snug cottage, the four of us were itching to increase our living space. Saoirse was the key designer, and I was the key project manager/ builder with a lot of help from a local block-layer, Bill and our neighbour, Aidan, a plumber and my go-to building guru.”

Renovation: 2014-2015

Moved into cottage: November 2015

A barrel ride

Started planning process for extension: February 2016 Planning permission granted for extension: September 2017 Planning permission granted for extension: September 2017 Moved into extension: October 2018

56 / S E LF B U ILD / A U T U M N 2020

metal clad extension, and getting that second floor was really important to us. We designed it to be as close in appearance to a hay shed as we could get.”

“The next question was, how do we build it?”

“We didn’t use an architect,” says Martin.

“Saoirse designed it all with the help of our local architectural technician, another Martin. We drew on information and inspiration gained from attending a Selfbuild Live event in Dublin and a Simon Open Door consultation with a Donegal-based architect.

Martin’s technical drawing skills put the design into planning drawings. We finally got permission, 16 months on from our first application.”

“Building a barrel-top roof is not that difficult really, from the outside. But getting a perfect curve on the internal ceiling proved to be tricky. I had to figure that out myself; it’s a good thing I love puzzle solving,” says Martin.

“My solution was to use curved trusses, comprising of 10 sections each 1m in length.

When joined they formed a jagged curve, but I needed an even surface, so I packed out the imperfect curve with around 200 packing pieces.”

“I attached plywood to the curves and the whole ceiling became a fixing point for the plasterboard – it then didn’t matter where you fixed the screws. I put up the boards in the normal way, bending them slightly to follow the curves. I was very relieved none of them snapped or broke.”

“We built a stepped platform for the plasterers to work from and they skimmed the ceiling as easily as they would a normal wall. I’m happy to say we've had several Atlantic storms hit the roof since, but not one crack has appeared in the plaster. I'm very proud of that.”

“The problem we came up against was how to manage excessive heat with the rising hot air obviously going to find itself at the top of the roof curve. My solution was to fit three vents in a network which were connected to a conventional fan, sucking the air to the outside. This extractor fan was plugged into a simple wireless thermostat which we can easily adjust according to temperature and location.”

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www.sykesbathrooms.com

Showroom 38 Duncrue Crescent Belfast BT3 9BW

Open Monday-Friday: 9am-5pm Saturday: 9am-12.30pm

R E N O VA T I O N & E X T E N S I O N

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“We leave the temperature controls on the top of the kitchen cupboards where early venting can occur before the general room temperature is affected. It works well in keeping humidity levels low; I invested in a weather station to keep an eye on performance and when it’s 95 per cent humid outside in the summer, we get around 55 inside.”

“The next difficult task was sourcing our oversized gable windows, particularly the curved window on the first floor. It was a struggle to find a manufacturer that would agree to do that because it would involve bending the aluminium frame the ‘wrong way’ as they put it. Not many machines have the ability to do that. But we persevered and got both gable windows built, at a cost of €14,000 – our biggest splurge.”

“We also got pushback from builders.

They couldn’t understand why we wouldn’t take the easier option of putting in an RSJ (supporting steel beam) and installing a standard rectangular window. But that wasn’t the point for us. Almost the whole of the far gable wall is glazed, and at the other end a large glass sliding door opens on to our 30sqm galvanised deck. Our choice of windows was part of the entire design for the building. That choice ended up costing us double the normal costs, but it was well worth it.”

58 20 / S E LF L F B U ILD IL D / AU A U T U M N 2020

Two houses in one

“The extension houses two bedrooms on the ground floor, our master bedroom and the twins’ room. We have an ensuite wet room, which is my little piece of luxury, and the boys share a wet room adjacent to their bedroom.”

“We built a single-storey structure parallel to the cottage, as a hallway, to link the two buildings. It is also the new main entrance to our home. The warm roof construction has a slight ridge with a 2’’ (50mm) fall both ways and is clad in bitumen. Two roof windows

were installed, which bring in lots of light and has turned it into a very useful extra room.”

“Outside, I’ve been landscaping and building walls using the stones from the demolished sheds. I’m using a stone stacking technique, which means I’m placing them where they fit, rather than making the stones fit by chipping the excess off. There is absolutely no concrete involved, a dry wall method.”

“My philosophy is not to bring unnecessary stuff onto the site. I tried to minimise my footprint. It's a good buzz to use

CO SLIGO

“

We had to completely demolish the existing stone sheds and built the extension in blockwork...

Martin O'Dwyer

Tips on site Have somewhere dry to store materials.

I was very happy I built a big shed before we started on the extension. Keeping things dry and clean meant work was more efficient and I believe helped save on costs down the line.

Keep it tidy.

Do your best to keep the site as clean and tidy as possible. I spent a little time and money on putting down rough gravel. This reduced the typical 'mud bath' scenario you get on a building site and saved on cost/ labour later, I believe.

Don’t work alone.

It can be dangerous and it is also incredibly inefficient. I did a lot of loan working when my friend, Aidan, wasn’t available. For example, think of having to go up and down a ladder because you dropped a screwdriver. I met someone else through the course of my research about constructing barrel top roofs, when chatting with the lads in the steel cladding factory. They mentioned a guy called Alan who had recently converted a small building which included a barrel top roof; I rang him and we hit it off straight away. He was very generous with his time on the project and although a management consultant in his own work area, was happy to roll up his sleeves to provide some great days labouring for the cost of a meal and a few cups of coffee! He was genuinely interested in the uniqueness of the barn project.

Buy what you will use regularly.

5

what you have,” adds Martin.

“When we moved into the extension we still had jobs like tiling, decorating and landscaping to do, so we carried on doing the work at the weekends mainly, which we recently completed. But the end result has been so worth it.”

“The extension and deck has tripled our floor space and has transformed the way we live. The lads are really thriving now with much more space to play.”

“The cottage, with engineered oak flooring, exposed stone walls and

wood-burning stove is our cosy fire-side sitting room and also provides a playroom for the twins. However, effectively, we have two houses now. When my grown-up son or daughter and her family come to stay they have the cottage to themselves. And the same for my elderly mother when she visits. They enjoy having their own space and privacy and then being able to join us for family time and meals.”

“The house functions exactly as we had 6 imagined it would,” beams Martin.

I cannot understate the value of having a professional standard stepladder, steel toe-capped boots and diligent use of eye protection alongside the normal builders’ PPE. I also bought an old tractor which became my workhorse.

Kitchen. “We chose a matt black kitchen which is at one end of the room with access on to the decking area via the sliding glazed door,” says Martin. “The curved window at the opposite end frames the jaw-dropping ocean views.

This is where we sit and relax during the summer evenings.”

Upside down living. “An enclosed staircase leads up to the first floor open plan kitchen, dining and living accommodation and this has proven to be a surprisingly practical set up,” says Martin. “For the groceries, we reverse the car back to the steel deck steps (four steps) and can drop the items at the sliding door beside the kitchen. There have been no drawbacks as yet to upside down living, it’s all been positive.”

AUTU M N 2020 / S EL F BU IL D / 59

R E N O VA T I O N & E X T E N S I O N

More photographs available at selfbuild.ie

Project info

Find out more about Martin and Saoirse’s renovation & extension project...

SUPPLIERS Architectural services

Martin McGloin Architectural Services, Cliffoney, Co Sligo, mobile 087 2817620

Plumber and extra help as builder

Aidan McSharry of AMS Plumbing, mobile 087 2414466

Builders Merchant

BMG Bundoran, Co Donegal, tel. 0719841455

GROUND FLOOR

Utility

Heating

FIRST FLOOR

Heatmerchants, Sligo, tel. 0719162133

Steel

Gusclad steel fabricators, Ballyfarnon, Co Roscommon, tel. 0719647979

Timber Bedroom

Bathroom

Bedroom

Kitchen

McHales Timber Yard, Hazelwood, Sligo, tel. 0719143552, mchalesawmill.com

Window Suppliers

McMullan O’Donnell, Sligo tel. 071 9130004; Munster Joinery for uPVC munsterjoinery.ie; Athena Windows for large gable windows, no longer trading

Bathroom Dining En-suite

Bathrooms

Tubs n Tiles, Sligo, tel. 0719170325 and House of Tiles and Bathrooms, Grange, Co Sligo, tel. 0719173400

Electrics

Sitting Room Bedroom

CEF Electrical, Sligo, tel. 0719151820

Living

Electrician

Paul O’Connor, Sligo, mobile 087 2601395

Roofing

Barber Roofing (cottage) mobile 0879378200, Connaught Asphalt Roofing (hallway extension) tel. 071 9167756, Munster Timber Structures (extension curved trusses) Waterford, tel. 051879169

Kitchen

IKEA, ikea.ie

SOUTHWEST ELEVATION

Stone

Trotters Quarry, Leitrim, tel. 0719855209

Guttering and uPVC soffit for arched gables Adrian Gannon Seamless Gutters Tubbercurry, Sligo, mobile 0871762187/0876551349

Photographer

Suzy McCanny, suzymccanny.com

NORTHEAST ELEVATION

NI calling ROI prefix with 0353 and drop the first zero

SPEC

NORTHWEST ELEVATION

New walls: 150mm cavity wall full fill insulation (EPS beads) with 62.5mm insulated plasterboard on the inside, externally cladded with corrugated steel, U-value 0.21W/sqmK Curved roof: 250mm open cell spray foam insulation, U-value 0.16W/sqmK Extension floor: phenolic insulation board, U-value 0.15W/sqmK Windows: all triple glazed; uPVC units average 0.7W/sqmK, aluclad lift and slide door 0.7W/sqmK, front and back doors 0.8W/ sqmK

60 / S E LF B U ILD / A U T U M N 2020

www.midlandheating.ie Tel: 046-9430529 Email: sales@midlandheating.ie

NEW BUILD

multigeneration house The

Building a home is always an emotional process, and nowhere was this more the case than for Cary Thompson who built his in memory of his late mum.

Photography: Donal McCann

Overview Main house size: 438sqm / Apartment size: 116sqm Main house bedrooms: 5 Apartment bedrooms: 1 Heating system: gas boiler with underfloor heating EPC (SAP): C (79) Build method: cavity wall with partial steel frame 6 2 / S E L F B U IL D / AU T U M N 2020

CO ANTRIM

Timeline 2001: Bought site

February 2011: Planning applied

June 2011: Planning approved

How did the project come about?

Autumn 2011: Build start

This project was born out of the sadness and closeness our family felt after my mother’s death in 2009. We wanted somewhere which could be a new home for my father, a base and link with Northern Ireland for my brother and sister, their partners and kids, and a new home for Suzeanne and I and our growing family.

We brought that desire to John our architect and placed these requirements on him, which were more an emotional aspiration than a brief. He was our architect but also at times our counsellor too, teasing out what we actually wanted and helped us make informed decisions.

Moved in: December 2012

How did you come to acquire the site?

My parents had kept it following the sale of their house to the Department of the Environment in 1989 for a road widening scheme. The DOE only wanted the plot on which the house stood, not the back garden.

Subsequently, Suzeanne and I purchased the site but without any thoughts of what to do with it. In 2009, following my mother’s death we realised that a self-build on the site might meet our changed circumstances.

Simply, there was a lot more value to be had with a self-build compared to purchasing an existing house, even with the decline in house prices which was starting to take effect.

How did you choose your architectural designer?

An architect friend of Suzeanne’s recommended him and we had a preliminary meeting on site to discuss our plans. After 20 years, the site was like a wilderness but he could only see possibilities.

This was followed by a visit to a number of houses John had designed, discussion with the owners, understanding his guiding principle of simplicity in design combined with light, airiness and openness, our thoughts,

such as they were and then calls with a number of clients, all of whom were much more experienced than we were and very complimentary.

Ultimately, our decision to hire him was based on three factors: our confidence in John’s design and technical abilities, our trust that he would help us articulate what we wanted and his condition that if he designed the house, he would see the project through to conclusion by overseeing the construction.

At the time we couldn’t have known just how important that last factor was to be in ensuring that the design and construction of the house would be a really enjoyable experience.

How did the design evolve?

At this stage my father added a built-in garage to the wish list, for his vintage Reilly, and John came up with a number of outline options designed to meet our requirements, the features of the site and of course the impact of the road widening scheme bringing a busy main road much closer to the house than currently.

AUTU M N 2020 / S EL F BU IL D / 63

NEW BUILD

We also had to deal with the presence of a number of mature trees, all of which were subject to Tree Preservation Orders and not one of which could be removed or even replaced with a new tree.

We also wanted some echoes of the original house my parents had, and a design which anticipated the effect of the road widening scheme – anticipated in 1989, not implemented in 2009, and still only on the drawing board.

This meant that my father’s apartment could be both integrated into the design of the house but also a separate selfcontained space away from the noise and chaos of a young family. One of the key ways in which this idea of integrated yet separate was put into effect was through having a door at the side of the house which gave straight into the apartment.

Indeed my father through persistence, has persuaded Royal Mail that it is a separate address, at least for postal purposes.

There would be a shared utility room which housed the boiler as well as the washing machine and ultimately our beloved Ollie’s basket, with access on to the garage, otherwise the apartment was to be self-contained with a large combined kitchen, dinning room, sitting room, a separate study and bathroom and bedroom.

These options helped us, Suzeanne, my father and I, to develop our thoughts about what we wanted, what our expectations were even if we weren’t conscious of them, and to develop a consensus around the most important aspects of the house.

It probably meant progress was quite slow at the design stage, but the result is that never once during the whole process did we ever find ourselves regretting any decision we made or wanting to make changes.

How did the house specification come about?

I don’t think we really decided on how to build the house. We wanted a red brick exterior to reflect the Victorian original it 64 / S E L F B U IL D / A U T U M N 2020

was effectively replacing.

We were keen that the house should meet the highest environmental standards to minimise the effect of noise, light and vehicle pollution from the road as well as well as ensuring heating costs were reasonable.

For heating we went with a gas boiler, with underfloor heating throughout except for our bedroom and the kids’ bedroom which have radiators to avoid any concerns about the rooms being too warm at night.

While mechanical ventilation throughout the house was not a building regulations requirement, we installed a heat recovery ventilation system in both house and apartment.

Kitchen. This space had to work as both a place for family meals and a space for entertainment of wider family and friends and in due course, the kids’ friends. “Plenty of storage was also important to counter my tendency to clutter the place up,” says Cary. “We went for walnut wood kitchen tops with the knowledge they would need some looking after. We don’t regret that decision although my clumsiness with hot pans and occasionally bleach is well illustrated.”

Staircases. There are two staircases, one to the bedrooms and one to the upstairs sitting room, creating a sense that one is private and the other, part of the public space.

Project info

Find out more about Cary and Suzeanne Thompson's new build project...

CO ANTRIM

SUPPLIERS Architect

John Kennedy, tel. 93344944, johnkennedyarchitect.com

Main contractor

Martin & Hamilton Ltd, Ballymena

Structural Engineer

McAuley Browne, Belfast

GROUND FLOOR

STUDY

BEDROOM

FIRST FLOOR

M&E Engineer

Stephen Clarke Consulting, Belfast

Quantity surveyor

Dunlop Hawthorne Partnership, Carrickfergus

BEDROOM BEDROOM

Kitchen

Interior 360

KITCHEN

Ventilation

BEDROOM

Brookvent, brookvent.co.uk

LIVING/DINING

Gas boiler

Rotex, rotex-heating.com

STORAGE

Photography

ENTRANCE

CLOAKS

GUEST BEDROOM

LIVING

ROI calling NI prefix with 048

UTILITY ENTRANCE GARAGE

Donal McCann, donalmccann.com

DINING

MASTER BEDROOM LIVING

KITCHEN

AUTU M N 2020 / S EL F BU IL D / 65

T L EB U I L D NIETW

Standing out to

blend in

The challenge for architects is to get the houses they design in the countryside to blend into the landscape. When it came to his own home, Andrew O’Brien came up with an ingenious solution.

Photography: Janice O’Connell

Overview House size: 195sqm / Site size: 1.5 acre Bedrooms: 4 Heating: air source heat pump with underfloor, stove Build method: blockwork (single leaf externally insulated) Airtightness: 1.0 m³/hr/sqm / BER: A2 5 ILD TU MM N N2020 6 6/ /S E S LEFL B FU BU IL D/ /AU AU TU 2020

CO CORK

Andrew's tips Consider not managing the project yourself. If you plan to

project manage your self-build yourself, know that it represents an immense workload. Being in the industry, I had the skill, knowledge and contacts to make the process a little easier yet hiring a foreman was the best decision I made.

Especially if the building industry is new to you, hiring a project manager or site foreman to give some advice and steer decisions can save a lot of stress.

prominence of the area from a busy national road passing about 700m south of where we planned to build.

Once I realised that, I knew that the only successful solution to a house in this location would be to effectively make it disappear from that southerly aspect and main road.

How was the project managed and built?

How did the project come about?

The process was the same as for any project I take on; we had a list of things we wanted out of the house and a specific location in which to put it.

The choice between traditional and modern is a question of taste but also rooted in the features of the land, such as orientation, views, overlooking, overshadowing, rural vs urban, exposed sensitive landscape, etc.

This site is located within an agricultural setting, backing onto the edge of a mature forest. For this reason the house is clad in deep green corrugated metal sheeting to reflect the farm sheds scattered about the landscape, but with crisp modern and highly detailed finishes and junctions.

Separating my business office, a log clad steel shipping container, out of the house and building it before we started building our own house was one of the best decisions I made on the project.

It meant that I was running my day to day business from the building site and should

Attention to detail in the construction drawings will make all the difference. A house with the

right finishing touches can look and feel vastly different to the same house where these have not been considered. If you don’t have the knowledge or skill in this area, it can be invaluable to spend a little to get the correct advice and direction.

For example, the children's bedrooms are functional with space borrowed from what would otherwise be unused attic area, by creating a vaulted ceiling and a mezzanine play space above the beds.

Plan things well in advance.

Making changes last minute costs money so try to forward plan as much as you can.

Was planning permission hard to get?

My research had shown that a couple of planning applications for traditional bungalows with white plastered walls had been refused on the road due to the elevated nature of the sites and the visual

The fully glazed dining area has a 900mm roof overhang for solar shading, to avoid overheating. The double height vaulted ceiling's clerestory window has a remote-control opening mechanism for stack ventilation.

AUTU M N 2020 / S EL F BU IL D / 67

NEW BUILD

any problems or queries arise it was a short walk across the site to resolve the issue and keep the momentum going.

I knew that I needed someone I could trust to help with the running of some of the day to day management of trades and also have someone to bounce some technical details off for those times you are so immersed in the decision making you can’t see obvious alternatives.

That foreman job could only have been given to one person, a local carpenter who takes a lot of care and pride in his work. I couldn’t think of anyone better to help us.

How did you go about hiring your foreman?

I first approached Declan about the possibility of helping to build the house about a year before we broke ground so we could review the method of build together and highlight any issues that could possibly crop up. We know each other very well and I trusted him.

Unlike others who turn up in the morning, do their own job and go home, Declan is always interested in how he can do his job to make it easier on the next trade. You don’t get that attention to detail from everyone. Our arrangement was verbal; he kept track of his time and I paid him by the hour.

What construction method did you choose?

The house is built on a passive insulated slab. Declan had no experience with this type of foundation system but as a carpenter had all the necessary skill and attention to detail to tackle it.

A lot of attention had to be given to the setting out of the passive slab; the width of every window and door was set on this grid to suit the width of a corrugated metal sheet therefore eliminating the need for any cutting and waste on site.

Openings are either one, two or three corrugated sheets wide and this had to be factored in from day one.

Aside from the perimeter thickening for the external walls where the insulation thickness was 200mm, the thickness of the floor slab insulation for the majority of the floor was 325mm.

For continuity of the external envelope and to eliminate thermal bridges, the walls and roofs were insulated externally.

Similarly, the roofs are constructed as warm roofs, again avoiding any thermal bridges.

External finishes are kept to a simple palette of two: corrugated metal and timber. The walls and roof of the main rectangular block are clad in a deep green corrugated metal cladding while the ‘pop outs’ to the north and south of the main block are clad in two different methods. The first is a waney edge rough ship-lapped timber board with the bark adhered to it, giving the building a rustic 68 / S E L F B U IL D / A U T U M N 2020

look and tying it into its forest roots. The second method consists of vertical prepared timber latts in a hit and miss pattern, again to reflect the forest setting.

What did you do for heat and hot water?

The strategy from the outset was to insulate and make the house airtight to the highest standard possible to eliminate the need for space heating as much as possible.

The original intention was to fit a small gas boiler to provide hot water as the thermal mass and heat gain attained during the day would provide the little heat needed during the winter months along with the stove in the main living space.

However, when we analysed the cost, there really wasn’t much difference in the cost of installing a small air to water heat pump against the gas boiler and submerged tank option, about €1,500 to €2,000. That excludes the underfloor heating pipes as I had them in already as a ‘just in case’. This is comparing the heat pump system itself with the gas boiler, insulated cylinder, submerged LPG tank, ground works, etc.

So, we installed the heat pump and as expected it’s being used predominantly to heat our domestic hot water; the space heating is very seldom called upon. We installed a heat recovery ventilation system to circulate fresh air and again the heat recovery function is on bypass most of the year.

My overall energy bills for the house for a year are about €800. Over the past 18 months or so, the space heating (underfloor heating) typically kicks in for the north facing playroom and bathroom in early December for about an hour in the morning.

This heat is required for these spaces alone until the beginning of March and after that the heating is not called upon again, unless we experience a cold snap.

CO CORK

Timeline November 2012 to June 2013: Design phase June 2013: Planning application

September 2013: Planning granted

“

Separating my business office, a log clad steel shipping container, out of the house and building it before we started building our own house was one of the best decisions I made on the project.

May 2016: Revised planning application (change of plan) August 2016: Revised planning granted

March 2017: Build start

August 2018: Moved in

October 2018: Internal and external finishes complete Mid 2019: Landscaping completed

AUTU M N 2020 / S EL F BU IL D / 69

NEW BUILD

More photographs available at selfbuild.ie

Project info Find out more about Andrew O’Brien's new build project...

EXTERNAL COVERED STORAGE LAUNDRY BATHROOM PLAYROOM

LOBBY

PANTRY

BEDROOM

ROBE

KITCHEN

TERRACE

BEDROOM

BEDROOM

BEDROOM

Concrete interiors Concrete floor

The 100mm polished concrete floor throughout the entrance, circulation and main living spaces allow for a seamless flow from the main door to the public spaces. The polished concrete floor acts as a thermal mass, storing the heat from the sun during the day.

Concrete chimney

The tactile, board marked concrete chimney breast provides thermal mass and divides the kitchen/dining area from the living room. The thermal bridge at the roof junction was tricky as wasthe detailing of the formwork, sandblasting of the timber lining boards, etc. Close collaboration and consultation with the engineers and tradesmen on this was crucial. The 7.5kW stove isn't turned on very often but when it is, a low amount of fuel keeps it ticking over without it getting too hot.

DINING

Kitchen island

The formwork/mould, (a flexible, curved hardboard template), was made in the field when the passive slab was being laid. It was built on its side (Declan's idea) and the concrete was poured from the narrow 60mm edge at the top, on the same day as the main floor was being laid (to get the exact same mix). A pencil poker vibrated the concrete. The structure was left protected in the corner of the field for another six months until the roof was on. Andrew hired someone with lifting equipment to transport it, still in its formwork to maintain its strength, into the dining area. Heavy lifting by family and friends rotated and set it into place. The construction of the shutter and pouring of the island cost about €1,800; grinding and polishing around €1,500. That excludes the design time that went into it for both Andrew's time and the structural engineer's.

70 / S E L F B U IL D / A U T U M N 2020

SUPPLIERS ASSOCIATED WITH THE PROJECT

SUPPLIERS Architect

Andrew O’Brien Architects Ltd, mobile 086 0730113

Structural engineer

Lenihan Consulting Engineers, Kanturk, CoCork, tel. 029 20900

Site foreman / carpenter

Declan Devoy, mobile 087 2451764

Plumber

Plumbtech, Midleton, Co Cork, tel. 021 463 2469

Stove

Board marked concrete chimney

Millform Construction, Co Cork, mobile 087 239 9717

Stainless steel chimney flashings

Independent Engineering Services, Co Cork, tel. 021 4636638

Aluminium flashings AMS, Little Island, Cork, tel. 021 4705100

Corrugated cladding suppliers

7.5kW Jøtul 305, jotuluk.com

Duggan Steel, Kilkenny, tel. 056 772 5050

Polished concrete floor

Corrugated cladding contractor

Heat pump

Waney edge timber boards

Renobuild, Wexford, tel. 053 936 6444 Daikin, daikin.ie

Electrician

Seamus O’Farrell Electrical, mobile 086 8846545

Air-tightness materials Ecological Building Systems

Wall and corrugated roof insulation

Insulation, kingspaninsulation.com

Airtightness contractor

Shane Kavanagh, mobile 0879693451

Ventilation

Aerhaus, Dungarvan, Co Waterford, tel. 058 20005

Windows and doors

Triple glazed aluclad timber windows Viking, aluminium windows Reynears, both types sourced from West Building Products, Carrigaline, Co Cork, tel. 021 4372929

Groundworks

Kennedy Plant Hire, Co Cork

Structural steel

James Mulcahy, Co Cork

John McCarthy Timber Merchant, Co Cork

Prepared timber latts

Sheehan Sawmills, Co Tipperary, tel. 052 746 7249

Zinc roofs

Pat O’Leary Coppersmith, mobile 086 833 4120

Single ply roofs

Corrugated roof Bauder bituthene fully adhered vapour barrier. uPVC roof Bauder Thermofol U15 PVC Membrane roof finish mechanically fixed to 200mm Bauder PIR Insulation, Bauder bituthene fully adhered vapour barrier.

Bauder membranes installed by AF Roofing, Youghal, tel. 024 94632

Internal sliding doors

Cloghroe Joinery, Ballincollig, Co Cork, tel. 021 4873940

Formwork, Steelfixing, Concrete Placing & Finishing Commercial, Industrial and Residential

Paint suppliers

Pat Walsh Paints, Midleton

Timber glulam beams

Cederlan Limited, tel. 021 496 5233

Vaughan Engineering, Kanturk, Co Cork

Photography

Passive slab insulation

NI calling ROI prefix with 00353 and drop the first zero

325mm passive EPS slab by KORE, kore-system.com

www.aobarchitects.ie aobmriai@gmail.com 086 0730113

F22 Photography, f22photography.ie

Inchileigh, Millstreet, Co Cork (029) 21819 (087) 2399717 info@millform.ie AUTU M N 2020 / S EL F BU IL D / 71

R E N O VA T I O N

A

keeper

Few people get to wave at the fishermen passing by when they’re out in their garden, but Saoirse Fitzgerald does from her Co Cork home.

When did you buy the property and what state was it in?

The property is the dwelling the lighthouse keeper used to live in, and it is located at the foot of the beacon. I bought it in July 2016, but there were some issues with the deeds so it was August 2017 before I got the keys.

The last lighthouse keeper left Youghal in 1997 and from that date on, the lighthouse keeper’s was used by families of Irish Lights to holiday in during the summer. There was a maintenance man who took care of the house and gardens, but no major renovations or upgrades had been done there since the 1970s. The lighthouse is still operational, owned and managed by Irish Lights.

When I bought it, the house was very cold and damp. The windows and doors were in dire need of repair, the heat, electrical and plumbing systems were not sufficient any longer so it definitely needed a lot of work.

We spent the next six months working with a conservation architect to come up with a plan that would both keep the character of the building but make it more open plan and maximise the view. The house sits on the cliffs overlooking the Celtic sea, but the

Overview Size of House: 1,300 sqft Size of Plot: 0.25 hectares Heating System: Air to water heat pump

72 / S E L F B U IL D / A U T U M N 2020

CO CORK

windows and porch were not making the most of what lay outside.

My goal was to open up the downstairs and add more glass. I also wanted to change an old adjoined coal shed into a fully glazed bathroom.

Did you have to get planning permission?

Once we had decided on a plan, I applied for planning permission which was granted without a problem and work began in February 2018. I think the key to getting planning permission was bringing in a conservation architect at the very beginning.

He was able to guide me on what changes would likely be approved and which wouldn’t.

I also met with the local authority’s conservation officer before I ever bought the house to check what the limitations would be on upgrading the house. They don’t want these old historic buildings to go into disrepair so they are very practical in allowing changes and modernisation, as long as the character is retained.

What work did you do?

We renovated the entire building and took approximately 80 tonnes of rubble from the house.

I adjusted some walls, knocked the 1970s conservatory and doubled its size to 20sqm, made the downstairs fairly open plan, knocked the old stairs that was built for people about 4ft tall :) and built a new stairs in another room, made one bedroom a new bathroom, knocked the coal shed and built a mainly glass bathroom looking out to the sea.

A number of internal walls were also knocked down in the process: between kitchen and dining room, hall and dining room and the sea facing wall from the dining room.

We applied a timber preservation treatment on all timbers in the ceiling and roof and insulated them. On advice of the conservation architect I used a damp proof membrane conservation method to deal with the moisture problem.

The house was also entirely replumbed and rewired, there is a new air to water heating system and underfloor heating. All of the walls and ceiling got new coats of lime plaster.

Then there was the window restoration.

We started by taking them out to get them dipped in acid to remove the decades of lead paint that had been applied. We then restored them by installing new double glazing, new weights and pulleys and ironmongery. We also refurbished the old front door to which I added a double glazed porthole.

We did a lot of research on what paint

Saoirse's tips Design and planning

The very beginning of the project is the most crucial stage. Ask lots of questions to your architect / engineer so you are clear on all the changes they are suggesting and discuss budgets for each aspect at this stage too.

Keep patient, this can be the longest phase of your renovation even though it is the stage where you really just want to get going!

Direct labour

Make sure you are explaining what you are after properly.

The image you have in your head versus what you explain could be very different. I often drew things out so we could chat through whatever the changes were.

I would also say that asking your tradesmen for their recommendations or for additional information is brilliant – they will have seen a lot of homes and an abundance of ways of doing things.

Ask questions if you don’t understand, and don’t feel stupid asking. This was my first home and my first renovation so a lot of the terms were new. If you don’t ask, it could cost you in the long run.

AUTU M N 2020 / S EL F BU IL D / 73

R E N O VA T I O N

would work for both a very old building and stand up to the elements and although it is more expensive than other external paints, pliolite (a synthetic rubber resin) was recommended time and time again and it is the one we went with. Before applying a porous paint, you have to treat the walls with a fungicide which we did as well.

Living on the coast means the house needs to be painted at least every two years – something you may not think of when buying a home by the sea!

Did you hire a contractor or get trades in yourself?

I did direct labour and got the trades myself.

My cousin and brother are electricians so they rewired the house and I used local tradesmen for the blockwork, carpentry, plumbing and heating. The renovation itself took five months and was completed in July 2018.

74 / S E L F B U IL D / A U T U M N 2020

With hindsight what would you change?

To be honest, I am asked this a lot and there isn’t really anything I would change – because it was a protected structure there was lots that I loved in the place and for the most part, my home size stayed the same (except for the conservatory and new bathrooms).

The new conservatory is where we spend the most time; by chance the original garden wall became part of the new wall in the conservatory and it is the perfect width for a full length window seat. You could sit there all day looking out at the sea. I also added an outdoor shower and new patio in an area of the garden that wasn’t used, and it’s a real sun trap so that was a brilliant surprise.

I also love the beds I had made, they are

higher than a regular bed with the idea being that their height is the same height as the window in the room, meaning that when you wake up you have a direct, unobstructed view out to sea. Kind of like an infinity pool!

What was the RTÉ Home of the Year 2020 experience like?

It was great fun. They spent two days filming in my home and it was two of the sunniest days so the sea was just glistening. It meant that I finished the bits and bobs around the house that had been put on the long finger, and it was a real “pinch me” moment to see my home on TV. I didn’t realise I had an interest and love for interiors until I bought the Keepers, and I have since gone on to train as an interior

CO CORK

designer in the past year so seeing my home which I designed myself up there, yeah it was truly incredible.

Do you plan to live in the house full time?

Yes, in time. When I bought the house I was living in London, and it made sense to rent it out from time to time, and the past few months have involved a lot of travel so for now it works :)

What are the constraints of lighthouse living?

People often ask if the light from the lighthouse flashes in at night, which I would have thought too but interestingly the lamps in the light are fixed so that they shine straight out to sea (17 miles out), but underneath the lighthouse you wouldn’t even have enough light to read a book.

So the answer is no, the light doesn’t come into the bedrooms but there are original wooden shutters on all the windows just in a case.

SUPPLIERS Lighthouse Keepers is available to rent on airbnb.com and you can catch up on Home of the Year on the RTÉ Player.

Conservation architect

Quinn Barnwall (Frederick Quinn & Richard Barnwall)

Structural engineer

Timothy Guerin BE (civil & structural engineer)

Carpenter

Anthony Lombard

Electrician

James Fitzgerald Electrical and Ronan Fitzgerald

Plumbing and heating Aidan O Rourke

Waterproofing method

Delta-PT, stonewarestudios.com

Would you do it again?

In a heartbeat!

AUTU M N 2020 / S EL F BU IL D / 75

DIY STICK BUILD

Timber

warrior

Carpenter Chris Gillick built his family home out of sticks of timber with the help of his wife Serena. Here’s how he did it. barrier, then the PIR insulation boards on top, then underfloor heating pipes, then four inches of concrete. I chose not to put in a subfloor to avoid bringing out the concrete mixer twice.

The stud frames of the house are 6’’x2’’, the first floor joists are 9’’x2’’ strengthened by plywood, then I built the roof myself from lengths of timber (cut roof) and slated it.

It took two people working non-stop for three weeks to build the frame; we were aching at the end!

How was the project managed?

Overview

Why did you decide to build the house from standard lengths of timber?

external row of block work

It’s a method I’m familiar with and to save money, I was going to do be doing it all myself.

I did start off by getting a price from timber frame suppliers but it was too expensive so I ordered a lorry load of wood that came in lengths. All of the timber used was cut and built on site.

I’ve built many timber frame stick build extensions over the years, and have a national medal in carpentry so know my way around working with timber.

BER: A2

What were the stages?

House size: 2,850sqft not including the attic space Plot size: 3/4 of an acre Build method: Stick build (timber frame) with

For the ground floor, I started with sand and hardcore all well compacted, then the radon 76 / S E L F B U IL D / A U T U M N 2020

My wife Serena did all of the day-to-day work, she got all of the prices in and was a huge help coordinating the trades. She was also instrumental in the design, particularly the kitchen which is her brainchild.

In terms of building control, we opted out of appointing an Assigned Certifier, and we had the engineer come on site at key stages to sign off on the build as per the mortgage stage payment requirements.

To have a blueprint to work to, we paid an architect to supply the construction drawings, alongside an engineer who over specified the timber frame supports. He had six steel supports, which I argued were unnecessarily adding weight to the structure. From experience, I know it’s better to spread the weight with plywood.

We did agree on the need for two steel beams, one in the sunroom and the other in the middle of the kitchen. Large open spans require steel.

How did the costs stack up?

The timber frame cost came in at €80,000 which we did including our wages for €25,000.

We had €30,000 in savings and wanted a €250,000 mortgage but could only get the very specific sum of €177,500 which is the equivalent of €700 a month to repay. We spent from our own savings as we went along so the total cost for the house now stands at €230,000.

That includes the €1,700 electricity

CO MEATH

connection and the very expensive council levy, which at our site came to €9,500 although they let us pay it off on a monthly basis over two years, so it was €200 a month. The council said that if could move in within one year, among other conditions, some of the fee could have been waived as long as we had done no damage to the roads.

We also had to get a septic tank for wastewater and a well for drinking water.

Because there’s a lot of sulphite in the ground we dug a shallow well. We hit rock eventually and got a good well although it needs a softener because of the limescale.

Timeline September 2016: Planning permission granted.

March 2017: Foundations poured.

Could anyone with a bit of DIY knowhow tackle a stick build?

If you pay for a very good architectural designer and engineer, you might be able to.

But in my case, when I checked the engineer’s drawings some props were in the wrong place.

So if you get bad drawings and don’t know any better and follow them, you could be in trouble.

I would argue you need to bring someone on board with experience building this way, and make sure the architectural designer and engineer are very familiar with this method as well.

In all cases if you don’t know tradesmen and don’t have experience coordinating this type

May 2018:

Timber frame construction begins

of thing, I’d advise getting a project manager.

You cannot rely on the trades talking to each other, they simply won’t so there will be a lot of time spent coordinating the build as a whole. Serena helped enormously with this aspect; there is are many hours spent on the phone with direct labour.

If you can’t get a project manager, then get trades you can trust. Even at that, getting them to show up can be hard. Some people can be very unreliable; sometimes it’s the ones you’d expect to show up that won’t.

How did the planning process go?

We initially had plans for another house, on another field across from a historical site. It was difficult getting planning permission there so we did a complete redesign and moved the house onto a different site, on a part of Serena’s dad’s farm.

The new house design was of a more traditional shape and we put in large apex

August 2018:

Windows fitted.

December 2018:

External blockwork and plastering complete. .

January 2019:

Electrician and plumbers going through first fix; insulation put in.

Scaffold down.

October 2019: Kitchen finished, booth started.

Stairs plastered.

Hall and kitchen tiles laid, bathrooms fibre glassed ready for tiling.

November 2019: Moved in.

AUTU M N 2020 / S EL F BU IL D / 77

DIY STICK BUILD

OPINION

Apart from the timber frame, what work did you do?

Everything I could. The main trades we brought in were the block layers, plasterer, electrician and plumber. For the external plaster we got a sponge finish with a four inch band around the windows; the arch above the doorway was custom made and took five months to arrive but was worth the wait.

I did all of the tiling and slabbing (put up plasterboard) and the scaffolding too.

I installed the insulation and airtightness membrane and tapes.

I also built our in frame kitchen myself, with a walnut veneer on a poplar frame, which was designed by Serena around a diner style booth with curved seat. The worktop will eventually be quartz but for now I put in a cheap cement panel. The booth was done last and we will eventually get it upholstered to complete the look.

At this stage most of the bedrooms are also floored. And I recently made a vanity unit for the bathroom which I spray painted and installed in our ensuite but it will eventually move to the downstairs bathroom when it is tiled.

We don’t want to borrow any more than we have already so we will add on as we can afford to. It will probably take another year or two, but with the COVID-19 lock down I got to get some panelling done, some painting and other jobs around the house so we may be finished sooner as a result.

Yes you can!

With the necessary commitment, time, energy and knowledge it’s possible to build your own home doing almost everything yourself.

Although it might be tempting to think you could prepare yourself for your DIY build by attending evening classes, or learning from online tutorials, the vast majority of even quite talented DIYers simply cannot hope to become skilled enough at most even basic building-trade tasks to do a really good job.

Ironically, if you want to build what would be regarded as an eccentric structure (straw bales, rammed earth, etc.) the chances are you’ll be able to find very good training and could make a real success of it. But these may be hard to get certification for.

But if you’re trying to mimic a more standard type of build such as would otherwise be done by a main contractor, you’ll find it very much harder.

Few architects or designers have any experience of designing for a total DIY build, so can be disappointing in this respect.

DIY build methods

By far the most sensible and achievable route to a DIY build is timber frame. The hands-on skills required are minimal (if you can measure accurately, use a nail gun and a power saw), and the results encouragingly fast. The end product can also be ecofriendly and airtight without too much trouble.

As soon as I say this to people, they at once assume I mean, ‘Go out and buy a kit house’. But this isn’t the case. Kit houses made off-site have very substantial fixed overheads designed into their pricing.

Many self-builders are seduced by the speed of build using factory kits but although kits appear cheap at 78 / S E L F B U IL D / A U T U M N 2020

first glance, by the time you add in all the extras on offer (their marketing departments are, understandably, keen to maximise profits) and the cost of cranes etc needed for installation, this method is rarely as cost-effective as it at first appears.

They do, however, have the advantage of being acceptable to lenders, insurers and Building Control (NI) and can offer a turnkey solution which is seductive if you can afford it.

Of course, kit houses are not usually strictly DIY systems. You, the owner, don’t do the work on the walls, roof and so on. Many people do, however, use a kit company to get them watertight and then take over and do everything else themselves.

There are, realistically, only two truly DIY methods that can be made to work: Stick building and ‘Make-your-ownpanels’ building.

Both methods require that you get a qualified professional to carefully design everything with DIY construction in mind in the first place, to be sure the structural calculations will satisfy Building Control, lenders and insurance companies. This is not something you can do yourself. And you’ll need to rely on your own high-quality carpentry to ensure airtightness and structural integrity.

The statutory checks will include an energy assessment (done by a qualified professional) along with a plan to minimise thermal bridging and achieve the required/statutory level of airtightness.

Andrew Stanway

church style windows in the sunroom. The roof is a natural slate roof as we wanted to have a more traditional style.

In the end planning took a year and a half, and we changed designers. We also had to build a course of blockwork externally, to plaster, which the timber frame is holding up.

Stick building

A method also known as the Walter Segal method, having been developed in the 1960s and 1970s by the architect of the same name. The idea is to use simple designs, locally available stock timber products, basic hand tools, and entirely your own time and skills.

In its purest original form there were no wet trades (bricklaying, plastering, etc.) but most commercially built stick builds today involve all kinds of professionals.

Starting with very simple foundations there is also no concrete in Segal’s simplest method as it was originally intended for single storey builds.

Stick building involves first framing everything out in timbers then fixing OSB or plywood boards to the sticks.

A variant of this simplest form of the method is to construct a strong, timber post-andbeam ‘frame’ that you then infill with normal stick-built walls.

A problem with stick building is that all the verticals need bracing to provide strength before the outer

RDeo nmot estamrt obneanry!ll

ork until a building w uirements q statutory re e and you are in plac ed with ult have cons design a qualified al. profession

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Make your own wall panels method 1

Frame

225 x 50mm

2

Battens

4

External layers

600mm

Measuring diagonals ensures the box is plumb/ square (diagonals should be the same length)

Mark out 600mm centres

3

Internal layers

Then comes the insulation, spray foam is a popular option (but not over wiring)

Nail or screw OSB or ply (2.4m x 1.2m / 18mm thick are standard size sheets)

Insulated panels are then usually covered with OSB/ply

The ply can be battened to allow for service & fix plasterboard onto

Treated batten fixed to studs “Backed” metal lath

Drained and vented cavity

Screwing takes slightly longer and screws cost more than nails but if you ever want to recycle your walls then they can be unscrewed and the materials re-used.

sheathing goes on. It needs more than one person to do this.

Make your own wall panels

Getting materials from a trusted local supplier and making up your own walling units on site is both quick and simple. In effect, you’re replicating in a DIY way what the kit suppliers do in their factories. Of course, you won’t be able to match their quality control or even their materials but if it’s a true DIY build you want, this can certainly work.

The ability to use this method on your own also has to be offset by the extra cost of the timber involved. At the junction of each

panel or box there are always two uprights. This makes things very strong and can be a great edge for a window or door frame to fix to, but does increase the timber bill compared with pure stick-building.

The main advantage of this method, though, is that constructed wall unit can be handled on your own. The only time you’ll need another pair of hands will be when handling factory-made roof trusses which might need another person for a couple of days.

The heaviest thing you’ll lift alone will be a completed wall unit which you’ll have made on the floor, then pulled into place before finally

dpc

Cement render usually in three coats

Disclaimer: These illustrations are for information purposes only, do not use these as a guide to building walls. Always seek professional advice to ensure compliance with the building regulations.

fixing it.

The make-your-own-wall-panels method has more cold bridges where two panels meet (with their double-thickness of vertical timbers). Whilst timber is a good insulator it is not as effective as the same volume of actual insulation. To some extent this can be overcome by doubling up on the inner skin.

Common ground

In both cases design everything from the start so wall sizes are multiples of eight-by-four (2.4mx1.2m) whenever possible.

No waste and very quick.

Whether sick-building or panel building; when it comes to fixing the frame, you can bolt the sole plate down, strap it in place, or use fixings that have been set into the slab, like with the kits.

The main thing is not to penetrate the damp proof course (dpc) under the sole plate. The soleplate must be fixed into place, levelled, on its dpc etc before standing your self-made panels on it.

Fitting out inside isn’t usually all that demanding with either of the wall construction methods. Internal stud walls, even if they’ve been designed to be load-bearing, are easy to erect. Stairs, doors, skirting, architraves and kitchen joinery are usually a matter of common sense and even first fix plumbing and electrics can easily be achieved if you have good tradesmen to guide you before you start and who will sign off on the job at the end . Remember that electrical and gas installations have to be done and signed off on, by registered tradesmen.

In both cases the outer surface of your panels will need waterproofing, then covering with some sort of rainscreen cladding, in the normal way.

Of course, the self-build ‘industry’ isn’t geared up for this simple level of thinking as TV programmes and other media encourage you to think bigger than you want or even need.

In Ireland we’ve been seduced into thinking that DIY construction like this is too hard and unsatisfactory but this is crazy because around the world it’s the most common method of homemaking. Beautiful, high-end homes are built like this in their hundreds of thousands every year in the US and Canada, for example. The cost per square metre is low, the speed of construction high and the quality and eco-credentials as good as you’ll ever need.

The secret, then, is not to try to become a ‘main contractor’ and build a house that a mass-market housebuilder would but to focus on one of these simple, tried-andtested methods that will give you the result you want at a price you can afford.

AUTU M N 2020 / S EL F BU IL D / 79

DIY STICK BUILD

“

With hindsight, I would get a full heating package from the one supplier...

Did you get a joiner to build the stairs?

I did get it priced but we got crazy prices back, in the region of €25,000 as it is free standing and curved. And since the house is timber frame we didn’t go with a concrete stairs as it would have required more steel in the house to hold the weight.

So this was my first attempt at building a staircase; it took me three weekends to put up the structure. We have not got the oak on the stairs yet but that’s the long term plan along with laminating the sides; we have coated the steps in polyurethane paint for now.

What did you do for heating?

We put in an air to water heat pump and 80 / S E L F B U IL D / A U T U M N 2020

I’m not sure what it’s really costing us. Our Christmas bill was €500 but that was our first one, so that included having the heat on to dry out the house.

With hindsight, I would get a full heating package from the one supplier, as in get the radiators and underfloor, heat pump and heating controls from the same manufacturer. I thought buying each component was an off-the-shelf experience but you have to look at it as an ecosystem.

Our plumber said we undersized our radiators and we should have heating controls in each room, instead we just have one stat upstairs and the other downstairs.

How about ventilation?

Because of the new building regulations we were building the house to be really airtight so we needed some form of central mechanical extract system.

The house is well sealed but I wouldn’t pay for an airtightness test mid build because it was going to cost €500 and since I did it all myself I knew it was done right. So at the end, when we did the final test I was sweating

it! If we had failed the test we would have had to redo some of the work, which would have been expensive. But we got an excellent result, at 0.61 m3/hr.sqm at 50Pa. The maximum value you are allowed is 5.

We chose Demand Controlled Ventilation (DCV) instead of heat recovery. It’s a simpler and less expensive system that’s humidity controlled; in rooms that need fresh air like bedrooms or the living room you have standard vents in the walls with a humidity sensor, so the vent only opens when there’s a lot of moisture in the air.

In rooms that need extraction, i.e. bathroom, utility, kitchen, there is a mechanical extract vent that takes out the air. Cost is what prevented us from choosing a heat recovery system, which brings in air from the outside from only one point as opposed to multiple vents. The outdoor air is preheated and distributed throughout the house, and the extraction works in a very similar way as DCV. With all the vents in the walls, at the first storm the house was singing! We had paid for a certain brand because we had heard good things about it, but when the company came to install it they put in another brand. They said that system we’d specified couldn’t be used anymore, so I checked it out and it was still available so I made them come back and change it.

Even if the supplier gives you a reason to change the brand, don’t be afraid to say that’s not what you priced. You have to get what you pay for, and sometimes you have to fight for it.

“

I’ve built many timber frame stick build extensions over the years, and have a national medal in carpentry so know my way around working with timber...

CO MEATH

SUPPLIERS Timber frame

Christopher Gillick Carpentry Ltd, info@christophergillickcarpentry.ie, mobile 0874104780, instagram @darickhouse

Insulation

Metac Isover, isover.ie, and Quinn Therm boards, quinn-buildingproducts.com

Heat pump

Samsung Joule model Cyclone Cy340L Smart Plumb HG 250/90, joule.ie

Windows

Wright Windows, wrightwindows.ie

Wastewater treatment Biocycle, biocycle.ie

Tiles and herringbone floors Tile Once, tileonce.ie

Other flooring

Noyeks, noyeks.ie NI calling ROI prefix with 00353 and drop the first 0

SPEC

What surprised you?

The drawings make the house seem so small, then when you start building you come to wonder if you shouldn’t have added a few meters here and there. But now that it’s built and furniture is going in, the house is actually huge.

I also didn’t expect the amount of drainage

Walls: timber frame, insulation 150mm mineral wool and 50mm PIR boards then 50x40mm battens for cables and services then another 50mm mineral wool.

that would be required around the house, we have a French drain to a ditch to deal with rainfall.

I suppose a self-build can be stressful to a certain extent so it’s good to be aware you will argue over stuff. Nobody has the same taste.

But what seems like a big deal today won’t be tomorrow. Everyone will make mistakes but as long as you choose trades wisely and price around, you will be ok. Just make sure the people you bring on site are reliable and come highly recommended.

Vaulted roof: 170mm mineral wool, 2x40mm PIR laid opposite direction, foil taped joints, counter battened for services and expanding foam and tapes.

Cold roof: 170mm mineral wool half inch ply on top, 100mm PIR foil taped with 18mm ply on top as attic floor.

Windows: triple glazed tilt and turn windows, RAL colour 7038 on the outside, white on the inside.

AUTU M N 2020 / S EL F BU IL D / 81

ADVERT Realise the VELUX potential in your project What is the VELUX potential? It’s when that extra space transforms into an extra special space that you all love spending time in. Whether you’re planning a loft conversion, extension or even a new self build project, VELUX products can bring in more daylight and fresh air to your home.

Visit velux.ie/selfbuild to get inspired

lowdown “ the

OPINION . ADVICE . INSIGHT . KNOWLEDGE

I am building a new house in the Republic of Ireland, how should I weigh up the best option for my home heating system between heat pump, oil or gas or solar?

It is important to start planning your heating system from the outset when considering room layout and this can help save you time and money in the long run. Nearly Zero Energy Building (NZEB) regulations must be considered which define the high energy performance that new builds must comply with by having the low amount of energy required for the property covered to a significant extent by renewable sources.

Is it still possible to build a house for less than €120,000?

We just finished our own self-build in the past 12 months and I would say it is completely feasible but that’s if you don’t count your own time; break the build down into bite sized chunks: 1. Site clearance.

2. Foundations: strip vs raft (slab), shuttering, steel mesh and concrete.

3. Up to floor level: trunking, service pipes (water, central heating and sewage), insulation, sand, concrete.

4. Block work: blocks, wall ties, sand, cement, labour, insulation, lintels, steel work.

5. Roof: materials, labour, size and pitch will impact cost, facia and soffit, gutters.

6. Windows and doors: some established suppliers are very cheap; we did an 1,800 sqft house with lots of windows including sliding sash

With the growing focus on sustainability and reducing environmental impact, looking beyond oil or gas boilers and incorporating renewable energy sources like a heat pump or solar panels into the home heating design is a great way to future proof and achieve NZEB. As of 1st November 2019, all new builds in the Republic of Ireland have been required to achieve NZEB regulations, so installing a heat pump will help ‘tick the box’ on the journey to zero carbon as electricity is becoming a more renewable fuel.

A typical air to water monoblock heat pump can average 400 per cent efficiency, so for every 1kW of electricity the heat pump can produce 4kW of heat.

If embarking on a new build project, work with a domestic heating designer to ensure a correctly sized heating system and gain professional advice on

for €9,000. I’ll be changing them in 20 years no doubt but can’t beat that price anywhere. Make sure the plan maximises use of glazing on southern and western walls, none or small ones on north facing walls. Consider adding an overhang so it doesn’t get too hot indoors during the summer months.

7. Heat source TBH we could heat our whole house with a range. We have A2W (air to water heat pump) to get us over the energy efficiency requirements of the building regulations (Part L) but realistically speaking the house is so well insulated, so airtight a stove could easily heat it.

We have been in 12 months September to August and the heating did not kick in until nearly December and only ran up to April.

8. Part L: if I had my time again I would have invested my A2W money in enough PV (photovoltaic panels that generate electricity) to pass Part L. This way you can have energy generated in the home for all electric appliances for cooking, heating water, and could

...work with a domestic heating designer to ensure a correctly sized heating system... which heating technologies will offer your home the most efficient heating solution.

Barry Gorman National Renewables Sales Manager, Grant Engineering

even use underfloor electric heat mats in the likes of the bathroom or kitchen on timers.

9. Internal finishes: this is up to you really, you can get really nice kitchens and bathrooms on second hand websites, tiles can be sourced dirt cheap, laminate flooring all around.

10. DIY: I did all unskilled and semiskilled labour on our house, and if I can do it anyone can. Research research research. Mates rates, self-build forums, use all the resources you have at your disposal, the community on here is exceptional at helping out.

Last thing, think about 10 years’ time when you may want to add a bedroom or a man cave: leave a lintel in the gable wall in case you ever feel like an extension, if you never use it does it really matter?

John Mullins on Selfbuild Ireland’s facebook group “SelfBuilders & Home Improvers Ireland” AUTU M N 2020 / S EL F BU IL D / 83

THE LOWDOWN

Cheap Irish Homes RTÉ’s Cheap Irish Homes co-hosts Maggie Malloy and Kieran McCarthy are on a quest to help renovators find the dream project to turn into a home. Here they share their top house hunting tips.

2

Maggie Molloy on… potential over location because with the location option, you’re really just buying into a world of pressure and anxiety.

You’re biding time until you have saved for a huge deposit, then you’re making all your life decisions based on how you’re going to manage your mortgage repayments. How many kids can we afford to have? Do I have to stay in this job I hate even though it pays well? When was the last time we were both off work on the same day? That would break my heart!

My 2.5 hour drive back to Wexford for Sunday lunch sounds like a doddle compared to that.

The deal breaker

Location versus potential

It’s funny how these two words mean such different things to different generations. Before my generation, having a good location meant a sea view, or a coveted suburb, but now you pay a premium just to live where you grew up.

And when you trade this off for potential you’re really just getting the potential that you might be able to afford a house. I would always choose 84 / S E L F B U IL D / A U T U M N 2020

Structurally, I don’t think anything is a deal breaker when it comes to a cheap house. It’s really all about what your budget and your own personal skill set are. I’ve seen couples take on houses that needed huge structural work because they loved the setting and grounds of the house and they were hellbent on saving it.

When you step away from the actual condition of the house, the only thing that would put me off personally would be if there was an issue with ownership. Not knowing whether you properly officially owned your home would be a cloud I couldn’t bear to have hanging over my head. I would get my searches done by my solicitor and until everything was clarified I would be ready to walk away.

Top house hunting tip

Buy a house as close in size and style to your personal tastes as you can. By doing this not only can you keep your costs down, because you’re not fully 4 gutting the place and you can keep

Kieran McCarthy & Maggie Malloy

“

features you really like, but also you’re not trying to turn it into something it’s not.

If you want a large modern build, just buy one of those. And if that’s something you cannot afford, then aim for a small modern build or a large bungalow.

Every one of our smaller vernacular houses are part of our history, and although saving them in general is great and giving people affordable homes is a wonderful thing, if we wipe every connection with our architectural past from the countryside it will never be replaced.

Structurally, I don’t think anything is a deal breaker when it comes to a cheap house....

Maggie Molloy

CHEAP IRISH HOMES

Kieran McCarthy on…

“

Consider too that the layout of many old buildings need a rethink when you consider how people now live and the penchant for open plan living space...

KIERAN MCCARTHY

Insulation and damp

Insulation standards and products tend to improve every five years or thereabouts, so as a general rule I normally discount existing insulation.

You really only get one chance to get this right.

An exception to this may be a house where perhaps an elderly person may have received a grant for modernising it.

Rising damp is relatively straightforward to fix once the level of the garden outside is lower than the level of the house. Dampness coming through walls at height is much harder to pin down and trace. If it is an old stone building it may take months for the old stonework to dry out. And if it is stone, render it with natural hydraulic lime to allow the wall to breathe and dry out over time but this is a tedious and expensive process.

The deal breaker

Localised issues can be fixed but if the walls are showing signs of significant stress throughout it may be a step too far, unless the property has historical value or there is something really special about it. After that the next element to be addressed is the roof: is the covering ok (i.e. the slates/timbers) and if it isn’t is the structure ok (i.e. the

timber rafters holding up the roof)? If both walls and roof are in a reasonable state, everything else is a bonus.

There is a figure of €20k bandied about for a roof renovation which is a reasonable average but it isn’t that helpful because the actual cost will depend on so many variables, e.g. is it single storey/two storey, flat/pitched, tile/slate. In a roof renovation you must account for scaffold, skips, demolition of old, temporary weathering, removal of existing plumbing, electrical, insulation, ceilings etc. Then the actual rebuild cost.

A structural survey is necessary before purchasing a house but remember that it is often produced for your bank and insurance cover.

You will only really know what you are dealing with when you have completely opened up the existing finishes, demolished all unnecessary structures and uncovered the latent issues.

exceptions of course!).

A builder or engineer who has significant experience in working on buildings would be your best port of call but as a general rule these individuals don’t come cheap.

Consider too that the layout of many old buildings need a rethink when you consider how people now live and the penchant for open plan living space. This often requires knocking down walls to accommodate, which can be expensive if they are load-bearing (supporting your floor joists above). Houses are often, but not always, joisted front to back so a wall running front to back may not in fact be load-bearing, but get it checked before buying or doing any work.

Top house hunting tip

Though you will initially buy with your heart, at some point you will need to write a cheque. Many builders will advise you to demolish an old house as most prefer to work on new houses and many don’t place a huge value on old buildings (with some notable AUTU M N 2020 / S EL F BU IL D / 85

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Staircases

Structure

As a statement piece of furniture, the staircase can become one of the most expensive items to budget for, writes quantity surveyor Keith Kelliher. n many of the previous articles in this series, I have spoken about the way our grandparents built their homes to be as cost effective as possible.

Back in the day, the only reason to have a staircase was to get from one floor to another. This generally resulted in hiding the staircase away from view, sandwiched between two walls. Over the years the staircase has

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Keith Kelliher quantitysurveyor.ie

moved from this utilitarian position to the main entrance hallway, taking pride of place and also increasing its cost.

The size, shape, position and layout of staircases, which taken with material choices, will lead to a variety of cost outcomes. The combined effect can result in a finished staircase costing less than €2,000/£1,800 to a piece of bespoke furniture costing in excess of 100,000 euros or pounds.

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There are two cost components to the structure: material selection and the layout or shape.

The most common choice of material has always been timber, with MDF at the lower end, pine in the midrange and up to solid oak, walnut or mahogany at the higher end.

On a simple standard straight flight of stairs, the cost difference between an MDF staircase and a solid staircase would go into the thousands of euros or pounds. A standard MDF staircase structure will cost less than €500/£450 for a straight single flight whereas a hardwood standard structure will cost over three times that.

The selection of which timber 2 material you choose will directly have an impact on the cost of the staircase structure and will also dictate many of the costs that follow.

It is generally the case that the lower down the order of materials you select, the more likely it will be that a carpet or similar finish will dress the structure. This is generally always the case when it comes to MDF and often with pine or deal, but it is not unusual to see a solid pine staircase left exposed with a varnish.

A carpet finish on a standard straight run can be achieved for less than €1,000/£900 including the landing.

For the more expensive exposed timber staircases it’s not unusual to have a varnished finish throughout or a mixture of varnish and the addition of a carpet runner to the centre of the stairs.

It is also now relatively common for the top of each step (thread) to be a different material like a walnut or oak

Over the years the staircase has moved to the main entrance hallway, taking pride of place and also increasing its cost...

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S TA I R C A S E C O S T S

and the remainder of the staircase pine or similar material which is painted in a light colour.

Another common option for the structure is concrete which can be precast (fabricated off site and delivered and lifted into position) or cast in situ (on location) where it is formed and poured onsite. The main benefit of a concrete staircase is longevity and the fact that it will not creak or move over time.

A concrete staircase will cost substantially more than timber with costs starting from over €1,500/£1,400 for a straight flight, working up from there depending on the design.

Apart from the cost of the structure itself, a further financial downside to a concrete staircase is the additional cost of each step generally requiring a further element of finishing works.

Oftentimes each step is clad in a carpet, timber or tile and the cost of these finishes can work into the thousands depending on material, size and shape of the staircase.

Not as common as timber and concrete, metal staircases are another option. Mostly found in external conditions due to their long-lasting properties in that environment, they are still selected by many who opt for the more commercial or industrial look.

Left exposed, the cost of a metal staircase structure would generally be less than, but closer to concrete than timber.

Probably the most important cost component of the structure is its layout or shape. Placing the staircase between two walls, negates the need to dress the sides and remains the cheapest method of construction.

With more emphasis on maximising space, it is not unusual to now find staircases with half flights and intermediate landings. While this type of design may reduce the staircase’s footprint, it doubles the cost because instead of a single flight structure there are now two with an additional landing. This results in an increase in the number of parts as well as additional labour.

Arguably the most popular design today is to have a staircase structure that is visually exposed on one of both sides, again adding to the cost because these areas need to be finished with a decorative string detail. This will also add additional cost to the staircase in terms of balustrades and handrails.

Without doubt the most expensive type of staircase layout is the curved staircase.

The cost of the structure coupled

Images courtesy of: Paul Lindsay, paullindsayphoto.co.uk

with the material selection can be over 10 times the cost of a straight flight of stairs but obviously this results in a far more impactful design.

Completions

By completions I mean balustrades, handrails and newel posts, all of which will depend on the type of layout you’ve chosen.

A staircase built between two walls has no requirement for balustrades or newel posts and will most likely only require a handrail to be installed directly onto the wall, reducing costs.

Depending on the material selected for the handrail this can cost from a few hundred euros or pounds to less than a AUTU M N 2020 / S EL F BU IL D / 87

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thousand for a finished hardwood.

A staircase that is connected to a wall on one side but is exposed on the other will require a balustrade, handrail and newels posts (one at the end of each flight).

A staircase exposed on both sides will require this arrangement on both sides and a staircase with half landings will require additional newel posts due to the additional number of flights.

A curved staircase will also need a curved handrail at a cost of multiples of that to a straight handrail, again depending on the material selected.

As before, material selection is all important with options generally including stud partitions, timber, glass and metal.

The construction of a stud partition

at the side of the staircase with a handrail or capping at the top was a very common method of finishing a staircase in Ireland throughout the 1970s. The partition could then be finished to match the remainder of the hallway or surrounding landing areas.

Now more common is the selection of timber spindles, handrails and newel posts. Depending on the material, the design, size and number of spindles, costs of completing a staircase in timber can range from less than €1,000/£900 for standard pine to over €5,000/£4,500 for more decorative hardwoods.

In recent years glass balustrades have grown in popularity but this comes at a price. With glass comes the necessity for fixings which are

B U D G E T / S TA I R C A S E S

Building regs As with all structural aspects, and with most aspects of building, you need to abide to the building regulations which are statutory. In this case there are structural requirements and those relating to access, including for those with mobility issues. In ROI technical guidance documents parts K and M apply, in NI technical booklets H and R.

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generally stainless steel. For safety reason the glass must be laminated and it’s not unusual for the glass balustrade to cost upwards of €1,000/£900 per metre run of railing.

Metalwork although less popular than the other options, is an expensive finish which usually involves high levels of detailing which generally requires site welding and finishing. It can come in a painted standard mild steel up to a high end finish like stainless steel.

Again depending on detail, shape and overall design, it’s likely that metalwork will work out as expensive as glass. It is also regularly found combined with glass, particularly stainless steel. A stainless steel and glass balustrade will be in excess of €1,500/£1,400 per metre run.

New from HETA SCAN-LINE 900 SERIES A welcome addition to any new home.

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The result is a remarkably efficient stove, characterised by an extraordinarily rich feature set. Engineered to provide a clean, efficient burn, the Scan-Line 900’s rich feature set includes: • • • •

A choice of 4 finishes including steel, soapstone, limestone and blackwood Integrated fireside toolset Concealed, cool-touch handles Large central viewing window with optional side windows

Exceeding all current and expected British, Irish and EU regulations, this ‘Ecoready’ stove is engineered today, for the world tomorrow. Over 80% efficient, the Scan-Line 900 is A+ rated for energy efficiency, providing more heat, whilst using less fuel.

To find out more, visit us online at hetastoves.com or contact your HETA dealer.

A+ To find your local stockist, call us on +44(0)28 9127 0233 or click heatstoves.com

Kilbroney Timberframe, Valley Business Park, 48 Newtown Road, Rostrevor, Co. Down, N. Ireland. BT34 3BZ T: (028) 4173 9077 E: info@kilbroneytimberframe.com W: www.kilbroneytimberframe.com

THE LOWDOWN

Miscommunication Gavin McKibbin is a builder by trade who specialises in renovations and extensions, and he built his own house in Co Down, project managing it from start to finish. Here he shares his tips and advice based on his personal experience as he came up against some common self-build pitfalls. eing in the building trade for 15 years I had a fair grasp on what to expect in terms of the process that lay ahead, however this was my first new build and I had little experience with planners, so that was our first hurdle to overcome before we got underway with the build.

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Planning phase

As with most new builds, depending on the area there are usually stipulations as to where you can locate the house on your site, size, design, ridge height to name but a few. This is something you will want to consider before buying your site to ensure you will be able to build the home you

dream of and not be held back by restrictions from planners and end up building a house that you’re not entirely happy with.

The planning process can also take quite a while depending on their workload.

I would also try and make sure your plans submitted are within the guidelines stipulated in your outline planning so you don’t need to make amendments to current drawings and avoid unnecessary delays.

At this stage, it came to my attention that our land registry map was incorrect. This was due to a miscommunication between the vendor who sold the site and his architect. Luckily we picked up on this before we started to build – if we’d

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Gavin McKibbin

Images courtesy of: estate agents Agar Murdoch & Deane, agarmurdochdeane.com

started without sorting out the deeds, part the house would have been built outside the boundaries of the land we had bought. It could have turned into a ransom strip, i.e. land you have to buy to get on with the project and because of this, you will have to pay an inflated price.

I would advise that at the conveyancing stage, in the transfer of any land, that all parties are involved including your own architectural designer. This will ensure you are getting what you are paying for; it will also avoid wasting time having to reapply for new site maps and a fresh planning application.

Construction phase

Luckily for me I had a great squad of trades around me that I work alongside on a daily basis, however I did get caught out on a couple of occasions, in relation to project management.

Keeping well organised and on top of each stage before you get to it will lead to a seamless process. Always make sure you have the tradesmen provisionally booked for each stage well in advance of when you actually

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SELF-BUILDER TIPS

Timeline Planning applied: May 2016 Planning granted: October 2016 Build start: November 2016 Moved in: July 2019

need them, to avoid waiting and the build coming to a halt as a result.

In large part, most things went as expected. The only real hiccup we had was when we were on holiday for two weeks during the build. The bricklayers built part of a chimney breast in the wrong location leading to it having to be knocked down and rebuilt costing both time and money.

This I put down to a miscommunication between myself and them. The bottom line is, you need to be on site as often as possible to spot anything you think may be wrong or perhaps something you would like to change before things get too far.

Build end: March 2020

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SEED SAVING Seed saving is fun and yes, frugal, but above all it is a fundamental way to both connect with the garden and play your part in saving the planet and its biodiversity, writes ethnobotanist Fiann Ó Nualláin. ardening should be about getting your hands dirty – to engage in all the aspects, from making your own compost to sowing your own collected seed. In the words of gardening poet Alfred Austin (1835-1913): “The glory of gardening: hands in the dirt, head in the sun, heart with nature.”

Well, seed collecting is a glory too.

Seed collecting is attuning to nature.

You get to know your plants, their life cycles and seasonality. You get to really connect with your garden, be a part of its origin story in a way that merely constructing doesn’t fulfil.

If you are going to garden it shouldn’t only be about crafting a pretty picture, the occasional nipping to garden center to add a few readymades to the scene. Sure, the art of placement and preening is a part of it

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all but the bigger picture is about the dynamics of cultivation, that’s where the real rewards are.

Ecological commitment

“come true”. That means they won’t grow up to be just like the parent plant. Plus there is the terrible new trend of GMO seeds that germinate a crop but don’t go on to yield saveable seed so self-sufficiency is denied to farmers and gardeners.

We don’t know what unique plants or threatened traits are in the hands Fiann Ó Nualláin of one or two gardeners the sweet theholisticgardener.com pea almost lost its scent when plant @HolisticG breeders intervened to make them flower longer; it had to be bred back in from growers who had kept the fragrant strains going.

Seeds too are about the present, and yes as a mindful gardener I get to find some awe and focused attention in the process but in terms of the now, this epoch where climate change is on the knife edge, the return and exploration of the natural and less industrial is essential.

Seed saving is an envelope or a paper bag, that’s a far cry from chemicallyfertilised plants, driven miles in plastic pots on trolleys wrapped in plastic to places you need to drive to get to.

Seed saving is also the preservation of genetic diversity, those marigolds you save every year from a plant granny gave you, or the juicy tomato Bob from work gave you as a seedling, may not be found in every seed catalogue.

A lot of the seed catalogues sell f1 hybrids and other varieties that don’t

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The glory of gardening: hands in the dirt, head in the sun, heart with nature... Alfred Austin

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Choosing ripe seeds

Some seeds are sown immediately but most have an in-built delay mechanism to extend viability, i.e its ability to store and germinate later.

All seeds go through three stages: formation, maturation and ripening and the key to seed saving success is knowing when the seed is ripe.

It is best to only gather seed from the best looking and performing specimens, to keep up a gene pool of healthy and vigorous plants in your garden.

In the case of crops like peas and beans, we harvest to eat at the tender and juicy stage two – before it fully ripens into a hard seed. To save to grow again, simply wait a few weeks longer than normal.

Fruit and berries are harvested at the stage when the fruit reaches its full colour – when the juniper berry turns blue-black, the red pepper to fully red or the orange tomato into fully orange.

And before the birds hone in on them to forage.

Most veg and herbs will “come true” from collected seed. But with ornamentals, hybrid plant seeds will either give you a pleasant surprise or a shock. That rich-red hybrid favourite may yield a washed-out

GARDEN HACKS

SHARED HISTORY Collecting and sowing your garden’s generated seed is not only continuity, it is part of a shared history between you and your garden.

salmon offspring or come up a fantastic maroon. In most instances, ornamental seeds will ripen around two months after flowering.

Viability is generally attained when the seed heads/pods dry or change colour from green to beige or brown.

The seeds inside may become hardcased and will also change colour from green, white or yellowy to a definite brown, black or steely grey.

Harvesting and drying

Late summer to late autumn is usually the time to start harvesting with the ideal conditions being dry weather – damp seed can rot or start germination in storage. Morning or evening is of no consequence – just dry.

Simply snip into a paper bag, note the variety on the side and bring inside. You will then need to let it dry out a bit more so an air cupboard is good for a few days.

Some people like to shell pods and empty out seed heads straight away onto tissue paper and space out before storing in a dry location for several days. Once dry, you can simply store in a clean envelope with the name and collection date.

That’s it. The next joy is sowing in a few months’ time.

It can be a history or narrative to your family and friends too. When you share that seed or those plants you gift heritage.

I grow my grandfather’s mint, I’ve no idea what species it is but it is special as it was passed on.

Collecting and sowing seed with your children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews is a way to get them inspired by nature and the rhythms of a living garden, it is also a connection to you, to your acquired skills, to your shared knowledge, to maybe a long continuity when they share the same experience with their children.

In plant genetics, seeds hold a connection to the past and to the future and so too in the life and reach of every gardener. Seed saving can broaden your social horizons and assist in building community, you can share with a neighbour, donate to community garden, bring along to a seed swap.

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The hardest working space in the home As the average human spends about 25 years sleeping, or attempting to sleep, bedroom design is all about creating a relaxing, clutter-free environment, writes interior design expert Marion McGarry. edrooms are multifaceted spaces: they are for rest and sleep, but also are for storage and for dressing. Planning for all these functions, using the right blend of furniture, lighting, even technology can make this space into one of the hardest working rooms in your home.

The best place to start is thinking about how you use your current

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bedroom and what you want from the furniture in your future one. Do this while looking at the shape and size of the room or rooms. Next, consider what type of doors and finishes you would like.

Taking your architectural plans to your local cabinet maker or furniture store for advice could give them the opportunity to suggest moving internal doors to accommodate more symmetry or storage in the furniture (this counts for kitchen furniture, too).

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The best place to start is thinking about how you use your current bedroom...

Bespoke or off-the-shelf

The major pieces of furniture in the bedroom are all about sleep and storage: and these are the bed and wardrobes.

Freestanding wardrobes and beds, while often full of character, tend to leave blank spaces above and below that could otherwise be used for additional storage space and that often quickly turn into dust collectors.

Bespoke furniture is a good option if you want full control of materials, colours and design as this approach will entail a full design service by the company including a site survey.

Furthermore, if the room has difficult nooks and crannies, such as a dormer room with sloping ceilings, a bespoke made-to-measure fitted piece can provide the perfect solution.

On the other hand, fitted furniture bought off-the-shelf, usually in flatpack form, has the advantage of being cheaper and available immediately but only comes in a limited range of sizes, shapes, colours and materials. With flatpack one must always factor in fitting costs.

Cost for fitted furniture can vary: it all depends on whether you are going for bespoke or flatpack, what the measurements are, what the furniture will be made from 4 and who your supplier is.

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Marion McGarry @marion_mcgarry

A ballpark figure for a typical walk in wardrobe from basic materials could cost around €1,500/£1,200, while a more luxury walk-in wardrobe with premium materials, glass, lighting and an array of pull outs could cost up to 15k.

Of course you can’t take fitted furniture with you when you move house but, if done well, and you have chosen the style carefully from a neutral palette of colours the units can add value to the home.

Doors

Sliding doors tend to be associated with fitted wardrobes in smaller spaces but they also work very well in large minimal spaces. Finishes include mirrors, glass and wood veneer, fully finished or mix and match. Glass doors usually come in a smoked finish in an array of colours. These can look great when backlit, adding a subdued glow to the room.

Hinged doors lend themselves to more traditional looking furniture and can incorporate styles that can be matched to the particular look of your home. ‘Shaker’, raised panels 1

BEDROOM DESIGN

Integrated storage Beds

Beds can include storage underneath with pull out drawers to exploit the otherwise little used dustcollecting space under the bed.

In children’s’ bedrooms, consider bunk or overhead beds with dens or desks underneath.

Fitted lockers and headboards

and classical panels are most popular, but there are other more niche styles that can be chosen such as tongue and groove effect.

In terms of colour, as a rule of thumb, whatever matches in with architrave, skirtings and often the internal doors of the house is a safe bet.

This would be a benign option over choosing fashionable colours, such as reds or greys, which might date more quickly.

Solid wood doors work very well with traditional styles and painted finishes are always popular. Wood veneers, using a thin slice of wood attached to a tough backing board (such as chipboard or MDF) are a more inexpensive option.

Manmade materials such as laminates can offer a great range of

colours and effects including textured finishes that mimic wood, linen and even industrial looking finishes.

On traditional bedroom furniture, handles can give character and these can come in timber, ceramic or more modern materials and it is worth giving them careful consideration.

Accessories

Full-length mirrors can be great for bringing light and space into the room but bear in mind that vast reflective surfaces in a bedroom may not be conducive to the creation of a relaxing environment. They can also be tricky to keep clean (dust and fingerprints).

With this in mind, it is useful to integrate mirrors inside your wardrobe doors. On the topic of mirrors, it’s worthwhile ensuring that they will

Images courtesy of: LEFT, ABOVE & BELOW O’Donnell Furniture odonnellfurniture.com RIGHT TOP & MIDDLE Farrell Furniture farrell-furniture.com RIGHT BOTTOM Komandor Wardrobes Showrooms in Galway & Naas komandor.ie

can include lighting, storage and even discrete charging stations and device storage, while fitted footboards can include flat screen TVs.

Fitted wardrobes

As well as the more obvious internal drawers, cupboards and shelves, you can also opt for double-hanging clothes rails, jewellery storage, shoe storage, pull-down belt and tie storage or trouser rails, cosmetic units, pigeon holes, hanging boot racks and curved rails.

Walk-in wardrobes

A walk-in wardrobe will go a long way towards keeping your bedroom calm and clutter free. In an existing house a small bedroom can be transformed into one. In new build they are often rectangular in a galley formation, with floor-to-ceiling shelves on both sides, or shelves on all sides; rooflights are good for privacy while clever use of mirrors will also help brighten up the space. Consider seating, which can double up as storage, for trying on shoes for example.

Cable management

Integrated electrical outlets that allow for storage for electrical devices (such as hairdryers and straighteners) can all be cleverly hidden away.

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be lit well and placed near electrical outlets and plugs.

More unusual materials abound, such as leather, fabric, and copper, these could be integrated especially for items like headboards, and your supplier will be able to tell you about their availability.

If your wardrobe is neutral in style, then you will have the ideal backdrop with which to create character with soft furnishings.

Curtains, wallpaper, and bedlinen can be added and changed more easily and less expensively than the bed and wardrobes, paint and floor covering.

The style is up to you: do you picture your bedroom as a minimal neutralcoloured sleep zone or a vibrant, colourful boudoir?

Whatever you choose, aim to achieve a balance of textures and surfaces, using soft furnishings, rugs, throws and accessories to create character.

Colour selection is all important, too. High contrast colours (such as blues and yellows; reds and greens) tend to activate each other, while harmonious colours in soft hues work well to create a subdued scheme.

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Images courtesy of: ABOVE Farrell Furniture, farrell-furniture.com

Technology

Advances in smart lighting mean that the bedroom can change from ambient

BELOW O’Donnell Furniture odonnellfurniture.com

Lighting Bedroom lighting can be layered using three types: ambient, task and accent.

Ambient light can be achieved with fixed lighting (such as flush mounted ceiling lights, pendant lights, etc.) or through portable types, like lamps.

Layered atop the ambient lighting is task and accent lighting. Task lighting is for dressing, reading, applying makeup or styling your hair. So task lighting should be placed within easy reach of the bed and your dressing-mirror should be brightly lit.

Accent lighting is typically designed to draw attention to features– such as artwork or an architectural feature. On its own in a bedroom environment accent 9 6 / SE L F B U IL D / AU T U M N 2020

lighting can act as a toned-down form of ambient lighting to create a tranquil glow. Wall mounted lights, shaded lamps, even downlighting focusing on features can do this job. It is also worth considering incorporating dimmer switches on all lighting for the bedroom.

glow to colourful mood lighting in an instant. This can create a romantic or restful atmosphere in an otherwise neutrally coloured space.

With this technology the use of colour changing bulbs, preprogrammed and on a timer can aid relaxation in the evening, when warm lighting can be synced to the sunset, with bluer tones that aid alertness coming on at sunrise, for example.

Warmer lighting (containing cream and yellow hues) is more conducive to relaxation, while cooler lighting hues (containing blue) can make people more alert. Some LEDs only offer cooler hues so make sure to check.

However, there are major concerns from sleep experts about using certain types of technology in the bedroom and the ill effects they can have on sleep patterns.

Devices such as laptops, phones and tablets emit light wavelengths from the blue end of the spectrum, and this inhibits the production of melatonin, a natural hormone in the body that controls your sleep cycle, but a bluelight filter can be programmed for sunset. Televisions or e-readers do not have this functionality.

Technology to aid sleep is a growing trend with some beds adjusting themselves in the night to help people stop snoring, for example. Mattresses can be temperature controlled to aid optimum sleep while app-controlled mattress sensors can work with sleep cycles to ensure the alarm is sounded at the optimum time.

BEDROOM INSPIRATION

Images courtesy of: 1,2,6,7 Komandor Wardrobes Showrooms in Galway & Naas komandor.ie 10,9,3 O’Donnell Furniture odonnellfurniture.com 8 Creative Wood creativewood.ie 4 Architexture architexture.ie 5 Paul Kennedy of Impressions hand painted furniture impressions.ie

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Guide Selfbuild

THIS ISSUE: PLANNING YOUR BUILD

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CAN YOU BUILD ON THE SITE

Welcome to a new series of articles highlighting the basic things you need to know about building a home in Ireland, on both sides of the border.

This issue we start with the topic of Planning Your Build, covering everything you need to know before you invest any money in the project.

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Day to day management

Is the design fit for purpose and within budget

100 Overview of the entire construction process 128 First hand experience in Co Down AUTU M N 2020 / S EL F BU IL D / 99

PLANNING YOUR BUILD / OVERVIEW

Where to start

In this first instalment we look at Planning Your Build, covering everything you need to know before you spend a penny on your project.

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You might be surprised just how much you can do for yourself if you are willing to learn

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ndrew Stanway, author of Managing Your Build, outlines of what to expect from the building process, from start to finish.

Andrew Stanway

Self-building is an exciting and rewarding journey, but to enjoy it as much as you possibly can and get the home of your dreams at the end, you will need to plan every detail.

There are basic things you will need to organise if you are building a new home from scratch.

Starting at the beginning, here is what you will need: u Site acquisition u Choosing an architect/designer, u Finance u Structural advice u Full planning permission from house plans u Complete and detailed specifications of everything, with choice of building method can’t sign off on your build for a lender or in lieu of a professional or a building control inspector, but almost everything else that relates to project management can be done on a DIY basis.

You might be surprised just how much you can do for yourself if you are willing to learn and are happy to take a great deal longer over everything. In fact, this is where the majority of costs can be saved, in my opinion. Doing as much of it as possible yourself will give a great sense of being in control and having really achieved something.

Similarly, at the completion of your build you’ll need professionals

u Details of exactly how you’ll manage the build (you won’t be able to do absolutely everything yourself) u Who your labour force will be u Building regulations/ construction drawings approval from Building Control (NI), Commencement notice with opt-in/out (ROI) u Appointing a building control inspector (or other qualified professional in ROI) to sign off your work at required stages u Self-build insurance u A 10-year structural warranty (optional but highly recommended)

Under normal circumstances most self-builders would receive a huge amount of help on all of this, which of course costs money.

You’d be foolish to pretend to be a structural engineer. You also

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to give official clearances on the following, none of which are DIY items: ¢ Building control sign off (NI) / Completion certificate (ROI) ¢ Certificate that planning conditions have been satisfied ¢ Electrical and gas safety certification ¢ SAP calculations and an EPC (NI) / DEAP calculations and a BER (ROI) ¢ Official airtightness test results

You’d be foolish to pretend to be a structural engineer. ..

DISCLAIMER This list is intended as a guide only; consult with a qualified design professional before you start your project.

AUTUMN 2020 / S EL F BU IL D / 101

PLANNING YOUR BUILD / THE SITE

Can you build on the site?

The first question to ask yourself is: is the site you plan to buy or already own suitable to build, rebuild or extend on? Many of the items here will be queried by the planners but there are a few more to consider.

Access Access for machinery

Getting lorries in will be a requirement, from concrete mixers to deliveries of large items such as steel. You may even need to hire a crane. Consider how all of these heavy and wide vehicles will get to the building site. Some selfbuilders end up having to build a separate entrance for this purpose and go on to explore whether this alternative means of access isn’t better than the one that had been originally planned.

Safe means of entering

The planners will ask that you have a safe means of entering the home; this usually means a separate entrance and adequate “sight lines” – so you can safely look both ways upon exiting the property onto the main road which in most cases needs to be a minor

10 2 / SE LF B U ILD / AU T U M N 2020

road. Also consider very steep sites and how you might need to zigzag your driveway to make the climb up manageable without going into first gear and hoping for the best.

Speed limits

In ROI self-builders have had their planning applications rejected on the grounds that the road they were building on had too high a speed limit, which in turn made the site unsafe to access. In extreme cases you may be involved in talks of widening a part of the public road; in most cases planning won’t be allowed on main roads and a pre planning meeting will clarify this.

In NI, certain roads are classified as ‘protected routes’ and permission will not be given to access them directly from a new site, which of course means that planning permission would not be granted for such a site. For those roads where permission will be given, the estimated speed of the traffic on the road is one factor in determining the dimensions of the visibility splays.

Guide Selfbuild

Characteristics Sun

Where the sun rises and sets will form a critical part of your house design and sun path diagrams are a routine part of the process. At this early stage, check if nearby trees or nearby buildings may become a problem in the winter months when the sun is lower in the sky.

Tree surgery, i.e. cutting the trees, can be expensive but can make an otherwise unpromising site usable.

Take advice on this as cutting trees could jeopardise certain conditions of your planning approval.

Wind and shelter

Locating the house away from strong gusts will shield it from the elements which will help with heat retention and reduce the risk of whistling vents. Check for trees bent out of shape to see where the prevailing winds are. Hedges help protect from the wind and can be planted at an early stage if not already there and this is where a give and take is also to be struck between your views and shielding the house from other people’s view.

Check the planner's development plans in relation to their approach to site boundaries.

Salt spray

Coastal locations will require tougher wearing materials for the external façade, e.g. for metal window framing materials you will need to be prepared to pay for the best, and any outdoor equipment such as having to pay extra for a marinsied heat pump if you choose an air source unit. Even locations that aren’t on the actual seafront can suffer from salt spray so check the

condition of neighbouring houses.

Salt spray can travel long distances inland. In the UK for example, for structural design purposes, any site within 2km of the shore is regarded as being within a coastal environment. Guidance suggests that the most vulnerable areas will be within 500m of the shoreline, but the aggressive environment can also have an effect on buildings as far inland as 5km.

Slope

If the site isn’t level, you are likely to incur added building costs to either design the house to follow the stepping site or to “cut and fill”, i.e. extracting soil to make a level surface to build on.

It’s generally preferable to follow the slope than to cut and fill. If you can’t get rid of the soil on site then it costs a fortune to take it away, although good topsoil is worth hanging on to for gardening.

Slopes can add as much as ten thousand for every five degrees in construction costs.

that foundations can be properly designed from the beginning. These will have to be filled in again, but the exercise should be well worth the €350 to €500 / £400 it will cost.

Drainage

Underground streams are relatively common in Ireland; if one runs beneath the house location, you should try to find another location otherwise you will have the added expense of shoring up/pumping water during the build and putting in place measures to keep the water at bay in the long term. Drainage can be an issue on all sites and should be looked at early on, e.g. find a good soakaway position or stream to divert rainwater to. Rainwater collected from your roof may need treatment depending on the roof

covering, e.g. cedar shingles are coated to be fireproof. Building in a spot with good drainage is a bonus, but it’s not considered best practice to build on top of a hill or on the high point of the site because it will make the house visible to passersby – in the countryside the planners like the house to be concealed from view.

Existing house

There may be a house on the site already and in many cases you will be expected to retain this structure and incorporate it in your design, which tends to be more expensive than building from scratch. On the plus side, if the house was a dwelling this may allow you to build where the planners wouldn’t normally grant permission.

Soil type

The exact makeup of the soil you will build your house on won’t be known until you start digging for your foundations. As a result, foundations are the hardest part to budget with certainty as you may have to upgrade to a more expensive foundation type if you don’t hit good soil straight away.

You can get an idea of what type of soil is there by looking at the type of prevalent vegetation and by checking place names – old Irish names of the townland may give a strong clue as to the soil type.

It is almost always a good idea to get test holes excavated and examined by a structural engineer and/or a geotechnical engineer, so AUTUM N 2020 / S EL F BU IL D / 103

PLANNING YOUR BUILD / THE SITE

Water

Wastewater

Mains connection

Mains connection

Connecting your home to the water mains is the most convenient way to get treated potable (drinkable) water. The cost of connecting to the mains tends to be a fixed rate, €2,272 in ROI and £238 in NI but for sites that are very far from the network, additional costs can be heavy. Check how much your site connection will cost early on with a pre-application form.

In ROI, Group Water Schemes are also in operation and are available in some rural locations; if this is an option for you it’s worth considering as the cost of connection is relatively low and the water quality results show that water quality levels tend to be very good, much better than results gathered by the Environmental Protection Agency from wells due to a lack of maintenance.

Well

If you can’t get access to a mains connection, or the cost is too high, you can

10 4 / SE LF B U ILD / AU T U M N 2020

As with water, the plug and play option of connecting to the mains is attractive and the same caveats apply as with water. The flat fee in ROI is €3,929 to connect and in NI, provided the work does not encroach on public property, the connections can be carried out by the customer but supervised by NI Water, for a standard inspection charge of £130.

Percolation test

investigate getting a well. Costs for a borehole well start at around €5,500/£5,000 or much more depending on ground conditions. You need to factor in filtration systems and crucially, maintenance which needs to be done regularly to avoid water contamination. There are specific ways to build wells safely, available on epa.ie.

In NI, anyone who intends to drill a borehole or sink a shaft or well more than 15m deep, is required by law to inform the Geological Survey of Northern Ireland beforehand and keep a record of the borehole/shaft constructed.

If your private water supply is to a single private dwelling it is not required to be monitored by the Drinking Water Inspectorate, but you should contact the environmental health department of your local council to have your supply regularly tested.

If you can’t connect to the mains or to a Group Water Scheme, which usually also provide wastewater treatment if available in your area, you will need to install an on-site wastewater treatment system (OWWTS). Compost toilets tend to not be viewed favourably by the planners despite being more eco-friendly than septic tank systems.

Oftentimes the planners make it a condition of your application to have an OWWTS. To know if your site is suitable for such a system, which will cost you in the thousands, you need to do a percolation test – some local authorities have their own list of council engineers to carry out the test, (fees around the £500/€550 mark), others just ask that the engineer be qualified whilst in NI, the client or their agent can do it as long as they have a proper working knowledge of the test requirements.

Prices vary considerably in the private sector as there is a need to hire a digger; prices seem to range from four to five hundreds to over a thousand euros or pounds. The test consists of digging trial holes and checking how quickly the water soaks away. In ROI if the percolation test fails this could mean there is no means of getting planning permission on the site; in NI it’s possible to get a treatment tank and then get a licence to discharge the clean treated water into a nearby stream. It should be noted that for percolation tests in NI, an hour or less with a spade can sometimes be all that is needed, so a digger is not always necessary.

Guide Selfbuild

Road openings Timing

Oftentimes you will be asked to dig the trenches in which your cables or pipes are to go, from the road to your house. Albeit difficult to achieve in practice, consider saving on digger costs by digging all the trenches at the same time and organise installation with network operators so that they happen in close succession. You can put in ducting into which the utilities companies can push their pipes and cables later. Ensure that your contractors have the required insurance cover to carry out works relating to public roads.

Bonds

Also know that if you are near a public road, you will probably need to open it up to connect to the mains and a bond may have to be put in place.

This involves you putting up money in advance (usually less than two thousand euros/pounds) to the local authority; you get it back if you reinstate the road the way it was before you had it opened.

An engineer from the local authority does the before and after checks.

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AUTUM N 2020 / S EL F BU IL D / 105

PLANNING YOUR BUILD / THE SITE

Broadband Don’t forget about your broadband connection; it may be impossible to get in many rural areas. If you want a highspeed cable installed you will need to get this organised at the same time as the rest of the utility connections. In ROI the fixed connection charge tends to be less than €300 as long as you are 50m from a line. In NI, the rural fibre broadband supply is being upgraded under the government’s ‘Future Telecoms Infrastructure Review’ so you just need to check availability for your area. A number of service providers do not charge

Electricity As with all utilities, if you are far from the mains, the costs will mount exponentially. ESB Networks in ROI state they aim to supply a quote within 15 business days and that the typical charge for a single, standard connection is approximately €2,700 but it can be much more depending on the site. Once you have accepted the quote and made payment, the new connection is usually made within 60 business days.

In NI, NIE will supply you with a quotation based on your specific circumstances. One self-builder was charged £15,000 on a busy road; the reason was that the existing pole was working at full capacity and a new one had to be erected. Re-siting existing poles can also be very expensive.

As a guide however, the extension of an existing overhead lowvoltage single-phase NIE supply to your site, with a new single span (45 to 50 metres) overhead line plus a terminal pole, will cost between £1,415 and £3,507. Factors such as traffic management, obtaining land rights, survey, crossing other utilities, poor ground conditions, tree cutting, use of cranes, etc. can contribute to additional costs.

If the cost of connecting to the mains is prohibitive you could look at an off-grid system, however this type of set up is likely to run in the tens of thousands to keep up with the electricity demands of an average house so it’s unlikely it will be cheaper than any network connection offer.

10 6 / SE LF B U ILD / AU T U M N 2020

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any upfront fee for a connection.

...it may be impossible to get high speed broadband in some rural areas.

Gas Connecting to the gas mains (natural gas) is mostly an option in towns, and the application process is similar to all utilities.

For those in the countryside who want a gas cooker, boiler, and perhaps clothes dryer, LPG is the most viable option.

The gas is liquefied and stored in a tank. Unlike other utility services, there is no network operator, the companies that supply the kit are private and you can shop around for prices and discounts. Generally speaking buying LPG is more expensive than natural gas.

One of the main considerations when designing a home will be how to heat it.

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DISCLAIMER This list is not exhaustive and is for information purposes only.

Consult with relevant and qualified professionals for guidance.

NI information from Les O Donnell of Landmark Designs, landmarkdesigns.org.uk. Additional information from John Corless and Andrew Stanway.

Guide Selfbuild

Planning permission Locals only

An issue that is specific to ROI is what’s often referred to as the “locals only” rule whereby in many rural locations, only those with a connection to the land are allowed to build a house on a greenfield site. Check your local authority’s County Development Plan to see if your site falls under this provision. Well over a decade ago the European Union questioned its legality; currently the government has a working group in place to look at how to comply with EU law.

In parallel, there are signs that local authorities are adopting “cluster housing” rules which could make it even more difficult to build in the open countryside.

Timing

ROI’s planners have a deadline in terms of when they get back to you (12 weeks) and they stick to it. But that’s not the case in NI. A quirk of the planning system there is that if your case officer goes on holiday, the file can sit on their desk until they return, so you may be waiting a long time to actually get planning permission to build. Delays can be caused when the planners request further information – e.g. some ecological surveys can take a long time to complete. Something to bear in mind if you are renting.

Council fees

As these are site dependent in ROI, it’s worth pointing out at this early

from house to house, as each development is different each will have a different impact on surrounding amenities. These charges can be very dear, running in the thousands, so it is important to check this in advance.

stage that you will have to pay your local authority a fee towards your building development. This fee is to contribute to aspects such as road upkeep. Costs vary widely from county to county and oftentimes

In NI, the ‘upkeep’ charges are included in your rates bill; and planning application fees are standardised, so it’s £433 for an outline application and £868 for a full application. The building control application fee for a new dwelling (under 250sqm and three storeys or less) is £300. If the proposed floor area is more, then the building control fee is calculated on the estimated build cost.

Conveyancing Rights of way

Before you buy that perfect site, your solicitor will check the file for any caveats attached to the land.

For instance a farmer may have a right of way on your site meaning they might be using it for cattle or as a laneway to access their field.

That may or may not suit your situation. Alternatively you might need to get a right of way agreed to access your own site – the current laneway may be owned by someone else and you will need a legal document cementing that right of way. Buying this can be very expensive if you’ve bought the land and the landowner knows it. You may also need a lot of land for a percolation area if the site doesn’t have very good drainage – there are also minimum distances between the septic tanks, wells and houses (you have to take into account your neighbours' as well).

Some historic public rights of way may exist in NI and their

use may not be well known, for example, a seldom-used footpath or bridleway. Local councils have a specific duty to assert, protect and keep open any public right of way and council records should show where these are.

Your solicitor will also check for other legal issues, for example, making sure the person selling owns the land outright, that it is registered for you to get the deeds, that any previous developments on the land are legal (if not retroactive certification will be required which someone has to pay for), etc. If you are taking out a mortgage the bank will need these documents through your solicitor.

Continuity of planning approval

In NI, there are still many rural sites which were approved years ago, but the building work was never completed. If your site is one of these, it is very important to

check that all planning conditions relating to ‘commencement of works’ have been fulfilled. If the planners have any doubts, they will ask for evidence – so avoid any nasty surprises by confirming the planning status of your site at an early stage. Ask your solicitor or design professional for advice.

Inheriting land

In many cases self-builders inherit land from their parents or relatives; there is a cost and that is stamp duty on the land (but not on the building cost). In ROI you pay 6 per

cent on the land value but can get 4 per cent back, as long as the site is an acre or less. In NI no stamp duty is due if the valuation is less than £125,000.

Insurance

Insurance is necessary to take out, so at this early stage it does no harm getting quotes. Your selfbuild insurance quote for the site will depend on a large number of factors, so best to get an idea of how much this will be in advance (and while you’re at it, check how much a warranty might cost you).

AUTUM N 2020 / S EL F BU IL D / 109

PLANNING YOUR BUILD / BUDGET & DESIGN

What can you afford to build?

The budget will dictate what you can build and how; find out what’s on the menu.

Cost elements Building costs

There are many average figures floating about to give you an idea of how much your house will cost to build per sqm. Oftentimes the figure of 100 to 120 euros or pounds per square foot is quoted for the most common method of construction, which is blockwork, and by choosing to manage the build yourself. Yet the Royal Institute of Architects of Ireland posits a figure of €2,500 to €2,800 per sqm, doubling this self-build estimate.

Part of the discrepancy has to do with what is and isn’t included, i.e. just to a builder’s finish (without kitchen, floor finishes, etc.) or turnkey?

An average cost per sqm or sqft can also be very misleading simply because there are too many variables for you to rely on an average.

There is location to factor in, for example, but also foundations and groundworks in general can eat up your contingency from day one if there are any issues with the site. The finishes too can quickly spiral out of control as the most basic finishes are unlikely to meet your requirements; you are also likely to buy new furniture, blinds, etc.

Also be aware that building costs exclude the many additional costs that you have to factor in, including council fees (from registering land and planning fees to building control fees), connection fees (plus a wastewater treatment system if connection isn’t possible), insurance and warranties, and all of the professional fees (from architectural designer to landscaper).

Also know that it is standard 11 0 / SE LF B U ILD / AU T U M N 2020

Guide Selfbuild

practice in the construction industry to quote for labour and materials excluding VAT although for a new build in NI you’ll get the VAT back on materials at the end.

Due diligence on a site will also lead to preliminary fees such as ground analysis, valuation fees to give you confidence before buying the plot, removal costs, etc. Last but not least landscaping costs can be very high too, from preparing the site for lorry access to patios, pavements, driveways, fencing, boundaries, drainage, ducting, treatment systems, planting, etc.

Professional fees

Professional fees for advisors (see page 112) will also need to be quoted; oftentimes they will charge a percentage of the build cost but some services can command a flat fee as well. Paying by the hour is least common. Professional fees normally pay for themselves over the course of the build many times over by lending expertise to give you an efficient design, manage the costed elements, avoiding leakage of costs and so on, all of which will help you save both time and money.

You will also have to hire a solicitor, for the transfer of property/deeds and for the stage payments if you are taking out a mortgage. The starting price at the moment seems to be one thousand euros/pounds for a straightforward transfer of deeds, plus the cost of stamp duty (tax for transferring ownership). You pay this when the deeds are in order.

charge a fortune for development levies which is the fee they charge when they give you planning permission, to take into account the added burden to roads and services you will be placing on the locality.

Check what these are in your area, some local authorities publish them on their websites.

Other

If you are renting, it may sound obvious but the longer the build the more it will cost you. Every month towards rent is money that could go towards the build. The cost of selling your existing home is one to factor in as well. Don’t forget borrowing costs (interest you will be paying) if you are taking out a mortgage. Consider too that you will need to factor in a contingency, usually 15 per cent of the total.

Renovations

As a general rule of thumb, you will pay more per sqm for a renovation or extension than for a new build.

When people add to their homes they tend to add on the most

expensive elements of a house, e.g. kitchen. In a new build, hallways, living rooms and other rooms that don’t need to be fully kitted out drive down the overall cost per sqm.

This is mainly why extensions are so pricey.

Existing homes have to be worked around – access to the site, deliveries, machinery, etc. are likely to be trickier or more time consuming and therefore more costly. Also the finishes will need to tie in with the existing house, which often results in an entire existing ground floor needing to be

“

refloored.

Labour costs are also likely to be higher simply because it takes more time to renovate than to erect something new. An existing house can of course hide problems until an element is stripped back.

Builders therefore tend to prefer working on new builds as most elements are predictable; this means a renovation premium is likely to be added to any quote.

Bear in mind too that you can rarely retain as much as you’d initially thought.

An average cost per sqm or sqft can also be very misleading simply because there are too many variables...

Where the money goes when you’re building a house Design 3% i.e. professional and planning permission fees

Preliminaries 3% including connection to utilies, site assessment Finance 7% i.e. bank’s interest rate

Connection fees

Part of your research into the site will include asking how much it will cost to connect to services, however oftentimes it isn’t until you’ve made a firm application that you will get a site visit for an accurate quotation. In NI electricity costs can run in the thousands, in ROI the water connection tends to be the biggest unknown although there is now a flat rate if your house is near the mains.

Council Fees

Some local authorities in ROI

Construction 50%

Profit 7% Final profit level mostly dependent on economic factors (house value)

Plot 30% Very site dependent, this can be up to 50% Source: House Builder's Bible 13th Edition by Mark Brinkley AUTUM N 2020 / S EL F BU IL D / 111

PLANNING YOUR BUILD / BUDGET & DESIGN

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to Improve, architects often stretch the budget to its limits as their priority is to deliver on your wish list.

This is where the input of a

...pre planning meetings are not binding, so you may get a refusal based on an aspect the planner said should be ok.

Advisors Pre planning meeting

Many self-builders choose to arrange a pre planning meeting, which involves bringing a plan of what you intend to build, and where, for an informal chat with your local planning authority.

However these can nowadays be hard to arrange as the planners are often too short-staffed to give the time they used to. This depends entirely on your local authority and the resources they have.

The more detail you have the more feedback the planners will be able to give you, including whether a costly wastewater system will need to be installed (mostly relevant to ROI where it is not possible to get a licence to discharge cleaned wastewater to a watercourse).

They will discuss planning matters only, i.e. appearance, access, etc. In other words they will not be concerned with the methods you plan to employ or how energy efficient your house will be, as 11 2 / SE LF B U ILD / AU T U M N 2020

these relate to building control and the building regulations (not within the planners’ remit).

Many of the items outlined in relation to the Site (see previous section) are likely to be discussed, but you can also pick up the phone and query any of the aspects with them. Note that pre planning meetings are not binding, so you may get a refusal based on an aspect the planner said should be ok. The individual planner who is dealing with your case can change and so can their interpretation of the current development plans and other planning documents, which are also subject to change.

Who’s who

Advisors include the architectural designer who designs the house and draws up the plans for planning approval and then once approved, adds specific instructions into the plans for the construction stage. These construction drawings are the ones submitted to Building Control (on the Building Control Management

System in ROI, done online only, and to the building control officer in your area in NI).

Then there is the structural engineer who fills in the blanks on the technical aspects, e.g. sizing steel beams, the quantity surveyor who deals with the cost elements (see below), and the energy assessor who does up the energy calculations and energy rating for the house although sometimes architectural designers can take on this role.

M&E (mechanical and electrical) consultants are becoming much more common on selfbuild projects now, as well as interior designers and landscape architects.

Other professionals that may be brought on board tend to have to do with the planning process, e.g. planning consultants, or a specialist company to carry out a tree survey or an architectural survey, for example.

Quantity surveyors

Your architectural designer will ask you what your requirements are, and what is the maximum you can spend, to design the house.

However as seen on RTÉ’s Room

quantity surveyor is helpful in the design process to ensure the tenders (quotes from builders) are within budget. Quantity surveyors have local knowledge of the costs in your area which will also be invaluable information if going direct labour.

That said, the market does dictate the build cost and you won’t get an exact figure until you get these tenders back. You could ask builders to give you a rough idea of cost, but remember that ballpark figures from builders may be misleading if they don’t have enough information to go on and you don’t control what you are asking them to include in a price.

A bill of quantities or BOQ is a cost breakdown of every part of your self-build, down to the last detail. The cost breakdown deals with every aspect specific to the design and your site.

This document will guide you throughout the build and it is drawn up by a quantity surveyor.

By adding a BOQ to the tender, if anything changes on site you will have a unit price to refer to.

PC or Prime Cost sums are estimates built into the BOQ or into the builder’s quotation/ tender. These are very common for elements such as kitchens or bathrooms. The integrity and completeness of the construction drawings are essential for costing accuracy.

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PLANNING YOUR BUILD / BUDGET & DESIGN

Architectural designers

Choosing who will guide the house design is a very important decision to make; this person is referred to as the architectural designer. In most cases the architectural designer will be an architect, which is a protected title and refers to those who are a member of either the RIAI (ROI) or the RSUA/RIBA (NI). Architectural technologists are trained in a similar manner and can fulfil the same role and their chartered institute is CIAT (both NI and ROI); in some instances engineers will take on the role of the architectural designer but this is less common as architectural training tends to yield more efficient and aesthetically pleasing designs.

Basic design choices Priority v wish lists

The design is the most critical thing to get right on a self-build as everything will flow from there, so take the time to make sure you are happy with the plans and that they allow for plenty of natural light in the house and suit your needs. Remember that this will be your house and you will be the one living in it, so your input is a very important one. You are best placed to know what works and doesn’t work for you and your family.

Explore how you live and what you need from your house, as opposed to what you want to add in. You can add in the extras once the basics have been covered in parallel with your budget constraints.

Footprint

Comparing two houses of the same surface area, a two storey will be cheaper to build than a house with no upper storey, which explains why many houses in the countryside are one and a half stories although dormers of yesteryear, which protrude through the eaves line, are hard to get planning permission for.

The planners only allow up to a certain height and self-builders are keen to keep structural costs down. The same house size sprawled on the ground floor will inherently cost more for foundations, roofing, pipe runs, etc. There tends to be 20 per cent in the difference, of sprawling vs compact footprint.

11 4 / SE LF B U ILD / AU T U M N 2020

Shape and size

A rectangular shape is the cheapest to build; curves will require more thought and specialist products and may be difficult for furniture placement too. Oftentimes new build designs include multiple structures linked together, e.g. L shapes or courtyard formations to echo the local vernacular style, or protrusions for a window seat for example. Anything outside a rectangular shape will add to the building cost and is likely to be less energy efficient.

A large house obviously costs more to build but it also tends to cost more to maintain and heat, and if as a result the valuation is high, so will the property tax. .

“

...Remember that this will be your house and you will be the one living in it, so your input is a very important one...

Guide Selfbuild

Pivotal decisions Energy efficiency

The latest round of building regulations (2019) in ROI mean that all new builds have to be very energy efficient, which should result in the house costing very little to run depending on size, and include at least one form of renewable energy. In NI you still have the option of building the house with an oil boiler as your main source of heat, with middle of the road insulation and airtightness; here you need to make the key decision of either building a regs compliant house versus a more expensive, (upfront), energy efficient home.

Doing an energy analysis on the home at the very start is crucial to compare the options and payback times based on your specific house design and specification.

In NI Building Control will ask for this information, and in ROI it is common practice to submit it when you file for your commencement notice on the Building Control Management System. If the house is not built to the minimum building regulation standards, remedial work will have to take place to make it compliant before you move in, with clear cost implications if you have to strip back walls.

Ventilation

In most cases, the choice of an energy efficient home goes hand in hand with a mechanical ventilation system, i.e. the need for at least 4’’ or 100mm

pipes to run in your ceilings. The ventilation company will take your floor plans and look at how to get the pipes to run so that they are at their minimum and work to their maximum capacity. This exercise must be done at the design stage.

Apex roofs will require careful consideration by your ventilation supplier, for instance. Also consider where the actual unit is to go, e.g. attic, plant room.

Renewables

Heat pumps have come a long way and are now pretty much the go-to choice for heat and hot water in energy efficient new builds in ROI. Consider what type of system you will be installing and where the components will go, e.g. need for plant rooms, and whether you can make the most of the digger on site if you plan on installing geothermal (as long as it’s the horizontal type which is the cheaper option but you need a large garden).

For electricity, harvesting it from the movement of water is a good option for constant power yearround if you have a viable stream but photovoltaics (solar panels) are the most common technology for one-off houses. Wind power provides slightly more constant power but has visual and noise (and therefore planning) implications so tend to work best if located further away from the house, e.g. further back on a farm.

Glazing

The amount of sunlight you let into the house will form part of your energy strategy and most new builds nowadays will have at least one portion of wall predominantly glazed, in the form of a sliding or bifold door, and may have a number of roof lights. Glazing will substantially add to your building costs with self-builders spending in the tens of thousands for this element alone.

Know that very large rooflights tend to be much more expensive

than off-the-shelf sizes. Also, with a high proportion of glazing, even if it is triple glazed, you will start running into issues with overheating which is why south facing elevations usually feature some kind of overhang to protect from the high summer sun, again adding an element of cost. The wall to glazing ratio will form an integral part of the energy assessment at the design stage /compliance with energy requirements of the building regulations.

Joinery

The kitchen and staircase can readily break the bank; research both these aspects when you design the house so as to get these costs under control early on and to have the plans drawn up for your specification.

The kitchen needs to be fully designed before you start construction, mostly to know where the ventilation and waste will go.

It is also more efficient to design it early so you have enough room for everything you want to include, yet without wasting space. Similarly, the staircase is likely to take pride of place so consider the design and materials and any needs for extra supports required at the foundations stage.

Designing the bathroom to exact fittings/fixture dimensions early on could save you headaches later on in the build, e.g. wall hung toilets needing a false wall. Again exact pipe runs will be very useful to know early on, including provisions for the soil vent pipe.

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PLANNING YOUR BUILD / BUDGET & DESIGN

Mortgage requirements Your financial health

The same requirements apply as for a regular mortgage: you usually need to earn a certain multiple of the amount to repay every month, need to be in permanent employment (with self-employed applicants requiring at last a number of years trading before being eligible), and have savings. In most cases the site can be put down as the deposit if the valuation pans out.

Loan to value

Finance options Mortgages

A self-build mortgage is the most common means of financing a one-off house build as it takes into account the unique nature of this type of project. The amounts on offer, and the interest rate (cost of borrowing the money), are usually the best on the market. New to the market is the green mortgage which links the energy efficiency of the building at the end of the project to your mortgage so you get a lower interest rate.

Credit union or other loan

Going mortgage-free is the aspiration of many; for a top-up to your savings, credit unions may offer better terms than standard bank or building society loans but do shop around. Green loans are available for energy upgrades and like the green mortgage, these offer preferential rates for ending up with a house that is cheaper to run.

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Grants and fiscal incentives

In both NI and ROI the most common grants are for existing buildings undertaking an energy upgrade; insofar as Selfbuild is aware there are no grants available for new builds.

In ROI if you are aged over 60 the grant covers the entire cost of the energy upgrade; there are also enhanced grants for low income households and adaptation grants. Older buildings may qualify for grants too but these can be difficult to get; contacting your local authority is a good first port of call. In ROI the Help to Buy scheme gives first time selfbuilders a rebate to help with your deposit; you will need a solicitor to do the paperwork for you.

In NI grants for existing homes include ones for replacing your boiler and adaptation grants.

A large bespoke home in the middle of nowhere may cost a lot to build yet only be worth a fraction of that amount on the market; the bank will therefore look at how much it costs you to build versus how much the bank will get if they end up repossessing it. On the upside, this constraint usually means the bank’s requirement will help you build in a profit into your home or at least make sure it is in line with the market valuation.

Build cost form

The banks will ask that you supply them with costings; they will have an average cost per sqm in mind and will expect your estimate to come in at least that amount.

Many banks have forms to fill in, which can be done by the builder but they will also accept a detailed bill of quantities. All build costs must include a contingency, which the banks usually expect to be between 10 and 20 per cent of the total.

Certifier

In all cases the banks will ask that you have a qualified individual with professional indemnity insurance to oversee the process. This person will sign off on the house having completed the various stages of the project to release payments. In ROI banks should allow you to opt out of the building control process of appointing an Assigned Certifier, as this is now currently routine for self-build projects.

Bank appetite for lending COVID-19 has tested the banks’ willingness to lend under unusual circumstances but think too if your preferred mortgage company lends to the type of site you plan to build on – are they adequately or overexposed in the area? The banks will look at resale value so considerations like it being in the middle of a family farm or very near farm buildings might have an impact on how much you can borrow.

SPONSORED CONTENT

What can you afford to build?

Kieran McCarthy KMC Homes

The top five elements to affect the cost of building your home.

As the enjoyable and engaging aspect of drawing your house begins, you will be tempted to ignore the budget for many months.

But from the very moment you put pen to paper you should focus on the three basic pillars that will ensure your project gets to site: house design, planning permission and budget.

So, it is important that when you are setting up a design team, which is your responsibility to do as the client, that you have a designer who will look after the first two pillars and a quantity surveyor who will look after the third.

This is because it would not normally be possible for an architectural designer or engineer to accurately assess the cost of the house they are designing for you. That is not their core competency. Also, houses nowadays are too complex with too many moving parts to estimate its cost with any level of confidence in advance.

Here are the top 5 elements that affect the budget of your new home:

1

Size

Buildings are costed in rates per sqm or rates per linear meter so the bigger the building the greater these quantities will become.

However there are many

Top tip

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sunken costs that don’t scale down or up; even a small house will need a reasonably sized kitchen and a heating source.

2

Site

What is underground affects your foundations; if you hit normal firm building ground then a standard footing will suffice but if you uncover rock or clay then a more expensive dig or foundation design may result. How far back your site is from a main road will also mean a longer driveway and service runs, adding more expense. Other factors include the slope which will affect the amount of bulk excavation required; a level site will require the least amount of bulk dig.

3

Design

The most basic design, which is what people usually refer to when discussing a costs per square foot price (though without most finishes and often excluding VAT), is what you would typically see in a dense housing scheme: a rectangular house with a straight ‘A’ pitched roof.

When you deviate from this design into a more expansive architect-led concept, you quickly move up the gears in terms of cost, in many cases due to the structure needed to support

KMC Homes provides full design, planning permission, cost control, building, finishes and project management services. KMC Homes Ltd., Fota Retail Park, Carrigtwohill, Co Cork, tel.

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large open spaces, large windows/ doors, unusual roofs and overhangs, etc. These may add greatly to your enjoyment of your home but they have cost implications that need to be priced up in advance. You can easily double to cost of a house with an elaborate design.

4

Specification

5

Scope of work

Once you have designed the spatial layout of your home the next key consideration is what you are going to put in it as the cost range is considerable: windows, heating system, ventilation, kitchen, bathrooms, tiles, floors, paint, patio, driveway, stairs, joinery, roof covering.

For example, a kitchen may cost you €7,000 or €40,000.

You may find that even once you have a good sense of your design and indeed your budget that you are still a little over, with no clear way of balancing the books. At this stage you may look at the scope of work and what you may potentially be able to defer for a year or two when you may have access to more money. Options to postpone spending up to €20,000 include waiting to fit out your utility room, built-ins in spare bedrooms, painting the outside of your house, your drive finish and some paving work.

AUTUM N 2020 / S EL F BU IL D / 117

PLANNING YOUR BUILD / BUDGET & DESIGN Additional information: John Corless, Les O Donnell, Keith Kelliher and Andrew Stanway Always seek professional advice before starting your project.

Managing cash flow Stage payments

Banks release the money for your self-build mortgage in stages; this avoids you having to unnecessarily pay interest on a large sum of money. The stages correspond to the key moments in the build, such as completing the foundations, the walls, the roof, and internal finishes.

Remember that in many cases you will have to pay for materials or casual labour before the money is released.

There is a last stage for final sign-off including the snags, which

is usually 10 per cent of the build cost. The person you’ve hired to certify compliance with the building regulations will sign off on the certificates of compliance at the key stages of the build. These will be given to your solicitor who will then apply for the stage payment to be released.

VAT

In NI the standard VAT rate is 20 per cent but all self- built new builds qualify for a zero VAT rate, which leads to substantial savings. However, you will need

to have some cash flow to pay the VAT upfront then keep a record of all your invoices and apply at the end, very promptly as there is a time limit from when you get building control’s completion cert, for a refund. Some renovation projects qualify for a 5 per cent VAT rate, including if the house has not been lived in for two years, if you convert a barn into a house, or if the work is for someone aged over 60. VAT charged on professional fees is not reclaimable in NI.

In ROI, current VAT rates are 23 per cent on goods and 13.5 per cent on services; so if you hire a builder their services including the supply of materials are quoted at the 13.5 per cent VAT rate but if you go DIY and buy items off the shelf for your build, you will be charged 23 per cent.

Again, remember that everyone from the builder’s merchant to the contractor is likely to quote excluding VAT.

330

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PLANNING YOUR BUILD / PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Who will manage the project?

A key decision to make at the very start of the project is whether you go with a main contractor or manage each of the individual tradesmen yourself (known as direct labour); you also need to know in advance what costs are associated with site management.

Project managers Builder as project manager

Hiring a main contractor means you have one point of contact for the entire construction process. That said any element you take out of their control, such as say the kitchen, will have to be managed by you. In return for the builder’s profit, anywhere from 10 to 20 per cent of the build cost, you are shifting most of the risks onto him, including building the house on time and on budget, managing cash flow and paying tradesmen, and statutory (mandatory) health and safety roles.

Design professional as project manager

In most cases your architectural designer will only have a supervisory role in that they will be checking the quality of the work at key stages, signing off on mortgage stage payments. But some architectural designers, engineers and professional project managers, can manage the project for you for a fee, to take care of everything that is outside the remit of the builder, e.g. sourcing materials that aren’t off the shelf and coordinating with specialist

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Guide Selfbuild

tradesmen.

They can also manage the project to be entirely direct labour. Make sure what their contribution to the project will be, and for what fee, is crystal clear from the start, and don’t hesitate to ask for clarification. Project managers often charge a percentage of the build and this will depend on their level of involvement, but you can expect to pay around the 10 per cent mark. You can also ask that they give you a fixed cost for each element they are involved with.

Site foreman

An in between option is to hire a site foremean; a builder will have one if he doesn’t take on the role himself. The foreman focuses on keeping the site ticking over by coordinating the trades, making sure materials arrive when they need to and keeping the site tidy and safe. They may charge by the day or the hour.

DIY

If you take charge of the entire supervision, you will not be able to hold down a full time job at the same time. A project manager is on call and has to be on site to keep on top of all aspects.

DIY project management means you will be investing time and money, as in money you could be earning if you weren't project managing the build.

Know that the experience will be stressful, for many reasons but one is that there will be a lot to coordinate. Also consider that you will be on site at weekends as well as during the week, so your personal life will also be impacted.

Remember that even if you do hire a main contractor, the owner remains the ultimate person responsible for taking every step possible to make sure the house is built to both the building regulations and to health and safety requirements.

Day to day management Cash flow

If you are taking out a self-build mortgage, the bank will release money in stages, only paying for work that has been completed up to key stages and signed off on by your certifier (engineer or other professional).

However tradesmen are often paid on a day rate and some deposits or purchases have to be made upfront (never pay the full amount in advance). This means you will need to have some cash available to pay for these, before you get the money for that stage from the bank. In NI you are entitled to a VAT refund on materials for your new build, but you will only get the money back at the very end of the project.

Contracts

A contract with your architectural designer, and one with your builder, are more than highly recommended.

This will allow you to refer to it if anything goes wrong; make sure the contract is one your solicitor

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PLANNING YOUR BUILD / PROJECT MANAGEMENT

checks and not one that’s been drawn up by the other party for you to sign. Individual tradesmen won’t sign a contract and you will be lucky if you even get a written quotation, but what is expected of them should be made clear from the outset and ask them what they need from you as well, e.g. have certain things prepared for them to do their work.

Health & Safety

In ROI for any project that lasts longer than 30 days or poses a health and safety risk, it is mandatory that you appoint a Project Supervisor Design Stage (PSDS) and a Project Supervisor Construction Stage (PSCS) to your project. Your architectural designer will usually take on the first role, which results in a detailed report

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that you must submit to the health and safety authorities. A fee will apply to put together the report.

The PSCS must be someone who is competent to take on the role of health and safety supervision during the construction stage; here too a report must be submitted to the authorities and you must follow it. It will detail how the site will be kept safe and will clearly identify who the PSCS is on site (usually the main contractor, as they need to be present at all times when work is happening. Again, it is your responsibility as the owner to appoint someone competent (it could be yourself) and take overarching responsibility for the health and safety of those on site.

In NI, if more than one contractor is involved (including subcontractors) you must appoint, in writing, a Principal Designer (PD) and a Principal Contractor (PC). On a domestic self-build, you

(the client) can assume the role of PC, but only if you are sufficiently competent and knowledgeable. If you do not do this, your duties as a client are automatically transferred to the contractor or principal contractor and you should inform them that this is your intention. In both NI and ROI ensure they have adequate insurance cover.

Waste management A tidy site will save you money because having everything readily accessible saves time and has the benefit of reducing the risk of injury. Also tradesmen will be less likely to add to the junk pile if there isn’t one there – waste disposal costs can run very high with skips. Budget for this early on and make it clear to the tradesman who is to deal

with what type of waste; most will dispose of their offcuts on your site but in some instances you may ask that they take away the surplus if it can be recycled through the manufacturer/supplier.

Bare necessities on site

You will have to make provisions for a dry and secure (under lock and key) place to store materials, and tools, which is why many self-builders build their garage first. You will also have to make provisions for water and electricity as well as toilet facilities (most likely having to rent portable loos). Lorry access to the site is also essential to avoid added costs: you will need a wide access lane that can withstand heavy loads.

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PLANNING YOUR BUILD / PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Building Control Planning versus construction drawings

Your architectural designer will submit what looks like fairly detailed drawings to your local authority to secure planning approval. These are however in no way detailed enough to rely on to build your house. You will need to pay for a design professional to turn these into construction drawings, with clear instructions on how to build every element. It is common for an architectural designer to put together these drawings and for the builder to then suggest changes, which might make the construction more practical and cost effective. Make sure that you get a written itemised summary, from your builder, of costs that are affected by any

suggested differences to the designer’s specifications. Any change to the plans must be made in a new version of the plans, discarding all old versions that are on site. All sets of plans must abide to the building regulations and must be checked by a qualified professional to make sure they do.

Building regulations Even though the planners are not concerned with how you are going to build your house (but with how it looks from the outside and how it sites within the landscape along with its impact on

the environment), a condition of planning permission is that you build your house to the building regulations simply because this is a legal requirement: the building regulations are statutory, i.e. mandatory. This entails following the guidance documents published by the authorities: in ROI Technical Guidance Documents from the Department of Housing and in NI Technical Booklets from the Department of Finance.

These documents provide specific instructions, construction details and/or targets that are to be met, for all aspects of the build, i.e. structural integrity, energy

“

efficiency, wastewater, etc.

Again, it is the owner’s overarching responsibility to take every step to make sure the house is built to the current building regulations; this means appointing competent persons to both put together the construction drawings and execute the installation.

Building Control is the government’s way of policing that you are building your house in accordance with the building regulations. Just bear in mind that building regulations are a minimum standard only, and in many cases you will go above and beyond these to get the quality of finish you want and a higher level of energy efficiency (lower energy bills).

Building control NI

NI has a fully functioning building control system whereby local

Building Control is the government’s way of policing that you are building your house in accordance with the building regulations. . .

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Guide Selfbuild

authority building control officers both check the construction drawings to make sure they are compliant with the building regulations and carry out inspections throughout the build to help you execute the plans, and tweak them as necessary and within the scope of the building regulations.

You must put in your plans in the first instance with your local authority to get them checked and approved by building control, then the inspection regime will be set out according to the project. You can call on the building control officer to visit the site at any time you need guidance.

At the end, the authorities supply you with a completion certificate, which you will need to get your final mortgage payment and VAT refund.

There are fees associated with the application to building control but this entitles you to six standard inspections on average. Subject to resources, they will endeavour to carry out all additional inspections you request but reserve the right to prioritise when and if required.

Building control ROI ROI’s building control function is wholly based on a self-certification system. The owner either takes the responsibility to certify they have taken every step to ensure the house was built to the building regulations (‘opt out’), or the owner pays a professional to carry out inspections throughout the build and gather certificates of compliance from the tradesmen and suppliers to the project so that they, in turn, can supply a completion cert at the end (‘opt in’).

Due to the high cost of opting in, which is in large part a result of the administrative burden, most self-builders opt out, even when they hire a professional to act as project manager. When opting in, the self-builder is officially recruiting an Assigned Certifier (must be a registered architect, engineer or building surveyor) to take responsibility for the build.

The way the authorities keep track of these self-certified documents is online, through the Building Control Management System (BCMS).

When you have got your planning

permission you must upload your construction drawings onto BCMS in order to apply for your commencement notice. You can only start building once you have that document approved.

Building control officers within local authorities are mostly concerned with buildings that require a fire certificate (commercial premises), but they do also have the authority to do spot inspections on self-build sites. Because of a lack of

resources, these are rare. You must pay a fee when filing for the commencement notice on the BCMS; if you opt in, the cost of hiring an assigned certifier has to be negotiated in the same way as you would when appointing a design consultant.

Energy rating

Before you can move into your new build, you will have to get an energy rating done up. The cost for a new build is around the 150 euro/pounds mark with the cost dependent on the size of the dwelling and on all paperwork being in order.

Risk protection Insurance

The professionals that will advise you throughout your build must all carry valid professional indemnity insurance; tradesmen and builders must also carry their own set of insurance to cover them in the event of a claim. Check for this.

However there is a minimum amount of insurance cover that you must take out on your build as the owner; this is to deal with any claims made against you if someone gets hurt (including visitors and trespassers) on the building site, and to protect you against the risk of damage and losses in relation to fire, theft, flood, etc. Most mortgage providers will ask for proof of insurance.

Fine print

Make sure you fully understand what is and isn't covered in your policy. Structural defects warranties may last ten years but check what exactly is and isn't covered and

for how long; same goes for your insurance.

Warranties

Warranties are optional, unless you bank requires you have one, but are an excellent way to bring in an extra layer of quality control on the building phase and a guarantee against structural defects. The same principle as taking out a warranty on an appliance applies and a 10 year timeframe will give you time to evaluate if any defects in construction appear.

A structural warranty policy usually covers any defect, fault or failure in design, workmanship, materials or components of the structure causing destruction of, or physical damage, to the house.

During the construction stage the warranty provider will send a surveyor to visit the site at key stages, usually four to six visits, to make sure the house is built to the building regulations. If works have already started, the surveyor will have to carry out a far more detailed survey which will result in a higher overall policy cost.

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PLANNING YOUR BUILD / WA S T E O N S I T E

Refuse the refuse

Building or extending a house generates a lot of waste, in the form of solids, liquids or sludges, all of which will cost money to dispose of. The first step therefore is to design waste out of your construction drawings, writes structural engineer and architectural designer Les O'Donnell.

Les O’Donnell landmarkdesigns.org.uk

Whose job is it to dispose of the waste your house construction creates on site? The polluter pays principle applies, i.e. it is ultimately your responsibility.

This usually means segregating between what can be reused on site, what can be recycled off site and what needs to go to landfill. Organise the waste destined for landfill or the recycling facility so that it can be placed in the relevant containers.

Refuse and reduce

You can refuse any unnecessary packaging by telling suppliers that you don’t want it, or ask them to take it back with them after delivery. Make this clear when placing your order.

From the beginning, try to work out how much waste you might end up with, by looking at the design and making sure it works to standard dimensions. If in doubt, allow 5 per cent of all materials being subject to cutting, trimming or adjusting. Over time, this will add up to a big pile.

Know that plasterers, tilers and so forth will have leftover material to discard, and they won’t want to take it away with them. If you are hiring a main contractor, waste management should be included in the contract.

If waste can be designed out of your plans, you will expend much less effort and cost in dealing with what remains. Helpful tips to reduce waste include: u Keep the design layout simple and use standard dimensions to avoid excessive cutting of materials, e.g. wall areas, room sizes and ceiling heights should match standard brick, block and panel dimensions. Offsite or Modern Methods of Construction can reduce significant amounts of site waste because all parts that arrive on site are used. u Keep an eye on the tendency to over engineer some structural items; oversized beams, columns, slabs, etc. contain material which is unnecessary and technically therefore, is waste. u Overordering or ordering too soon can result in materials or products stored on site becoming damaged and unable to be reused. A good weather-tight storage facility is very useful which is why many selfbuilders build their garage or shed first. u Consider that a building designed to suit the site contours will reduce excavation and fill operations. u Find out the lifespan of each building component and how and when it will need to be maintained, repaired or replaced. Anything going into spaces which are to be permanently covered should have a lifespan equivalent to that of the building.

Reuse, recycle and recover

A lot of what is commonly regarded as waste does not need to be dumped – in fact, landfill should only be the last option. Easiest to deal with are bits of unusable metal which can be sold as scrap, but wiring, straps, sheet materials and pieces of plasterboard will usually end up in landfill. That said, lengths of discarded pipe can be used for underfloor ventilation.

Dry untreated natural timber offcuts can be used as fuel in your new wood-burning stove but other types of timber need to be disposed of. Treated timber is considered hazardous waste. The other main categories of discarded items include: Insert material If there are buildings to be demolished it could be

12 6 / SE LF B U ILD / AU T U M N 2020

*Hazardous waste, i.e. waste that is harmful to the environment and/or human health, includes contaminated soil, any materials or substances that may have flammable additives, certain wood preservatives, lead, sealed glazing units, paints, caulking materials, elastic sealants and heat insulation, adhesives, sealants and mastic, tar emulsions, wood treated with fungicides and/or pesticides, coatings of halogenated flame retardants, equipment with PCBs, mercury lighting, systems with CFCs, containers for hazardous substances (solvents, paints, adhesives, etc.); and the packaging of likely contaminated waste.

worthwhile to hire a crusher to produce aggregate directly from old unreinforced concrete, bricks and blocks, etc. Defective bricks, blocks, slates, tiles or pavers can all be broken up to use as inert fill material or as filter media in the bottom of surface water soakaways. Offcuts from reinforced concrete lintels can be used as pad-stones under steel beams but check with your structural engineer.

Plastic Look for the recycling logo on hard plastic (most can be recycled). As a rule of thumb most packaging, e.g. film like plastics and styrofoam, aren’t recyclable.

Chunks of plastic based insulation material can be fitted into gaps to enhance the thermal efficiency of your dwelling, although in reality many insulation products can’t be recycled and most of the offcuts will be skipped.

Skip hire

Having taken every opportunity to reduce and reuse waste materials, the next step is to deal with what is left. It is important to get advice on dealing with construction waste from your local council, which may also have a scheme for leaving a skip on your site.

Private skips for hire will usually have a cheaper price for inert material only, but most people opt for mixed skips which includes everything from plasterboard to plastic. According to EnviroWise UK the true cost of a mixed construction waste skip is over 15 times the cost of the skip hire due to sorting.

Currently, the typical cost of hiring a medium sized skip (7-8 tonne) is around £120.00 + VAT in NI / €300 in ROI. Larger skips reduce the cost of disposal per tonne. Bear in mind that skip filling needs supervision to avoid creating more waste than you expected (know what you will be filling it with as a priority), and if placed along

a road make sure it is securely covered so passers-by don’t use it for fly tipping. Most operators also require that you do not overfill it (must be level with the top of the skip).

Trips to landfill

The alternative to ordering skips is to make trips with your van or trailer to the local council waste facility, where they will charge for anything that is neither household waste nor recyclable.

If transporting your own waste, get a list from your council which shows the categories of waste and how much it will charge to process them.

In ROI you will need to register

Guide Selfbuild

at £30.50/tonne.

A back of the envelope calculation comparing trips to landfill versus skip hire weighs heavily in favour of making the trips, even if you hire casual labour to do it for you. Check in advance that the landfill accepts construction waste.

In the dumps

tidy on a daily basis, with unused materials stacked neatly, is always a good indicator of your workers’ attitudes to waste. If you are managing the site make sure you keep it clean, as this should help others on site be tidy too.

Hazardous waste

If not using a council skip or making trips to landfill, you must make sure that whoever takes it off your site is authorised to do so. Only give waste to local council waste services, a council-authorised waste contractor, licensed private waste operator or registered waste carrier.

There have been reports in the

Brownfield sites are defined as containing contaminated soil, but even a greenfield site can contain buried waste, so if you identify anything that looks like hazardous waste*, you must obtain expert advice on how to deal with it. The penalties for failing to control hazardous waste are severe.

The other source of hazardous waste for self-builders tends to be found in demolition works, due mainly to the absence of past

media recently of individuals posing as waste contractors, who charge a low fee and dump the waste illegally. If the price is too good to be true, there is usually a reason.

Be mindful too that if left unsupervised, the old practices of burying waste, incorporating unsuitable materials in fill and chucking cast-off items into cavities, voids and drainage trenches, will still happen.

A site which is kept clean and

legislation. Asbestos is a hazardous material that can be found in roof, ceiling and floor tiles, slates, some plasters, insulation and vermiculite products, and the cost of removal can easily run in the thousands.

Generally speaking, do not mix hazardous wastes with each other or with other non-hazardous waste, supervise what your site workers are dumping into the skip or trailer and prevent access to the skip by any unauthorised persons.

Hiring the largest skip size will reduce the cost per tonne but know exactly what you will be putting into it otherwise it will be filled by the tradesmen before you know it. Cover it to prevent fly tipping.

with the local council to get access to the landfill; the weight of your car and trailer or van is weighed upon entering and exiting. The cost varies but there is usually a minimum charge plus €200 per tonne.

The costs in NI tend to be lower with local authorities charging by type of waste. Charges at a typical council waste facility, which may differ in certain areas, are plasterboard at £50/tonne, timber at £41/tonne and contaminated soil

AUTUM N 2020 / S EL F BU IL D / 127

PLANNING YOUR BUILD / BUILDING THE DREAM

Getting started

Brian Corry

Much as we thought we had found out everything we needed to know about the site we bought in Co Down, there were still plenty of surprises along the way, writes self-builder Brian Corry who is on a mission to build himself an eco house.

Our self-build journey started as it often does, house hunting. My wife, Karen, and I had been looking for some time but none of the houses we visited delivered what we were looking for, and Karen eventually said she was surprised I hadn’t suggested a self-build considering that we wanted a house that worked with the landscape, was ecologically friendly and low carbon.

Several months later we found the dream site which had an old single storey cottage with outline planning permission. It had a long windy, narrow, lane and a magical stream running down the back of the property overlooking a small Lough. Just perfect.

Working with an architectural designer

Over a number of months, we played around with various layouts and shapes on paper but none seemed to work efficiently as a home until we settled on a rectangular design with a curved roof.

When we went to our architectural designer, we were able to give him our detailed layout. Even though this saved time, there was still plenty to do and this is when you get see the designer’s skill and experience in drawing up the plans. That fresh perspective and

12 8 / SE LF B U ILD / AU T U M N 2020

knowledge made our designs even better.

If we hadn’t already known exactly what we wanted, then we would have undoubtedly asked for initial sketches from a number of architectural designers and proceeded with the one we liked the most.

As it was, we employed an architect we knew and are happy with how the design turned out and with the suggestions he made.

We also knew our architect had a good rapport with the planners and he was able to guide us through gaining planning permission with

no hiccups.

Working with a QS

Spending so much money before we even broke ground led us to try and cost absolutely everything in the build. In hindsight, we should have employed a quantity surveyor (QS) from the very beginning instead of several months later.

However, it proved a very useful exercise to try to cost everything ourselves as it forced us to research and make decisions on bathroom fittings, the kitchen, floor coverings, lighting, etc.

What was most difficult was trying to work out the rates for the various trades and what time should be allocated for, say, plastering. This is where a QS comes into their own. They have up to date rates and know pretty accurately how long a job should take.

Knowing this is essential when you start to employ people directly to undertake work – how else will you know that you are not overpaying or whether the cheapest

quote you received is actually too low to be realistic?

Undoubtedly, having a QS does not remove all financial risk from a project however there is no hiding place when they do the sums and if you have been over optimistic then your QS should put you right. With the information they provide you should recoup their fee many times over, both in time and money.

To give you an example, our quantity surveyor gave us a breakdown of the preliminary costs: £725 for a temporary water connection, about £1,500 for the site office, accommodation and portaloo, and in excess of £3,500 for lifting equipment and generator.

The scaffolding hire for 300sqm for a period of 20 weeks, will come in at close to £5,500, and fuel, transport, site security and insurance also have to be factored in at this early stage, along with cleaning and tidying the site daily. Then of course there is the management, staffing and contracts manager, plus professional fees (QS, architect, engineer, energy assessor, solicitor).

Guide Selfbuild

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We wanted our house to be compact, to fit in with the surroundings and to reduce the build cost. An oversized home which costs a fortune to heat and maintain tends to be hard to sell when/if circumstances change.

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WL34.66 34.56

Curved roof

A curved or wing shaped roof blends in with the rolling drumlins of Co Down and allows us to have a full second story

Height

Planning constraints included a 6m maximum ridge height and a relatively small area on the site that we had to build the house within.

AUTUM N 2020 / S EL F BU IL D / 129

PLANNING YOUR BUILD / BUILDING THE DREAM

Room sizes

FIRST FLOOR

We concentrated on having a large kitchen/family room and good-sized bedrooms where we felt we would be spending the majority of our time.

Robes

Plant room

Bathroom Bedroom

Landing

Simple design decisions will make your life easier, such as making sure the drawer for the cutlery and cupboard for the crockery are all within reach of the dishwasher; similarly think of where you are most likely to do the ironing. Also consider where the TV, and charging stations for your phones, will be.

GROUND FLOOR

R ig h t ( W e s t ) E l e v a t i o n

En-suite

Master Bedroom

Functionality

Void Over Kitchen/Living Dinning

Entrance/ lobby

Store

Bedroom

R e a r ( S o u t h ) E le v a t io n

1: 10 0

Study Pantry

Cloaks

WC

Bedroom

l

En-suite Shower

Robes ,

ADDED COSTS Demolition

Anyone who has watched even a couple of episodes of Grand Designs will know that the road to self-building is strewn with over optimistic budgets.

Our first reality check was the demolition and clearing of the massively overgrown, sloping site. It was only when we had cleared the vegetation that we realised we needed to cut and fill large sections to create a relatively flat area for the build.

An extra couple of days of digger work plus the stoning suddenly doubled the actual budget allocated.

13 0 / SE LF B U ILD / AU T U M N 2020

Utility

Christmas tree l

Kitchen

Dining

F r o n t ( N o r t h ) E le v a t io n

Make sure there is sufficient space for at least one large Christmas tree in your new home, with a double socket close by. Also where you will store it, along with suitcases and other seasonal items. ,

Laneway gravel

That nice long laneway I mentioned at the start in reality cost a small fortune in stone to make it suitable for lorries to access. This was something we definitely hadn’t budgeted for.

Even after we had demolished the existing structure many tonnes of stone was needed to ensure the site was clean for vehicles to park on. £10K disappeared quick as a flash – ouch.

Living 1: 10 0

L e f t ( E a s t ) E le v a t i o n

Sitting Room

Furniture

,

We started by asking ourselves how many rooms we really needed as opposed to wanted. We were strict in not building in dining rooms, reception rooms etc. Our experience, growing up and with other people’s homes was that these rooms rarely got used so why bother with them?

Bugbears

We asked ourselves what things we found awkward in our current home and asked our friends too. We always felt that the laundry basket is never where you need it so we have made space for a chute directly to the washing machine from upstairs.

,

Compact design

John Corless, of Selfbuild Live fame, is forever mentioning the need to ensure that the furniture you want will actually fit in the room. We researched and got actual measurements for L-shaped sofas, our kitchen table, American style fridge, etc. to ensure that there was sufficient space for what we intended to buy.

Electricity connection

We had made an allowance of £20,000 for bringing electricity to the site but the reality is that you need to place a firm order and pay a deposit before a proper survey is undertaken.

It took months of planning, speaking to neighbours and pouring over Google maps to find a suitable route that everyone would be happy with – at a cost of £21,000 for the connection and approximately £3,000 for us to organise digging the trench.

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