future simple passive

12 Feb 2014

Work starts on the house foundations!!!

Andrew, Paul and Ally returned to site last week, but with weather conditions being what they are it was no easy task! My mum was heading back to Cork and on the way to the airport we stopped by the site to see how things were going and to drop off this week's baked treat, however we didn't hang around. The driving, freezing rain and wind saw us off fairly quickly. After a quick chat, Andrew and Paul took shelter in the container and Ally in his digger. It managed to drive them off too, shortly after lunch.

When the weather has allowed, they have been continuing with levelling the ground and laying stone so that vehicular access is good to the whole upper area. On the lower level the foundation work is starting. We are having a raft foundation so the whole base is being built up and levelled. The first thing was the slab perforations, where the drains will be (you can read more in 'A Failed Attempt At Lightening Bathroom Choices'). Ally has been moving earth around on the lower level ( see 'Garden Daydreaming Delight').

Our drains.

The past couple of weeks have seen a frantic flurry of paperwork. Not only were drawings needed on-site imminently, but the warranty providers are inspecting all the drawings and details - not necessarily a bad thing. There is also the paperwork associated with drawing-down of funds from our self-build mortgage, but you will hear all about that soon, when I gather the emotional distance and fortitude to write about the shenanigans so far.

Off-site I have been tasked with sorting out the slates. Sourcing the reclaimed slates for the exterior and also finding a local roofer to install them. This has been very enjoyable, not least as an escape from the Kafka-esque paperwork issues. It also reminds me that the amazing project which we are working towards is going to be our beautiful home and it will all be worth it in the end. The tile size in our drawings is one of the smaller sizes, and although not stocked everywhere I have been able to find a few reclamation yards with enough in stock. We've considered changing this size of slate but it has too many complications so I'd rather just stick with what we've got as long as I can find them. I've loved looking at the photos of the tiles, all weathered and some are covered in lichen. It's a nice feeling to be giving these materials the next step in their life story. It also means that I get distracted and over-excited by other random objects on their websites- I AM partial to millstones and things made of metal!

6 Feb 2014

A fortnight

We have had a two week break on-site whilst the final costing spreadsheet was completed and then analysed.

The build is estimated to cost just slightly more than the initial budget, which means we are now working to a contract value of about £195K, rather than £180K. We had allowed some contingency to cover this, and in reality it is fantastic that we have got so close to the original budget. I've seen Grand Designs enough to know that often quotes from builders come back at 2 or 3 times the original budget. However the groundworks overspend blew our contingency out of the water!

So, what would you do? Do you redesign in order to bring the costs down (which will have costs of their own; architects fees, time delay costs, potentially losing our builder to another project for a few months, etc.). Our answer to this is 'no'. Dimitri and I are, as financial advisors like to classify it, "risk adverse"! So we have applied our scientific background to objectively analyse the evidence and decided that we will proceed and it will all be fine!

The fabric of the building is essential, that cannot be redone at a later stage. We have confidence that it has been designed to maximise performance in the simplest and most cost effective manner. If compromises are to be made to the budget then that can be effected at the interiors stage. We always knew that budgets would be tight and that creativity would be the name of the game, in fact i'm really looking forward to that bit.

Andrew has priced using a higher price index than the one we hope we be able to use (remember that local builders merchants were 20% more expensive than WTBS). So we are anticipating a general downward trend in costs of materials. This saving though is probably best used as a future contingency against any more overspend.

There are extras currently in the spreadsheet which may have to be stripped out, such as PV Panels. As we are using a gas boiler for our hot water and underfloor heating it is not essential that these are installed in the first instance.

We have approached our mortgage company and asked about borrowing more money and over the phone they have agreed that in principle this should be fine. However, just to keep everyone on their toes they don't like to approve anything until you have already spent all of your original loan. Presumably this is because they don't want to encourage further overspend. However, the result is that, potentially, you knowingly spend all your money before the house is finished with no guarantee of a further release of money. Any more stress for anyone?

Weeks 6 & 7 - The groundworks nightmare which never ends

Andrew and Paul returned to site and got stuck in straight away to get rid of any of those extra pounds accrued over the festive season. A large delivery of STEPOC (big, heavy concrete blocks, self-shuttering for those who are interested) had to be relocated by sheer physical effort from the upper to the lower part of the site, taking the best part of a day.

We thought it was all under control - the end was in sight...
It was supposed to be two weeks back on site and those retaining walls would be finished, the costs had all been predicted and it would all be over. At last we would be able to start spending money on the house, not the groundworks.

Perhaps we were too relaxed over Christmas and the Gods heard us telling everyone that at last the end was in sight! So they thought they'd teach us a lesson - does that sound paranoid?

There had been slippage on site over the Xmas break, nothing too major but movement none the less. So enough was enough, in order to ensure safety the decision has been made to get in a BIG excavator and a driver and grade back the cut at an angle to make sure nothing is going to slip. The bracing had done its job in order to pour the wall footings, but in order to build the walls it will have to come down. The guys can't work there building the walls if there is any chance at all that ground might slip. It's definitely the right decision but it's going to cost, around £2,500 in the end...it's only money! Safety is the most important thing so I accept the costs with no hesitation but with the benefit of hindsight, it's what we should have done from the start.

The silver lining is that the very lovely Ali, expert digger driver, is now working with us and he is an absolute star. He has instilled a sense of calm within us all now with his expertise of local conditions and his friendly, helpful manner. I wish we had had him from the beginning. Fantastically in the end all the walls were finished within the estimated two weeks. Well done chaps!

A huge photo cascade to follow, that's what happens when i get behind with my blogging. I've added captions which is a bit tiresome for you and me but probably more helpful.

Ally and his huge digger.

It's a big one.

Just a bit muddy.

Stoning up the site to stop it becoming a quagmire.

The first course of the causeway retaining wall.

Andrew hiding behind the completed retaining wall, which was later backfilled without him underneath!

The completed retaining wall at the other side.

The whole family checking out the progress on site.

Scrabbling up the backfilled causeway - i'm hoping the wall will eventually be greened by climbing plants and the causeway will be tunnel covered walkway with plants growing all around.

Our very own mountain of earth or Krakatoa as Andrew fondly calls it (the boys are more interested in the port-a-loo, obviously!).

Doing my best to catch up on the last few weeks, it's been hectic.

4 Jan 2014

Christmas Break

Happy New Year!

The project has been there in the background but family life has taken priority for a couple of weeks! It has been great to have a little rest from the constant busy-ness of the build. Not that we haven't been busy with Christmas in Cork and New Year in Oxford but it has been lovely to catch up with friends and family.

The house has now been named and registered, it's a shame you don't get a birth certificate. This has been harder than naming a child. Do you name it for it's shape and form, it's design ethos, it's position, something relevant to locality, us, the design team? Nothing boring, comic, or twee. Nothing too self important and formal. It's a very fine line between interesting and naff. For months now the back of the kitchen door has been covered in suggestions. Everyone who has visited us has given us their opinion. Other names were in strong contention for a long while, but in the end when the right name came along we knew it straight away. I don't think it is a popular choice, but it is our choice. What is it? We're not going to share it now, we'll keep it for a surprise for later.

In December Andrew and Paul returned to Somerset but work continued as CLD released the drawings package for the house, the exterior and fabric drawings. There are some gorgeous little details which were so exciting to see. I got very excited about a metal detail at the bottom of the slate cladding which will prevent the water running straight down the wood cladding. The en-suite bathroom has changed and the guest/music/play/everything else room is taking shape.

Andrew is now getting into all the details himself and checking it is all workable as well as projecting the costings for the next stage of the build in more detail. When we know how much that is going to cost then we will be able to start on the very exciting part of the interiors. But like me, you will just have to learn to be very patient until then - it doesn't come naturally...

Visit future simple passive's profile on Pinterest.

But this doesn't stop me dreaming and obsessing and over the break I have refined my pinterest boards (look at me, all over these social media sites!). I can't rave enough about pinterest, it's so amazing - no longer am I restricted to just what is in magazines. If you are interested in what i find inspiring please go over and take a look.

On site - the water company confirmed that they would make the connection before Christmas. I went up the day after the connection was supposed to have been completed only to find the temporary traffic lights still in place and a big hole in the road (into which the rain water runoff was pouring!).

It seems that the ground broke their digger and they were waiting for another to be delivered from Birmingham. "Bad ground" they said, "I know" I said. Fortunately this was one delay/problem that had no implications for me! I waved them good luck and farewell in the rain, they had yet to actually locate the mains water pipe in all that solid rock under the road.

3 Jan 2014

Week 5 - Pouring the footings of the retaining walls

The final few days of work before Christmas - getting those foundations for the retaining walls poured!

It was exhausting, relentless work from the look of it. Andrew and Paul looked wrecked! It took a few hours but so good to see something happening. I think it buoyed all our spirits.

Week 4 - Propping the slip and best foot forward

So Monday afternoon saw Charles, our structural engineer, and I, join Andrew on site to have a look at the slip and discuss next steps. Charles was happy that we could prop the area and that would allow work to continue safely. Andrew was keen that our solution be in timber as that's what he knows best and it can also be reused later in the project - sustainability!

So by Tuesday afternoon we had the very lovely hand drawn drawings (it makes me want all my technical drawings done by hand now!) and the delay was over.

Week 3 - Soakaway, hub & more rocks

What a week. Well, we are really getting into the swing of this housebuilding thing and the honeymoon period is well and truly over! Why, oh why, does the most unpredictable and therefore most costly and stressful part come first?!?

But let's start at the beginning of the week which on-site was going really well. The soakaway was completed - a large deep hole filled with crates and stone which allows rainwater to soak back into the ground instead of running off.

The soakaway.

Look concrete - something is being built!