You have bought your plot, had soil surveys done, any trees removed and the site cleared – you are ready to start digging! Your builder may even have pegged out a plan on the ground so you have an idea of the foot print of your self build home.
Materials can start to be delivered and now is when you have to be organised. You need to leave enough room around the build for scaffolding, bricks and blocks to be laid out, you need to make sure that any deliveries made do not hinder other services being installed such as gas, electricity, telephone, water and waste and you should ensure that lorries have good access to the site.
Sticking a sign in a prominent place to indicate the location of your site to delivery drivers is also a good idea, saves your bricks from begin delivered to your new neighbour two doors down!
If you are not planning on living on site then you will need somewhere secure to lock valuable tools etc. away or hire a security guard to watch over the site and protect it from what may be costly vandalism. If you do decide that a caravan on site is the way to go you will need to get permission from the local council.
Once the footings are up to ground level you will see the shape of your self build home start to take shape. The ground floor walls can now be started and once complete, scaffolding erected for the start of the second floor.
Once the build reaches just below roof height more scaffolding will be required to take the build to truss height. By this point you will clearly see the size of your self build home. A third and four scaffold lift may be required to complete the roof and gable end. Once the roof trusses have been felted and battened, the tiles or slates can be put in place and your roof is water tight.
Adding in the windows and doors will make the whole build wind and water tight and the internal fixes can begin. Pipes for plumbing, water and heating go in and all electrical wiring can be put in place. If you have ever been annoyed by a lack of sockets or switches and by trailing wires tucked around door frames and skirting boards, now is the time to solve both these issues.
Stud walls, staircases and floor boards complete the internal layout and the first fix. Plastering of the walls can now begin. Floor covering and tiling work can be done and a final fix on the plumbing, joinery and electrical wiring can be completed.
With pipes connected to the sewer and cables connected to the electricity supply your home will almost be ready for you to move in. Painting, decorating, kitchen units and bathrooms suites finish the place off.
There is a lot of work connected with a self build and you should be prepared for it to take some time but the final outcome will be worth the wait. If you feel you want to, you can project manage this whole process yourself but if it seems daunting to be dealing with builders, joiners, scaffolders, plumbers and electricians, not to mention building inspectors then your architect can be your project manager.
If you have enjoyed this article then click here for more self build information.
No comments:
Post a Comment