New Build vs. Tried and Tested

As with everything in life there are pros and there are cons in every large decision that we face included the purchase of a home. Whether you opt for an older property or decide on a brand new build can hinge on a number of factors, both options have good points and bad points.

New Build Homes – The Case For
A new build home can be very appealing. Everything is new and, in theory, in good working order. You may have the opportunity to choose from a range of kitchen units, worktops and tiling in both the kitchen and the bathroom(s).

The roof, windows and doors will all be in sound condition and compliant with current British Standards. Fitted bedroom furniture is a popular feature and many house builders will give you the choice to have a fire place or not and to choose between French and patio doors.

In essence you have a wide choice and a blank slate to work with. Yes, you will probably have to buy flooring for the whole house but you won’t have to rip out someone else’s and your new home comes with guarantees. These are the pros to a new build, but what are the cons?

New Build Homes – The Case Against
New build houses generally have smaller rooms. Some show homes may even have no doors, giving a false indication of space.

Settling of the property can cause stairs to come away from walls and nails to ‘pop’ out of walls. In extreme cases cracks can appear.

There will be very few light fittings; no window dressings, no flooring and the chances are your back garden will be left resembling a building site.
These are the downsides to a new build but are tried and tested homes really any better?

The Pre-Owned Property – The Up Side
Generally in older properties the room sizes are more generous and the chances are the house will have done all its settling.

Gardens will be more mature and possibly larger depending on location.
Fixtures and fitting may be sold with the property providing a stop gap between moving in and having to replace curtains, carpets and lights. White goods are more likely to be left as well.

Depending on your taste you may find a suitable property that you simply bring your furniture to and you are good to go. These up sides can be more financial than aesthetic in nature but what if you really don’t like the décor?

The Pre- Owned Property – The Down Side
If the property is really old you may find that you are entering a time warp filled with avocado bathroom suites and Paisley patterns carpets. If these are not to your taste they can be hard to live with. You may find yourself faced with the cost of replacing flooring and bathrooms as well as kitchen units and woodchip wall paper.

The older the property the more likely some structural work maybe required if it hasn’t already been undertaken. This is the biggest downside. Many glorious, well-proportioned, large properties that are 100 years of age or more can become money pits.

If you are looking for some practical advice? Think it through carefully before setting your heart on anything. Keen on an older property? There is no harm in consulting a professional like an architect who can tell you about the area, the property and the long term challenges you may face.

An Update From Our MD - Kenneth Martin

Right, 10 minutes to go before the next episode of Grand Designs so thought I would give this quick update.

So many things going on now with Block Architects particularly now that we are heading towards the Christmas Shut Down. I'm sure Gordon White of fatBuzz will not want me mentioning Christmas so I did just to anoy him... (He'll probably go in and edit that bit!!!

Anyway, Christmas is approaching fast and as it does, we find ourselves in that position where the work load increases and the time left to do it in is decreases. Don't worry though we always get things done!

Between now and December we are looking at Building Warrants for 3 new bespoke houses, 3 self builds on site for site inspection already with another due to start next week in Hamilton and 1 more to go in for planning before Christmas. Multiple house alterations and extensions are at various stages and we have a dentist surgery on site in Burnbank Hamilton. We also have a secret project that we cannot talk about yet but hey, it's a belter as they say!

Today we were told that we had achieved planning approval for 2 house plots for the Celtic FC Legend Mr Bertie Auld. A great result! When I told him today you would think that he had scored a goal!!!

I must also thank Bertie at this point for arranging a signed football top for a charity fundraiser for The Beatson in Glasgow. My dear friend and former colleague Jon-Marc Creaney is fighting Cancer and Lanarkshire Business Group did a fundraiser last weekend where they raised in excess of £4000. WELL DONE!!!!

Well that's as much as I can write in 10 min as the Grand Designs theme tune has started.

Finally, we will record another #blockpodcast No 4 before Christmas so watch out for this and please do listen in.

Please also remember you can follow Block Architects on our Facebook Page by clicking here.

Self Build Homes – From Foundations Upwards

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.

Self Build Homes - Starting With A Good Foundation

Following the announcement by the Housing Minister that the Government will encourage lending for self build, we thought we would drop this blog post.

The popularity of self build homes in on the increase and many people dream of living in a home that they have designed specifically to suit the needs of them and their family. Before that can become a reality however there are a few steps that need to be taken.

Finding A Plot
Finding a piece of land and deciding that you want to live there is the beginning of the process then you need to see if the plot you have chosen is suitable for the home you wish to build.

There are a variety of different factors that will affect the suitability of the land from type of soil, slope of the plot to the proximity of rivers, burns and trees. Having a proper land survey carried out which involves soil samples and test bore holes is valuable and, when digging out your foundations can quite literally prevent you from pouring money down a big hole!

A Good Foundation
Foundations are not just about digging a big enough hole and pouring concrete into it. This is the beginning of your home and one of the most important parts to get right. If the foundations are laid well, if they are the right kind and they are strong enough then you are off to a flying start with your self build.

Foundations come in three main forms strip, raft or pile and your architect is best placed to be able to advise which type will suit your build and plot.

Site Preparation
You have had test bores done, you know what kind of soil you are dealing with, your architect is happy with the positioning of rivers and trees and any slope is being worked around – you are now ready to clear the site.

This part of the preparation doesn’t require any real expertise unless there are large trees that may need to be felled. Many trees have preservation orders on them and you can’t touch them so its best to find out from your local planning office if that is the case before revving up your chain saw!

If you do have to remove any large trees you are best to leave the site to settle before commencing any building works. Removal of large trees or a large number of trees can change the equilibrium of the surrounding soil and may have an impact on the foundations required.

At each one of these stages you will find the expertise of your architect invaluable and having them on board right from the beginning could save you time and money.

Bringing in an architect even before you have settled on a plot and bought it makes good sense.

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Green Architecture and The Passivhaus Standard

In 1991 the first ever dwelling to meet the passivhaus standard was constructed. With energy consumption remaining at less than 10kWh per square metre over a year, energy saving is somewhere in the region of 90% when compared to traditionally built homes. It is no wonder that interest in applying the passivhaus standard is increasing.

The standard was first developed by Prof Bo Adamson and Prof Wolfgang Feist due to the problems of increasing demand for fossil fuels and global warming. A solution was needed for these issues and so the passivhaus standard was born.

The simplicity of the standard is its strength; build a house that has excellent thermal properties, is completely airtight and then ventilate the house mechanically. That is more or less it. Adding further energy efficient systems such as solar panels are entirely optional. Adding rainwater harvesting and greywater recycling to further enhance the green aspects of the build will help to make it more environmentally friendly.

Using this standard, an energy efficient building can be built anywhere…including Antarctica! To gain the thermal properties required by the standard, triple glazing, super insulation and a ground heat exchanger are all important.

Regular testing and user feedback indicates that the interior of a passivhaus does not fall below 16 degrees Celsius even during the coldest winter months and despite a mechanical ventilation system the indoor air quality remained good.

This standard is not only suitable for residential homes but can be used for any building, industrial or commercial, to reduce fuel bills. In the face of climate change this is a massive step in the right direction and there are now examples of passivhaus buildings in every European country as well as the USA, Canada, China, Japan and Australia.

Passivhaus is a global solution to a global issue and is going to become ever more popular. Whilst it is relatively easy to adopt the standard for a new build it is difficult to refurbish a building to the standard without undertaking major works.
However, even when a building is refurbished using “passivhaus-suitable components” but does not meet the necessary criteria to receive certification, the building will still benefit greatly from the use of the energy efficient materials.

It is worth noting that although a passivhaus retrofit may need planning permission, the local planning department should look favourably on the project and your architect will be able to advise you on this.

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