[gangzoom]

Some delays with roofers, but progress still going on. I thought we were done with destroying things....I was wrong, the one remaining 'untouched' room now has no celling



The upstairs space is looking fantastic though, I noticed the builders had put a chair outside the new master bedroom. I couldn't help but go and have a look.

All I can is the architect has 100% delivered on their brief, which was 'Better views of the garden'. Cannot wait to finish work and come home to this view with a beer .

[Danny Fireblade]

I can’t remember if you’re getting solar panels or battery storage at all?

[gangzoom]

Originally Posted by Danny Fireblade

I can’t remember if you’re getting solar panels or battery storage at all?

Have 4KW solar and Tesla PW already, clearly both will be retained. I want to add another 4KW of solar but budget might be stretched. Have also looked at ASHP, but I don't want to add to complexity of install. Will make sure radiators are good for future ASHP specs, though the entire ground floor will now have wet UFH so that will help.

[Pond]

Originally Posted by gangzoom

Have also looked at ASHP, but I don't want to add to complexity of install. Will make sure radiators are good for future ASHP specs

Don't oversize your rads in an attempt to "future proof" if you are using a boiler in the meantime. That won't work. Rads should be sized to the system they are working on. It should be quite straightforward to change them later if needed (as long as the plumber leaves decent tails to get onto).

BTW if you can possibly avoid an ASHP; do. They are shite!

[gangzoom]

^Don't disagree on ASHPs .

I do keep on wondering if we should something 'radical' with room layout upstairs. The £70kish of complex steel install has essentially left us with almost an uninterrupted upstairs open space, with plenty of light, interesting angles etc to play with.

To be fair all of the new upstairs space is really just going to be one massive master suite, with ensuite big enough for a bathtub and walk in wardrobe......we could go totally 'European' and have it all open to the main entrance gable/atrium........though that's taking it too far even for me with my laissez-faire attitude.

Once water tight I'll have a chat with the builder on where we should stick in the studd walls.

[Bryans69]

Originally Posted by gangzoom

^Don't disagree on ASHPs .

I do keep on wondering if we should something 'radical' with room layout upstairs. The £70kish of complex steel install has essentially left us with almost an uninterrupted upstairs open space, with plenty of light, interesting angles etc to play with.

To be fair all of the new upstairs space is really just going to be one massive master suite, with ensuite big enough for a bathtub and walk in wardrobe......we could go totally 'European' and have it all open to the main entrance gable/atrium........though that's taking it too far even for me with my laissez-faire attitude.

Once water tight I'll have a chat with the builder on where we should stick in the studd walls.

Probably too late to say I think you should have gone with a bigger kitchen...

I'm still struggling to fully visualize this, but love the updates, and a cracking garden by they way

[Pond]

Originally Posted by gangzoom

^Don't disagree on ASHPs .

I do keep on wondering if we should something 'radical' with room layout upstairs. The £70kish of complex steel install has essentially left us with almost an uninterrupted upstairs open space, with plenty of light, interesting angles etc to play with.

To be fair all of the new upstairs space is really just going to be one massive master suite, with ensuite big enough for a bathtub and walk in wardrobe......we could go totally 'European' and have it all open to the main entrance gable/atrium........though that's taking it too far even for me with my laissez-faire attitude.

Once water tight I'll have a chat with the builder on where we should stick in the studd walls.

Open plan bedroom suites look good in pictures, but as an everyday proposition.....would you want to watch your other half having a shit while you are in bed, or vice versa?
Same as having 'his and hers' basins....great in photos but a total waste of money...ablutions should NEVER be a team game IMO.


Where the shower and bath go are the important bits, as you will have restricted height due to the roof pitch in many places. You need a free height of at least 2.2m for easy access to either of the former. I once put a corner bath in a dropped eaves bathroom. Bad mistake as you had to get in and out very carefully. Looked great in pictures, though!

With some thought and planning (and a bit of money), you should be able to make that a spectacular space.

If you can, make a corridor and get another bedroom out of it. A massive bedroom is a waste of space...great for a week but you will soon be lost in it. IMO and experience of course.

[gangzoom]

Originally Posted by Bryans69

Probably too late to say I think you should have gone with a bigger kitchen...

You sound like our architect .

The down stair space is almost as open as the upstairs, there is no load bearing wall needed between the kitchen and current living room. It’s nearly 15 meter of uninterrupted sight line at present, but we have friends with kitchens similar size, and its not for us.

We like the kitchen to be ‘cosy’, though I’m not sure how it’ll feel with main island in the atrium. Still at 35sq meters, it’s hardly a ‘small’ size by most people’s standards(our architect aside).



One thing we still 100% haven’t decided on the stairs, we currently going for custom made open-string with some fancy bannister but its not cheap

[gangzoom]

Originally Posted by Pond

Where the shower and bath go are the important bits, as you will have restricted height due to the roof pitch in many places. You need a free height of at least 2.2m for easy access to either of the former. I once put a corner bath in a dropped eaves bathroom. Bad mistake as you had to get in and out very carefully. Looked great in pictures, though!

With some thought and planning (and a bit of money), you should be able to make that a spectacular space.

If you can, make a corridor and get another bedroom out of it. A massive bedroom is a waste of space...great for a week but you will soon be lost in it. IMO and experience of course.

It hard to tell in the pictures but the flat roof height is pretty much 2.2 meters, and most the living space upstairs has loads of head room, I cannot praise our architect enough for coming up with the sizing/space choices.

As for the number of rooms upstairs, the architect had originally put in another bedroom and family bathroom. We made him take both out .

We are building the house for us, no one else, and we simply don’t need the extra rooms. Future owners can do what they like with the space. The steel structure is specced to accommodate floor boards so habitable rooms can be place where both atriums are, if someone wanted to really turn the house into something boring with 6/7 double bedrooms. But that’ll happen over my literal dead body .

As for ££££££, I’ve honestly given up keeping to any budget, the current figure in my head is about three times what we originally wanted to spend, and double the original build quote. It’s only £££££ at the end of the day, its pretty useless sitting in a bank account .

[Watsey]

In the photo of the kitchen space I'm seeing the base of the doorways being only a couple of brick courses above the level of the beam & block floor. Where's the insulation going to be installed that'll stop the floor becoming a MASSIVE heat sink ?

We don't have UFH but the part of the extension that contains our kitchen/diner has beam & block, 150mm closed cell insulation, 75mm screed, then 20mm for the porcelain tiles on grout, AND unfortunately the floor gets effing freezing in the winter.

[Pond]

[QUOTE=Watsey;30704586]the part of the extension that contains our kitchen/diner has beam & block, 150mm closed cell insulation, 75mm screed, /QUOTE]

That is excessive! The last house I built with B&B floors had 75mm solid insulation and 50mm screed. It achieved band 'A' energy efficiency on the waste of time EPC aswell.

[Pond]

There are two phrases that I have taken a lot of notice of over my 30 years of renovating and building houses:

"A house is a machine for living in, make it the most efficient in every way" from a book I read.

"Space is a luxury, not a necessity...use it wisely" was my late dad's advice.

[Pond]

Originally Posted by gangzoom

As for ££££££, I’ve honestly given up keeping to any budget,

If I recall, don't you work for the NHS? Sounds a common theme with your employers too!

[gangzoom]

Originally Posted by Watsey

In the photo of the kitchen space I'm seeing the base of the doorways being only a couple of brick courses above the level of the beam & block floor. Where's the insulation going to be installed that'll stop the floor becoming a MASSIVE heat sink ?

We don't have UFH but the part of the extension that contains our kitchen/diner has beam & block, 150mm closed cell insulation, 75mm screed, then 20mm for the porcelain tiles on grout, AND unfortunately the floor gets effing freezing in the winter.

The builders have built many houses with UFH, I’ve built nothing but Ikea furniture. I leave it to them to do their job .

[gangzoom]

Originally Posted by Pond

There are two phrases that I have taken a lot of notice of over my 30 years of renovating and building houses:

"A house is a machine for living in, make it the most efficient in every way" from a book I read.

"Space is a luxury, not a necessity...use it wisely" was my late dad's advice.

I have no intention of building or renovating another house ever again. I have very clear memories of living in a shared council semi with 3 other families sharing one toilet. Space and time are the ultimate luxuries, and we all chose to use luxuries in different ways, hence why we are choosing to use the space in how we want to live in it, and how others think we should use it .

[gangzoom]

Originally Posted by Pond

If I recall, don't you work for the NHS? Sounds a common theme with your employers too!

That’s a different topic, given US is going to hit over 20% GDP spent on health care this year, and the NHS is at 12%, it suggest there is a lot more spending needed in the NHS!

[gangzoom]

We have windows and walls….sort off

Original plan was to have all the glazing installed this week, but delays with the roofer meant scaffolding still everywhere, so rather than risk damaging expensive glass as the build carries on, the glazers installed what they could and rest will come probably end of Jan 2024.

Still what’s gone in looks good, and the view from the bedroom will be great (once the scaffolding is gone!).

Internal walls also appearing, first fix electric and plumbing will start soon.

Our builder is the eternal optimist, he still thinks we’ll be done by Easter 2024, I’m not so sure, as long as we are in before summer turns to autumn 2024 I’ll be happy! I can see now why Kevin McCloud talks about building sucking in the energy of their owners/builders etc, and why most sane people don’t try this kind of thing……..but where the fun in the life without a bit of insanity .

[KRS_SN]

Our in laws and the extended family were at our house last xmas and new year and were supposed to be at our sister in laws House this xmas and NY as it was expected to be completed for easter 2023.
She's doing a modern build with grass on the roof and glass walls and only 1 bathroom upstairs and a tiny kitchen etc ie a show home type of project.
Surprise that it's still not ready and all are descending at ours again this xmas. 1 week to go before our boring 5 bed gets full occupancy for a week.

[gangzoom]

^I've lost count the number of times trades, installers have said the words 'This looks complicated for a domestic install' .

We are amazingly lucky to be able to rebuild the house in a way totally unquie for us. So why not, life is short, so why not go for something mad.

[isleaiw1]

Originally Posted by gangzoom

^I've lost count the number of times trades, installers have said the words 'This looks complicated for a domestic install' .

We are amazingly lucky to be able to rebuild the house in a way totally unquie for us. So why not, life is short, so why not go for something mad.

There are a million reasons, many dont apply when you are not subject to the commercial realities of private sector businesses...

Its great you can do it, most of us can only dream of your job security and pensions. And then your colleagues go on strike for more money. They have no idea of the real world. Not a dig, just a commentary. Anyway, enjoy your house. It looks fab, But as a worker in the commercial world, everything I invest in has to pay - cars arent an investment, they are disposable income, so can lose what they like, I treat the money spent as lost!

Its fab though - that is what job security gives you. Dont undervalue it!

[gangzoom]

Originally Posted by isleaiw1

Its fab though - that is what job security gives you. Dont undervalue it!

My parents were made redundant 3 times in the 2000s, had to take up work in Sheffield, Cambridge before finally taking early/forced retirement in London. My previous mentor told me before he retired, 'Just don't do anything that lands you in front of the coroner, you will be set for life'.

My parents tried to stop me applying to medical school because they didn't think I would get the grades, but I didn't want to spend my entire working life been worried about losing my job, some how managed to get the grades needed which I think surprised everyone.

I fully appreciate the amazing situation I have now found my self in, I cannot believe I get paid to do what I do, let alone paid enough to do this build project which I could only dream about when I was at Uni. That's why I have no interest in trying to second guess our builder or architect etc, I know my skill set in life, and its 100% not building .

Ironically though because I have followed everything my mentors taught me at work, I have found my self in a very senior leadership role within the local organisation. So I now have the pleasure of seeing the local coroner on a regular basis, we are almost on first name basis.......I say almost, but the reality is she still makes me sweat like a pig on the stand .









....and I'm not a member of any union, however I fully respect, and committed to supporting the rights of colleagues to take part in industrial action, whilst mindful that the safety of patients in our organisation should be every employee's top priority.

[un1eash]

Back on topic it looks like things are starting to come together. I bet once it's weather proof and you've got decent trades the interior will come together pretty quick. Look forward to seeing your vision complete.

I could never build or design a house myself, I wouldn't know where to start. Took us weeks just to decide on wall paper.

I agree if your going to build a house then build it to how you want. No point having 5/6 bedrooms if there's only the 3 of you. My partner really liked a 2200 sq foot 6 bed house when we moved last but when we sat down and worked things out 2 bedrooms would be empty and we'd never use the separate dining room so why not find something that makes best use of the space where we need it most.