Homebuilding

&RENOVATING

ULTIMATE
DESIGN &
BUILD GUIDE

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Contents
When it comes to planning,
designing and building your own
home or taking on a renovation, it
pays to have as much information
at your fingertips as possible to guide
you through the process. On the
following pages, you can find some
of the best advice from the pages of
Homebuilding & Renovating in 2016,
which together creates the ultimate
design and build guide. With articles
on everything from understanding
your build costs and designing a
home for life to saving £1,000s when
reclaiming VAT, foundations for
difficult sites, constructing a low-
energy home and much more
besides — you’ll find everything you
need to know to get your project
underway in 2017.
3_Welcome.indd 5
WELCOME
6 The Building Journey Explained
We reveal how to get your self-build or
renovation project off the ground
8 Understanding Your Build Costs
Building expert Mark Brinkley explains
how to estimate your self-build costs
12 The Art of Extending: A Design Masterclass
Everything you need to know about creating
the next chapter in the history of your home
16 How to Project Manage Subbies Successfully
Serial self-builder David Snell reveals how to get the best
from subcontractors — and what you can expect to pay
20 14 Steps to a Smooth Design Process
Architect Neil Turner explains how to ensure
your project goes well from day one
22 12 Top Tips for Self-build Success
Leading industry experts share their words of wisdom
25 10 Things You Need to
Know About Oak Frame
What you should consider before
building using this natural material
30 Designing a Home for Life
Planning to stay put in your new home? Design expert
Charlie Luxton explains how to design a flexible home for life
34 How Works Packages Helped Our Budgeting
Architect Neil Turner explains how a scientific
approach to costs can help you stay on budget
36 How to Save Serious
Money with VAT Reclaims
VAT can be claimed back on many elements of self-build
and conversion projects if you keep to the rules. Here, we
explain how to make every reclaimable penny count
41 Why Are My Builders’
Quotes Beyond Budget?
Project manager Bob Branscombe explains why
builders’ quotes are higher than expected and how
to avoid the situation from the off
44 Making Sense of Your Eco Home Options
Eco expert Tim Pullen explains what
measures are best suited to your project
52 Foundations for Difficult Sites
Difficult sites can become expensive headaches. Surveyor Ian
Rock provides solutions for the most problematic plots
homebuilding.co.uk 5
09/12/2016 12:13
 The Building Journey Explained
Jason Orme reveals the best ways to begin your self-build or renovation journey
1
Get Your Finances Straight
Everything starts – and eventual-
ly ends – with money. Get a clear
answer on what you can borrow from your
bank (try Buildstore for specialist self-build
mortgage advice) and get a sense of the
total pot of money you have. Then begin to cost
your project. If it’s a self-build, you’ll need to
allow for the plot price to be factored in (the
portion of the total pot it takes depends on your
local housing market, but is typically 50 to 80 per
cent in more expensive areas). At this pre-design
stage, you can do no more than guess a price for
the building work, which for new build homes
should be around £1,300/m2 and for extensions,
realistically, £1,500/m2. Until you begin to agree
a design, and a build route, it’s nothing but
guesswork at this stage — but it will be enough
to go to a designer with.
2
Find the Site
For extenders and renovators who already
own a home, it’s not a problem. But for
would-be self-builders, finding the right plot
opportunity can be the most difficult thing
they’ll do. Get active — and serious. Check the
weekly list of planning applications submit-
ted and decided in your local authority area.
If you live in England, register with your local
authority under their Right to Build scheme.
Use Google Maps to try and identify bits of
land in side gardens that are yet to be built on,
and write to the owner (you can find out who
owns it through Land Registry) to see if they’ll
sell to you. Register with Plotfinder, which has
details of private individuals selling land without
wanting to go through estate agents. Eventually,
it will happen — so when it does, make sure you
have the finances ready to purchase.
3
Create a Design Brief
Before you engage with a designer, you
need to work out your own priorities —
they can’t tell you what you want, just find smart
ways to help you achieve it. Think about overall
styles, of course, as well as more tangible ele-
6 homebuilding.co.uk
4-5_GetStarted.indd 6
ments like kitchen space and the number of
bedrooms, but don’t get too bogged down in
the detail just yet. Any good design will be an
individual reaction to the site and the needs of
its owners.
4
Engage a Designer
You can burn through a lot of money on
design work that goes to nothing if the
designer has little idea of how designs work to
build budgets (so see evidence of how they would
do that when you interview them), and if the
drawings they produce are not capable of being
built. These two elements are just as key as the
ability to draw nice spaces — so choose carefully,
as designers will be critical people in making
your project a success. Whether you choose a
designer, an architect or just a draughtsman,
good design is worth paying for and investing
the time and money in — expect to allocate
between five and 10 per cent of your budget for
design work. Your designer will see your project
through planning and Building Regulations
approval and get you to a stage where you can
engage with builders.
5
Things You Need to Know
The VAT Question If you’re building a
house from scratch, your project qualifies
for zero rating for VAT purposes — a huge saving
on labour and materials of 20 per cent. In gen-
eral, the only thing you can’t claim back is the
initial professional fees (for example, designer
fees) and non-fixed items such as furniture and
carpets. If you’re renovating or extending, you’ll
pay the full rate unless the house has been empty
for more than 10 years, in which case it is treated
the same as a conversion and is zero rated. For
properties empty for between two and 10 years,
a reduced rate applies (homebuilding.co.uk/vat).
Package Companies So-called package (or turn-
key) companies will offer an inclusive design
and build service, usually based around timber
frame construction systems. They have a lot of
benefits, including the marriage of design and
build costs at an early stage.
07/12/2016 14:06
 ADVICE
Self-build

Warranties Get a structural (10-year) warranty design ambitions best — and, hopefully, comes
on your self-build project. You won’t be able within budget.
to remortgage without one, and it can provide

useful assistance in addition to Building Control
inspections (homebuilding.co.uk/warranties).
Health and Safety The latest CDM Regulations
around health and safety on site are applicable
to self-build and renovation projects. Make sure
your designer and/or main contractor makes
reference to them early on.
How Long? The average self-build project takes
around a year on site and at least a year in the
pre-planning.
8
If It’s Over-Budget
If the quotes come back too high, then
you’ll need honest feedback from the
builders. Get them to break down costs but
you need to be willing to listen to hard truths.
Your original cost/m2 budget at this stage has
been pushed and pulled by your design ambi-
tions, the size and scale of the project and of
course the specification (your choice of prod-
ucts and materials). Get suggestions on how
to reduce costs — ultimately, you may need to

6
The Build Route engage with the designers again.
Of course, you don’t need to use builders.

9
In the same way that some homeowners Enjoy the Whole Experience!
decide to design their own homes or extensions, Having builders on site working away
around 10 per cent of self-builders and home creating these amazing new spaces for
extenders take on the build of the project them- you and your family is a brilliant life experience.
selves. However, the vast majority use main con- Where possible, try your best to enjoy it — it
tractors or manage their own subcontractors (or, is a life-changing project, after all, and you’ll
in reality, take both routes for certain parts of the be spending more money than you would do Materials Choice
build, managing their own subbies at the later on anything else. See the spaces come to life,
Specification plays a major
stages of the project and usually getting stuck embark on a huge shopping trip, meet new role in cost: stone can be five
in with some DIY as money runs out towards friends along the way and experience new things times the price of alternative
the end). Clearly, the more expert layers you — what’s not to like? H cladding options.
add on, the more expensive the build gets. In
most cases, main contractors will be adding on
between 10 and 20 per cent on top of the core
labour and materials prices. Additional project
managers and other experts will also take their
share. Choose your build route based on what
time and skills you can realistically give to the
project (both in terms of DIY, project manage-
ment and design work) — and don’t be afraid
of using experts.

7
Finding Builders
Choosing a main contractor is part heart,
mainly wallet. Meet at least five and invite
them to quote on your project, using fully
detailed tender documents (that your designer
should have helped you prepare). Armed with
fully detailed information, the prices you get
back should be accurate and probably keener
than if you left a lot up in the air to be decided
on site later.
Ask your designer, neighbours, friends, build-
ing control and more for their recommenda-
BRETT CHARLES

tions. That way, you’ll end up with a favoured

builder that you can communicate with, who
understands the project, your budget and your

homebuilding.co.uk 7

4-5_GetStarted.indd 7 07/12/2016 14:06

 Understand Your Build Costs
Mark Brinkley establishes the basics to help you better estimate
the costs of your self-build, renovation or extension project

Foundations
Floor structure
Superstructure
Roof structure and cover
Drainage
Electrics
Plumbing and heating
Internal carpentry and kitchen
Plastering
Decoration
Tiling
Flooring
Landscaping

Mark Brinkley
Mark is the author of The
Housebuilder’s Bible and an
experienced builder; he’s just
started another project.
T
aking on a large building project is
daunting at the best of times, even for
seasoned professionals. The majority
of self-builders do not come from a
construction background and few of
them know much about the ins and
outs of project management. The
prospect of spending a six-figure sum
on something as intangible as a ‘new
house’ can cause anxiety. Because of this, self-
build in the UK today is still seen as being a
little heroic, because many people would baulk
at undertaking a large building project with
their own money, when the outcome cannot be
known in advance.
It doesn’t have to be reckless, however. One of
the keys to reducing the amount of risk involved
in self-build is to take control of the budget at
an early stage. To do that, you need to develop
an understanding of how building projects work
and where exactly all that money goes.
Costs for Self-builders
The pie chart above provides a
breakdown of the costs involved
in a typical self-build project. It
shows that the superstructure (i.e.
the structural walling and external
cladding, as well as roofing)
accounts for the largest proportion
of the costs, typically 25-30%, with
the foundations and floor
structure following closely behind.
Most importantly, it reveals that
the remaining elements of a build
each tend to account for between
5-10% of the total cost. The key is to
recognise that individual elements
can be reduced later on if other
elements go over the initial budget.
The outline of the packages in this
pie chart also serves as a useful
starting point for self-builders
looking to assign budgets against
particular elements.

8 homebuilding.co.uk

6-9_BuildCosts.indd 8 06/12/2016 16:09

 ADVICE
Build Costs

Windows
Roof covering
Blockwork
Timber cladding
Groundworks
Demolition
Stone
Floor structure inc screed
Roof structure
Insulation
Remedial work
Chimney
Front door and back door
Heating system
Electrical works
Flooring
Internal doors
Plasterboarding
Staircase
Kitchen
Utility
Furniture
Bathrooms x 5

Costs for Renovators

This pie chart of the costs
incurred in a remodelling/
extension project shows a
disproportionately high
windows package element,
accounting for some 15-20% of
the overall build budget. This is
because the design in question
specifies high-quality triple-
glazed windows with aluminium
frames — and lots of them. The
good news is that because a
higher than average portion of
the walling is covered in glass, the
subsequent costs of blockwork,
timber, brick and stonework are
less than might otherwise be the
case. Costs are more difficult to
predict when it comes to existing
homes, as builders struggle to
quantify labour hours/days
associated with remedial and
demolition work. This renovation
budget allows £10,000-£15,000
for such works (including the
addition of steel joists, etc.).
This budget plan contains more
detail than the self-build chart.
The more detail homeowners
can put into spreadsheets, the
better for planning purposes and
the more rigorous the approach
to budgeting for labour and
materials quantities.
Comparing Walling Costs
Windows: £370/m2
£300/m2 materials + £70/m2 labour
Blockwork: £25/m2
£10/m2 (£1/block) materials + £15/m2 labour
Bricks: £60/m2
£30/m2 materials (50p a brick at 60/m2) + £30/m2
labour (500 bricks laid per day (8.3m2) @£250/day)
Stone: £150/m2
£75/m2 materials + £75/m2
(labour based on 3m2 laid per day)
Timber: £50/m2
£30/m2 materials + £20/m2 labour
NB: Costs are approximate but designed to
provide a starting point for a budget. Bricks, for
example, vary between 30p-£1.20 per brick. Stone
can cost £25/m2 up to £180/m2, plus laying. ➤

homebuilding.co.uk 9

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SUPP_Pages_2-60.indd 10 09/12/2016 09:18

Establishing
the Initial
Budget
T
he majority of self-builders start off
their journey with a figure in mind
of what they can afford to spend.
Many of them will refer to the build
cost calculator (homebuilding.co.uk/
calculator), where a sample of differ-
ent projects are compared in price,
presented as price/m2. The current
costs range from around £800/m2
through to just over £2,000/m2. The table iden-
tifies five variables impacting on the final sums:
 Build route (how you manage the project) —
40% variation
 One or two storey (two storey
buildings are cheaper on a m2 basis,
but only marginally)
 House size (it gets slightly cheaper per unit
area as the size increases)
 Standard of finish (the table allows for a 40%
difference between ‘standard’ and ‘excellent’)
 Location (the UK is divided into four zones
— the most expensive being 30% more than
the cheapest)
There is not much you can do about location
– short of deciding to build somewhere else –
but the other variables are very much in your
control. What you choose to build, how you
choose to build it and what finish standard you
are looking for are all factors determined by you
at the outset.
If it’s your first house, you might well be trying
to build as much space as you can afford and
to fit it out as cheaply as possible, using all that
youthful energy to undertake DIY and/or project
management. In contrast, a retired couple might
choose to build a smaller home but fit it out to
a higher standard, and to let the professionals
carry out all or most of the work. Not everyone
wants to shave costs. The cost calculator enables
you to work out where in the self-build spectrum
you stand and to give you some indication of
what you might get for your money.
Bear in mind that over the years Homebuild-
ing & Renovating has covered self-build projects
with costs ranging from £300-£3,000/m2. The
6-9_BuildCosts.indd 11
ADVICE
Build Costs
build cost calculator, however, deals with the
most common projects.
In theory, you have control. In practice, it
may not be quite so simple. For instance, if
you are living well away from the site, it will be
impractical to take on the management of the
project. To do this, you need a site presence.
Not necessarily all day every day, but at least at
some point every day. You are going to have to
be taking delivery of materials, arranging storage
and making sure that everyone working on site
is fully occupied.
This sort of thing doesn’t happen by magic:
while many people are quite capable of taking
on this role successfully, they have to be fully
engaged in it otherwise it will tend to be done
rather badly, which in turn adds to delays and
costs. So while the calculator indicates that a
DIY management build route may save 40%
over a professionally managed fixed-price job,
it is not an option for everyone.
Labour vs. Materials?
Installation can be the hidden cost when it comes to preliminary budgeting — ignore it at
your peril. But the amount of labour required on each package varies hugely.
Windows Labour (in blue) tends to Stonework Stone can be expensive to
account for around a fifth of the total purchase, but takes a long time to lay,
price, depending on the window with most stonemasons managing 2-4/
specification. m2 a day — hence the high labour costs.
What’s Included in The Floor Area?
One trap for the unwary is the way house with an internal floor area
that building areas are defined and of 150m2 might easily have a gross
referred to. It’s all very well decid- floor area, including the garage, of
ing on a budget per m2, but what 200m2.
exactly do you get for your m2? Does this matter or is it just
What’s included and what’s exclud- academic? It can do, especially if
ed? The m2 used in the calculations someone tells you they can build
is the internal floor area, or heated you a house for, say, £1,000/m2
area, of the house. It specifically only for you to find out later that
excludes the ground taken up by their m2 is somewhat smaller than
the external walls and any ancil- the industry standard way of meas-
lary buildings such as garages and uring. It is also worth bearing in
outhouses. It also excludes unused mind that other countries (Sweden,
areas in lofts and under the eaves, Germany) use different measuring
unless they are specifically opened criteria and that their build costs/
up as living space. A four bedroom m2 cannot be easily compared. H
homebuilding.co.uk 11
09/12/2016 12:13
 The Art of Extending:
A Design Masterclass
You are creating the next chapter in the history of your home, so think big
and have some fun with the whole process, says design expert Pete Tonks
Pete Tonks
Pete Tonks is HB&R’s
design expert and has
been designing homes
for over 20 years.
SIMON MAXWELL
12 homebuilding.co.uk
10-15_ExtensionGuide.indd 12
E
xtending your home has gone way
beyond the basic requirement of pro-
viding more space to meet increased
demand for living. When extending
your home, you, as the guardian of that
property, have the privileged oppor-
tunity of writing the next chapter in
its history. Do not underestimate how
important this could be and more
importantly, how much fun. We all like to think
we can leave a legacy, so think big about your
plans to extend and consider far more than just
creating more of what you already have.
This article looks at some of the most impor-
tant elements and considerations when extend-
ing, how to create your extension methodically
and practically with a focus on engineering
basics, and the successful integration with the
host dwelling through the consideration of lay-
out, flow and connection of the new spaces with
the existing rooms.
Design Basics
Look sensibly at the space around your existing
dwelling and zone in on the best place to put
your extension. Side and rear extensions are
the norm as gardens here often have the best
outlook and orientation. However, do consider
the balance of built form versus outside amenity
space. It’s all well and good having an amazing
large new kitchen/family/dining room opening
out to the garden, but if the extension takes up
too much garden and dominates unsuccessfully,
this will have a negative outcome on the property
as a whole. It is all about a sensible balance and
you don’t always have to add a large extension
to make a huge difference to the existing spaces.
Set the budget at an early stage and allow for
at least a 10-15 per cent contingency, too. This is
particularly important when extending, as the
overall development cost per m2 is often greater
than with a new build. Ensure you commission
a measured building survey and topographical
site survey before any design work is done. The
output from these surveys will deliver 100 per
cent accurate data about the host dwelling and
the site, and will therefore ensure the design
process is efficient from the outset.
This approach allows for design issues to be
considered during the first round of concepts,
thereby minimising inconvenient and often
costly decisions being made during the con-
struction process.
Consider a single storey versus two storey
extension, as this decision will set the blueprint
for the project in terms of construction methods,
the impact(s) on neighbours, planning permis-
sion and the overall architectural integration
with the host dwelling. Where do you need more
space? Is it day-to-day living areas or do you
need more bedrooms?
Just because you need more bedroom space,
don’t assume this has to be upstairs. We’re living
longer, so ground floor bedrooms can be a good
long-term consideration. I also know from my
own experience with clients that many would
like a ground floor bedroom because it results
in a connection with the garden.
Planning Considerations
You may be able to extend your property with-
out planning permission (known as Permitted
Development, or PD). While not guaranteed
to be applicable to every property, the basics of
PD are currently:
l You can extend a detached dwelling by 8m to
the rear (subject to the neighbour consultation
scheme; this is 6m for an attached house) if it’s
single storey, or 3m if it’s two storeys;
l The height of a single storey extension to the
side or rear of the host dwelling is restricted to
4m in height (measured from the nearest ground
level) to the top of the ridge and the eaves, and
ridge heights of any extension not being higher
than the existing property;
l A minimum distance from the end of the ➤
08/12/2016 12:06
 ADVICE
Extension Design Guide

homebuilding.co.uk 13

10-15_ExtensionGuide.indd 13 07/12/2016 14:06

 extension to the boundary must be 7m;
l The extension must be built in the same or a
similar material to the existing dwelling;
l No forward-facing extensions are permitted
under PD, based on the main entrance being
the front elevation;
l Side extensions must be no wider than 4m
(measured from the nearest ground level) and no
wider than half the width of the host dwelling;
l In designated areas where certain restric-
tions apply, such as Conservation Areas, Areas
of Outstanding Natural Beauty and National
Parks, side extensions will require full plan-
ning permission and all rear extensions must
be single storey;
l As a result of extending, the built form should
not cover more than 50 per cent of the plot area.
Full planning permission is needed for exten-
sions that go beyond PD criteria, although the
process and documentation is not as detailed
as for a new build.

The Practicalities
When extending, look to minimise the amount
of work you need to do on the host dwelling
(unless, of course, you need to renovate), so
that the budget is focused on the new build
element. Try to nominate the ‘break-through’
Above: A Change in Levels
using existing openings. For instance, existing
window openings will have lintels above them IBLA Architects replaced a
taking loads from above. This often means no lean-to with a contemporary
kitchen-diner extension — a
structural calculations will be necessary if you change of level allows the dining
want to remove the wall section below a window area to be on a level threshold
opening to make into a door opening or walk- with the garden.
through into the extension space.
If, however, you want to merge a number of Left: The Side Return
Extension
existing small openings into one large opening,
you’ll require a new lintel to be designed by a A side return extension can be an
ideal means of adding space to a
professional and backed up with the appropri-
terrace home — as this project by
TOP: DARREN CHUNG; BOTTOM: LYNDON DOUGLAS, NINA MAKLIN

ate engineering to support a full plans Build- architect Cathie Curran goes to
ing Regulations application, or as part of the show. Rooflights can be a great
documentation trail if you are undertaking the means of pulling in additional
project under a building notice. light, too.
It’s a very good idea to use a laser level to get
the datum of the floor levels on the host dwelling,
as you’ll probably want to match these with the
new build element to ensure good flow between
the new spaces and old. When calculating how to
match floor levels, bear in mind that the build-up
required to meet today’s Building Regulations
will be far more than historical build-ups and
you may also want to include underfloor heating
and thicker floor finishes. It is likely that, in

14 homebuilding.co.uk

10-15_ExtensionGuide.indd 14 09/12/2016 12:14

 ADVICE
Extension Design Guide

addition to the proposed extension, you may

end up wanting to reconfigure the spaces within
the host dwelling (to ‘remodel’) to achieve a
cohesive overall flow through the spaces. This
doesn’t need to be an expensive process, but
it does take the talents of a designer who can
look at the proposal with fresh eyes and suggest
subtle changes such as wall removal and zone
re-designation to make sure the whole house
works well when completed.

The Aesthetics
If, like me, you are a property ‘nerd’, you will
get excited about the evolution of buildings and
how they can be read in chapters. Many of my
favourite buildings have different personalities
and there is a good chance you also have a few
too! Look to have a bit of fun with your exten-
sion project if appropriate and create something
that is clearly different to the host dwelling.
Think of it more as an exercise in art as well as
architecture and take the opportunity to make
a statement.
There is no right or wrong in terms of match-
ing new and old and, as always, your design
should relate to the context of the host dwelling
and its immediate surroundings. Many local
authorities publish their own district design
guidelines for extending and you will see phrases
such as ‘materials should be the same or similar’. the wall lines in so there is a step in the building Linking Old and New
In this instance, for example, if the host dwell- line and make the extension lower than the host
Designed by Simon Shaw
ing is brick and horizontal timber boarding, dwelling so that it appears subservient, but this Architecture & Design, this
the extension could also be clad in brick and can still result in that ‘more of the same’ look contemporary extension to
timber boarding, but the latter could be applied that is not always successful. a listed cottage features a
vertically to clearly demonstrate the different In recent years, there has been a growing glazed link, which visually
visual chapters of the building. This approach trend (which I support and practice daily) to distinguishes old from new.
could be considered to match and may also be consider the extension space to be a separate
considered a contrast — albeit a subtle one. entity and place this a distance away from the
If you really wanted to make a completely host dwelling in terms of the construction, to
obvious difference between new and old then make it in effect a stand-alone building. The new
this can be an exciting approach and the sky build element can then be linked back to the
really is the limit — subject to the usual plan- host dwelling in a more refined and controlled
ning constraints. manner using simple glass or metal frames. This
method of extending has proved to be successful
New Identity as it clearly defines the difference between new
Historically, when designing extensions, archi- and old. It also looks really cool and can lift the
tects and designers would have taken the existing design level of your project.
layout and added the new element immediately When considering your planned extension as
on to the host dwelling as a direct continuation a separate entity, albeit linked back to the host
ALISTAIR NICHOLLS

of the built form. However, this presents various dwelling, you can start to expand your thinking
technical challenges about how to ‘knit’ the new and strive to create a built form which has its
element into the existing element while still own identity. If done well, it will also comple-
producing good architecture. Sure, you can set ment and enhance the host dwelling. H

homebuilding.co.uk 15

10-15_ExtensionGuide.indd 15 08/12/2016 12:06

 How to Project Manage
Subbies Successfully
David Snell, who has spent 50 years in the industry, reveals how to get the best
from subcontractors during a self-build or renovation project — and what to pay
David Snell
A 13-time self-builder, David has
been building homes for 50
years and is the author of
Building Your Own Home.
16 homebuilding.co.uk
16-19_Subbies.indd 16
B
y choosing to build with subcontrac-
tors/direct labour/tradespeople, the
self-builder or renovator effectively
becomes the builder — responsible
for all matters on site and required to
make sure that all materials, services
and labour are on site at the correct
time and in the correct quantities.
Managing subcontractors properly is
a particular skill. There is a quote which springs
to mind: “Subcontractors never work for you.
They do you a favour and you pay them for it.”
Those hearing this for the first time may scoff.
Those who have been through the process will
raise a wry and knowing smile.
How to Ensure Quality
One of the first questions a self-builder or ren-
ovator will often ask themselves is how will
they know whether what the subcontractors
are doing is right and whether the quality of
their work is good enough. Understandably, it’s
a perennial question among those who are new
to the building business.
The answer is twofold. Firstly, while many
feel that they don’t understand the intricacies
of the building process, most can see whether
bricks are being laid sloppily, whether archi-
traves don’t meet up in the corners, doors don’t
hang properly and do not feature even spacings
to the lining, and plaster is smooth and even.
All of that is cosmetic but, nevertheless, gives a
clue as to the underlying and sometimes hidden
intricacies of the work.
But the second and perhaps most important
way of analysing the quality of work is to make
prior investigations. Before employing anybody
on site, look at their previous work and talk to
their previous clients. Find out if faults came
to light after they’d finished. Talk to building/
warranty inspectors about your proposed choic-
es; their response may give a clue as to whether
you’re picking the right person.
Paying Subcontractors
There are two types of subcontractor: labour
only, and supply and fix, with perhaps a third
as a hybrid of the two. Labour-only subcon-
tractors will, almost always, expect to be paid
in cash at the end of each week. Those new to
the industry might feel that somehow they are
doing something wrong, but the plain fact of
the matter is that the individual self-builder or
renovator has no obligation to ensure that those
they employ on site pay their due taxes. And with
new build, VAT does not come into the equation
because labour-only contracts and supply and fix
contracts are zero rated and, therefore, exempt.
Supply-and-fix contractors, such as plumbers
and electricians, are a slightly different matter
in that they will usually accept cheques against
a written invoice, often given in two stages cov-
ering first and second fix.
Above all, never pay in advance. With
labour-only contracts, make sure that the pay-
ments are spaced out through the estimated
duration of the contract, with a little bit held
back as an incentive to finish. With supply-
and-fix contractors, pay in the two stages. If
special purchases have to be made, buy these
items yourself in order that you retain the title.
When to Get Involved in the Build
There is often a desire to get involved in one or
more of the trades, either to fulfil a desire to have
a physical input into the new home, or to try to
save money. The truth of the matter is that, in
all probability, however much you pitch in and
help, it’s unlikely that you’ll save directly. The
trades may welcome your assistance, but they
may also resent your clumsy efforts to help, and
feel that you are somehow slowing them down.
08/12/2016 12:07

They are very rarely likely to accept that your
efforts should impact on their take home pay.
That doesn’t mean that there aren’t things
that you can do. Going off on a Friday lunch-
time to fetch fish and chips will mean that the
labourer can keep at his job, saving time when
they start up again. Offering bacon sandwiches
will engender a sense of goodwill on site. (It may
also become a millstone, however.) Certainly,
clearing up and making sure that materials that
are delivered are carried into site and stacked
where they are needed will save on day rates and
the inevitable slowing down of the job.
Unless you’re an expert in any one of the
trades, it is never really a good idea to undertake
them, except perhaps one of the finishing trades
such as decoration and ceramic tiling, which are
unlikely to hold other people up.
Coordinating Between the Trades
Tradespeople have to mesh in with each other,
sometimes within the day, sometimes within
the hour. It’s vital that you make yourselves
aware of the sequences within a self-build or
renovation project and that you learn to con-
stantly think ahead as to requirements for up
and coming labour.
A helpful tradesperson will want to let you
know that they will be requiring a follow-on or
partnership trade, not least because they won’t
want to be held up by their non-appearance.
And, in truth, many good tradespeople work in
laissez-faire groupings who keep in touch with
each other and let one another know when they
will be wanted. But you can’t just rely on that and
in the end, it will always be your responsibility.
Finding Good Subcontractors
There are several websites dedicated to find-
ing suitable subcontractors with appropriate
recommendations, but none negate the need
for the self-builder or renovator to make their
own checks, to see their previous work and to
talk to their previous clients. After all, the only
people who can really tell you what a prospective
subcontractor is really like are those who have
direct experience.
If there’s a self-build site anywhere in your
vicinity, visit it and chat to the owners. They’ll
tell you which bricklayer turned up on a Monday
and then didn’t show up for weeks afterwards.
They will also inform you as to which carpenter
should have been called a ‘wood butcher’. Plus,
16-19_Subbies.indd 17
ADVICE
Project Managing Subcontractors
just as importantly, they will let you know which
ones were great.
Once you’ve got one good tradesperson on
board, they will often lead you to other good
tradespeople with whom they regularly work.
After all, a good tradesperson doesn’t want to
have to follow a bad one.
Visiting smaller sites and asking those work-
ing there whether they’ll quote may also produce
results. Reading the advertisements in your local
press will give you names. But, once again, these
are only the starting point for you to commence
making your own enquiries as to their worth.
Getting the Best from
Your Subcontractors
It’s essential to build up a good relationship
with those who are working for you on site. If
bad blood occurs between you and the subcon-
tractors it will only backfire and it’s perhaps a
good idea if that happens to cut your losses and
move to another tradesperson. If trades fall
out with each other, then you may have to take
sides and dispense with the services of at least
one, because the end result could be that one
endeavours to frustrate the work of the other,
to your disadvantage.
Starting off on the right foot, with a clear
understanding of what you are expecting them
to do and how much you are going to be paying
them, is always the best way to ensure that you
get the best out of trades. Do not expect to form
a partnership. There are unequal expectations
between you and anybody working on your site.
You may form enduring friendships but, in the
end, on site, you are building your own home
with the expectation of increased equity and they
are simply undertaking their day job.
Addressing the Areas
That Fall Between Trades
Most misunderstandings and arguments that
occur on site between the client (you) and
tradesperson result from unclear or imprecise
arrangements and expectations before the job
commences.
Plans must be clear and unambiguous. Your
list of what you expect may be fully detailed in
many cases but, in others, it is perhaps best to
simply include the whole trade in your descrip-
tion of what you are expecting or requiring. For
instance, if the quotation is for the complete
carpentry roof work, then any argument that ➤
homebuilding.co.uk 17
08/12/2016 12:07
 the binders or the bracings are not included,
won’t hold water. Again, leadwork is often within
the plumber’s remit and, certainly the on-site
manufacture of flashings and trays will fall to
this trade.
However, the important thing is to make sure
at the very outset that you make it clear who is
going to be responsible for what. For example,
with the fitting of leadwork, the roofers may
have to interleave flashings with the tiles or
slates and the bricklayers may be expected to
point in the flashings when they come back to
fill putlog holes.
Another grey area between trades concerns
cleaning up. Many good tradespeople will clean
up after their work, but it’s by no means a given.
It’s not at all uncommon to find a painter and
decorator trying desperately to paint skirting
boards while other tradespeople are working
in the vicinity or walking past disturbing dust
and debris that has been crudely cleared away.
But whose responsibility is it? The painter
has no particular responsibility to clear up after
others. The carpenter making the mess has no
normal remit to clear up afterwards. Either or
both could have the responsibility built into their
contract as an extra. But the reality is that this
normally falls to the builder, who would employ
an unskilled labourer to do the work.
In the absence of a builder, it devolves to the
self-builder or renovator. There is no doubt
about it, a tidy site is more likely to result in a
build which comes in on time and on budget.
The Importance of
Forward Thinking
A successful project is all about making plans
and then thinking ahead to make sure that those
plans come to fruition. The labour may help
coordinate each other, but that assistance counts
for nothing if the correct materials aren’t on site
in the right quantity at the right time.
It behoves the self-builder or renovator, at
all times, to constantly think ahead: to think
about what comes next and what comes later on
down the line. Some materials are off-the-shelf.
Some have extremely long lead times and need
ordering well in advance, which might mean
having to think about finishes at the same time
as being involved in preliminary site works.
Failure to think ahead will always lead to breaks
in the timeline and that will, inevitably, lead to
increases in costs.
18 homebuilding.co.uk
16-19_Subbies.indd 18
Subbies: What They
Do and What to Pay
Groundworker
Create entry and clear site
Lay hardcore base for access,
deliveries and storage
Strip topsoil and store for reuse
Set out house and set to profiles (this
may, however, be done by a surveyor)
Mark out lines of dig on the ground
Excavate foundation trenches, load
spoil into tipper lorries for off-site
disposal or into dumpers for on-site
storage and reuse
Clean and crumb out the trenches
Set level pegs for the top of the
concrete
Pour and lay foundation concrete
Lay foundation blockwork to DPC
(damp-proof course) level, put in
cranked ventilators, all necessary
drainage exit lintels and sleeving for
services; this may also be undertaken
by the bricklayers
Level out subsoil within
the oversite
Backfill trenches outside the building
Fill cavities with lean-mix concrete
Position ground floor beams
Lay infill blocks and brush grout
Lay damp-proof membrane and/or
gas membrane
Position and lay first floor beams
and infill and brush grout, unless
the bricklayers are doing it
Excavate service trenches
Excavate trenches for foul and
surface water drainage
Lay drainage runs on pea shingle and
bring upstands into oversite
Haunch over drains with
pea shingle
Fit proprietary manholes, gullies, etc.
Connect the foul water drains to
the on-site mains sewer run, septic
tank or sewage treatment plant, or
take sewer run to the boundary for
road connection by Highways’
approved contractor
Construct soakaways and connect
surface water drains
Backfill all drainage and service
trenches
Carry out specified and agreed hard
and soft landscaping, including
driveways, pathways and patios
l The typical day rate for a ground-
worker is approximately: £130;
A general labourer: £90;
Semi-skilled labourer: £100
Bricklayer
Lay blockwork to DPC level includ-
ing installing ventilators, drainage
exit lintels and sleeving, unless the
groundworkers undertake this task
Lay ground floor beams, infill blocks
and brush grout, unless the ground-
workers undertake this task
Bed DPC, marrying this to any
damp or gas membrane
or cavity trays
Build superstructure in brickwork
and blockwork
Install cavity insulation as work
progresses
Install cavity closers
Fit timber windows or build
in profiles
Build in meter boxes
Position and bed lintels, padstones
and steel joists
Lay first floor beams, infill with
blocks and brush grout, if the ground-
workers don’t undertake this role
Install cavity trays where necessary
Bed wallplate
Build up gable ends
Build chimney through roof
Build internal brick features and
fireplaces
Point up flashings and trays
Fill putlog holes
Build any feature walls or brickwork
in garden as specified and agreed
l The typical day rate for a bricklay-
er is: £160 (The typical day rate for
a stonemason is: £185)
08/12/2016 12:07

Carpenter
FIRST FIX
Making up and fixing templates for
openings, where appropriate
Fitting door linings
Making up studwork partitioning,
including to fitted cupboards, where
necessary
Fix underfloor plasterboard battening
using proprietary batten clips
Install insulation to studwork
partitioning
Install insulation within ceiling and
floor zones and to roof void
Fix window boards
Fix staircase flights
Make up and fix garage door frames
Nog out for plasterboard
Hang temporary external doors,
where appropriate
Board out loft, where appropriate
Create and fix loft entrance
and fit loft ladder
ROOF
Erect and complete roof using prefabri-
cated trusses and lumber, to include
gable ladders, valleys, hips and con-
struction of dormers, porches and bay
window roofs
Fit rooflights where required
Lay sarking boarding where appropriate
Fix facias and soffits, including
ventilators, where necessary
Fix bargeboards, where appropriate
SECOND FIX
Box in pipework and vent pipes
Lay insulation and decking to floors,
where appropriate and unless carried
out by other specialist suppliers
Assemble and fit staircase newels,
balustrading, aprons and handrails, etc
Hang all internal doors including cup-
board doors and fitted wardrobes
Fit slatted shelving to linen cupboards
Final fit of loft traps
Assemble and fix fitted units to kitchen,
utility room, bedrooms and bathrooms,
unless carried out by specialist manu-
facturers or suppliers
l The typical day rate
for a carpenter is: £160
16-19_Subbies.indd 19
Electrician
Fit temporary consumer unit
to building supply
Install and connect
domestic
earth rod
Lay and fix all carcassing wiring
Fix backplates to outlets and controls
Fix proprietary sheathing to wiring
Fix and wire up faceplates, pendants,
wall lights and controls
Fit and wire up external power
points and lighting
Fix and wire up extractor fans and
cooker hoods
Cross bond and earth all pipework and
sanitaryware
Fit and wire up consumer unit
Wire up thermostats, controls and
programmers
Attend plumber for firing up and
testing boiler and central heating, if
and when required
Test installation
l The typical day rate for an electri-
cian is approximately: £175
Roofer
Cover roof with underlay
and rough batten
Fix GRP (glass reinforced plastic)
valleys or attend plumber for fixing
lead valleys
Bed and fix undercloak to verges
Fix counter battens if necessary
Gauge and fix tiling/slating battens
Load out tiles or slates
Lay tiles or slates, nailing as required
and appropriate
Lay valley tiles, if required
Fix verge slates/tiles
Interleave upstand and cover
flashings and soakers
Attend plumber for vent pipe skirtings
Fix or bed ridge/hip tiles or ridge/hip
system
Point up ridge/hip tiles and verges
l The typical day rate for a roofer is
approximately: £150
Plumber
Install water standpipe for
building supply
ADVICE
Project Managing Subcontractors
Lay first fix carcassing pipework
Run any gas pipework
Make up lead flashings, soakers
and vent pipe skirts as appropriate
Fix vent pipes to drainage upstands and
take to stub stacks or through roof
Fix skirts to vent pipes with roofer
Fix guttering and downpipes
Position hot water cylinder
Lay underfloor insulation, taping joints
and cover with membrane
Lay underfloor central heating loops
to manifold position
Connect underfloor heating loops
to manifold and put on test, once
screed is laid
Fit the boiler and connect to system
Attend to chimney flues and liners
Connect boiler to LPG, oil or mains
gas supply
Fit sanitaryware and connect to
domestic plumbing and wastes
Mastic seal around baths and
washbasins
Plumb in washing machines, water
softeners etc., as appropriate
Lag all exposed or vulnerable
pipework
Fire up boiler and test system
Balance and commission system
Switch underfloor heating off ‘test’ and
to ‘run’ once test period is over
l The typical day rate for a roofer is
approximately: £180
Plasterer
Screed floors as soon as underfloor
central heating loops are laid, unless left
to specialist suppliers and installers
using pumped self-levelling material
Tack ceilings with plasterboard
Fix all beadings and lathing
Float and set all masonry walls, or
dryline walls with plasterboard
Fit mouldings and coving
Tape and joint all boards and skim
coat with plaster finish
Render external walls, where
appropriate
l The typical day rate for a plaster is
approximately: £150 H
homebuilding.co.uk 19
08/12/2016 12:07
 14 Steps to a Smooth Design Process
Understanding how to work with your chosen architect allows your dreams
to take shape — as well as saving you endless time, money and frustration.
Architect Neil Turner explains how to ensure your project goes well from day one
Neil Turner
Neil is a director of architectural
practice Howarth Litchfield
Partnership and specialises
in residential design
(howarthlitchfield.com).
20 homebuilding.co.uk
20-23_SmoothDesignProcess.indd 20
1
Appoint the Right Architect
As well as ensuring he or she can design,
check whether your chosen architect can
also detail up the design and project manage
the construction stage. Some people split the
process, so that one firm designs and a different
company takes over for the site works. I don’t
like this, as there are split liability issues and the
second person doesn’t have the initial design in
their soul. Also, think twice before accepting the
cheapest quote: if a cheap price comes in, you
invariably get a cheap service.
2
Go for Maturity
It takes years of experience (and mistakes)
to know what you are doing, so avoid
giving someone fresh out of college the job of
designing and running your house project.
3
Create a Sensible Budget
Be honest with yourself and don’t push
your budget to the point where you can’t
afford a pint at the pub. There is little point in
sitting in a grand house if you can’t afford to heat
it or live life a little. I remember seeing one cou-
ple in sleeping bags in an unfinished house that
went way over budget because they kept adding
extra elements. So create a budget, then adjust
and alter it if you need to, but always refer to it.
4
Write a Strong Brief
Project creep is the demon of all designs
and clients. Without a brief, how can you
comment or compare design developments?
Before you know it, your three-bed bungalow
has become a five bedroom townhouse — ask
yourself why the changes are needed.
5
Make Time for the Project
Building a house and getting the different
stages right takes time, and to succeed
clients must build time into their busy lives. Even
when you have employed the best designer and
builder, there will need to be meetings, conver-
sations, emails and agreements. Don’t expect to
simply be handed back a perfect design after one
meeting and then have it built. The best house
projects are those with clients who commit time
and energy to meeting up, answering questions
and thinking about the options that are put in
front of them.
6
Agree How to Communicate
It’s vital that you agree this at the outset.
Can you be approached nine to five, or are
you only available out of office hours? Make sure
that all meetings are recorded and written in
minutes, so there is no confusion or ambiguity. I
use minutes to record what is and is not agreed,
and what the next steps are.
7
Be Honest from the Start
Don’t be influenced by the latest fad. If
you like certain styles, then stick to them.
We can’t all live in modern glass boxes. When
working with clients I have seen many start with
a description, only to find that they like some-
thing else entirely different. This can often occur
with couples who haven’t talked through their
own brief with each other, or discussed style,
fittings or budget. So before you get together
with your architect, sit down with each other
and talk through your choices.
8
Programme the Works
This sounds so obvious, but work out
how long each stage will take. This adds
reality to the project and avoids the pressure of
unrealistic timescales. From the programme you
can look ahead and create key milestones for
design, planning, Building Regulations, tender
and construction. Each of these can then be
broken down later, into a more detailed pro-
gramme. If you can’t draw up a programme, ask
your architect and they will be happy to assist.
The programme helps you develop cash flow
08/12/2016 12:07

forecasts for payments and is a vital tool when
you approach your bank to organise finances
for loans to pay fees, contractors and suppliers.
9
Go For the Full Service
We often see clients who want a partial
service and then choose to run the site
works. As soon as this starts, the calls start to
come in when they hit problems on contracts
and inspections, technical questions and dis-
putes between parties.
10
Don’t Keep Changing Things
Part of the fascination of design is
the development and evolution of
the brief into sketches, then layouts and finally
a completed design. There will be alterations
and different versions. My job is to guide this
process along, so there is consensus and agree-
ment on the completed work. I always accept
that it is healthy to double check, so I don’t mind
change. However, if changes occur all the time,
it becomes chaotic and hard to move on, and
demoralising for the designer.
11
Keep on Track on Site
Making changes on site is the biggest
sin of clients. As you pass each work
stage, you should see each as a major passing
point and not a point to go back and revisit.
Sign off the drawings — it’s all too easy to pick
up another magazine, or talk to a friend, or see
another product. When I built my house, we
ISTOCK
20-23_SmoothDesignProcess.indd 21
ADVICE
Working With your Architect
made the conscious decision not to vary anything
on site, even the fixtures and fittings.
12
Make Decisions Before
Work Begins
If the drawings are complete before
site works commence, then you will have thought
through all the decisions. Where is the shaver
point? How high is the TV in the living room, for
instance? Every time you add this on to the site
works, the potential for delay and cost increases.
13
Pay on Time
A common mistake is when clients
say they haven’t got the money or
it’s due shortly, and ask if those involved in the
project can wait. If you make people wait for
fees, it doesn’t foster a relationship of trust or
respect. Your borrowing problems are not the
team’s problems.
14
Look at the Bigger Picture
When I meet clients, I am always
excited by the possible commission
and the challenge they want to give us. It’s quite
a responsibility to have their future home in
our hands. So pay for good advice and your
project should run along well. If you’re going
to do this just once, then you had better make
it work. Most architect-designed houses are
one-off prototypes. If you haven’t built before,
the chances of you getting it right first time are
greatly improved if you pick the right help. H
homebuilding.co.uk 21
08/12/2016 12:08
 12 Top Tips for Self-build Success
Industry experts share their words of wisdom for self-build success
1
Thinking about the landscaping
from the outset could save money
“Work out the amount of topsoil that you
will require for your back garden and place this
before you start building your substructure.
Placing the topsoil early before your house is
built will enable larger excavators to be used
which are much more efficient and will therefore
reduce landscaping cost. If you place either too
little or too much topsoil in rear inaccessible
gardens then additional money may have to
be spent on dealing with it at a time when
access has been restricted.” Mark Stevenson
of Potton’s Self Build Academy
2
“Insulate the garage floor slab
like a house. It’s a low-cost solu-
tion, but allows future conver-
sion or use without upheaval.”
Bruce J Beaton, project manager
3
Buy your structural warranty
before building “If you think you may
sell your property within 10 years, buy a
structural warranty before you break ground.
Buying it then rather than at the end will save
you four to five times the premium. Also make
sure you take a minimum of public liability cover
on your plot once you exchange on it; accidents
happen and legal bills are costly.”
Andrew Reardon of ProAktive Selfbuild
4
Don’t work to a Christmas
deadline “Many self-builders make
the mistake of setting an unrealistic
completion date, based around a family occasion
or a key birthday — this is never a good idea as
it can add undue stress to an already demand-
ing process. Prepare yourself for the self-build
roller coaster — there are huge ups and downs
throughout the process. From purchasing the
plot to planning issues… be prepared!” Allan
Corfield of Allan Corfield Architects
5 8
Break your self-build project
into stages “Put together a simple bar
chart programme using a spreadsheet
22 homebuilding.co.uk
24-25_Tips.indd 22
to plan each stage of the build. As your project
progresses, mark off the completed tasks and
circulate the updated programme between your
subcontractors. If your subcontractors clearly
understand the progress on site, you may find
that they will plan ahead making themselves
available to work on your project when you
need them. Break up your build programme into
distinct phases and plan to complete a thorough
inspection before the next phase commences. By
defining individual sections of work you will be
able to focus on the work that needs to be done,
which will help you to get everything complete
to the right standard before the next stage starts.
Example stages would be: site preparation; sub-
structures; building envelope; watertight; first
fixing; wet trades; second fixing; finishings; and
testing and commissioning.” Paul Newman of
Potton’s Self Build Academy
6
“Never start building until you
have a very clear idea of the
costs. Costs can easily rocket
and it’s easy to end up in hot water.”
Tom Gresford, director of Gresford Architects
7
Invest in the building fabric
“Investing in the ‘fabric-first approach’
helps to lower your energy costs. Simple
adjustments can be made to enhance the energy
efficiency of your project. Smaller windows on
the north elevation (where there is less sunlight)
will reduce costs as well as the amount of heat
lost through the building. Larger windows on
all other elevations will take advantage of the
natural solar gains. Do not rely on renewables
if your self-build doesn’t need them. These are
hugely expensive pieces of kit (costing on aver-
age £12,000) and are great if you have no other
form of heating. However, if you can use mains
gas, use it — it could cost around £1,200, saving
you over £10,000.”
Allan Corfield of Allan Corfield Architects
Plan kitchen and bathrooms
early on in the process “Plan bath-
rooms and the kitchen before starting
08/12/2016 12:40

on site. The window placement may look aes-
thetically pleasing from the exterior, but might
not necessarily work well with the self-builder’s
desired bathroom or kitchen layout. Again, door
positions and ceiling heights can also impact on
the layout. If you catch the plans early enough
you can make these changes.
“With a new build there is a good degree of
flexibility as to where you can site the plumbing
and waste, so again, it’s important to catch the
design early. Another issue, particularly in the
kitchen, is extraction. Some self-builders opt
for pitched ceilings or for large rooflights, but
then leave it too late to include provision for
extraction above an island, for example. This
then means that downdraught extraction may
have to be included instead, but because the
floor slab is already down, it has to be dug up. If
a design company is involved in the early stages
– ideally before the design is finalised – then
provisions can be made and the services can be
put in place, thus avoiding costly alterations. But
some self-builders do not approach a kitchen or
bathroom designer until the build is well under
way, and can then end up facing the same chal-
lenges as those taking on a renovation project.”
Jim Gettings, J&S House of Design
9
Be upfront with your insur-
ance company “If your costs are
increasing during your build let your
insurer know. Most policies will have an ‘aver-
age clause’ and under-insurance will have a
big impact on any claim, no matter how small.
Also be realistic with your timescales. If your
build is likely to take over two years to complete,
be upfront with your insurer at the outset. In
addition, if you sign JCT minor works clause
5.4B make your insurer aware as it waves their
right to subrogate a claim.” Andrew Reardon
of ProAktive Selfbuild
10
Negotiate material prices
by phone “Once there is a prop-
erly quantified list of all the mate-
rials, get in quotes from builders’ and timber
merchants — don’t just turn up with a shopping
list and place the order. Quotations are best
dealt with by telephone or email, and remember
it’s often possible to negotiate better prices on
the phone. Make sure all of the prices received
include VAT and delivery. Try and get at least
24-25_Tips.indd 23
ADVICE
Self-build Tips
three quotes before placing any orders. Go to
builders’ merchants for the items they sell and
timber suppliers for the timber — the timber
merchants are far more competitive.”
Peter Eade, builder and project manager
11
Prevent delays by ensuring
materials are on site when
needed “Make your self-build the
easiest and best place to work for your trades.
By being able to get easy access and have all the
materials to hand, tradespeople will be much
more productive and will therefore be more
motivated and committed to your project. Con-
sider using local trades wherever you can. Local
companies will have a reputation to maintain
and will therefore be inclined to do a good job.
Ask for references and check these out before
you make a final appointment.” Mark Stevenson
of Potton’s Self Build Academy
12
Don’t forget the jobs
that fall between trades
“If you’re project managing the build
yourself, hiring subcontractors directly, think
of yourself as being the conduit via which all
responsibility and information will and should
flow. Expecting the carpenter to have a chat
with the bricklayer prior to starting on site is
a big leap of faith, yet far more common than
you would think. The liaison between trades is
a vital aspect in the progress of the works, and
enables timely resourcing and deliveries of mate-
rials. Remember, you are looking to manage the
gaps between the identified packages of works.
Think of it as hosting a ‘handover’ between one
package and the next and acting as a facilitator.
Don’t be afraid of asking questions either, even if
you appear ignorant in the process. When deal-
ing with the unknown, we often ‘clam up’ and
don’t want to appear not to be understanding.
This is, of course, the main route to assumption.
You are client, manager and boss — be it!
“Make sure that everyone talks to everyone
else. Prepare a project directory and distribute
it so every member of the team has everyone
else’s contact details. Publish the programme.
Have a schedule of tasks and plans for each day/
week, so the whole team are aware of how they
fit into the overall process. Email is good, phone
calls are better, face-to-face is ideal.”
Bob Branscombe, project manager H
homebuilding.co.uk 23
08/12/2016 12:40
 STRUCTURAL WARRANTY
Self
SITE INSURANCE Build
Zone
SITE SURVEYS

Before you lay the first brick, make sure you & your
project are protected ...
Self-Build Zone provides Site Insurance and liability cover for anyone starting
new building works, as well as covering any existing structures on site. Our
Approved Inspectors can facilitate all survey services you may need during
the build or for the warranty provision. On completion, Build-Zone can
provide you with a 10 Year Structural Warranty.

For more information or to obtain a quotation go online at or Call the Self-Build Zone Team on

www.selfbuildzone.com 0345 230 9874

SUPP_Pages_2-60.indd 24 09/12/2016 09:18
 10 things
you need to
know about . . .
OAK 2
FRAME
If you’re considering using this natural
beauty for your self-build, read on…
1 3
Oak frame is a Modern
Method of Construction
Oak frame has seen a steady
renaissance over the past couple
of decades (self-builders have
played a big role in this popular-
ity) and oak frame construction
in 2017 is in many ways a Mod-
ern Method of Construction — a
term which, in broad terms, describes methods
that involve off-site prefabrication.
Oak frames are constructed off-site, and
brought to site ready to be erected by an expe-
rienced team, often in under a week (depending
on size and complexity). Infill panels of wattle
and daub and, later, brick were originally used
between the oak frame. Today, the oak frame
still fulfils a structural role, but in order to meet
Building Regulations, can no longer be ‘infilled’
in the traditional way.
Instead the frame is typically ‘encapsulated’
within an insulated, airtight envelope, often
using SIPs (structural insulated panels) — again
prefabricated off-site. “SIPs are fast becoming
the encapsulation system of choice for oak frame
buildings, as they form an unbroken high-per-
forming thermal envelope, wrapped around the
frame,” explains Rob Dawson of Castle Ring Oak.
“When they go up, they go up quick.”
27-31_OakFrame.indd 25
There are ways of exposing the
frame internally and externally
An oak frame home, wrapped in an
encapsulation system such as SIPs, can
be clad in a variety of materials, including
brick, timber and render. Some home-
owners, however, still want the look of
exposed oak frame on both the exterior
and interior. The good news is there are
ways of achieving this: some of the larger oak frame companies
in particular have developed ingenious solutions.
Oakwrights, for instance, provides a bespoke system. Bill
Keir, Oakwrights’ general manager, picks up the story: “Our
patented 3i panel system meets stringent Building Regula-
tions. The beauty of the 3i panel is that it maintains the look
of a traditional ‘half-timbered’ house externally. Rather than
have every timber visible both internally and externally (which
causes coldbridging) many of the timbers are half-width. This
means that only the large structural beams and posts are
visible both inside and out. All secondary timbers are only
visible on one side which means an almost uninterrupted layer
of insulation can be run around the walls. It is this principle
that allows the 3i panel system to achieve a U value of 0.25
for the whole wall, not just through the centre of the panel.”
Approach a designer with
experience of oak frame
Designing and detailing an oak
frame house needs a designer well
versed in this construction system.
“The most efficient oak frame homes
are those based on an understand-
ing of span and bays (an experienced
designer will have a working knowl-
edge of their possibilities and limitations),” says
Andy Parker of The Complete Oak Home. “For
construction drawings, it’s about understanding
oak as a construction material. Oak frame is less
well understood by generalist architects and
builders, yet the architectural detailing and the
execution are crucial to lasting quality.”
There are independent designers and archi-
tects with experience of designing with oak
frame; they may have ties with particular oak
frame companies, too.
Another option is that Oakwrights, Border
Oak, Welsh Oak Frame and others offer an
in-house design service as well as a portfolio of
different house styles. They will also work with
your chosen designer. ➤
homebuilding.co.uk 25
08/12/2016 12:08
SUPP_Pages_2-60.indd 26 09/12/2016 09:18
 ADVICE
Building in Oak Frame

6
… but not necessarily
finished
Part of the appeal of oak is that it does
not need to be finished — externally
it weathers to a silvery grey. There are

4
Different oak frame suppliers
offer different levels of service
Deciding how involved you want to be in the
build can often influence your choice of oak frame
supplier. Very few oak frame companies provide
a full turnkey ‘package’ service. Those that do
will often offer different levels of service too. For
example, they may supply and erect the frame, or
build the house to a weathertight shell (allowing
you to project manage the groundworks prior and internal fit-out after).
Most oak companies will supply and erect the oak frame, and perhaps
encapsulation system. One company offering something different is
The Complete Oak Home. “We’re not an oak frame manufacturer but
an independent multi-disciplinary team offering a full turnkey service
which includes a unique project cost control process,” says Andy Parker.
“We design and build oak frame homes, either recommending or using
your own chosen oak frame supplier.”
some homeowners, however, who wish
to retain the rich colour of green oak;
this is possible, but it can be a labour
of love. “There are treatments such as
Sikkens or wax oils you can use to maintain the
original colour, but once you start using such a
treatment within an outside environment it will
need to be repeated annually. Over time, sunlight
will turn external timbers an attractive silvery
grey, while oxidisation makes the internal wood
more honeyed, which in our view is much nicer,”
says Ed Hamilton of Oakmasters.
It is, however, a good idea to take extra care
in rooms subject to high levels of humidity and
in spaces where splashes may be more prevalent
(e.g. the kitchen). “Water stains especially can
mark the frame, so care needs to be taken with
rooms such as bathrooms. If the frame is likely to
get splashed it may be worth oiling it locally with
a suitable product to give it some protection,”

5 7
recommends Rupert Newman of Westwind Oak.

Oak frames need to

be cleaned once erected
“All oak frames will need cleaning once
the construction phase has concluded,”
begins Merry Albright of Border Oak.
“There will be the typical marks from
the building process, but there may
also be water marks or ‘blue-ing’ —
a natural occurrence from tannin in
the oak touching steel.” This task can typically
be undertaken by the oak frame supplier, but
some self-builders – particularly those with an
eye on the budget – choose to take this job on
themselves. (Be warned, it’s time-consuming.)
There are several options. “We recommend
that frames are cleaned with oxalic acid as this
is a softer and less intrusive process that allows
the natural character of the oak to come through
and also best showcases the detailing of the
frame,” says Merry. “Sandblasting can be a very
messy process that eradicates the top surface of
the timber and can leave you with a very raised
grain — this might be the look some homeown-
ers are after but is fairly distinctive. Oxalic acid
comes in crystal format and should be diluted
to the manufacturer’s recommendation — it
should also be applied in strict accordance to
their guidance as it is an acid (albeit made from
rhubarb). It very softly bleaches the marks away
but gloves and a breathing mask in a well-ven-
tilated space are crucial. Some stubborn marks
may need a few applications with some sanding/
scrubbing in between.”
Shrinking is part of the process
“Shrinkage is the one factor that is guar-
anteed when using green oak,” begins Paul
Edmunds of Welsh Oak Frame.
Green oak refers to unseasoned timber
which has a higher moisture content than
seasoned oak. “Green oak will have been
felled in the past 18 months; the green
oak frames will gradually lose moisture
content and shrink over time, particularly in the first cou-
ple of years,” adds Ed Hamilton of Oakmasters. “Almost all
mainstream structural oak framing in the UK uses green
oak, rather than kiln-dried or air-dried oak. For superior
craftsmanship, green oak is much better than seasoned oak
for cutting and shaping.
“However, this natural seasoning process will not weaken the
structure. On the contrary, oak becomes harder and stronger
as it dries. Oak is naturally low in weight but high in density
(with a strength/weight ratio that is superior to steel) with
excellent load-bearing capabilities. Oak shrinks in width,
never in length, so there is no risk of a tenon ‘slipping’ out
of a mortice. Cracks and splits (a characteristic of oak frame
known as ‘shakes’) have very little effect on the structural
integrity of the frame. As the grading system limits the angle
at which the grain runs along a piece of oak, the splits which
open up along the grain as the fibres dry and separate do not
traverse the beam’s grain and thus do not weaken it,” says Ed.
Careful design and detailing on site, along with attention
to the drying out process once the frame is erected, can min-
imise remedial work, as Paul Edmunds of Welsh Oak Frame,
explains: “The condition of green oak is in a constant state of
drying out from the point of felling, albeit slow. It is therefore ➤

homebuilding.co.uk 27

27-31_OakFrame.indd 27 08/12/2016 12:08

 Established in 1920, Scotts of Thrapston
has been producing bespoke, luxury timber
doors and windows to suit just about any
specification.

Scotts has the expertise to handle a wide

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doors and windows, whether traditional or
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view our photo gallery online at: www.scottsofthrapston.co.uk

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SUPP_Pages_2-60.indd 28 09/12/2016 09:18


critical that the skill and experience of the frame erector is
recognised too. The expert eye of the carpenter on site is
equally important in making sure that the frame goes up
true and plumb and they have a keen eye on the condition
of the oak before being assembled.
“It’s also important to note that if the building is closed
in too quickly and a heat source applied very soon after
the frame has been lifted, the shock of being forced to
dry out quickly can introduce dramatic splits within the
structure. While not necessarily structurally worrying,
they may be unsightly.”
Glazing also requires particular care. Face-applied glaz-
ing – whereby glazing is installed to the exterior of the
frame, with an oak ‘strip’ used to disguise the join – is often
used as a solution to oak shrinking. There are companies
who specialise in this work, such as Black Pig Glazing.
8
An oak frame home can
be achieved on a budget
“The most common misconception
regarding oak frame homes is that
they are beyond ‘normal’ self-build-
ers’ budgets,” says Rupert Newman of
Westwind Oak. “Although it is true to
say that they are more expensive than
a standard softwood frame building,
they are comparable with any good-quality con-
struction technique.”
There are some key steps which can help when
building an oak frame home on a tight budget.
Andy Parker of The Complete Oak Home takes
up the story: “Consider using oak in just key are-
as, perhaps the kitchen, living and dining area,
entrance hall or master bedroom. The oak theme
can be carried through the rest of the house
with simple oak lintels over windows or oak
joinery. In this way you won’t create spaces that
feel incongruent with each other. Some rooms
in the house just don’t benefit from oak frame,
indeed it can be detrimental to their function,
such as in a utility room or boot room. Consider
keeping these spaces clear of oak frame to make
them more practical and reduce cost. By far the
biggest cost driver with oak frame is the style
and extent of it. Choosing a simple Queen post
truss rather than a complex arched brace truss
will keep cost down. Additionally, having just
‘primary structure’ (the big posts and beams)
and no ‘secondary structure’ (smaller joists and
rafters), will also help keep control of the cost.”
27-31_OakFrame.indd 29
ADVICE
Building in Oak Frame
9
Introducing steel can open
up the design opportunities
“Steelwork is often used to strengthen
traditional carpentry joints and is typ-
ically unseen but allows us to create
buildings which wouldn’t be possible
using purely traditional methods,”
begins Paul Slemmings, frame design-
er at Carpenter Oak.
“There are many aesthetic and engineering
reasons to incorporate stainless steel into an
oak timber frame,” adds Paul Kirkup, director
and frame designer at Carpenter Oak, which has
been involved in many an impressive self-build
project. “Steel bolts and flitch plates can be used
to end join or sandwich timbers together, with
the fixings left surface mounted for an industrial
look or highly polished and recessed flush into
the timber for a sleeker finish.
“Steel sections within a timber frame allow
for many design possibilities, for example, when
steel tie rods and bow strings are incorporated
into an oak frame the spanning of huge spaces
is easily achieved, without the need for huge
sections of timber. When steel is combined with
curved timber, barrel roofs and curved walls can
also be introduced.”
10
You can extend
in oak frame
Oak frame can be a
fantastic option for an
extension; there is per-
haps no other construc-
tion method which offers
such a versatile aesthetic.
But there are a few fac-
tors to consider before deciding to extend in oak. “Green oak
frames shrink, so if you are thinking of extending your home
with an oak frame it needs to be detailed correctly. Ideally the
walls, roof and glazing need to go on the outside of the frame.
Glazing, especially, should be properly detailed to prevent
any water leakage,” says Rupert Newman of Westwind Oak.
“Oak framed extensions tend not to be tied in with existing
masonry or timber framed homes in case there is differential
movement. Normally they are built on their own foundations
next to the existing structure. Then a watertight movement
joint can be incorporated between the old and new. This sim-
ply could be the lead flashing on the roof or some expanding
‘Compriband’ foam on the walls. H
homebuilding.co.uk 29
08/12/2016 12:08
 Designing a Home For Life
If you’re not planning to move on in the near future, your new home needs to be
flexible enough to change with you. Design expert Charlie Luxton explains how
Charlie Luxton
Architectural designer Charlie
is the director of Charlie Luxton
Design and a popular
broadcaster, presented
Building the Dream on More4 and
Homes by the Sea
NIGEL RIGDEN
30 homebuilding.co.uk
32-35_Charlie.indd 30
D
on’t be under any illusions: building or
refurbishing a home is hard. It pushes
you to the limits and involves stress,
money anxiety, dust, grime and end-
less decision-making. In order to get
through this demanding experience
you’ll need to focus on the prize — the
finished home.
It’s often good to imagine sitting
with a coffee and croissant in a sun-drenched
room, a huge family lunch on a long kitchen
table, a house party spilling out through bi-fold
doors into a laughter-filled garden. You will use
this positive energy and excitement to drive you
on. This is normal and understandable, but also
dangerous: the events that the overstretched
self-builder or renovator can focus on are the
fun times, which all too often results in houses
brilliant for (Christmas) parties, but useless for
a wet Wednesday in January and even worse
with a herd of toddlers in the mix. After all, a
house should be designed for life, not just for
Christmas.
Given that the average self-builder moves
every 20 years (it’s 10 years for ‘normal’ people),
and people doing major renovations to existing
homes have similar longevity, you need to really
focus on the house not only throughout the year,
good times and bad, but also over a major part
of your life. Think for a moment about how
much your needs can change over that time;
from a newlywed couple perhaps to having a
young family with toys and washing everywhere,
through to truculent teenagers locked away in
their rooms, to being a couple again. That’s not
to mention moving from fit late 40s right into
frailer twilight years. Good architecture is, in
truth, the art of realism and good compromise.
Flexible Space
A playroom – which can be
closed off by means of a pocket
door – leads off the main open
plan living area in this self-built
home. While it provides a
playroom for owners Louise and
Ivor Nicholson’s young family at
present, it also forms an
occasional guest bedroom and
could easily become an office or
snug if required in the future.
08/12/2016 12:27

DARREN CHUNG
A well-designed house can flex to meet your
current dreams as well as your lifetime needs.
The key word is flexibility. By this I don’t mean
weird architectural solutions or moving, sliding
walls that are hardly ever used. I mean space
that’s designed for a number of uses or con-
figurations over time. It is important to leave
as much possibility for change and alterations
going forward because planning houses is a bit
like going to war. One particular military quote
springs to mind: ‘No battle plan survives contact
with the enemy.’ Whatever you think might hap-
pen in life, probably won’t. A flexible, lifetime
home allows for the wonderful vagaries of life.
The Flexible Ground Floor Room
A key idea that should be included in every
house, because getting old is an inevitability, is
a ground floor room that can start as a playroom
or home office – whatever is needed now – and at
a later date become an accessible bedroom suite.
We call them ‘antiquity suites’ in my architectur-
al practice. The room needs to be planned so that
32-35_Charlie.indd 31
it will fit a bed, clothes storage and accommodate
life for a person with reduced mobility. Crucially,
it needs to be adjacent to a room large enough
and with suitable plumbing for conversion into
a spacious bathroom. You don’t need to fit it out
now or connect the rooms, just ensure there is a
knock-out panel in the wall (effectively a door-
way – ideally, wide enough to accommodate a
wheelchair – that is plastered over) marked up
very carefully on a plan for future use.
Subdiving Rooms
The ability to subdivide and reconnect children’s
rooms is also essential. The comings and goings
of children is usually the biggest challenge to the
capacity of a home. Fixing a design for maximum
occupancy, as most people do, inevitably leads
to compromises in bathrooms, circulation and
communal spaces elsewhere. I have designed
houses where large shared kids’ rooms can be
easily subdivided into smaller private ones as
they grow, just by getting the electrics, windows,
non-structural walls and knock-out panels for ➤
ADVICE
Lifetime Homes
Ground Floor Access
A ground floor room, sizeable
enough to accommodate
bedroom furniture and with
access to an adjacent bathroom
or wetroom, is a key ingredient to
the forever home. It may house a
playroom, serve as a home office
or a TV snug while children are
growing up, and could also form
an accessible bedroom in
twilight years. Level access to a
beautifully landscaped garden
(as here) is an optional bonus.
homebuilding.co.uk 31
08/12/2016 12:27
 new doors in the right place. With a bit of sim-
ple joinery and plastering, one room can be
transformed into two, and then after the little
ones have flown the nest be turned back into
one again.
Also, give consideration to the placement of
bathrooms. If two or more children’s bedrooms
share a bathroom, positioning this room so that
it could easily form an en suite when the accom-
modation is reduced is a very good idea.
Open Plan is Not Always the Solution
Getting the right balance in your living spaces
is just as crucial, and again this changes over
time. Open plan has been in vogue for the last
few years and part of that popularity is to do
with ideas surrounding flexibility, but it is a
false promise due to one main reason — noise.
The idea that a massive open living space can
accommodate groups of people doing different
things is simply not the case.
Young kids may trash these spaces in a split
second and be incredibly loud all day, but at
least they go to bed early. Older ones with their
electronic devices and inconvenient late nights
mean that what was once a dream of loft-style
living becomes a noisy pain in the neck.
Even without kids the fact that you can end up
staring at your half-finished dinner and washing
up, feeling lazy, means that the promise of open
plan is not always as advertised.
While the recent hype regarding ‘the death
of open plan’ is overblown, the days of the vast
kitchen/dining/sitting room that takes up the
entire ground floor, with a pokey loo and hall-
ALISTAIR NICHOLLS
way, are going. Which is good news. Far more
interesting and flexible is space that allows for
moving between separate but connected areas
that reflect different activities: this is where we
32 homebuilding.co.uk
32-35_Charlie.indd 32
watch TV; this is where we eat. I may be old
fashioned but this stuff is important and open
plan can be the enemy of harmonious family
living. I heard the phrase ‘broken plan’ recently
and it is a much more useful concept and gives
a sense of distinct but connected spaces which
are more robust in dealing with change.
Give Thought to the Structure
Finally and perhaps most importantly, going
back to the idea of never knowing what life will
throw at you, a robust, flexible structure is essen-
tial. It is all well and good planning to move walls
and change things at a later date, but if there
are lots of structural walls everywhere, building
work begins to get difficult and expensive. Think
about timber and steel superstructures to allow
walls and floors to be moved with relative ease
going forward.
The same is true for roof structures, which
should be designed for future occupancy with
minimal work. Think attic trusses, purlin roofs,
as well as where stairs might possibly be posi-
tioned. This also goes for services. Changes to
your layout and/or extensions get horribly messy
and costly if you have to hack up the existing
house to service the new space. This does require
a bit of forward thinking, but if you place a few
ducts with drawstrings running back to your
plant room – again, note these on a plan – it can
make future changes so much more painless.
I accept that planning for your current needs,
the dreams that are vital to getting you through
a build, as well as for a future that you can’t
ever really know, is a tall order. However, with
careful thought and design that accepts that
a home is not fixed in time, but is an evolving
entity, you can provide the flexibility needed for
a home for life. H
Designed for
Future Conversion
Attic trusses tend to be more
expensive than fink trusses in
the short term, but enable a loft
space to be converted into
habitable accommodation if
future needs require, without
considerable structural work.
This home office features a
pull-down double bed so that
the space can also function as a
guest bedroom.
Connected Spaces
Dedicated areas that connect
and flow into one another offer
more flexibility than one large
open plan ground floor space.
Semi open plan spaces (as above,
in this Baufritz self-build), or open
bookshelves and partial walls are
ways of achieving this. A study
(far right) provides a link
between the kitchen diner and
sitting room in this home by oak
frame specialist Border Oak; the
office and utility/WC has
potential to serve as a ground
floor bedroom suite, too. Another
solution: glazed doors in this
self-build (right) visually connect
the living room with the kitchen
diner, but allow the living space
to be shut off when in use. The
oak frame in this project was
provided by Welsh Oak Frame.
08/12/2016 12:28
 TOP: BAUFRITZ; BOTTOM LEFT: JOHN PERRY; BOTTOM RIGHT: JEREMY PHILLIPS

32-35_Charlie.indd 33
ALISTAIR NICHOLLS

homebuilding.co.uk
33
Lifetime Homes
ADVICE

08/12/2016 12:28
 How Works Packages
Helped Our Budgeting
Architect Neil Turner explains how a scientific approach to costs
helped his own award-winning remodelling project stay on budget
Neil Turner
Neil is a director of Durham and
London based architectural
practice Howarth Litchfield
Partnership and specialises in
residential design
(howarthlitchfield.com).
34 homebuilding.co.uk
36-37_WorksCosts.indd 34
B
uilding projects can be completed to
a budget — I’m living proof. I’m an
architect, and I built my own dream
home, Treetops, which won the Dai-
ly Telegraph Homebuilding & Ren-
ovating Award for Best Extension
in 2014. As well as the design, I am
equally proud of the tight deadline,
programme and cost control in com-
pleting Treetops.
Cost control is critical and should be applied
throughout, from design to completion. As an
early estimate, a general cost per m2 is the best
you’re going to get — try the Homebuilding &
Renovating build cost calculator (homebuilding.
co.uk/calculator). My clients usually ask why this
is the case. I usually explain that each house is
so unique and the list of finishes so variable — a
kitchen can be £10,000 or £100,000, and even
a brick can range from 20p to £1.
Estimating in Detail
So how do you start to assess the costs on your
project? A project can be divided into separate
material costs and their quantities. This is a
skill for a quantity surveyor who would ‘take off ’
the building (measuring the drawings and con-
verting them into a list of costs and quantities)
to prepare a bill of quantities. An alternative
method I undertook was to break the project
down into ‘work packages’.
So what’s a work package? Start with the
basics of foundations, floors, walls, windows,
roofs, electrical, mechanical, external works,
statutory supplies, internal finishes, kitchens
and bathrooms. These 12 packages of work cov-
er the vast majority of your new build. With
my project Treetops, I broke the whole project
down further into a series of 147 detailed work
packages. Once you understand the costs of
each package, then you can control the real
cost of the overall project. Start by estimating
costs and fill in with accurate numbers. Take,
for example, windows — one of the larger costs
on most projects. On Treetops, the elevations
showed the number of windows. We sought
alternative costs based on the planning ele-
vations. Once a supplier was chosen, we then
created a detailed window schedule so each
window was numbered, sized and the opening
mechanism described (side hung, top hung)
and ironmongery selected. The manufacturer
could then provide a detailed and accurate fixed
cost. With every accurate cost, you gain more
cost certainty and your budget becomes more
guaranteed.
Creating a List of Packages
So how do you create the lists? Start with the
design and the basic list above. Then look at each
part of your house design. The external wall of
my house had blocks, insulation, render, cedar
cladding and zinc. Each was initially given a
package number. The roof was also zinc so the
zinc surrounds joined the roof package for ease
of tendering. More packages can be created if
you are using different people, or if one subcon-
tractor does the brick, block and groundworks
then packages can be combined.
One top tip — don’t kid yourself! It’s a bit like
spending on credit: be honest with yourself and
don’t hide the guilty secrets. If you want the
bling chrome bathtub with water coming from
the ceiling, then put it down as a package and
price it up correctly (along with all the extra
plumbing, structure and work time involved).
Plus, the more complex the item, the more pack-
ages it will impact on.
These days, the Cat 5 cabling, electrical goods,
etc. can be an expensive part, so make sure you
have allowed for all the fittings and wiring prior
to the purchase of your new TV. You don’t want
to be knocking holes in new plaster — I see it
all the time.
08/12/2016 14:29
 ADVICE
Budgeting

So the initial 12 packages will expand. Keep

adding to them as rows in your spreadsheet.
In the columns, note which is your estimate,
a builder’s estimate, an accurate quote and a
definite fixed price. Before you start on site I
would advise that for the majority of packages
there’s a figure in the fixed price column or at
least an accurate quote.
So, hopefully you will have created your list
of packages and have fixed costs against most,
with an accurate guess against the remaining.
You now have a real building budget and a tar-
get cost to work against. This target cost is the
key to success.

Dealing with Overages

If a package goes over, you can accept it and
increase your overall budget or alternatively,
look to create a saving in another package, main-
taining the overall project cost. You should also
have a separate package called ‘contingency’ for
unknown events — aim for 5-10 per cent of the
overall cost. On my project the underpinning
came in higher due to ground conditions, so my
initial contingency absorbed this painful cost.
This is often the hardest piece of budgeting on
a project. An increase isn’t necessarily a problem
so long as you know about it immediately. Don’t
accept late requests for additional costs from
your subcontractors and insist on knowing why The Author, Outside Treetops
and when. As an architect, my favourite question Typical Packages Neil and Anita undertook a huge
to builders is ‘why?’ Continue to ask until you
are clear and understand.
and Cost Ratios remodelling and extension
scheme (above) to the 1960s
Prelims (tools, plant hire, home they bought in
including scaffolding, Northumberland. They spent
Detail is King 12% £300,000 on the project, which
waste removal)
I have already mentioned that detailed costs has won several awards.
are always best and to achieve that you need Footings 9%
detailed information from your architect. The Ground floor structure 4%
more information and detail the better — and Wall build-ups 14%
the earlier the better, to allow time for tendering.
Roof structure 4%
Subcontractors are great sources of information.
When I present a set of details, they may have First floor structure 1%
suggestions. I don’t have to accept these, but usu- Rainwater goods 1%
ally they are suggesting them for good reason. If Roof covering 8%
they have priced up a package and it’s too much,
Doors and windows 15%
then ask for suggestions on how to reduce the
costs — there is a difference between bartering Plastering 3%
(bad) and value engineering a package (good). Internal joinery 7%
Through the course of my project, I constantly Electrical 4%
monitored the costs, reviewed the extra requests
JEREMY PHILLIPS

Heating 4%
and issued instructions to the builder and the
various subcontractors, noting ups and downs Plumbing 4%
in expenditure. H Decorating 10%

homebuilding.co.uk 35

36-37_WorksCosts.indd 35 08/12/2016 14:29

 How to Save Serious Money
with VAT Reclaims
First, the good news — VAT can be claimed back on many elements of
self-build and conversion projects. But failing to keep to the rules could
mean you waste an eye-watering 20 per cent (at current VAT rates) of
your budget on unnecessary indirect taxes. Accountant Andrew
McDonald explains how to make every VAT-reclaimable penny count
Andrew McDonald
(MAAT FCCA)
Andrew is a qualified accountant
who has built his own house. He
prepares and submits VAT
claims for domestic clients and
assists clients who require VAT
advice throughout their project.
He also deals with HMRC reviews
and appeals, and tribunal cases
following rejected VAT claims.
36 homebuilding.co.uk
40-43_VAT.indd 36
O
ver the years, I have seen large
amounts of VAT lost on projects
because the opportunity to reclaim
the tax is overlooked or given low pri-
ority during the build. It is also diffi-
cult to rectify errors or mistakes down
the line. Ensuring that you incur the
minimum amount of VAT overall on
your project is key to its financial suc-
cess, and hopefully this article will highlight its
importance and help you avoid the pitfalls. Get
it right and your budget can be managed, adding
to the satisfaction when completed.
If you are building a new house, converting
a building into a new dwelling or bringing an
ISTOCK
existing dwelling that has not been lived in for
10 years back in to use, the DIY Housebuilders
Scheme (Notice VAT431NB and VAT431NC) VAT Paperwork
allows you to reclaim from HMRC some of the Get the VAT paperwork right and
VAT that you have paid out for your project. you can look forward to a
To claim, your project must be eligible and sizeable chunk of funds at the
lawful, for personal occupation by you or a family end of your project. This
paperwork enabled self-builder
member and evidence of completion must be George Davies to claim back
provided. The VAT reclaimed must be correct- £13,000 in VAT (see page 39).
ly incurred, all relevant VAT invoices must be
included and only one claim can be made —
and it must be submitted within three months
of completion. You will usually get the refund
within 30 working days of sending in the claim.
Top Tips
Consider the VAT implications before start-
ing your self-build or conversion project
If your project changes in nature during the
course of works, e.g. from a remodel to a dem-
olition and new build, then you must obtain
the appropriate paperwork to prove this.
08/12/2016 12:33
 ADVICE
VAT

Correct VAT Treatment PROJECTS: EXAMPLES OF WHAT YOU CAN AND CAN’T
Many self-builders regularly overlook this area. CLAIM UNDER THE DIY HOUSEBUILDERS SCHEME
You should ensure that you are charged the cor-
rect rate(s) of VAT on all costs associated with
your project. Getting this right is very important, ELIGIBLE NON-ELIGIBLE
as HMRC will not refund any VAT that has been
incorrectly charged.
3
New builds — creating a new
dwelling built from scratch, 8 Extensions and self-
contained accommodation
providing it is to be used by you (e.g. a granny annexe) that do
New builds, conversions, and renovations or your relatives as a family not create an independent
that bring a dwelling that has not been lived home for residential or holiday dwelling in their own right,
in for 10 years back into use as a dwelling: purposes. Any existing unless built at the same time
building must be demolished as part of a new dwelling
l For these projects, the supply of materials only
to ground level. Where
is always at the standard rate of VAT, which is required by planning consent,
currently 20% (5% on some energy items). You
can recover all of the VAT incurred on eligible
an existing façade can be
retained 8 Separate buildings that are
part of your planning
permission, apart from a
materials via the scheme.
garage — for example, a
l The supply of labour only or the joint supply of
Garages for use with the new garden store or a detached
labour and materials should be at the zero rate
(0%) for new builds and at the reduced rate,
3 dwelling, and covered by
planning permission at the
swimming pool building

currently 5%, for conversions and renovations same time

Refurbishments of existing
that bring a dwelling that has not been lived in
for 10 years back into use as a dwelling. When Conversions that create a
8 dwellings (unless empty for
10 years)
the project ends, the owner can reclaim 5% VAT
on eligible joint supply of labour and materials.
3 new dwelling — converting a
non-residential building, for
I often see large amounts of VAT lost on pro- example, a barn, old church, A new dwelling constructed
jects where the correct VAT treatment has not business premises, into a new
dwelling
8 for any business use, such as
a holiday rental or buy to let
been carefully managed. Many tradespeople/
contractors are not experienced in dealing with
the VAT rules on new builds and eligible conver- Renovations that bring a
sions and sometimes say ‘it doesn’t matter now, 3 dwelling that has not been
lived in for 10 years back into
as you will get the VAT back at the end anyway’.
use as a dwelling
However, this is not true. Don’t leave it to the
contractor. If you are unsure of any aspect of
VAT on your project, engage the services of a If the new build or conversion
professional to help you get it right. 3 is a holiday home for you and
your family’s personal use
Top Tip
Ensure you are charged the correct rate of Landscaping and outside
VAT by all VAT-registered labour providers
before engaging their services
3 works covered by your
planning permission. This may
include paving, fencing, turf
and shrubs, etc
Special Circumstances
l Renovations to dwellings empty for
two years or more are eligible for the
reduced rate of VAT of 5% via a VAT-
registered contractor.
l Works involving a net change in the number
of dwelling units are also eligible for the reduced
rate of VAT of 5%, i.e. converting two cottages
into one house, or reversion of three flats back
SIMON MAXELL

into a house. Above: Build costs for extensions are

l Some work to alter a house for someone who normally not eligible for VAT refunds.
is disabled is zero rated for VAT. ➤

homebuilding.co.uk 37

40-43_VAT.indd 37 08/12/2016 12:33

 l Some adaptations work to alter a house for MATERIALS: EXAMPLES OF WHAT YOU CAN AND CAN’T CLAIM
someone who is disabled is zero rated for VAT. UNDER THE DIY HOUSEBUILDERS SCHEME
These reduced VAT rates are only available
via VAT-registered contractors and not under
ELIGIBLE NON-ELIGIBLE
the DIY Housebuilders Scheme.

Top Tip All materials normally Equipment hire, e.g.

Obtain and keep all relevant invoices to
ensure that you can recover all eligible VAT.
3 incorporated in a new dwelling
— all construction materials, e.g.
8 scaffolding, JCB hire
(machine only), WC hire, etc
concrete, blocks, bricks,
Remember, you can recover the eligible VAT
insulation, sand, cement,
on invoices that include both eligible and plaster, timber, roofing, stairs, Consumables, e.g.
non-eligible items. windows, guttering, doors,
paint, etc
8 paint brushes,
hand tools, etc
Valid VAT Invoices
Ensure you retain all valid VAT invoices, as the
originals must be submitted to HMRC with your
claim. Electronic payment receipts and emails
3
Electrical and plumbing
materials 8 Professional fees,
e.g. architects’ fees, Standard
Assessment Procedure
confirming orders are not valid VAT invoices (SAP) calculations, project
and so any VAT paid is potentially lost. Fitted furniture such as manager, etc
Invoices should include the supplier name, 3 kitchen units and worktops
their VAT number, the invoice date, a description Kitchen appliances,
of the goods supplied (and services if applicable)
and the value of the invoice. 3 Extractor fans 8 including those
WHILE THE INFORMATION INCLUDED IN THIS ARTICLE IS BELIEVED TO BE CORRECT AT THE TIME OF WRITING, THE RULES COVERING THE DIY HOUSEBUILDERS

integrated, e.g. hob, oven,

If one of your tradespeople/contractors uses dishwasher, etc
Light fittings, wooden floor
their trade account to source your materials
3 systems, linoleum, floor tiles,
SCHEME ARE CHANGED AND UPDATED REGULARLY. NO RESPONSIBILITY CAN BE ACCEPTED FOR ANY RELIANCE PLACED ON IT OR ACTION TAKEN

and so is in their name, ensure that you pay door furniture, fireplaces and Bedroom furniture,
the supplier direct and keep the evidence, as it
will be required.
fires, fixed towel rails, mirrors,
solar panels, boilers, sewage
8 bathroom furniture,
such as vanity units and
The VAT incurred on invoices from VAT-regis- treatment plants, TV aerials, free-standing units
curtain poles
tered suppliers in the EU can be claimed too, as
long as the invoice includes the relevant infor- Carpets
mation (including their VAT number). Swimming pools and saunas 8
Top Tip
3 inside or linked to the new
dwelling Delivery costs, when
Many purchases are made online these days, 8 separately invoiced
by a courier
so ensure that you obtain a valid VAT invoice Delivery charge included
when buying, as this may prove difficult to
obtain at a later date.
3 on an invoice for materials

Key Points:
l Ensure your project is eligible.
l Ensure that you are charged the correct rates
of VAT throughout your project.
l Don’t ask a non-VAT registered contractor to This list is not exhaustive, but includes the usual items.
supply materials, as you won’t be able to reclaim
VAT on those materials.
l Obtain a valid invoice for all of the eligible
materials that you purchase. Many self-builders are often unaware of the
l Keep all of your relevant invoices together. non-eligible items, and so knowing what is and
l Ensure your claim is made within three isn’t allowed can save you money — for exam-
months of completion. ple, buying wooden floor systems or floor tiles
l Engage the services of a professional to ensure instead of carpets will allow you to reclaim VAT
you recover the maximum VAT. for flooring.

38 homebuilding.co.uk

40-43_VAT.indd 38 08/12/2016 12:33


SELF-BUILDERS’ ADVICE
Two self-builders give their advice, based
on claiming back thousands of pounds
worth of VAT on their building projects
Leicestershire-based self-builder Keith Sprintall
– who built his home for just over £80,000 – had
a 99 per cent success rate on his VAT refund sub-
mission, but ran into problems with an invoice
for fitted kitchen units from a large national
supplier that was rejected by HMRC. “In the
Keith Sprintall letter explaining this, the VAT office issued the
Self-builder following statement: ‘All claims submitted for
a DIY VAT refund which contain errors are
considered for penalties for inaccuracies under
schedule 24 Finance Act 2007’,” says Keith.
The query was finally only sorted after several
attempts to resolve the problem. The moral
of the story is: don’t assume that the supplier
fully understands all the inner workings of VAT
returns, and don’t expect HMRC to provide a
refund if there are any errors, even if the fault
lies with your supplier and not you. Keith con-
cludes: “On the whole, we think our claim ran
very smoothly, though the VAT office do use
intimidating terminology which is not always
sympathetic to the individual self-builder.”
“The VAT refund is a very big deal for self-build-
ers, as it is a useful sum of money heading back
to you at the end of the build — often a time
when self-builders are very short of funds,” says
George Davies, who has built two homes over
the past three decades. On his second self-build
in 2013, he and his wife waited until the build
was nearly complete before submitting their VAT
paperwork, meaning that they could reclaim the
VAT on as many items as possible.
“It creates a dilemma because you can only
George Davies make one claim and there are always more things
Self-builder to do that might qualify for the VAT refund but
you need the money back at the time, not weeks
or months later,” he says.
“For self-builders, I would suggest you make
the VAT people your best friend early on — do
get in touch with them if you are in any doubt
about how to handle any transaction. If a sup-
plier is hesitant about playing ball with your ‘do
not charge me VAT request’, phone up the VAT
office and get clarification.”
George also suggests storing receipts in a
secure and orderly fashion. “My advice is: keep
a file from day one. The VAT office will only
40-43_VAT.indd 39
ADVICE
VAT
accept originals and in the chaos of a self-build
project, paperwork can be given a low priority,
until you try and assemble everything to send
to the VAT reclaim office in Glasgow.
“Sending the paperwork off was a bit nerve
racking: the bundle of original invoices is often
worth tens of thousands of pounds. We all are
familiar with the box on the form that says ‘what
is the value of your parcel?’ — it is not often you
put down £13,000,” says George, who safeguard-
ed by sending his invoices by recorded delivery. H
SELF-BUILDER CLAIMS VAT BACK
AFTER DECADES-LONG PROJECT
A self-builder who took nearly 30 years
to complete his own project to build a
house and garage has won his appeal
in the tax courts.
HMRC had previously denied the
self-builder, Mr Bowley from Gloucester-
shire, a VAT refund on the grounds that the
two buildings had not been completed at
the same time.
Mr Bowley argued that building the
house and garage had been a single pro-
ject and that it had taken so long because it
was a solo project that he had undertaken
in his retirement. The tribunal agreed, stat-
ing that a house and garage are “construct-
ed … at the same time” if they are both built
as part of a single continuous project.
The tribunal noted: “HMRC accept that
it is possible to make a claim under the
DIY scheme within three months after
completion of a building, no matter how
long the construction of the dwelling may
take. Thus, a claimant might take 30 years
to complete a DIY building project, and
then make a claim within three months of
completion which would include invoices
up to 30 years old.”
Permission for Mr Bowley’s project
(building, garage and driveway) had been
granted in 1982. His case was strengthened
by the fact that preliminary groundwork
for the garage had been undertaken before
the house was finished in 1994 and a rein-
forced floor slab for the garage floor had
been laid in the same year, some three
months after the work on the house was
finished. The case was heard in the First-
Tier Tribunal of the Tax Chamber on 1
October 2015.
homebuilding.co.uk 39
08/12/2016 12:33
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Why are my Builders’
Quotes Beyond Budget?
It’s a familiar story — you’ve gone out to tender and the quotes received back are way
over budget. Step in project manager Bob Branscombe, who explains why this has
happened and advises on how to avoid this unhappy situation from the off
W
e all know the scenario —
armed with our drawings,
designs and cost plans we go
out to tender, eagerly await
our quotes, and then struggle
to understand why the prices
we receive are way above our
expectations. Our first (and
understandably human) reac-
tion is one of disappointment, shock and then
simple incredulity — why are the prices so high?
Bob Branscombe Obviously the builders have got it wrong, and
Bob is a chartered surveyor
frankly need to realise what an opportunity our
with almost 30 years’ experience job is for them…
running a mix of residential Sound familiar? There are several factors
and commercial projects. He which commonly contribute — some of which
has particular expertise in are our fault, others less so. Here we explore
cost estimation and
project scheduling.
them in detail.
1
Ensure the Tender Information
is Neither Flaky nor Ambiguous
When you go out to tender, chances are
that you are intimately familiar with what you
ILLUSTRATIONS BY SARAH OVENS
expect from your finished job. You might need
to pick a colour or two, but generally you will
understand exactly what you want. It stands
to reason then that your builder will also need
to know this. However, if the information you
provide (the ‘inputs’) is flaky, ambiguous or
contradictory, then your builder is left with three
51-53_BuildersQuotes.indd 41
ADVICE
Builders’ Quotes
choices when pricing the work:
 Price the cheapest option and look for extras
and changes later.
 Raise numerous queries and questions
throughout the tender process.
 Price based on their assumptions and allow-
ances to make sure they have an easy run of
the works.
The latter, I would suggest, is as prevalent as
the other two approaches combined: the builder
looks at the work, makes allowances which may
be in excess of requirements or over-specced,
and the price is correspondingly higher.
In times when building work is in abundant
supply, builders want jobs which they anticipate
will run smoothly, not those that will be fraught
with problems. Better to price the work high
and minimise trouble along the line; that is a
builder’s general approach in times of booming
workloads.
2
Avoid Putting in Unnecessary
or Over-Complex Information
This is a tricky one. I preach time and time
again that the inputs affect the contract, so it
could be inferred that the more information the
better. In the main this is not a bad thing, but
I would suggest that appropriate information
is the overarching requirement. Repetitive or
overly complicated sets of documents can often ➤
homebuilding.co.uk 41
08/12/2016 12:34
 cause tendering builders to assume a level of
complexity that is not necessarily there, and the
prices tend to creep up as a consequence; the
builder does not wish to have missed something
or be caught out.
Providing engineering, landscaping, geo-
technical and construction drawings is a good
plan generally, if you have them. However, if all
you want is the superstructure quote from the
builder to get you to shell stage, sending them
the internal fit-out details runs the risk of over
considering the works and pricing potentially
more work than expected. The secret is to go
out to tender with the correct, coordinated and
relevant information to fully understand and
price the works required — no more, no less.
3
Inadequate Information
Often Leads to Overpricing
This is the counterpoint to point two.
Remember that you are asking your builder to
price and build the works as per your require-
ments. If your drawings only show four walls and
a roof, with no constructional information, you
run the risk of them over-specifying or assuming
details that may or may not be there.
If the builder is conscientious, and you are
expecting a fixed-price ‘turnkey’ quotation,
then they will have to make a great number of
assumptions when pricing the work. The less
information there is on the drawings and spec-
ification, the more they have to guess what you
really want. While some items will be forgotten,
it is more likely that they will overprice the work
to make sure they have covered everything.
In some cases, the work may end up in dispute.
Where the information is inadequate, it is very
challenging to forensically dissect the works
to understand what was expected and what
was included in the tenders and contracts. In
buoyant times, no builder wants the heartache
and hassle of disputes, so they tend to overprice.
4
Don’t Leave Room forAssumption
Your tendering process should, above all,
seek to eliminate any scope for assump-
tion. As soon as you say the words ‘I thought
that’, the opposing party in the building contract
can counter with ‘well, I thought differently’ —
neither party is wrong, both are simply victims
of reliance on assumption.
Assumption only breeds confusion and/or
misinterpretation, and in most cases, when pric-
42 homebuilding.co.uk
51-53_BuildersQuotes.indd 42
ing the work, the builder will by nature assume
the worst-case scenario if they cannot under-
stand from the documents what is required.
The result? More contingency money is built
into their price — and you receive a price which
is higher than it needs to be.
5
Has your Designer Taken
Their Eye Off the Budget?
Your design team are rightly concerned
with coming up with a design which meets your
dreams and expectations, fits within the plot and
planning regime, and is buildable. Often (in fact
more often than not, in my experience) they take
their eye off the budget. When you commission
a home, you tend to focus from day one on the
We tend to assume that the builder has
overpriced the job, not that our budget is
no longer contemporary to the project
maximum budget, but then all parties tend to
forget this as the excitement and challenges of
the design process commence. I would stress
that development of the budget is as important
as the design, and should be an evolving process
which is carried out and checked every day as
the design evolves. Every decision or change to
the design affects budget in some way, and the
design team should be advising you on this.
When you appoint your designer or architect,
make sure that budget considerations are part of
the scope of service; they must be able to advise
and design within your budget. They should
advise you from the outset whether your plans
are realistically achievable within your available
funds and keep a watching brief on this prior to
receipt of tenders. Otherwise the first indication
of budget challenges is when the tenders are
opened and the prices are too high. At this point,
despite the potential of value engineering, it is
often impossible to revisit and fundamentally
change the design without wasting time and
effort already expended (and paid for), and so
you are in reality fiddling while Rome burns.
Keep an eye on budget every single time you
think about your project. Tracking the costs as
the design evolves is the best way to ensure you
fully understand the scope and design of the
building — much more effective than looking at
drawings alone and wondering about furniture
placement…
08/12/2016 12:34

6
Busy Times Mean Builders
can Pick and Choose Work
Builders are currently very busy. In
today’s economic climate, there is a shortage
of builders and technicians, and a surfeit of
demand for building work, home improvement
and maintenance. This inevitably means that
good builders (and in the current market if
someone is desperate for work you should won-
der why…) will consider their commitments and
work over the next few months, and their pricing
levels will creep up accordingly.
If builders have to find a way of fitting more
work in, they will need to find more resources,
stretch themselves in terms of management and
cash flow, and as such, they will price to try to
cover this. Market forces dictate that if a builder
does not need the work, why should they offer
a cut-price bargain to you?
It is also worth considering the builder’s
approach and view of your project. If they have
several schemes to ‘choose from’ when pricing,
they will view them not just in terms of potential
earnings and turnover, but also in terms of the
likely smoothness and ease of execution.
A new build on a clear site, with ample
on-street parking, easy access for cranes and
heavy equipment and a payment regime clearly
set out and defined will be far more attractive
than a remodelling job in an inner city area with
parking permits and road closure challenges.
Even assuming identical costs, the more chal-
lenging project will be less attractive and the
builder will therefore price it higher to accom-
modate the idiosyncrasies attached to the job.
Consider if you can ease these pressures and
make your scheme attractive to the supply chain.
Equally, a restrictive and overly ‘client-focussed’
regime of management and administration can
put off builders. I am not advocating relaxing
correct contract administration processes, but
in my view, in a busy market, the builder will
price ‘the buggeration factor’ into a job…
7
Ensure your Budget
Remains Contemporary
The main reason that the price is higher
than expected when you receive the tenders
could be simply that your budget was too low.
Our first reaction may be: ‘I don’t like that’. The
trick here is to try to understand why it is not the
news we wanted. The science behind the price
51-53_BuildersQuotes.indd 43
ADVICE
Builders’ Quotes
is the key to successful pricing and budgeting —
the factors listed in this article are all influences
over and above the practical elements, such as
the number of bricks, hours worked, cost of win-
dows, etc. You and your design team can cover
these off reasonably accurately, but the aspects
that get forgotten or ignored are the factors I
have briefly touched on above: those intangibles
that make our job more expensive than others,
or more expensive than we had expected.
Your budget is a ‘live’ and evolving aspect of
the scheme. When you start out, the first bit of
science you can bring to the scheme is the gross
amount of money you can get hold of. This is the
first ‘control factor’ and should be sacrosanct.
If the design team then ignores this, you don’t
track it, the design changes and evolves, and the
level of fit-out gets higher, then obviously the
budget is now inadequate. However, because we
set the budget in stone at the outset, we tend
to assume that the builder has overpriced the
job, not that our budget is perhaps no longer
contemporary to the project. The lesson here
is to keep ownership of the budget, have it at
the top of the agenda when every design and
construction detail is discussed or tweaked, and
get the design team to buy in to this number.
As a footnote, consider the time factor: you
probably set your budget prior to even getting
planning permission, several months will have
passed, and inflation becomes a real presence in
the pricing levels your builder is experiencing.
In conclusion, you have several easy wins:
be concise but accurate in your documenta-
tion, make your design team play a proac-
tive part in budget compliance, and factor
into your budget all the ‘soft’ and intangi-
ble costs you can think of. While no one can
predict the whims of builders, perhaps we
can understand why they are not necessarily
overcharging us! H
homebuilding.co.uk 43
08/12/2016 12:34
 Making Sense of
Your Eco Home Options
Most of us believe that eco houses are a ‘good thing’ — but what
do we actually mean by this broad term and what measures are
best suited to your project? Eco expert Tim Pullen explains all
W
hat do we mean by the term
‘eco house’? It seems there is
no single definition: the near-
est we get is: ‘a dwelling that
uses materials and (perhaps)
technology to reduce its ener-
gy needs and its impact on the
environment’.
But then some definitions
include phrases like ‘environmentally friendly’,
‘sustainable materials’, ‘healthy living’ and the
Tim Pullen idea broadens out to include everything from a
Tim is an expert in sustainable couple of solar panels to a house built entirely
building and energy efficiency. of reused tyres.
He runs the green home Similarly, there are a plethora of eco house
consultancy Weather Works, design types:
advising clients on renewables
l Fabric first (e.g. Passivhaus)
and energy efficiency
in the home. l Carbon neutral
l Healthy homes
l Biophilic (linking the house to nature)
l Cradle-to-cradle (which looks at the lifecycle
of materials)
l Holistic design (which looks at the impact of
the house on the people living in it and the local
environment)
l Earthship Biotecture (building entirely with
natural and recycled materials).   an abbreviation of ‘ecologically sensitive’, and
What this tells us is that an eco house can be
anything we want it to be, given that it offers
some difference (improvement, perhaps) on the
accepted norms. An eco house could include
some or all of the following:
l Higher than normal levels of insulation
l Better than normal airtightness
l Good levels of daylight
l Good double or triple-glazed windows
RIGHT: MIKE WILKINSON
l Passive solar orientation — glazing
oriented south for light and heat
l Thermal mass to absorb that solar heat
l Minimum north-facing glazing — to
reduce heat loss
44 homebuilding.co.uk
42-49_GreenNew.indd 44
l Mechanical ventilation with heat recovery
(MVHR) system
l Heating from a renewable source (such as
solar, heat pump or biomass)
l PV (photovoltaic) panels, small wind turbine
or electricity from a ‘green’ supplier
l Natural materials — avoidance of PVCu and
other plastics
l Rainwater harvesting
l Greywater collection
l Composting toilet
The list could go on, but can be treated more
as a menu than a shopping list. It is a matter of
picking those items best suited to the project
and the people building it. If we accept that
it is not possible to reduce our impact on the
environment to zero, then what constitutes an
eco house is a matter of degree: a completely
standard brick-and-block house with a solar
panel on the roof is at least more eco than the
house next door.
The Difference Between
Eco, Green and Sustainable
Green has no real meaning, but other than that
the terms seem interchangeable. ‘Eco’ may be
‘sustainable’ may mean using natural materials
from well-managed sources but ultimately they
lead to the same thing: a house that, by design,
minimises its environmental impact.
Many eco housebuilders start and end with
the idea of energy efficiency, which is another
way of saying lower running costs. Strathclyde
University published a paper in 2013 show-
ing that the embodied energy in a house can
be equivalent to up to 25 per cent of the total
lifetime energy demands of the house. To be
considered ‘eco’, then, the house design needs
to give some consideration to materials and
embodied energy. ➤
08/12/2016 14:31
 ADVICE
Eco Self-build

The Healthy Home

Helen and Burnett Lunan built
this eco home for their
retirement using natural and
sustainable materials. Helen, a
retired GP in Bishopbriggs just
outside Glasgow, became aware
through her work of the harmful
effects of housebuilding
chemicals. As a result, the couple
decided that their home,
designed by LDN Architects,
would be built using natural
materials wherever possible, as
well as being energy efficient.
The low-pitched roof is covered
by aluminium, specified because
the material can be easily
recycled, while most of the stone
in the house came from a ruined
cottage on the one-acre site.

homebuilding.co.uk 45

42-49_GreenNew.indd 45 08/12/2016 14:31

 KEY ELEMENTS OF AN ECO HOUSE
l Energy Efficiency
Any house with eco pretensions must be ener-
gy efficient — it is the starting point. Often
this is limited to space heating only and sim-
ply achieved with more insulation, as if that
is the only energy consumption that can be
addressed. An eco house needs to address energy
consumption wherever it occurs. Space heating
is important, but so too is hot water and elec-
tricity consumption.
l Materials
A walk around any builders’ merchant will show
that there has been a shift towards more sus-
tainable materials. This may have been driven by
the (now defunct) Code for Sustainable Homes,
where using sustainably sourced materials was
a good way of gaining points without impacting
on the design or convenience of the house.
Now Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC) cer-
tified timber seems to be stocked as standard,
rather than being subject to special request;
there is less PVCu around and timber windows
and doors are making a comeback; and the
availability of natural materials – hemp, lime,
sheep wool, cellulose – has increased as prices
have fallen. But for the eco builder, reused and
recycled are also holy grails.
And that is not just a matter of what the mate-
rial is recycled from, but what it could eventu-
ally be recycled to. One Passivhaus built in the
middle of Cardiff is entirely demountable, for
instance. It is a timber frame house that uses
no nails or glue, only screws and bolts, so that
at the end of the house’s life everything can be
taken apart and the salvaged materials reused.
l Natural Materials = Healthy House?
People who live in houses built mainly with
natural materials say that the house has a better
‘feel’ to it. And it is true that there are no known
examples of this type of house having ‘sick house
syndrome’ — which tend to be associated with
buildings using a lot of steel and plastic, and
where the occupants feel uncomfortable or even
physically ill.
 There is a good deal of controversy over
whether non-natural materials – mainly plastics
and non-natural insulation – contain chemicals
that can gas-off to the detriment of occupants.
There is no controversy that natural materials
do not contain those chemicals. The fact that
people living in houses using predominantly
natural materials feel good may be entirely psy-
46 homebuilding.co.uk
42-49_GreenNew.indd 46
chosomatic, but does that really matter? Any The Low-Cost New Build
doctor will confirm that a psychosomatic pain Ian and Simone Pritchett
hurts just as much as a real one and if people self-built an energy-efficient
feel good then that is a ‘real’ feeling. home of hemp/lime
l Green Roof, Green Walls construction, at a build cost of
just £788/m2. The home’s
One of the maxims of the purist eco builder is thermally efficient structure and
to replace the ecology that the house stands on. use of eco technologies, such as a
A green roof will replace it with an ecology, but mechanical ventilation heat
usually it is a different, and sometimes more recovery system, means the
diverse and interesting, ecology. A green roof will home has a heat demand of
around 2.5kW — around the same
usually not support the same plant and animal as a powerful hair dryer.
life that the ground did and will not usually be
maintained in the same way that a garden is.
It therefore needs specialist planting, which in
turn is likely to bring in different insects and
other animal life.
 A green wall is essentially the same as a green
roof, but vertical and with different plants and
is, perhaps, an even clearer statement of eco cre-
dentials. They are typically not installed to all the
walls of the house, maybe just one wall or even
a part of a wall, but even so they will have a
dramatic effect on the fauna using the garden.
Green Wall Systems is a good place for more
information (green-walls.co.uk).
l ‘Fabric First’ Concept
Passivhaus is probably the best known fabric
first standard, where the envelope of the house
is designed to minimise the heat loss of the
house, and consequently its energy demands. To
some extent, at least, it also addresses the total
energy demands of the house and its occupants,
but does little to address materials, their energy
content, sustainability or recycling.
Energy efficiency is a prerequisite for the
eco accolade, and Passivhaus qualifies in that
respect. However, there is a danger that this
approach reinforces the idea that energy effi-
ciency is the only target for the eco builder. The
fabric first concept actually takes the builder
much further than that. It deals with insulation,
airtightness, thermal bridging, etc, but it also
deals with thermal mass, glazing and orienta-
tion. It considers how the house can be used to
heat itself — using the fabric of the house as
part of the heating system. 
If reducing running costs is the only criterion,
then fabric first is the way to go. But if the builder
is also concerned about CO2 emissions, water
consumption, resource depletion and the impact
on the local ecology, then Active House may be
an option — it is similar to Passivhaus but goes
two steps further, by generating at least as much ➤
08/12/2016 14:31

BRETT CHARLES
WHAT NEXT FOR ECO HOMES IN 2017 AND BEYOND?
Rachel Haynes, director of Thread
Architects: Removing VAT from
renovations and improvements
would help improve the existing
housing stock
“Our view is that every existing dwelling is an
eco home, as it has already invested most of
its embodied energy in its construction. The
fact that VAT is applicable to most domestic
building work including renovations, but not
to new builds, reinforces a throwaway culture
that cannot be seen as sustainable or eco. The
ability to adapt what we have should be at the
42-49_GreenNew.indd 47
ADVICE
Eco Self-build
forefront of an ecological approach to future
homes. Removing the VAT from significant
improvements and adaptations would help lock
the carbon in our existing housing stock and pro-
mote work towards increasing energy efficien-
cy. It would also create work for local builders
and allow homeowners to stay in their existing
homes, taking the strain off the need for new
housing. As well as allowing easier adaptations
to our existing building stock, new build homes
should also be assessed for their ability to adapt
to long-term developments in our needs, tech-
nologies and use of our homes for the future.”
Is My House an Eco House?
“My house was built in July 1817,” says the author of
this piece, Tim Pullen. “The stone for the walls came
from the fields that surround the house; the lime for
the mortar was made in a lime kiln about two miles
away; the timber would have originally come from
forests perhaps five miles away; the roof is covered
in local slate. Heat is (as it was originally) provided
by wood and most of the electricity is today
provided by a wind turbine.
 “When I bought the house there was no intent to
buy an eco house and there has been no conscious
effort since to make it ‘eco’. Two hundred years ago
there was no option but to use local, sustainable
materials. Today, for me at least, using renewable
energy is commercially and practically sensible. By
most definitions, ours is an eco house but it might be
said we have arrived there by accident.”
homebuilding.co.uk 47
08/12/2016 14:31
 energy as the house consumes and considering
the health and comfort of the people living in it.
l Renewable Energy
To an extent, this can be considered as a substi-
tute for fabric first — the builder either achieves
an energy-efficient envelope or provides low-
cost, low-carbon energy from renewable sources.
Obviously the two are not mutually exclusive and
an energy-efficient house, by definition, needs
less investment in renewable energy.   to insects, and adds nothing to the ecology. A
 
Road Map to Eco Homes
The eco builder has always gone his/her own
way. Largely this was a matter of necessity, as
there was no recognised standard and few points
of reference. It could be argued that the demise
of the Code for Sustainable Homes and the
policy for zero carbon homes had little impact,
as the eco builder knew they had never been
the right approach.
 The Association for Environment Conscious
Building (aecb.net) provides good advice and
guidance to the eco builder — but ultimately
it is your home, and it has to be a comfortable,
welcoming space for you and your family. The
decisions the eco builder makes will be based
on three tenets:
l Energy efficiency This is the fabric first
approach to insulation and airtightness, but
also incorporates reducing the total energy con-
sumption of the building.  lation is more expensive. So rather than install-
l Materials Use as many natural, sustainable
and recycled materials as possible.
l Greening Avoid lawns and hard external sur-
faces and instead having ponds, wild flowers
and meadow gardens.
 
How to Make Yours an Eco Home
The key issue is deciding what you actually want
to achieve. The budget may dictate that popping
a solar thermal panel on the roof is all that can
be done. And that, at least, makes the house
more eco than the one next door. But there are
cheaper and more effective things to do:
l Airtightness or draught-proofing. For energy
efficiency, it offers the best £ for £ return, and in
older houses is likely to have the biggest impact
on reducing energy consumption. This is likely
to cost £300 or less.
l Insulation Thermal efficiency is a core ele-
ment of any eco home and insulation is a key
component of that. Focus on getting the insu-
48 homebuilding.co.uk
42-49_GreenNew.indd 48
lation as consistent as possible on the whole Locally Sourced
building envelope. Neil and Mary Gourlay’s house in
l Recycled materials The local salvage yard is Dumfries and Galloway draws on
likely to be a repository of useful (and cheap) the four Rs of sustainability
materials. Try to break the cycle of buying (reduce, reuse, recycle and
recover). It incorporates
everything new.
reclaimed railway sleepers for
l Green the plot Getting rid of hard surfaces the wooden floors and functional
(tarmac, brick drives, concrete paths) helps the furniture. A Kachelöfen biomass
local ecology, but a lawn is a green desert. A stove, shown right, heats up the
single plant species (grass) is of little interest dry-stone wall (made from
stones stacked in the corners in a
neighbouring field ) that runs
mixed species, grassed area (with plantain, dai- through the house. The
sy, chamomile, yellow rattle, maybe some wild homeowners, a retired farming
flowers) is much more interesting to look at and couple, have also used local
useful to the fauna in the area. sheep fleece for insulation —
150mm of sheep’s wool
l Solar panels In eco terms, installing solar
insulation sits behind every wall.
panels for hot water is the first and least that
can be done.
l LED lighting LED lamps are now an
affordable option and have a big impact on
electricity consumption.
l Glazing Often the starting point in a refurbish-
ment or renovation is to replace single-glazed
windows with double-glazed. And, yes, double
glazing will have a big impact. Secondary double
glazing will cost much less and have almost the
same impact on energy consumption.
The Eco House Budget
Increasing the thermal efficiency with more
insulation is a good thing, but sustainable insu-
ing lots of cheap insulation or less sustainable
insulation, it might be worth offsetting the extra
expense by using cheaper, reclaimed materials
from the salvage yard.
The holistic approach (also called Active
House) looks at thermal efficiency, just as Pas-
sivhaus does, but also considers sustainable
materials and the health of the occupants and
the local environment. There are cost implica-
tions to this approach, but if health and the wid-
er environment are important considerations,
then the extra cost may be offset by having a
slightly smaller house that is also better for the
environment.
All projects have a budget and that implies
compromise. An eco house is no different. Bear
in mind that any move away from standard
housebuilding methods and towards eco living
is a good move. If you are trying to create an
eco house, remember that there is no right and
wrong approach, only good or better. 
08/12/2016 14:31

ANDREW LEE X2
WHAT NEXT FOR ECO HOMES IN 2017 AND BEYOND?
Kieran Hawkins, architectural
director, MailenDesign: Consider
a building’s lifespan
“Flexibility over time, quality of workmanship in
construction and the specification of materials
that will improve with age are areas that we
think a lot about at MailenDesign. If a building
is robust, if it can be adapted to different uses
throughout its lifespan and can be occupied in
a wide variety of ways, then we can avoid a lot of
42-49_GreenNew.indd 49
ADVICE
Eco Self-build
potential future processes that are very expensive
(in both economic and ecological terms). As an
example, Georgian terrace houses in London
are wonderfully adaptable. The houses allow a
huge variety of extensions, modifications and
sub-divisions, or conversions to shops and offic-
es, while still largely maintaining the desirable
qualities of natural light and craftsmanship and
without the waste and cost of demolition and
new construction.” ➤
homebuilding.co.uk 49
08/12/2016 14:31
 EXCLUSIVE TO ECOHAUS

CREATIVITY
NEEDS NO
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BURCKHARDTS SOREG GLIDE

IS A NEW GENERATION
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SUPP_Pages_2-60.indd 50 09/12/2016 09:22

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NICHOLAS YARSLEY C/O BAUFRITZ
WHAT NEXT FOR ECO HOMES IN 2017 AND BEYOND?
Paul Testa, Paul Testa Architecture:
Consider energy performance, cli-
mate change and internal air quality
“What we want from eco homes is a comfortable
and healthy living environment with the lowest
possible energy use. There are three prominent
threads running through eco housing: fabric
first, micro (renewable) energy and low impact
construction using natural and recycled building
materials. Some of the things we’re grappling
with now include:
l The performance gap: Most new buildings
should be achieving a high level of performance.
However, the lack of rigorous thermal design
methods and good control on site mean these
aspirations are rarely met. It’s not uncommon
for new buildings to use between 50 and 100 per
cent more energy than predicted. The Passivhaus
standard avoids this performance gap and is
the one standard where it’s likely the ultimate
performance will be as designed.
l Future climate adaption: Eco homes can
overheat and in many instances, the design isn’t
42-49_GreenNew.indd 51
ADVICE
Eco Self-build
The Low-Toxin Eco Home
Liz and Mike Hauck wanted a
sustainable and healthy home
for their retirement — at the time,
Liz had multiple chemical
sensitivity, which made it
important that the new house
wasn’t a source of toxins. The
thick breathable walls of this
Baufritz timber frame house,
prefabricated and imported from
Germany, are packed with the
company’s patented wood
shaving insulation, which is
highly thermally efficient. The
400mm-walls also mean any
condensation is removed from
the atmosphere faster than it is
generated, making the internal
space comfortable and clean.
resilient to sustained high temperatures. This is
an industry-wide problem rather than one that
is restricted to sustainable buildings. Passivhaus
has some basic overheating risk modelling built
in, but future climate adaption will become
increasingly important with all new homes as
our climate gets warmer.
l Internal air quality: The phrase ‘build tight,
ventilate right’ is crucial. We occasionally see
articles in the press about poor air quality in
new eco homes. This is because the ‘build tight’
airtightness element of the building envelope has
been considered to avoid heat loss but without
the ‘ventilate right’ whole building ventilation
strategy to maintain good internal air quality.
Again, Passivhaus has this embedded in its
parameters, and the issue is becoming more
understood by low-energy building practition-
ers. Elsewhere, there is still heavy reliance on
natural ventilation and building air leakage to
provide fresh air — which has been proven to not
provide the air quality we need for comfortable
and healthy living.” H
homebuilding.co.uk 51
08/12/2016 14:31
 Building on a Sloping Site
Extensive excavation was
required in order to build the
ground floor level of this new
home, designed by architect
Annie Martin, into the sloping
site. The result is a home
which appears to be single
storey from approach — a key
requirement for this
replacement dwelling within
Dartmoor National Park. The
retaining walls have been clad
in granite.

52 homebuilding.co.uk

60-65_Foundations.indd 52 09/12/2016 10:42

 ADVICE
Foundations

Foundations
for Difficult
Sites
Unstable ground? Clay soil?
Trees? Sloping land? ‘Difficult’
sites can quickly become
expensive headaches.
Surveyor Ian Rock provides
solutions for even the most
problematic of plots

Ian Rock
Chartered surveyor Ian Rock
MRICS is the author of eight
popular Haynes House Manuals,
including Build Your Own House
Manual, and is a director of
Rightsurvey.co.uk.

T
here are good reasons why develop-
ers generally steer clear of ‘tricky’
sites. Potentially exorbitant ground-
work costs, coupled with prolonged
periods of uncertainty, can rapidly
transform a viable project into a dar-
ing gamble. However, what might
appear to be a ‘problem plot’ can
sometimes turn out to be a blessing
in disguise for self-builders willing to take on
technical challenges.
The primary role of foundations is to anchor
NIGEL RIGDEN

the building to good bearing ground (in other

words, ground capable of supporting the build- ➤

homebuilding.co.uk 53

60-65_Foundations.indd 53 09/12/2016 10:43

 ing). Even relatively lightweight structures, such
as timber frame houses, need to be securely
‘fixed in place’ to resist ground movement. The
trouble is, conventional trench foundations start
to become uneconomic below about 2m deep.
So on sites where stable ground is in short sup-
ply, you’re likely to need something a bit more
sophisticated to protect your home from the rav-
ages of nature. This normally means consulting
a structural engineer at the design stage. The
need for ‘special’ foundations can also extend
the time taken for groundworks from three or
four days for a conventional build, to perhaps
two or three weeks — more than doubling your
total costs for this stage of the project.
What Constitutes a Tricky Plot?
The three main causes of escalating ground-
works are sloping sites, the close proximity and/
or presence of trees, and ‘bad ground’.
Sloping Sites
Even quite shallow slopes can pose complica-
tions. Designing the drainage and access will
need careful attention, and surface water coming
down the hill will need to be channelled around
the building. As a rule, the steeper the site the
greater the cost, with expensive retaining walls
often required on gradients of more than 1:25,
to hold back the ground.
The biggest decision, however, is where to
position the building. One option is to build
into the hill, excavating to create a level base.
Alternatively you might decide to extend the
building outwards with supporting walls con-
structed under the raised area. Both options
are likely to add upwards of £5,000 to your
groundwork costs. The compromise method is
to fit the house to the slope with a series of steps
creating a split-level layout. This will reduce the
amount of excavation, although it can still add
as much as 10 per cent to your overall build cost.
However, sloping sites can provide an opportu-
nity for adding extra space by incorporating a
basement as a cost-effective way to fill the void
when building out above ground level.
Presence of Trees
Retaining mature trees can add a lot to the
‘amenity value’ of a property, while helping to
mollify planners and disgruntled neighbours.
The problem is, notoriously thirsty species such
as willows and poplars can cause ground insta-
54 homebuilding.co.uk
60-65_Foundations.indd 54
bility in subsoils such as shrinkable clay. As a
rough guide, it is recommended that buildings
on conventional foundations should not be clos-
er to single trees than the height of the tree at
maturity, or one-and-a-half times for groups
of trees; the National House Building Council
(NHBC) publishes tables showing ‘safe distanc-
es’. To determine foundation depths, you also
need to consider the shrinkability of the subsoil
and the water demand of the species, as well as
noting the distance of trees from foundations.
Cutting down trees can also cause problems.
For several years following the clearing of a
site, clay soils can gradually expand, absorbing
the moisture no longer taken by the trees. The
foundation design needs to allow for this.
Root barriers can be a useful method of
protecting foundations. This involves excavat-
ing a narrow trench between the tree and the
building about a metre deeper than the lowest
roots (trenches are typically about 4m deep)
into which large rigid plastic sheets about 4mm
thick are inserted.
‘Bad Ground’
There are several reasons why ground can be
prone to movement:
l Volume change. Shrinkable clays suffer
seasonal volume changes, although this rarely
extends more than a metre below the surface.
Problems are exacerbated by trees and shrubs
in close proximity, combined with periods of
drought and heavy rainfall.
l Frost heave. Springy or boggy ground is
indicative of a high water table where soil can
expand when frozen. However, surface ground-
water rarely freezes at depths of more than half
a metre.
l Made up ground. Previously developed
‘brownfield’ land can contain all manner of
horrors, such as old footings, drains and wells,
with consequent uncertainty about the bearing
capacity of the ground. Former industrial uses
or dumps may also harbour potential risks with
toxic chemicals or methane gas, so it’s advisable
to consult local authority registers of contam-
inated land. In some cases, however, the solu-
tion can be relatively simple such as specifying
sulphur-resistant cement.
l Unstable ground. Worst of all, past excavation
or mining activity may have made the ground
highly unstable, with new foundations potential-
ly subject to periodic, unpredictable subsidence.
09/12/2016 10:43

DARREN CHUNG
Building Near Trees
This new home was built using
piled foundations, due to the
close proximity of a large willow
tree that the owners wanted to
retain. Another recent
innovation used for building
near trees, at a similar cost to pile
and beam foundations, is the
prefabricated ‘Housedeck’ — an
insulated raft of reinforced
concrete supported on piles.
60-65_Foundations.indd 55
Foundation Solutions
Building on difficult terrain normally involves
one of these following solutions:
Digging Down Deeper
On ground with poor bearing capacity, such
as soft sandy clays, the simplest solution is to
dig down a little further. If a standard trench
foundation is deep enough, its base should be
supported on firm ground unaffected by sea-
sonal changes, while beam and block floors can
happily bridge across the surface.
In clay areas, however, the ground around
the sides of the foundations will still be prone
to periodic expansion and contraction as the
ground becomes saturated and then dries. So
to resist lateral pressure, the sides of the trench-
ADVICE
Foundations
es can be lined with a flexible slip membrane
which allows the clay alongside to independently
shrink or swell. Also, building wider foundations
can help spread the load over a larger area, but
this may require steel reinforcement to prevent
shearing. And, as we have seen, with deeper
trench foundations it soon becomes cheaper,
easier and safer to switch to one of the following
‘engineered’ solutions.
Pile and Ring Beam Foundations
Piles are concrete columns drilled deep into hard
bedrock to securely anchor the building, aided
by frictional resistance from the surrounding
ground. This method has become much more
common in housebuilding since the advent of ➤
homebuilding.co.uk 55
09/12/2016 10:43
 cheaper short-bored systems installed using
hired mini-piling rigs. It’s now the most widely
used foundation type after conventional trench- Piled Foundations
es, thanks in no small measure to planning
ground beam
requirements encouraging retention of trees
and the development of brownfield land.
Piles are placed about every 2.5m under the
main walls, and at corners and intersections.
Once firm stratum is reached they can be
topped with mushroom-like ‘pile caps’ on to hardcore
which horizontal reinforced concrete ring beams
(aka ‘ground beams’) are installed to support
the main walls. There are four main types of
mini-piling (‘micro pile’) systems:
short bore pile
l Augered piling is widely used in clay subsoil
and involves drilling holes (200mm to 600mm
in diameter) as deep as 24m with an ‘auger’
(a rotating shaft with cutting blades). Once
drilled, the auger is withdrawn and the hole
filled with steel-reinforced concrete. This is the
least expensive and most common method, and
is virtually vibration free. On sites with very
restricted access, lightweight hand auger tripods Pad Foundations
can drill with a diameter of up to 300mm and
to a depth of 13m.
l Continuous flight auger (CFA) piles are
tanking/ ring beam
drainage
used in unstable or water-bearing ground. The membrane
main difference from augered piling is that the
drilling pieces are hollow so concrete can be
pumped directly to the bottom of the hole as
the auger is withdrawn.
l Driven piles use a steel casing and are suitable
for wet, unstable or contaminated ground. More
post/pier
economical than the CFA method, these piles
come in sizes varying from 150mm to 320mm.
The casing is first placed in a small pilot hole pad footing
and then pushed into the ground using a suitable
weight on a hydraulic pile driver. One bene-
fit of this method is that it creates little or no
spoil, saving on transport and disposal, thus Raft Foundations damp-proof course
also reducing the carbon footprint. waterproof
l Screw piles (also known as helical piles) membrane
are akin to giant wood screws — these hollow reed
Floor sc
tubular steel piles are wound into the ground
by machine with no prior excavation. The main insulatio
n)
(laid on
benefit is fast installation and minimal soil dis- d concrete raft
reinforce
ILLUSTRATIONS BY DAVID STEVENS

placement and disposal.

sand

Raft Foundations hardcore

raft edge beam thickens
A raft is a large continuous reinforced concrete
(‘wide toe’ raft shown)
slab that extends under the whole building. By
distributing the load over the entire footprint, Diagrams provided for illustrative purposes only
the load per unit area is reduced, making a raft

56 homebuilding.co.uk

60-65_Foundations.indd 56 09/12/2016 10:43


suitable where there’s ground instability, such as
sites with a history of mining. Rather than trying
to anchor the building, in the event of subsidence
the raft is designed to absorb the movement,
protecting the structure of the building sitting
on top. Because rafts can bridge across weak
areas, they’re also often used on compressible
backfill land, sites with groundwater or clay
prone to excessive shrinkage, and areas with
unpredictable geological conditions such as
streams flowing deep below the surface.
Conventional ‘flat rafts’ comprise a slab of
uniform thickness with a mass of steel rein-
forcement top and bottom to provide resistance
against both upward and downward bending.
The alternative ‘wide toe’ design is used on
ground with poor compressibility. Here the
edges of the raft supporting the main walls are
constructed thicker and deeper, and reinforced
with metal ‘cages’. Construction is similar to a
very thick solid concrete floor slab, but can either
be cast directly into the ground or ‘floating’ on
a bed of fine granular material.
Rafts also need to accommodate possible
ground movement without fracturing service
pipes and drains which can be run through col-
lars cast in the concrete. The main drawback of
raft foundations is the high cost, largely due to
the enormous amount of high-strength concrete
and steel consumed.
Pad Foundations
Pad foundations are designed to carry individual
‘point loads’. This type of foundation suits build-
ings with skeletal structures, such as steel frame
or traditional post and beam, where the frame
can be supported on a series of small concrete
pads instead of the external wall sitting on con-
tinuous strips in the ground. However, as with
piled foundations, it’s possible to modify pads by
constructing reinforced concrete ground beams
that span between the concrete pads, making
them suitable for supporting lightweight panel
timber frame buildings.
Construction is relatively straightforward.
First a number of large holes are dug, about a
metre in depth. Typically these will be spaced
quite close together at 600mm centres, and
located at corners and under the more heavily
loaded parts of the wall (for example, either
side of window and door openings). Holes are
normally dug by machine; a simple mechanical
post hole borer can drill down to a depth of
60-65_Foundations.indd 57
ADVICE
Foundations
around 1.4m. Square or circular pads are cast
individually in the bottom of each of the pits.
Steel posts can then be bolted on top, or piers
of brick or reinforced concrete built on to each
pad foundation.
One advantage of this system is that the con-
struction process is within the capabilities of a
competent self-builder. Plus, it’s a reasonably
eco-friendly foundation system as relatively
small amounts of concrete are used.
Pads can suit poor soils and can also be used
to avoid problems where bored piling is some-
times obstructed by impenetrable pockets of
rubble or hard gravel, snapping bits and jam-
ming augurs. The downside is that the process
is very labour-intensive.
The Impact of Your
Construction System
Piled foundations are normally the most eco-
nomical solution for sites where loadbearing
support is several metres below the surface,
such as made up ground or shrinkable clay with
deep-rooted vegetation. But where ground is
unstable, a reinforced concrete raft that effec-
tively ‘floats’ on the surface is a safer bet.
The appropriate type of foundation will also
be influenced by your chosen method of house
construction. Conventional masonry walls are
normally built on standard trench or raft foun-
dations, since these readily provide a consistently
level base. However, piled foundation systems
with ring beams can also be suitable for both
timber frame and traditional masonry walls. Pad
foundations are suited to point loads from steel
stanchions or post and beam walls, although to
prevent problems with damp and rot, traditional
timber frame structures are probably best sup-
ported on short base walls built off ring beams.
Modern panel timber frame structures are
much lighter than those of masonry construc-
tion, so in theory should require less in the way of
foundations. But as we have seen, what matters
most isn’t so much the weight of house, but the
fact that the load is bearing on firm ground that
won’t move. As long as that box can be ticked,
foundations shouldn’t be over-engineered for
the loads they carry. Another factor with timber
frame walls – or indeed anything that arrives on
site prefabricated – is the need for foundations
to have a greater degree of accuracy (plus or
minus 5mm) since there’s less scope to make
up for errors on site. H
homebuilding.co.uk 57
09/12/2016 10:43
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