BUILD IT article
- 1. 60 Build It | DECEMBER 201060 Build It | NOVEMBER 2010 Timbertriumph
- 2. JANUARY 2011 | Build It 61 g readers’homes|newbuild S ometimes it takes a little while for a good idea to take shape. For Peter and Cathy Browning, what started out as a plan to refurbish their tired bungalow, turned into a project that saw them starting from scratch and building a brand new house – something they hadn’t originally considered. “We did look at moving,” says Peter, “but we didn’t find anything we wanted and we love the location here in Hove, so we thought we would make the existing property better instead. Originally we were going to put ‘rooms’ on top of the bungalow and turn it into a two-storey house, but after investigating the foundations, we found they weren’t strong enough.” The ideas for a timber frame self-build came while the couple were on their initial property search. After viewing a house with planning permission for a fantastic extension, Peter and Cathy decided to get in touch with the architect who had designed it to find out whether he would suggest a new plan for their current home. “We got him round to look at the bungalow, and he provided us with a design for a modern house with lots of glass,” says Peter. “So he was the one that suggested knocking the chalet down and adopting a timber frame approach. It is a great plot and adjusting the existing property would have been much harder. This way we got exactly what we wanted on the same site!” The couple built up an excellent relationship with the architect, Richard Silver of RS Design, were taken with his imaginative ideas. Importantly for Peter and Cathy, he was eager to listen to their thoughts very carefully. The design took nearly four months to finalise. “We spent many hours drafting and redrafting the ideas until we were happy with the final plans and estimated costs,” says Peter. “Building on the site of the existing bungalow gave Richard a large area to work with. The finished house sits on almost exactly the old footprint (18m x 35m), which meant that gaining planning permission was much easier, with almost total freedom to design within the footprint.” Having already decided on building with timber frame, Peter and Cathy needed to find the right supplier. After visiting various exhibitions, they decided the best for them was Maple Timber Frame. Peter says: “I took control of the budget for the scheme and decided which company we were going to go with. We looked at quite a few companies and were seriously considering one other, but Maple came out on top for cost, although the quality was similar. They very helpfully gave me an outline spec that I used to tender for the builders and I put ‘Maple or similar’ in the documents for the timber frame element of the main tender.” With 25 years of living in a chalet bungalow under their belts, Peter and Cathy Browning made the big decision to demolish and replace it with a comfy, new two-storey timber frame home Words Gary Ramsay Photos Bruce Hemming Method Brick and block Build cost £400,000 Location Wehadexcellent communicationwiththe sub-contractors.Itwas incrediblystraightforward ‘‘ ‘‘ Method SIPs Build cost £270,000 Location East Sussex readers’homes newbuild
- 3. 62 Build It | DECEMBER 2010 x Choose a builder with good references and timber frame experience rather than necessarily going for the cheapest quote x Really think through the specification and finalise prices before you start on site – changes will be expensive once the build starts x Plan where you are going to put your furniture when you are designing the house x Try combining inexpensive kitchen units with some more expensive Corian work surfaces. It still has a great impact and saves you money x Establish a solid relationship with your project manager. Trust is really important and it is essential you both work together to get the basics right between contractors and trades so there is no blame game if anything should go wrong PeterandCathy’stoptips
- 4. JANUARY 2011 | Build It 63 g The large glass windows not only give the house a cool contemporary look, but they maximise solar gain, too. Left: For a quality finish, the Brownings mixed shop-bought with bespoke items in the kitchen readers’homes|newbuild The couple chose to build with Maple’s EcoPack – a slightly slimmer version of the company’s Supawall system. It uses 140mm timber studs sheathed on one side with orientated strand board (OSB) and an external breather membrane. This allows for more insulation to be used and boosts the thermal performance of the panel. The system also uses 50mm of DriTherm in the cavity with 150mm of quilted insulation in the external walls and an additional 300mm of quilted insulation in the roof. Basically keeping your home nice and toasty! Perfect planning Planning permission for the new house was pushed through quickly as Peter and Cathy already had agreement to build on top of the old bungalow. Plans for demolition and erection of the timber frame home were submitted in September 2008 and consent was granted in February 2009. This meant it was all systems go and work began on site in April 2009 with Phoenix Ocean Project Management taking on the task. “We moved out to rented accommodation just around the corner so we could pop in daily and check the site,” says Peter. “We chose Phoenix as they tendered on an overall specification, so we knew roughly what the cost should be. We had a budget of £300,000 and the scheme came in within budget, which was fantastic value considering the quality. Phoenix acted as project manager as well and dealt with the sub-contractors and the timber frame company directly. They were simply brilliant. We had weekly meetings to make sure the budget was under control and that the standard of work was good. It was incredibly straightforward.” Peter points out a good tip for anyone approaching a similar project: “Phoenix came up with an estimated ‘elemental’ breakdown of costs based on a ‘good’ standard of finish as we did not use a full ‘bill of quantities’ approach,” he says. “We knew that as the project progressed we would need a few ‘extras’ so we kept an additional budget for this – upgrading the guttering to use Alutec, rather than the plastic guttering which was allowed for in the price, for example. The final figures tallied very well with what we had read in Build It,which was really helpful. We challenged any higher-than- expected process before we started on site. Agreeing on what is included in the price prior to commencing is vital, as this is where the budget can become unrealistic.” The Brownings found meeting one of the planning conditions quite a challenge. The condition stated that the build had to meet Level 3 of the Code for Sustainable Homes – at a time this wasn’t a condition of Building Regulations. “We fully support the principles of building an eco home and wanted to do so, but back then the bureaucracy involved in showing how you meet the Code was unbelievable. The form filling and ‘bible’ you had to adhere to was crazy. One of the biggest problems was that ‘the industry’ had not yet caught up and there was little choice of eco fittings – perhaps a very low flush WC or low-capacity baths. There is also the extra cost of having a Code assessor and consultants to show that you are, in fact, meeting the criteria. The cost of the assessor alone is a couple of grand. One of the most ridiculous suggestions
- 5. 64 Build It | DECEMBER 2010 Wespentmanyhoursdrafting andredraftingtheideasuntilwe werehappywiththefinaldesign ‘‘ ‘‘
- 6. JANUARY 2011 | Build It 65 Favouritefeature The light and airy study area furnished with sleek and modern furniture from Techo UK, is the couple’s favourite feature. “The vaulted ceiling, together with the floor-to-ceiling windows and sea views, creates a fantastic space,” says Peter. “It is the ideal environment for working from home.” g readers’homes|newbuild was when we were told by our assessor that we needed to employ a consultant to undertake a flood risk assessment. Our house is at the top of a hill and in a low- risk flood area! Our advice would be to continually challenge the interpretation of the Code with the assessor and to know what the Code actually says.” The great leap forward After the foundations were completed, the house was weathertight in three months and the building habitable in a speedy eight months. The timber frame was delivered on the back of a lorry and Peter and Cathy could walk around the rooms within two weeks of the it arriving on site. Cathy was more than impressed. “Jason, our delightful project manager from Phoenix, said it would take about eight to nine months and I promised myself that I wouldn’t get cross at anything under a year, so I was gobsmacked that we moved in almost eight months to the day. I had prepared myself for the worst and it really wasn’t that bad at all,” she says. “We did have a few reservations about timber frame before we started but we have no regrets. “It was fun and exciting to be able to walk around the house as it was being built,” Cathy says. “You get a feel for proportion very quickly. Within a couple of months you understand what the rooms are going to be like, which really helps when it comes to creating the interior with furnishings and decor.” It was part of the contract criteria that Phoenix protected the rear garden, which Peter and Cathy had spent several years cultivating. All the walls and plants were safeguarded and the garden wasn’t touched at all. The site office that was placed in the rear was left behind and has been given a new lease of life as the garden shed. Theinsideofthehouseisopenplan,brightandairy,with thevaultedceilinglettinginbagsofnaturallight.Stepping insideyouenteragrandentrancehallway.“Ihadagood ideaofhowitwasgoingtolookinside,”saysCathy.“AndI knowpeoplesayalargehallwayisawasteofspacebutwe wantedthat‘wow’factorwhenyouopenthefrontdoor.” During the early design stages, the couple insisted on the long feature windows, and they give the rear of the house a real contemporary edge. Solar panels heat most of the water and the solar gain from the glass, alongside the natural insulation of the timber panels, means the underfloor heating system is often switched off. “It is extraordinary to live in a house this size and not feel cold, even in last year’s really harsh winter,” says Peter. As well as the eco technologies, the Brownings have added a state-of-the-art sound system. So, wherever you are in the house you can listen to music through the integrated Sonos multi-room music system. It streams music all over the building wirelessly from the internet and can be controlled from an iPad or iPhone with a monthly £5 Napster subscription. “It is superb,” says Peter. “We got rid of all our CDs. We have ceiling speakers everywhere with the wires all hidden. All the TV/audio is housed in a communications cupboard and it has worked perfectly. We planned up front with Phoenix and the electrician how the system would be installed and Richer Sounds were very helpful when it came to supplying the equipment. It’s one of my favourite features.”
- 7. 66 Build It | January 2011 Useful contacts Project Management Phoenix Ocean Project Management Ltd 01424 222450 Architect RS Design 07793 267877 rs@rsdesign-architect. com CONTRACTORS Phoenix Construction & Demolition 01424 222450 Timber frame Maple Timber Frame Ltd 01995 679444 www.mapletimberframe.com Roofing R Burt Roofing Ltd 01424 773211 South Coast Roofing Supplies Ltd 01323 500458 Render Gypcom Render System 0797 6252409 Joinery Gary J Dicker Carpentry & Joinery 01424 870825 Metal and Glass Balustrade Lucian 01273 401402 Brickwork S ZICKROW 079702 87274 Heating Jason Monk Plumbing & Heating 0791 7731850 Wood Flooring & Carpets Dean Carpets 01273 586241 Sanitary Ware Parkers 01273 329829 Jack K Elliot Electrical 077080 48403 Guttering System Alutec 07860 530261 Kitchen & Internal Doors Magnet 01273 415718 www.magnet.co.uk z readers’homes|newbuild After a 36-week build, Peter and Cathy moved in on 13 December 2009 and celebrated by hosting Christmas lunch for 21 of their nearest and dearest. As far as they are concerned the whole process couldn’t have gone much better. Although the new house is built on virtually the same footprint as the old chalet bungalow the extra floor makes it almost twice the size. After owning the plot for 25 years, the Brownings think the scheme is amazing value at under £1,000 per m2 – an additional £18,000 was claimed back in VAT afterwards. The new home has dramatically improved the couple’s lifestyle. With no regrets and ignoring the temptation to cash in on the project (the house is estimated to be worth over £1,000,000) they are both happy to reside in their perfect house in their perfect location, with no reason or desire to move on. “The build was remarkably hassle-free,” says Cathy. “In the back of our minds we had know for years that we would embark on some sort of project with our home, so we hadn’t replaced any furnishings or decorated for years. When we moved back in here it was with lots of new furniture as well. You appreciate the benefits of a new house as it is so easy to keep clean. And one of the real advantages that we hadn’t anticipated – having lived in a bungalow for so long – was that the upstairs has opened up fantastic far-reaching views over the valley to the sea.”
- 8. JANUARY 2011 | Build It 67 Plans re-created in 3D Architect Home Design Software – the perfect tool for all self-build and home improvement projects. 0800 988 2438 • www.3darchitect.co.uk • arconsales@eleco.com readers’homes|newbuild The Brownings had lived in a chalet on the plot since 1986. After deciding to knock down and rebuild, they applied for planning permission in September 2008, which was granted just a few months after. Build timetable Schedule of the build 2009 JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC Preliminaries 09 09 Foundations 09 09 External walls & windows 09 09 09 Roof structure & covering 09 09 Internal walls & doors 09 09 Floors, walls & ceiling finishes 09 09 09 Joinery & fittings 09 09 09 Plumbing & heating 09 09 Electrics 09 09 Decorating 09 09 09 Work in progress by year and month Floor plans Owners Peter and Cathy Browning Occupations Local government and Teacher Location East Sussex Type of build Self build Style Contemporary Method of construction Timber frame House size 255m2 (2,744ft2 ) Plot size 630m2 Land cost n/a as owned site for nearly 25 years Build cost £250,000* Total cost £250,000 Cost per m2 £980 (£91 per ft2 ) VAT reclaim £18,000 Date work commenced April 2009 Construction time 36 weeks Current value Approx £1 million The Browning file Build It says... Key to the Brownings’ successful self build was communication and mutual respect between themselves and the architect, timber frame company and tradesmen. For the most part they had a dream project with a distinct lack of hurdles to overcome, that was until the Code raised it’s head! The couple found it jargon filled and confusing – as many self builders do. Nonetheless, Peter and Cathy got to grips with it and are now extremely proud of the efficient house they’ve built to replace the dated chalet. Elements of the build Cost % Cost m2 Total cost Preliminaries 4% £39 £10,000 Foundations 6% £59 £15,000 External walls & windows 16% £157 £40,000 Roof structure & covering 7% £66 £17,000 Internal walls & doors 16% £157 £40,000 Floors, walls & ceiling finishes 6% £59 £15,000 Joinery & fittings 10% £98 £25,000 Plumbing & heating 16% £157 £40,000 Electrics 6% £59 £15,000 Decorating 3% £31 £8,000 Site 2% £19 £5,000 Fees 8% £78 £20,000 Grand total* £250,000 Selected build cost breakdown *Excluding external works