How Many Bricks Make a House?

The outside skin of the house will be brick, but not just any old brick! We will be using Eurobrick which is a brick slip system. The bricks are still 'real' but are about the third of the width of a normal brick, and therefore about a third of the weight also.

We needed to construct a sample panel for the Council to give the final OK. They have agreed the system and the brick type, but as they're not familiar with appearance of brick slips wanted to see a section made.

We are really pleased with the way it looked, and that it was fairly easy to construct. I think we have about 14,000 of the brick slips to stick and then mortar in to complete the house so we'll be well practiced by the end!

Roof Update

Mum and Dad went to site yesterday evening and took some photos of the roof in progress. Not a huge amount done in two days (if you don't count yesterday because it was raining).

More Walls

Yesterday Darran and I spent the morning starting to put up the rest of the internal walls. We have decided that we will do it over the next two Saturdays. We can only work until 1pm so it's just right at the end of a week at work.

Here is what we did; this is the bedroom wing showing the bathroom and en-suite walls.

We've got the sitting room / kitchen dividing wall to do next Saturday and to finish putting a few studs in and the noggins.

When this is complete it means that both the architect and the structural warranty inspector can finally sign off the timber frame stage.

Here are some pictures of the slating in progress.

Not too much had happened as one of the chaps had been 'off sick' apparently. I know we shouldn't be so suspicious of people but you do wonder sometimes! Anyway, they are back on it in full swing this week and the main chap knows we're back up next weekend so we hope to see a big difference.

Reflection

We thought we'd do a post reflecting on our experiences so far with the build, a bit of an insight in to what goes on behind the blog posts.

There is no denying that it has been exceptionally hard work so far and a struggle at times. From first agreeing the purchase up until today, really! It's not just the physical aspects, they're the easy bits by comparison, it's the organising and dealing with the contractors and suppliers that can be so frustrating. For instance, how many times do you think you'd need to tell a window manufacturer that you would like stained wood windows and not white? Four. And then to add to your exasperation you receive a revised quote and one of the windows is still white! And, if you received a letter instructing you to erect scaffold on site and ready for use by the 3rd August, would you do it ready for that date? The majority would, but as in our case the firm thought we wanted it erected on the 3rd August. Where in the letter did it say that?! Point to it and show us!

Is it rewarding though? Absolutely. Without a shadow of a doubt.

As soon as we step on site the feeling that we are building our own house and will eventually live in it is a mixture of excitement, achievement, and if I'm being really honest slightly pleased with ourselves that we are doing this and have come this far (with the added bonus of still speaking to each other!). We promised ourselves we would enjoy the build and not turn it into a chore, we've clung on to this promise with our finger tips at times, it has been stressful, pressured and we have been slightly short sighted on occasions. Taking two weeks to put the frame up was physically exhausting, but then Darran beat his personal best by standing the roof trusses in a week (with a little help!).

The more the build progresses the more it is easy to get overwhelmed by the enormity of what is ahead of you and what's to be done. We've done some of the hardest bits physically (apparently!) but there is still a lot more to go. We're now looking at each bit individually and ticking them off as we go (lists, I love lists!), breaking things down in to bite sized chunks. This is all very well but you still need to have an eye on what's coming up next and getting the next step in the pipeline. What we have learnt is that you don't need everything, including the shape and size of the heated towel rails, in the pipeline at the same time!

You can read all the self build magazines, go to seminars, watch Grand Designs, read so called 'self build bibles' on the subject, but none of these prepare you for what you're taking on. The only way to learn how to do it is to take a deep breath, close your eyes, jump, and hope the bottom isn't too far down!

We've got a lot more to come, there will be more struggles and frustrations and a lot more excitement. But above all we're both still very happy we made this decision to own our first home together this way.

Roof In Progress

Mum and Dad went to take some photos for us at the weekend of the roof so far. Looks like they have most of the felt and battening done. Darran spoke to the main chap on Saturday and he said they had slated the back elevation.

We're going up next weekend to start to put up the rest of the internal walls so we'll see a big difference then I'm sure.

What's In A Name?

Deciding on what to call our house has been very difficult. We know the address, but we also want a name to give it a bit of identity rather than just being a number.

Severn Trent Water are now ringing fairly frequently because they want to bill us for our water usage but can't at the moment as they need a registered address. They have given us to the end of the month!

Options we have had......

• Dundealin and Needle Cottage because of what was found here (you'll be pleased to know these were never considered seriously).
• Berry House due to how much my Blackberry has been used to build the house and the fact that we plan to grow berries in the garden.
• The Garden House because it's built in the garden of the main house.
• On a bad day it has been just No. 3 which is it's number in the courtyard.
• The Hideaway, because the house is hidden away.

After much deliberation we have decided on The Garden House. This seems the nicest and the most suitable.

Now we have to write to the Council who then register it and send the details to whoever needs to know. We'll also be putting a post box on the security fence at the weekend for any thing that finds its way to us by mistake.

A New Home

Look what Gramps has made for us!

A lovely bird box which is already up in the Silver Birch tree ready for the first occupants. We decided to put it here as the front bedroom is going to be our office/study and we can see it from the front window.

Thank you Gramps xx