Contact →

Tag: Ben Adam-Smith

  • HPH300 : The houses I’ve lived in – with Ben Adam-Smith

    HPH300 : The houses I’ve lived in – with Ben Adam-Smith

    Ben Adam-Smith reflects on the homes he’s lived in and what he’s learnt from living in them.

    I wanted to do something slightly different to mark my 300th podcast. When do you ever get the chance to reflect on where you’ve lived your life? Well, I am creating that chance for myself now. It’s quite an interesting exercise to put all these places into one document.

    I’m going to be looking back at the houses, apartments, and buildings where I have spent my time. I’ll also be mulling what I’ve picked up from those places. Obviously there have been quite a few but I’m going to say I must have stayed in these properties for at least a year… to filter out all sorts of short stays.

    And this reminds me of an episode we did with Dr Michaela Benson on how our housing needs change through life.

    She had known numerous childhood homes whereas I had only one… and my parents are still there!

    My childhood home

    The grounding of a loved, family home

    I grew up in the countryside in East Sussex and, of course, took it all for granted.

    We had space inside and out to play. All our needs were met. We were safe, warm and well fed.

    But perhaps interestingly – and this may be true of all buildings – it felt most alive the more people that were there. When we had grandparents to stay, when my cousins came over, family parties and so on.

    And one of the greatest joys as a parent myself is taking my own children there, which then becomes one of those family occasions.

    Little projects were always on the go

    One thing I have noticed over the years is my parents’ constant desire to make things better. This could be something as simple as creating a new flowerbed in the garden or be as big as an extension (back in the day).

    This was on top of the day-to-day maintenance that really starts to eat into your time.

    My dad was never afraid of new technology

    There’s doubt that as you get older it’s harder to keep up! Things seem to change even faster. But my dad has not yet been outpaced. He drives an electric car, maintains a WordPress website and stays constantly interested.

    I was an adult (in the late 1990s) when they extended for a second time but I got to experience the build, which also incorporated mechanical ventilation with heat recovery and a solar PV array.

    And later, when I started House Planning Help, my dad even hired Parity Projects to do an energy assessment of the house and then implemented the suggested measures.

    My home is where my hat is

    After school I worked abroad in a few grounding jobs… I washed dishes in kitchens (a plongeur as they would say) and did bar work.

    I didn’t need much… and that’s a good thing because accommodation was basic and often cramped. I just enjoyed the snowy Alps or the cool waters of the Mediterranean.

    So when I did start a media production degree at Bournemouth University it seemed like comparative luxury.

    Looking at where I lived for two of those years it looks pretty grim but I bet my motivation was how much it cost and whether it had the right number of bedrooms!

    This was my first experience of cooking for myself (I don’t know whether this was prompted by my spell of working in kitchens or just that I liked eating good food) and cooking smells often lingered when I was about.

    I spent two years in the ground floor flat of this 1930s or 1940s block with pebble dash render

    Everything is a walk or tube away in London

    My first proper job was working in sport on the BBC Snooker tour. I always felt a slight fraud working in sport when I had no real interest, but I learnt tonnes about how live TV programmes are put together and met some really talented people.

    I based myself in West London during this time in a shoe box room! Yes, the media doesn’t pay very well.

    Perhaps the biggest takeaway from living here was how much is on your doorstep in London and how easy it is to travel. Although I owned a car I didn’t really use it much, preferring to walk or get the tube.

    These Victorian terraces were subdivided

    Sampling African living

    I’ve been lucky enough to travel to a number of countries around the world. Most of the time I would stay a few days or weeks and then move on.

    But I did spend over a year in one place. It was a remote village on the edge of Lake Malawi.

    Cobue, Mozambique

    An Australian called Ben had set up a community project there and when he got ill with malaria and had to leave, he suggested I stay on.

    And what an experience it was. I was the lone Mzungu (or white man) for miles around, but the villagers welcomed me.

    Bizarrely this was also where I had my first taste of building, doing some work to a bathroom block and fixing a roof.

    Buying a house

    Back in the UK I got back together with a girlfriend from university… and then things got serious!

    Kay and I bought a house together, got married and had kids (albeit over several years).

    I remember one of my criteria in looking for a house was to find somewhere quiet and with a ‘dead end’ road. This proved to be a good move as the community thrived around us. We knew all our neighbours.

    It was in this very house that I started the House Planning Help podcast.

    Owning a house rather than renting definitely makes you aware of all the maintenance that a house needs.

    We had a leak in the extension at the back which we tried to fix but it kept coming back, so eventually we had to replace the whole thing.

    Renting again (but while we build)

    It’s always interesting to see what criteria are important when you decide where to live.

    This time it was completely different. We were building our dream home but needed a temporary base in the interim. A big part of this was getting the location right: we wanted to be close to site and our son’s nursery.

    We didn’t have many choices because we needed to make a quick decision but this 1980s semi-detached house ticked the most boxes.

    One big plus of this house was the garden. It was small and secure, and we could see the kids playing outside from the kitchen and living room.

    On the downside, after a few months of living in the house we discovered mould was developing around window frames and at the back of one cupboard! It would certainly have made an interesting investigation.

    House size doesn’t impact on happiness

    It is fascinating to see that where you live doesn’t really impact on your happiness. I’d lived in numerous houses up to this point and enjoyed them all.

    Building a home to order

    Life is full of adventures… and building own own house was certainly a privilege.

    It means a lot to me that the land where we ended up buying had a family connection. My ancestors used to farm this area and one of them even built his own house (which can be seen at the top of the hill).

    As I’ve said before it surprised how much this felt like home as soon as we moved in. I think some of that might be to do with poring over the plans for months and months, and being so involved in its development.

    I also hope that it’s giving my kids a solid foundation for their own lives, much like my childhood home did for me. And of course, we’re all set to welcome the grandparents can come and stay whenever they want to.

    I still feel grateful every day.

    Transcript

    Download a transcript of this podcast

    Please connect with me

    Subscribe, rate and review us on Apple Podcasts

    Follow Ben Adam-Smith on LinkedIn

    Follow Ben Adam-Smith on Bluesky

  • HPH250 : 10 inspiring self builds – with Ben Adam-Smith

    HPH250 : 10 inspiring self builds – with Ben Adam-Smith

    To celebrate our 250th podcast, Ben Adam-Smith picks out ten of his favourite new build homes. These are all homes he has visited and which have impressed him in different ways.

    1. Dundon Passivhaus

    Architect Graham Bizley and interior designer Emily Bizley have produced a magnificent, modern family home that takes in all of the surrounding countryside.

    There are some fantastic spaces in here and the timber theme flows effortlessly from outside to inside. Graham and Emily also did a lot of the work themselves – true craftsmanship – and this tailors the home perfectly to them.

    2. Treehouse

    Video from Homebuilding & Renovating

    While the finished house may look happily aloft, there were plenty of highs and lows for Jon Martin and Noreen Jaafar. They bought this plot without planning permission, even though the local planning authority said it would never get approval. Needless to say they got the green light!

    Then there is the technical challenge of building amongst mature trees. They used pile foundations which carefully stepped around the root structure! Oh, and let’s not forget that they used no concrete on the build. Even running out of money they pushed on to secure Passivhaus certification. A truly remarkable home.

    3. Fran Bradshaw’s house

    Located on the Norfolk coast this is a labour of love for architect Fran Bradshaw. There are beautiful materials – straw bales, thatch, lime render, clay plaster, timber – which pair up nicely with the home’s high performance credentials.

    4. The Autonomous House

    Mike Coe and Lizzie Stoodley went all out on this project to create an ultra low energy eco-build. The heat demand for this house is a tiny 4kWh per m2 per year. It brings all the services in house, so there’s no mains water or mains drainage. Instead rainwater is harvested from the roof and stored in large tanks (recycled orange juice containers) under the house. There are composting toilets, within the thermal envelope. And a PV array supplies the electricity.

    Mike and Lizzie, however, did not stay as long as they intended. Driven by how the climate is changing they decided to move further north to the Isle of Skye… and tackle their second self build!

    5. The Cut

    Self-builders Tara Murphy and Dimitri Daras spent their money wisely here. It’s another example of how a house with a simple form doesn’t have to be boring. On the contrary it is striking.

    Tara also specified a lot of the house with a baby in tow!

    6. Ashley Vale

    Yes, this is not strictly a self build but community-led housing. It got a place on this list for a few reasons. It’s inspired so many other community-driven projects as this was one of the early ones.

    They also managed to wrangle the land away from a volume house-builder, which is an incredible feat.

    And at the end of it all, one of their key players Jackson Moulding went on to set up Ecomotive, to empower other groups to do exactly the same.

    7. Lansdowne Drive

    Architect Bernard Tulkens was behind this project. It’s a modest house that embraces simplicity. The cross-laminated timber structure is exposed as is the ventilation ducting, but it works a treat.

    Throughout the building they have tried to make as much use as they can of recycled, reclaimed and other materials that have low embodied energy.

    And from a Passivhaus point of view there were plenty of challenges… three storey Victorian homes completely overshadow them on the south side. Therefore their West-facing glazing has to be carefully controlled with blinds.

    8. Hampshire Passivhaus

    Architect Ruth Butler perhaps took on a site that others would dismiss. It was a brownfield site that is overlooked by 13 neighbours. So her constraint-led design would need to rise to the challenge.

    And it certainly does. A wonderful contemporary home that feels extremely private from the inside.

    9. Buckinghamshire Passivhaus

    This was one of the UK’s first Passivhaus Plus projects. The architect, Jae Cotterell, was also supplying the build system (PH15). It recorded an outstanding airtightness result of 0.07 ach@50Pa.

    A large solar PV, beautifully integrated, helps them deal with a lot of their energy needs before the surplus is exported.

    10. Chiswick Eco Lodge

    Architect Richard Dudzicki delivered this project for client Oliver Smallman. Oliver lived in a Victorian house next door and had built this property to rent out. But, he liked it so much, after renting it out for a couple of years he decided to move in.

    This house feels wonderfully at home on this street and the clever design must take the credit.

    Please connect with me

    Subscribe, rate and review the podcast in iTunes

    Rate and review the podcast on Stitcher

    Like our Facebook page

    Follow us on Twitter

  • HPH241 : 10 tips for better budgeting on a self build – with Ben Adam-Smith

    HPH241 : 10 tips for better budgeting on a self build – with Ben Adam-Smith

    Ben Adam-Smith shares 10 tips for creating a budget, which is detailed and realistic.

    1. Start a budget… and keep fine-tuning it!

    The greatest sin is to be casual about this. A budget is an essential part of any construction project, and even if you haven’t done this before you must get to grips with it.

    And budgets do not stay still. They will evolve with the project as more decisions are made on what is going to be built and how.

    2. Start with cost tables

    Initially your budget is going to be rough, but by nailing down (or playing with) a few variables you can start to get a broad picture.

    It starts with land. What will be the finished value of the house on the street? You can come up with a figure for this by using websites such as RightMove to look at what other houses nearby have sold for. This will help you pin down a ceiling value and from there you can work backwards.

    Other key questions:

    What is the floor area going to be?

    What will be the build quality?

    What build route am I going to choose?

    The self build magazines all have useful ‘cost per square metre’ tables that allow you to fill in the following equation.

    Land cost + build cost + profit 20-30% < value of the finished house

    3. Budget for the completed home, not a house build

    The build cost is not all encompassing (as may seem logical to the uninitiated). So remember that there is lots more to consider than just the basic shell of the house, however finished that is.

    Run through in your mind all the items that will make it a finished home. This may include things like…

    Hard landscaping – driveways, paving, fences

    Soft landscaping – laying turf, trees, hedges, plants

    Interior – curtains/blinds, furniture, new equipment

    There will also be things like the architect’s fees to factor in.

    4. Set a contingency

    If you’re creating a budget you need a contingency. There will always be unforeseen costs. If the professionals need a budget then so do you!

    The jury is out as to what percentage of the overall budget it should be. For first-timers a minimum of 10% is a good idea.

    For those who have more experience, maybe it will be closer to 5%. Needless to say most people dip into their contingency. Groundworks can often be a stage of the process with the biggest risk of an overspend.

    5. Use a quantity surveyor

    The problem with people who worry about cost is that they want to make as many cutbacks as possible. Sometimes consultants can seem expensive, but you’ve always got to remind yourself of the value they deliver.

    Having a strong degree of cost certainty is a wonderful thing. And what better way is there of getting this than someone that does this day in day out.

    6. Don’t overspend in the early days

    When you discover that you can’t buy your dream plot for the money you thought you could, there is a temptation to spend more.

    Unless you are consciously increasing your budget and can afford to, it’s dangerous to start down this road. Spending more early on means spending less later in the project. This is of course possible if it’s thought through but there has got to be a balance. It just doesn’t make sense to have the most amazing site, and then really be scrimping on what you build on it.

    Adam Cohen had a buckets approach to the budget, whereby the buckets must balance. He says the bucket with the most flexibility is the ‘finishes’ bucket.

    7. Invest in the fabric of the building

    If money is tight, the logical thing is to build something smaller!

    If you don’t think this option is right, then for heavens sake don’t scrimp on the building elements which will be really hard to change further down the line.

    For example, reducing the specification of the insulation will save money but in the long term it’s a false economy.

    Perhaps a better approach is to keep that investment in the fabric of the building and specify a cheaper kitchen. Kitchens can cost £5000 or £50,000! And it will be a lot easier to replace the kitchen than increasing the insulation levels at a later date.

    8. Don’t be afraid to bring things to a halt

    If you discover you don’t have the finances to see your project through, be brave and bring things to a halt. It may be a hard decision to make – particularly if you will lose some money in the process – but ending up with a half-built house will be a lot more stressful.

    Don’t be a victim of the sunk cost fallacy.

    And being flexible may allow you to phase parts of the project. For example, perhaps you can build a house but it’s the garage that will have to be put on hold.

    9. Choose architects/designers who have a proven track record of building to budgets

    If you make this a project priority, then you can enter into an agreement with your chosen architect/design that they must provide designs that can be built within the budget. And if they don’t end doing this, then the plans are deemed not fit for purpose and will not be paid for.

    The good thing about this is that an architect/designer who does agree to this approach will go out of their way to keep the project on track.

    10. Bank up your cost savings… don’t spend them

    You can and will make savings on your project, but make sure these do not get immediately spent on something else. Instead put them in the contingency fund.

    Related podcasts

    How to budget for a house build

    Budgeting for our eco home

    What are the hidden costs of building a house?

    Making Passive House homes affordable

    Please connect with me

    Subscribe, rate and review the podcast in iTunes

    Rate and review the podcast on Stitcher

    Like our Facebook page

    Follow us on Twitter

  • HPH236 : What next for House Planning Help? – with Ben Adam-Smith

    HPH236 : What next for House Planning Help? – with Ben Adam-Smith

    Ben Adam-Smith’s house build was a core part of House Planning Help. Having completed the project in 2018, Ben Adam-Smith looks at what should come next.

    Our first session of 2019 is slightly different to normal. I’m going to stop for a moment and take stock. While everyone else is making New Year’s resolutions I want to do a bit of dreaming and consider what might be my next adventure.

    What I am clear about

    I need to take a break because ‘self build fatigue’ is real! Even just being the client can take its toll. I want a bit of normality for a few months and then, when my energy has returned, I can cement my plans for the next couple of years.

    I’m excited about having more time to spend with our Hub members. I’m also looking to upgrade the experience this year and fill in a few gaps I’ve spotted (in things like our courses).

    I don’t plan to do another self build any time soon. Having tailored a house to our family’s needs, I would like to stay in it for as long as possible. Of course, you never know what the future may bring. So if I there’s a strong reason (like I need to relocate for work) then I wouldn’t hesitate to take on another self build.

    I want to take on another development. I’m so pleased that my first build has been a positive experience. It has left me wanting to do more and learn more.

    Ideas for a second project

    I have only really scratched the surface so there is plenty more to investigate, but I do need a mission. That’s why I want to throw around a few ideas. This can get my mind buzzing for when I’m ready to take action.

    Keep to a specific budget

    When you’re building a house for yourself the temptation is to increase your budget to get what you want. In the worse case scenario you spend more in the early stages, believing you will somehow find more money by the end… only to find yourself in a sticky situation.

    So it would be great to do a project where we carefully consider the finances, set a budget and then – on all accounts – stick to it.

    Choose a different procurement route

    There are various routes to realising a new home. I perhaps did what many people do and hired an architecture firm and a main contractor. This allowed me to focus on being the client.

    However, it would be interesting to project manage… or even tackle some of the physical work, etc.

    Design and build is also another avenue I’d like to explore.

    Divide up a larger piece of land

    Finding affordable land is often the biggest barrier to building a house. For major developers, however, this is not really an issue. So could we follow their lead? What would it take to buy a bigger piece of land and provide serviced plots?

    We’ve seen schemes like Graven Hill successfully demonstrate this model. More self and custom build opportunities can only be a good thing.

    Deliver quality housing whilst making a healthy profit

    Most of the UK’s housing is delivered by volume house-builders who are sitting on a cash cow. With basic products that sell, there is little incentive to build better homes.

    What if we set out to explore whether we could deliver a housing scheme that also made a decent amount of money? If this worked, could it be possible to repeat this at scale?

    Build an intentional community

    It’s one thing to build a house well, but the story doesn’t really end there. How does the house fit amongst neighbours and its surroundings?

    We could investigate what makes for a thriving community and whether it can be built to order.

    Reduce the timescale

    My self build project took 6 years to complete. Two and a half years of that was looking for and then purchasing the land. Designing, getting planning permission and going out to tender took the best part of another year. The actual construction phase was only 10 months!

    Obviously research is valuable but I spent two years doing little else. So how long do you really need? And with the knowledge I’ve built up over the last 6 years could I do it all again in a much shorter timeframe?

    Go all out to be ecological

    I built a Passivhaus but really didn’t go much further than that. I go into the reasons why in the podcast where I evaluate my own performance.

    Could this be an opportunity to nail the ecological credentials. While it would probably still be a Passivhaus, could we do it with straw bales… and scrutinise every material used on the project. And it would be good to include a PV array or other renewables if it made sense.

    Find alternative ways to finance the project

    If this is going to be more of a development (with a profit attached), then can we find other ways to get funding?

    This could be as simple as bringing investors on board or using crowdfunding to drum up support

    Adjust key variables

    At House Planning Help we’re always aiming to learn so there is little point repeating what we have just done unless it is about refining processes. So another project would look to work with a different architect, use a different construction system and aim for a different style.

    Please connect with me

    Subscribe, rate and review the podcast in iTunes

    Rate and review the podcast on Stitcher

    Like our Facebook page

    Follow us on Twitter

  • HPH235 : My entire 6-year house build (told through my audio journal) – with Ben Adam-Smith

    HPH235 : My entire 6-year house build (told through my audio journal) – with Ben Adam-Smith

    Having recorded an audio journal the whole way through his project, Ben Adam-Smith plays back some key moments so you can hear what was involved in his self build (within a single podcast episode).

    Although it’s not going to be comprehensive it’ll give you a flavour of what you might be undertaking if you’re tackling your own eco build.

    6 years to build a Passivhaus

    It started in the summer of 2012 when I set myself the challenge of building an energy-efficient home before I turned 40 in August 2016. In the first couple of years it was just about learning but when I actively started to search for land I discovered that it wasn’t that easy. I live in Hertfordshire which is one of the hardest counties in which to find a plot. I faced multiple dead ends but eventually struck gold.

    Finding and hiring an architect was a little easier. I’d spent so much time chatting them over the years I knew a number of people in my area who would be good. In the end I hired Parsons + Whittley, a firm with a lot of experience in Passivhaus.

    Chris Parsons

    If you’re interested in going into more detail of how the designs for my house have evolved then here are a few podcasts to check out:

    Briefing our architect for our house build

    Feeding back to our architect

    Addressing height issues on our self build

    An overview of the journey from briefing to planning submission

    A recap of my self build journey (after reviewing 200 podcasts)

    Designing the ventilation, heating, and hot and cold water systems

    Specifying a house and creating tender documents

    Opening our tender returns

    Bringing down the cost of my self build

    How does a local building contractor approach a competitive tender?

    10 things I’ve learned during construction

    What to do if your partner wants to build a house?

    Why landscaping plans always get put on hold

    The build schedule for my cavity wall Passivhaus home

    10 things I’m looking forward to about my new house

    Our last site meeting

    What is lime render?

    How to design an interior for a modern home

    How well did I do on my self build?

    Please connect with me

    Subscribe, rate and review the podcast in iTunes

    Rate and review the podcast on Stitcher

    Like our Facebook page

    Follow us on Twitter

  • HPH234 : How well did I do on my self build? – with Ben Adam-Smith

    HPH234 : How well did I do on my self build? – with Ben Adam-Smith

    Having completed his house build this year, Ben Adam-Smith evaluates his own performance as a self-builder.

    It’s sometimes tricky to draw a line and say that you are at end of a self build. While there are lots of little tweaks to decor and a lot of work to do in the garden, our contract has been fulfilled and everything is functional.

    So for the last two podcasts of 2018 I’m going to reflect on my build. Then in 2019 I’ll wipe the slate clean!

    In this podcast I’m going to analyse how well I did as a self-builder. What did I get right and what could have been better.

    Ben Adam-Smith on site

    What went well

    We have created a home that we love

    Until you move into your house you can never guarantee it’ll feel like a home. When we moved in, almost immediately it felt like we’d lived there for years. Our children didn’t even blink when they were introduced to their new bedrooms. The layout is instinctive. We want for nothing.

    We hired a competent team

    From architecture firm to main contractor and interior designer, everyone delivered for us. Sometimes it feels like we got lucky! But I think spending time hiring the right people was one of the smartest moves we made.

    We paid for a full service

    Not everyone can afford to do this, but it was within our means to get all the work carried out by a main contractor with the architecture firm overseeing the project.

    Of course this is not the cheapest way of doing things but with two young kids we did not have lots of time to play with. Also, I think we knew ourselves. In fact I classify myself as a DIY disaster, so it was an obvious choice to let the professionals get on with things. That left us to ‘be the client’.

    We have built to Passivhaus standard

    Right at the top of our brief was to build a house to Passivhaus standard. Although it’s too early to look at the bills our home is certainly comfortable, with the even heat synonymous with Passivhaus. It also has all the other benefits you would come to expect. There’s no condensation on the inside of the windows. We have constant fresh air and the smells created from cooking disappear.

    My wife and I worked well as a team

    We brought different skills to the table, which is always handy. Kay had project managed marketing campaigns before so was comfortable with staying on top of emails, listing priorities and updating budgets. I had the more technical insights as to what we should be doing… and I liked to focus on the big decisions.

    While we probably had momentary disputes, I can’t really remember many of them now! And I even won the odd discussion.

    What could have been better

    There are always things to learn on a project, but I think it must be a good sign that I can’t think of a single clanger.

    The project is not as ecological as I would have liked

    This is probably my biggest regret of the project but I made all these decisions with my eyes open.

    One challenge we had was that my wife did not want to live in a ‘new house’ with a roof full of solar PV! I, on the other hand, was really keen to try not to copy a style from the past. I wanted to build a house fit for the 21st century. That meant we had to find the middle ground.

    So we built a Passivhaus that has traditional form and uses traditional materials.

    We went down a masonry route to keep things cost effective. I was also keen to understand more about building with masonry (as it is one of the main construction methods in the UK).

    So we have no renewables and we are a masonry build. I know why we ended up here, but I do look at other projects and get slightly envious about what they have achieved!

    We increased our budget

    Some people say a budget is the budget. When we went out to tender we got a bit of a shock!

    Plenty of value engineering suggestions were made but we didn’t feel comfortable compromising on what we wanted. Fortunately we were in a position to pay more.

    But the point here is that overall we have spent massively more than we were planning on day one!

    Our cost-cutting didn’t always work!

    After the shock of our tender returns, we had to make some cutbacks. Some of these I wouldn’t even be able to tell you what they were now.

    However there are a few that I would like to revert (as soon as is financially possible). The driveway is top of that list. We changed from a resin surface to shingle. This saved us over £20,000. The downside is we have a noisy driveway, with stones go everywhere and it’s tricky to walk on.

    The shingle driveway is incredibly noisy to drive across

    Following on from this we also got rid of the paving around the house and put shingle down there too. There’s no doubt that this also saved a lot of money. We had always anticipated using this back door most of the time. That doesn’t really happen. We almost exclusively use the front door… and I do wonder whether a large part of that is the surface.

    I didn’t catch the little things in time

    The more you are on site, the more you can spot little things that might be about to go wrong. I was on site every couple of days but it’s amazing how much progress can be made in that time.

    I’ll give you an example. In the guest en-suite bathroom we wanted the following tiling pattern.

    The tiler did not get this information and tiled it horizontally.

    This was his error and we could have got him to redo it. However, it would mean half a bathroom’s worth of tiles would go in the bin and he’d be out of pocket £1000.

    Needless to say the conventional tiling pattern still looks pretty damn good, so we decided to leave it that.

    If I’d been on site when the first few tiles were going up, we could easily have corrected course.

    I got tired by the end of the project

    Self build fatigue is real. As it got towards the end of the project I perhaps got a little casual with some of the furniture purchases. It would have been lovely to dig into the specifications and find out what was in them and where they’d come from.

    Instead we would take a cursory glance and if it looked like it would fit the bill, then we’d go for it!

    Overall, we did really well

    I’m in a fortunate position to get to see lots of eco homes and hear first hand from the self-builders what it’s really been like. As such, I think we’ve got a lot to celebrate.

    Funnily enough the majority of the ‘little niggles’ get forgotten. After all, life moves on.

    Please connect with me

  • HPH226 : 10 things I’m looking forward to about my new home – with Ben Adam-Smith

    HPH226 : 10 things I’m looking forward to about my new home – with Ben Adam-Smith

    With a matter of weeks until he moves into his new home, Ben Adam-Smith shares a list of ten things that he’s excited about. And it’s not necessarily what you might expect!

    Copyright Georgina Edwards Photography

    10 things I’m looking forward to about my new home

     

    1. Living in the comfort of a house built to Passivhaus standard

    In my mind this is the major advance in housing. When you experience what a comfortable house is, you won’t ever want to look back. Enjoying that comfort through the winter is one thing, but I’m hoping this is all year round. With an overheating risk of 0, I am excited to see what this means going through another hot spell.

    2. The ability to have family and friends to stay

    I have thoroughly enjoyed living in small houses, but one definite down side is that you can’t accommodate guests easily. Either they have to sleep on the floor or stay at a nearby hotel.

    A dedicated guest room will change all of that. And although we only have one, we have a number of flexible spaces which can do double duty (e.g. the office can transform into another guest room).

     

    3. Having a quick way to dry clothes and towels

    Sometimes in life it is the little things! In our last two houses we have had to dry clothes inside the house in winter. It goes without saying that this is not too healthy. It introduces lots of moisture into the house, which can lead to mould, etc. And it can take forever!

    So the ability of remove moisture from our wet rooms is a huge plus. It will also mean dry towels.

    4. Not having a loft

    I have spent way too much of my life climbing up and down a ladder into the loft. And most of the time I was carrying a heavy box or awkward shaped item!

    The new house has everything from a storage room to storage nooks and crannies… all inside the thermal envelope.

    I refuse to accept we need any more space beyond this.

     

    5. Sharing my self build experience with others

    In my mind, one of the best things about the self build community is how generous self-builders are with their time.

    I have seen countless eco homes, and the owners are always happy to take me on a tour and reveal what they’ve learnt going through the process. Moving into my new house is an opportunity to give back. And I’m really looking forward that.

     

    6. A fresh smelling house

    Imagine you’ve been out for a while, you get back to the house, open the front door… and are greeted by a musty smell. Consequently you have to open all the windows to flush out the aroma and light a few scented candles!

    This is certainly the case with the property we’ve been renting, but even in the Victorian house we used to own it was an issue.

    With a ventilation system in the new house and I’m looking forward to a constant supply of fresh air. Hopefully stale smells are a thing of the past.

     

    7. Developing the garden over time

    The garden is a blank canvas. Although we have a plan it will have to be implemented in stages.

    As someone who enjoys gardening I’m excited to witness this slower journey and see things mature.

    I’ll also be able to grow some veggies.

     

    8. The ability to retreat to the far end of the house

    One of the challenges of having young children is that they seem determined to keep you up for as much of the night as possible!

    This means a good night’s sleep is often a distant memory.

    Having a big house comes with the benefit of being able to retreat to the far end (away from noise).

    If you’re playing tag team as a parent, this should ensure at least a few hours of solid sleep.

     

    9. Having a dishwasher

    Much as it pains me to share this one, it is true.

    I’ve been cooking in such a small kitchen that you do one job and you have to wash up. I would be fascinated to know how much time I have spent at the kitchen sink this past year!

    Anyway, First World problems. The new house has a dishwasher.

    10. Seeing the house my ancestors built

    One of the quirks of where I ended up building was that one of my ancestors had built his house close by.

    We can’t see many houses from the new house, but that is definitely one.

    I will always be grateful for that.

     

     

    My new house is in the countryside. That means leaving behind the town where I’ve been for the last 14 years.

    5 things I’m going to miss (about my previous homes)

     

    1. Compact living

    We always stress how important scale is if you want to build an eco home. Well, I am moving to a house that is nearly four times the size of the house we used to own.

    Even though the new house is built to Passivhaus standard there is no two ways about it, my old life was more ecologically sound.

    We probably were due to upsize when we started a family but we perhaps didn’t need to go this far. The plot we bought naturally required a bigger house (unless you were prepared to make a loss financially).

     

    2. Being able to walk to the centre of town

    The location of our Victorian house was pretty sweet.

    So much so, that I even made a video about it.


    I am going to miss having access to supermarkets, restaurants, coffee shops and the park. I barely had to drive anywhere.

    Although our new home is in a village with a couple of pubs, a school and one shop, for everything else we’ll have to jump in the car.

     

    3. Completing the gardening in no time!

    As you might expect, town houses have smaller gardens than houses in the countryside.

    So, spending half an hour in the garden every week is enough to have a well kept garden. I am under no illusion that gardening half an acre will be so easy.

     

    4. High speed internet

    A lot of what I do is over the internet and as such I’m always happy to pay more for faster internet speeds.

    In the countryside, even a stone’s throw from the town where we’ve been, internet speeds are much more hit and miss.

    What is worse is the service providers won’t actually tell you whether a fibre connection is possible.

    They will put you on a standard package and then investigate the possibility of getting a faster connection.

     

    5. Old things

    When you build a new house, there are lots of new things that go into it. More so with us where we’re actually moving to a bigger space… and thus we need more things to fill it.

    With all this comes the risk of getting precious over your new items. We’ve already had talks that we’re going to be operating a strict ‘shoes off’ policy (so bring your slippers!).

    That was certainly never the case in our houses to date because everything was pretty beaten up already. Kids and new stuff is a worry.

    Please connect with me

  • HPH215 : 10 things I’ve learned during construction – with Ben Adam-Smith

    HPH215 : 10 things I’ve learned during construction – with Ben Adam-Smith

    Ben Adam-Smith reflects on what he’s learned so far during the construction phase of his self build.

    The project is halfway through and the finished house will meet the Passivhaus standard.

    1. Things move quickly

    If you’re a first time self-builder I’d wager it’s taken you a number of years to get to the build!

    You’ve probably spent time dreaming and then looking for land and then going through the design process.

    For all this work you have nothing physical to show.

    So when it actually gets to the build and you have a team turning up on site every day, the progress is marked.

    Yes, you’ve got this all in a schedule but sometimes things don’t register until you see them!

    I visit site two or three times a week and I’m always amazed what they’ve achieved.

     

    2. Your team is probably bigger than you think!

    Hiring a local contractor may give you the impression that you are hiring a small team.

    However, building a house requires a great many skills. That means your core team will use sub-contractors where they see fit.

    Sometimes this might be for speed. For example, brick-layers were drafted in when the superstructure was going up (even though the core team could have done this).

    Or it could be a specialist skill is required such as electrics, plumbing, laying a screed, etc.

    3. The flow of supplies is half of the progress

    You can’t do anything without the materials. They need to be on site in the right order and ready when needed.

    Sometimes a lot of progress can be made in a single day.

    For me, a great example was when the beam and block floor went down.

    Organising the precast concrete beams and filling in the blocks happened in a short space of time.

    Watching this process you see people with their different roles. One person will be operating the telehandler and just bringing new packs of blocks. Another person might be distributing these blocks, while another person is technically doing all the building (and laying them)!

    4. The quality of the build is a team effort

    Watching the construction phase unfold before you it is clear that everyone is contributing to the finished product. Perhaps more so on a masonry build like mine, because there are so many little elements that come together.

    Whether it’s mixing cement, laying blocks, putting in insulation, or the thousands of other little jobs, everyone must be putting in 100% to have a high quality finish.

     

    5. As a client, you need to keep ahead with the decisions

    When you take on a self build you are aware that a lot of decisions are coming your way.

    The good news is that these don’t come all at once. There are definitely moments when the decision-making intensifies. One of those is during specification. The second peak is during construction.

    As we put a lot of detail into our tender documents we thought there wouldn’t be that many decisions to make during construction. Wrong!

    If you’ve left any PC sums then get to work as soon as possible. Your contractor is not going to want to be delayed and may apply pressure accordingly.

    The whole way through we’ve been asking our contractor what is next, what is next? Thus we have stayed ahead of the curve so far.

     

    6. As a client, there’s a huge benefit to regular site visits

    I try to get to site every two to three days. Why? Well, firstly I love it. I’ve seen so many other houses come to life that I want to make the most of seeing progress on mine!

    It’s also a great way to build relationships. I always aim to know the name of everyone working on site and find out a bit about them. When you’re knee-deep in emails and texts, I like to balance that up with real life contact.

    The other reason it’s useful is that you can often answer questions or pick up on little things.

    Finally these site visits are good for understanding your house. I may have stared at plans for hours but everything becomes clearer when you can see it in practice.

     

    7. Problems that arise can generally be solved

    Throughout a self build issues will arise. At the time it can feel like the end of the world. Of course, with a positive mindset there’s a way through. Normally a bit of discussion and a few decisions can get you back on track.

     

    8. Best-made plans might need to change

    I’ve tried to embrace the philosophy of not changing my mind too much during the construction phase.

    This is sound advice because there can be ramifications to changes (which will translate to delays, additional cost and crushing morale).

    However, some aspects are not set in stone and can evolve without much or any extra work.

    I guess it’s about catching those things in time.

    One example of this on my project was the nagging thought that we’d put too many bathrooms in upstairs! Initially I vowed to live with it. The thing is that it hadn’t happened yet. And the more we thought about it, the more we realised this space could still be useful, just with a different purpose. So, for now it’s for storage. Who’s to say it doesn’t transform as we need it.

    9. Masonry construction feels old-fashioned!

    My build is a masonry cavity wall construction, which is both traditional and popular in the UK.

    It’s often chosen because there’s a solid skill base available and it’s cost effective.

    However, sometimes it does seem quite manual.

    There’s a lot of cement to mix and blocks to arrange. String lines are used . . . the tolerances are not as good as other build methods. Not forgetting there’s a lot of embodied energy wrapped up in this approach

    All that said, it is still the main way we build things in the UK. Who knows how you change an industry?

     

    10. Being a client is a full time job!

    We have hired an architecture firm and have a main contractor. It doesn’t get much easier than this.

    Even so, it’s still been exhausting at times!

    So don’t overstretch yourself. If you’re planning to project manage, for example, make sure this is within your skillset and you realise what you’re taking on.

    I cannot fathom what it would have been like with extra responsibility on my build!

    Please connect with me

  • HPH175 : From briefing to planning – with Chris Parsons

    HPH175 : From briefing to planning – with Chris Parsons

    Interview with Chris Parsons

    Ben reviews the journey from briefing to planning stage for his own self-build project, with their architect Chris Parsons from Parsons & Whittley.

    Initial sketches seek to reconcile constraints and opportunities

    After their briefing session with Ben & Kay, Parsons & Whittley set about sketching some ideas to see how the whole brief could come together. Constraints (such as where the building can be situated, the orientation etc.) and opportunities (for example nice views) needed to be incorporated into the designs.

    The firm uses SketchUp for initial designs through to the planning stage; this 3-D software enables them to play with shapes to try to find a form that works.

    When you add materials, the building takes on a different identity

    Chris explains it was a deliberate decision to omit materials from the first sketches sent to Ben & Kay, as materials can have a significant impact on how a building looks and the first task was to isolate the form.

    They had some ideas about materials when producing the first sketches, but when they put them onto the model in SketchUp, Chris felt it might be a step too far at that point to try and get commitment on material choices.

    Involving planners early on can inform the end design

    After a bit of feedback from Ben & Kay about the form and floor layout, Parsons & Whittley submitted updated designs. The planners flagged a potential issue with the height of the building, which could affect the neighbour.

    As Chris puts it, “There’s no such thing really as a right to a view and there’s not much in terms of a right to light. However, the planners aren’t going to approve something that seriously impacts on the amenity and the enjoyment of the neighbour.”

    Therefore both neighbours and the surrounding area have to be kept in mind during the design phase. The following measures were taken for Ben & Kay’s house to address the issue:

    • Ridge height reduced
    • Small catslide element put across the lesser status rooms at the back
    • House repositioned slightly further away from neighbour than in the earlier consent

    Specific materials may have architectural implications

    Chris recalls that trying to find the right material balance for what they were trying to achieve required some ‘toing and froing’. Brick and barn aesthetics were discussed, along with black weatherboard, but Ben & Key felt this to be too strong. A rendered look was more appealing, but perhaps not for the whole building.

    This thinking, along with trying to avoid overlooking the neighbour, meant different materials were considered for different elements and started to introduce a degree of complexity that neither party really wanted. However it was a valuable process that resulted in a return to a simpler form but with a provision to protect the neighbour’s privacy.

    Understand the local vernacular in terms of materials

    Chris explains that once form and scale have been agreed, the following questions will help work out what finishes will be applied to the outside:

    • What are appropriate materials for the location and setting?
    • What does the client like?
    • Are there issues around maintenance and longevity of certain materials?

    It’s also time to decide how the house will be built, using timber frame or masonry, for example. Kay expressed an interest in a soft lime rendered finish and to do that properly, Chris felt it would be easiest and most cost-effective to apply that to a masonry external skin.

    It’ll be a whole lot easier if you avoid the green belt

    Parsons & Whittley eventually managed to track down a copy of the green belt area, which they then transferred onto their plans. This showed the planners they weren’t straying into the green belt, only coming up to the edge of it so that the house would be as far away from the neighbour as possible and maximise the amount of private garden for Ben & Kay.

    Anticipate what planners are going to ask you

    Chris’s advice is to think carefully about what you’ll need to demonstrate within all of the documents being submitted as part of a planning application.

    SketchUp allows them to position the house “in the real world”, so they did quite a lot of work in terms of a ‘shadow study’ for Ben & Kay’s project. By setting a date and time within the software, they can see where the shadows are likely to fall and demonstrate there’d be no overshadowing of the neighbour.

    They also developed a cross-section that showed i) the existing consent, ii) all previous consents on the site, and iii) what was now being proposed, for comparison and to dispel concerns of overshadowing.

    Lastly, they ran a straightforward PHPP model (with some assumptions at this stage) and submitted the verification sheet to the planners to support the argument that this will be a Passivhaus.

    A section 73 application to alter existing consent may be appropriate

    You don’t always need to submit a brand new planning application if consent already exists. In Ben & Kay’s case, Chris simply wanted to vary the approved drawings.

    This was a tactical decision given the proximity of the site to the green belt. As the principle of building on it has already been established, the section 73 application allows the planning officer to determine if this dwelling they’re now presented with is acceptable in planning terms.

    Changes in legislation require planning departments to list the drawings that they’ve approved, which makes it easier to pursue this route of seeking to change approved drawings rather than revisiting the whole policy of ‘can I have a house there?’.

    It’s not always a straightforward ‘yes’ or ‘no’ planning decision

    Planners are required to make a decision within eight weeks from the date of validation. Chris says that most planning authorities get about 90–95% of decisions through in that period of time. If decisions need to go to a committee, then the timeframe might be extended but only with permission. If they can’t make a decision within eight weeks, applicants have the option to appeal to the Secretary of State against non-determination. However this isn’t a process Chris would recommend as it would likely take at least six months to get through it.

    The outcome will be yes or no but might be a yes with conditions, some of which the applicant isn’t happy about. If the planners were to refuse the section 73 application submitted on behalf of Ben & Kay, they could only do so on planning grounds. Parsons & Whittley would look at what those planning grounds were and advise on the best way to proceed. This may be simply amending the design to satisfy the planner’s concerns and re-submitting, which within 12 months for the same type of application does not carry a fee.

    The appeal route would remain a last resort. However, Chris argues it shouldn’t get to that point as a good architect will stay in contact with the officer during the eight-week review period to ascertain if there are any objections that can be resolved before any decision is made.

    Find out more

    Visit the website of Parsons + Whittley

    Follow Parsons + Whittley on Twitter

    Transcript

    Download a transcript of the interview with Chris Parsons

    Please connect with me

  • HPH165 : Feeding back to our architect

    HPH165 : Feeding back to our architect

    Ben and Kay Adam-Smith receive initial sketches of their new home from their architects Parsons + Whittley. They then feedback to John over the phone.

    Chris also outlines how this stage works and explains why it is so important.

    Sketches are an inexpensive way to start the design process

    It’s an exciting time when you get to this part of your self build. You’ve briefed your architect (or designer) and you await their interpretation of the house you want. How close will they get?

    ‘Sketch perspectives’ – as the words suggest – try to give the house a three dimensional feel. The ‘sketch plans’ provide a two dimensional overhead view of the internal layout.

    Feedback is almost as important as the initial briefing

    All design is iterative and as such this initial feedback is the beginning of the process.

    It will also be the first time the architect will find out whether they’ve understood the brief and have started to deliver it.

    Inevitably there will be things that have been misunderstood or misinterpreted, and this is where the refining begins.

    Feedback the positives and negatives

    Chris says: “We always tell people we’re really thick-skinned and you need to be honest with us once you’ve seen our first designs, but it’s nicer if people do it politely rather than being a little bit blunt.”

    As with any feedback, include what you like as well as what you’d like developed.

    Keep feeding back until you’re happy

    The design stage is all about refining the requirements and developing the designs, and the feedback should flow freely.

    You shouldn’t ever be afraid to feedback. This is fundamentally about getting the home you want.

    However, once the project has moved into technical design or even going to tender out to tender there will be implications of making changes – cost, time, etc.

    Ben’s sketch development so far . . .

    Take a look at my short screen recording that shows you how the designs have evolved with our feedback.

    Find out more

    Visit the website of Parsons + Whittley

    Follow Chris Parsons on Twitter

    Please connect with me