readers` homes new build

readers’ homes new build
Method
SIPs
Build cost
£278,000
Location
Oxfordshire
Peace
of mind
Alan and Doreen Longworth wanted a stress free
project, so turned to a turnkey package company for
help. The SIPs system and specialist team meant the
couple couldn’t have found an easier route to self build
Words Gary Ramsay Photos colin poole
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readers’ homes | new build
The house has absolutely met our expectations.
We walk around it and it feels just right
C
reating your own living space is a thoroughly
satisfying and life-affirming achievement –
but sometimes the amount of work involved
in planning, designing and building your
own home can send the blood pressure soaring. From the
get-go this was something that Alan and Doreen wanted
to avoid at all costs. After retirement in 2006 and
returning from travelling around Australia in a motor
home for three years, the couple decided it was time to
lay down some new roots.
“Before retirement my speciality was developing and
building houses,” says Alan. “I had also worked for many
years as a project manager for a kit house provider, so I
had a clear idea of what we were trying to achieve. I
wanted a complete turnkey package based on two
important basic issues – a certain completion date and a
fixed price. Basically I wanted a company that would give
us a finished product without any real physical
involvement from me.”
After living in Reading for many years, Alan knew the
area well. A perfect opportunity for a new build arose
when the couple spotted a plot of land owned by a
developer friend that had existing planning consent for a
house – they snapped up the 350m2 plot for £236,000.
Alongside Alan’s trade knowledge, plenty of self build
research in their back pockets and a close examination of
the UK market, they got in touch with German
manufacturer Hanse Haus. “We had a very efficient
response from our original enquiry and the sales agent,
Giles, said ‘I’m not going to sell you a house before you go
to Germany and see the homes for yourself’.”
In March 2010, the couple ventured abroad to visit
the Hanse Haus show homes and factory. “When we
purchased the plot, it came with detailed consent,
which we wanted to modify,” says Doreen. “We sketched
our ideas onto the original architect’s design and
drawings. Hanse prepared two possible schemes,
including everything we wanted, but incorporated an
additional living area in the roof, as well as a ‘winter
room’, which we had seen in some of the show homes.
We then passed this onto our own designer who dealt
with all the planning and Building Regulation matters for
us. That was all cleared by June.”
A varied choice
After formally agreeing the project they were led into
Hanse’s sampling centre – a veritable ‘Aladdin’s Cave’.
“You are there for three days to choose everything you
need and focus on every aspect of the house,” says Alan.
“They are incredibly patient and offer excellent advice on
the products, according to your own ideas. You choose
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Favourite feature
“Even though the winter room wasn’t part of our original
plan, it’s become our favourite area in the house,” says
Doreen. “It’s the focal point for the open plan kitchen
and dining room and seems to be where we end up
sitting and relaxing after every meal”
the bathroom and all the fixtures and fittings. There are
items that come as standard with the package, and a set of
‘extras’ to upgrade to if you so wish. You can handpick all
the interiors, too, which is great as you don’t have to travel
around from one shop to another selecting this and that;
you can do it all under one roof. Just be careful about your
power points, plug sockets and light switches. My advice
is to take lots of photos to help you remember what you
have chosen. The electrical aspects do need to be thought
out when you put them on the plan. They only things that
Hanse doesn’t do are kitchens and fitted wardrobes, but
we were happy to specify these ourselves.”
Although the bulk of the major works were undertaken
by the package company, Alan and Doreen had to arrange
the groundworks themselves – and this had to be done to
exact tolerances and measurements in preparation for the
Hanse team coming on site from Germany. The
Longworths employed a team recommended by Hanse,
P&P Brooks, who prepared the site in mid-August (for
£33,000) ready for the project manager to inspect and
sign off the concrete slab.
The construction team and house panels arrived in
September. Due to the off site manufacture, the rate at
which the home was erected was rapid. Allied to this was
the approach of the Hanse team. “I felt that the working
culture of the German crew was exceptional. The ground
floor was done comfortably in a day and in atrocious
weather,” says Alan. “The work rate was so high that by the
end of the third day, the roof was on. I met with the project
manager on site every week for a brief review of the build
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The ground floor is split
level. The living room
opens up, via a small
staircase, to the kitchen
and dining area
and everything went like clockwork. The project manager
had agreed for our kitchen contractor and carpenter (for
the fitted wardrobes) to start work a week before the
house was officially handed over, which meant that
everything could be completed and ready for us to move
in by the end of November.”
Maximum efficiency
The house boasts the Hanse Haus system, which combines
the advantages of SIPs (structural insulated panels) and
solid wall construction. The walls have a stud every 300mm
and they are completely glued on both sides with OSB
boards. This makes them load-bearing, so units, including
heavy kitchen cabinets, can be secured anywhere. Walls,
ceilings and roofs are insulated with glasswool – which is
made using over 50% recycled glass. The high level of
insulation means that the home is thermally efficient and
the heating demand is extremely low.
The couple wanted to use some sort of renewable
technology, and opted for solar thermal panels on the
south-facing pitched roof, which satisfy their hot water
requirements. The house also benefits from triple-glazed
windows and underfloor heating on the ground level.
Instead of a boiler, the couple specified an air-to-water
heat pump – something that they say is virtually
maintenance-free. “There are no real service costs for this,
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readers’ homes | new build
What we
learned
+ The house is built
to the Code for
Sustainable Homes
Level 4 which meant
that we had to spend
a bit more on the
build but we’ll gain
from cheaper running
costs. We’ve worked
out that our total
energy costs have
been about £4 a day,
and that’s throughout
the winter months
+ Be open to
unlike with a typical gas boiler,” says Doreen. “It is very
efficient and is ideal for our needs – I would definitely
recommend it to other self builders.”
Inside, there is 180m2 of living space over the ground
floor, which is split level, as is the first floor that leads up
to the roof space. The winter room stretches the depth
of the house with a window in the kitchen overlooking
the front driveway. The floor-to-ceiling glass windows
and doors in the winter room look out to the paved garden
at the rear of the property.
All the rooms in the home are have an attractive finish,
with a mixture of wood flooring and large ceramic tiles
throughout, as well as fitted carpet in the master bedroom
and sitting room. An attractive solid beech staircase leads
from the main hall area up to the first floor.
For Alan and Doreen, the full turnkey option was their
dream self build route. They watched the project unfold in
front of them in simple, precision stages and the finished
product is testament to the expertise of the package
company. “We’ve got a very attractive, contemporary
home that is a joy to live in. It was a truly straightforward
process from the first phone call to the handover of the
door keys,” says Doreen.
Even with Alan’s past experience in the construction
trade, he was impressed with the final project. “The work
is exemplary. The fact you have no sub-contractors to
worry about and there is no one else to blame if anything
goes wrong is very reassuring. Hanse dealt with
everything,” he says. At a final build cost of £278,000 with
£2,000 reclaimed in VAT, Doreen says it is worth every
penny, “The house has absolutely met our expectations.
We walk around it and it just feels right. It’s not necessarily
easy to achieve a house that you feel totally comfortable in
and love to spend time in, but this is perfect.”
suggestions from
your design team.
We hadn’t planned
useable loft space or
a winter room, but
they’ve really added
to our enjoyment of
the home
+ If you use Hanse,
make sure you get
your kitchen details
in place, as well as
things like fitted
wardrobes so that you
can bring everything
in to play when you
go to Germany on a
pre-selection visit
Hanse’s SIPs systems allows for a speedy build schedule. The ground floor of the Longworths’ home was complete
after just a day, and the entire shell was watertight after just three days
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readers’ homes | new build
Floor plans
The Longworth file
House plans re-created using ARCON 3D Home Design Software.
www.3darchitect.co.uk
Tel: 01252 267788 Email: arconsales@eleco.com
Build timetable
Preliminaries
Foundations
10
10
10
10
Roof structure & covering
10
Internal walls & doors
10
10
Joinery & fittings
10
Plumbing & heating
10
10
10
DEC
Elements of the build
Total cost*
12%
£183
£33,000
External Works
11%
£167
£30,000
House package
77%
£1,194
£215,000
£278,000
Our verdict
10
10
Cost % Cost m2
Groundworks and
foundations
Grand total
Floors, walls & ceiling finishes
Decorating
NOV
OCT
SEP
AUG
JUN
MAY
JUL
10
External walls & windows
Electrics
Land cost £236,000 in 2010
Build cost £278,000
Total cost £514,000
Cost per m2 £1,544
(£143 per ft2)
Date work commenced
August 2010
Construction time
11 weeks
Estimated value
£650,000
Total build cost breakdown
APR
MAR
FEB
Schedule of the build
JAN
The couple bought the plot, which came with planning permission for a
house, in March 2010. They changed the detailed consent and submitted
new plans in May, and started the project that summer.
Owners Alan &
Doreen Longworth
Occupations Retired
Location Oxfordshire
Type of build Self build
Style Contemporary
Method of construction
SIPs
House size 180m2
(1,938ft2)
Plot size 350m2
10
Right from the start, the Longworths knew they
wanted to get a bespoke home without the
hassle of a hands on self build project.
Employing a package company was ideal for
them and provided real peace of mind.
Work in progress by year and month
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