Building your own Timber-Frame House?

[ByronBlack]

Has anyone done this?

I'm looking into the possibilities of downsizing and renting my house, and building a small (400sq ft or so) timber frame house on a plot of land somewhere.

I've been inspired by the small houses from:
http://www.tumbleweedhouses.com/houses/

I've found a number of timber-framing companies who do turn-key solutions, would a non-builder like myself be able to put together something like these?

Has anyone done this, or looked into it?

 

[mtt.tr]

These are very big on the isle of skye and i believe they are very efficient.

Im unsure if you could so it yourself though

 

[Blister]

How will you fit the wife and NEW workshop into it :wink:

 

[ByronBlack]

Blister - I'm not married ;-)

 

[lurker]

How will you fit the wife and NEW workshop into it :wink:

Blister,
Are you suggesting Byrons wife is a bit porky?? :shock: :shock:

 

[Blister]

Blister - I'm not married ;-)

OK

Quick re Fraze

PARTNER :wink:

 

[CNC Paul]

You might find some interesting stuff here

http://www.livingarchitecturecentre.com/?page_id=12

 

[ByronBlack]

Cheers Paul, I'll take a look.

Blister: As for a workshop - since last year when I sold almost all of my gear bar my hand-tools and a circular saw, I've not really missed the stationary machinery or larger tools, and thus don't require anywhere near the space I have now.

My intentions are to stick with hand-tools as much as possible, and work out of a small shed in the winter - and outside during the summer. This wouldn't then impact on the limited space of a sub 4002 ft property. And would obviously be cheaper to build and be less of a burden to maintain.

 

[mtt.tr]

http://www.skyehomes.co.uk/

This is a company in skye they are brilliantly designed

 

[wobblycogs]

I'm not a builder but I've tackled enough non-trivial building problems to know that it's more than possible to build your own house but it's going to be far more work than you expect it to be.

If you really want to do it you have to do that and nothing else. If you try and work in the day build the house in the evenings and at weekends you'll never finish.

Before you set your heart on the idea though I suggest looking for a plot as it's virtually impossible to find a plot worth a light in England anymore unless you have money to burn. After that I'd try and get some building experience to see if it's really for you. If you can manage two weeks hard graft on a site you should be able to build a house.

 

[chipchaser]

These 2 sites might be of interest:

http://www.selfbuild-central.co.uk/desi ... -and-beam/

http://www.segalselfbuild.co.uk/home.html

Walter Segal did a lot to get the self build movement going in UK and designed a system that minimises difficult trade skills. There are countless other ways too. PM sent.

Graham

 

[chipchaser]

Wobblycogs, I agree that it's going to be far more work than you expect it to be but it is possible to build in spare time outside work hours, That's how I built my first house.

You need to be committed to the project, physically and mentally but not in the sense of being locked up for your own good :wink:

Graham

 

[RogerS]

Wobblycogs, I agree that it's going to be far more work than you expect it to be but it is possible to build in spare time outside work hours, That's how I built my first house.

You need to be committed to the project, physically and mentally but not in the sense of being locked up for your own good :wink:

Graham

Graham...how long ago did you make your house? If it was a long time ago then these days there are far more building regs to learn about and that is one of the things that takes a lot of time ...let alone actually doing it. If recent, then fair enough, and more power to your elbow, mate!

I tend to side with wobblycogs.

And don't forget the talk about a whole new load of messing about with Part L and F due out this October.

 

[wobblycogs]

I'd be interested to know a bit more about the place you built too Graham. I've always wanted to build my own place but been scared off by the amount of time the family would spend living in a caravan .

I suppose a timber frame with all the main parts pre-cut off site would dramatically reduce the build time and remove the need to learn to lay bricks well (something I've never managed to grasp).

 

[ByronBlack]

Wobblycogs - thanks for the advice, at the moment, I'm uncertain whether I would build this in England, or go further afield, also depending on my circumstances in the next few years, I may or may not have to work and build at the same time - this is why i'm doing my research now to see just how possible this could be.

Graham - thanks for the PM - I'll re-read it again later and get back to you regarding any questions, you've given me some great information there and I'll spend some time thinking about the subjets you raised.

The segal-system looks very interesting. I'm not really into building a regular run-of-the-mill home - and it doesn't need to be large either, I have very modest requiements so I think a small cheap eco type build will be perhaps the route I go. The aim is to have zero mortgage at the end of it.

The segal idea of building using regular lengths to avoid cutting and wastage funnily enough is the same route I took when I built my workshop, the floor was easily built using standard 8x4 sheets, the walls all used regular lengths of 2x4 and the roof used standard sized roofing-sheets, at the end of the build, I barely had enough waste to make a rabbit hutch - and it was quick and easy to build to - with the generous help of many members on here of course. So I quite like the idea of extrapolating that into a larger dwelling.

 

[RogerS]

I think you're setting your sights too low. This is much more suited to a man of your social standing ! :wink:

 

[MickCheese]

Do it.

I thoroughly enjoyed your WIP for your workshop and cannot wait for the first installment of the house.

Looking forward to the book in eggar anticipation.

Mick

 

[Creampuff]

i've always fancied one of these, http://www.slcd.co.uk/index.php?main_pa ... &cPath=70,, but the lack of a reasonably priced piece of land to put it on is always an issue in the south east,

I have however bought a small log summer house, 3m x 3.5m, and can happily say that they are incredibly easy to put up, all in all it took myself and a friend roughly 3hrs to put up, and a good half of that was making sure the felt tiles were on right.

As for the bungalows and houses, id say with a little help and a little experience they would be equally as simple to put together.

Regards

Andy

 

[Digit]

Ease depends on whether your house is 'frame' built, as with a kit, or 'stick' built', as from a pile of timber.
The regs are the same what ever type of material is used in construction, the planning authority might not agree with certain styles and finishes though.

Roy.

 

[TobyB]

For ideas - there was a really good C4 "Grand Designs" programme (my partner loves it, I'm so-so generally) about the construction of an A-frame green-wood timber house with straw-bale insulation and the like ... I found a book about it (with the engineering test etc included) ... I'll never do it, but inspirational stuff ... look out for the (much repeated) programme and/or the book?