The Doozer Family Self Build

Davesnave

Sorry, I didn't post any more because I forgot.....:o and I didn't want to post too much, so originally I was waiting for Doozer's next instalment.

But I will try to update in the next few days.

Doozergirl

Brave or stupid. After 8 years, I start to realise which.

Life is changing pretty quickly too. A house in this location was perfect for a 7 and 11 year old. Safe, slightly uninteresting, but easy to get to anywhere. Now they're 19 and nearly 15. He has a HTB ISA (indicating his intentions!) and she wants to go to uni in London.

DH has announced he wants a business abroad in the medium term, but will commute.

We've specced this high and with at least one less bedroom than it should have in the space, so it's certainly not for selling in the next 10 years.

Doozergirl

Davesnave wrote: »

Sorry, I didn't post any more because I forgot.....:o and I didn't want to post too much, so originally I was waiting for Doozer's next instalment.

But I will try to update in the next few days.

Carry on! I can always change the title to be more inclusive!

Doozergirl

We're back at it!  Our house sale has faltered, for obvious reasons.  We still
have buyers, but they don't have theirs.  We're going to give it a month before going back to market as we're pushing on to try and get this place habitable.  

Mainly rendered, there's cement board on the bay and front door area while I decide what to clad it with.  

Palm tree "stolen" from friends, waiting to be planted in the back garden, which looks like a desert!  The ground here is awful.  It's like a pebble beach compacted with clay.  

FreeBear

Doozergirl said:  The ground here is awful.  It's like a pebble beach compacted with clay.  

Bearing in mind what was there originally, I wouldn't be at all surprised if there was quite a bit of contamination from oil & diesel. May be an idea to scrape off the surface and buy in some good quality, weed free top soil and loads of compost. The palm will want a well drained soil and extra compost dug in.

MovingForwards

I've always wanted to see some of your work, now I have and you've another fan following 😁

Doozergirl

FreeBear said:

Doozergirl said:  The ground here is awful.  It's like a pebble beach compacted with clay.  

Bearing in mind what was there originally, I wouldn't be at all surprised if there was quite a bit of contamination from oil & diesel. May be an idea to scrape off the surface and buy in some good quality, weed free top soil and loads of compost. The palm will want a well drained soil and extra compost dug in.

We've definitely scraped off! Dug in 150 litres of compost for it but well drained, not so sure! 

It's very premature planting it but it needs moving out of that pot and it was free (but expensive!) 

We may end up with raised beds but the back garden level is a teeny higher than the floor level of the house so I need to make sure it isn't overwhelming.  

robatwork

Can I ask - was there a design reason in why you went for a bay on one? Or just how it was previously?

Dark window frames and light render are spot-on by the way. So many people kill their house with the wrong windows.

Doozergirl

robatwork said:

Can I ask - was there a design reason in why you went for a bay on one? Or just how it was previously?

Dark window frames and light render are spot-on by the way. So many people kill their house with the wrong windows.

Thanks.  The short answer to it only having one bay is that we needed the space to meet regs for parking and turning!   It's a new house.  

Davesnave

Arrggh! Keep forgetting this thread....Love your palm. Sea goes out quite a long way in the Midlands though.

Carrying on from where I left off.....We'd pulled out the 6.4m Catnic support beam that was looming in our kitchen/diner and removed the flat roof, but next we had to put in a more substantial steel before building the gable wall:

This steel would be above the new ceiling, but how to get it in? Answer bung a few ££ to a farmer with a telehandler:

Oi, mate, watch that inspection cover!

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