Tenders

Things were now getting interesting.  Keith issued tender documents to three builders for quotations and once they had been returned we gathered again to consider the options.  One quote was considerably cheaper than the other two, while one was way over the top.  The middle one was more detailed than the others and was from a contractor with whom he worked well, so inevitably we were steered in his direction.  However, the cost was quite a bit more than anticipated, but was manageable - if we sold our house in good time.

The frame was to come from a manufacturer who used the Tradis system which would arrive on site via a large lorry and would be craned into position.  Unfortunately, the lead time was going to be considerable, so we got a quote from the contractor for a frame built on site (stick build) which was £10k cheaper, but would be of the same quality.  Then just as we were about to decide in favour of stick built the frame factory found a spare slot.  It was an awkward moment - we didn't want to jeopardise Keith's relationship with either party, but the thought of saving £10k was persuasive.

So the contract was signed, an itemised schedule of the works and costs printed and completion was to be within 40 weeks.

Design

We drew up a design brief of what we would like in a new house: accommodation, room sizes, layout, essentials and dislikes.  It had to have eco-credentials, 3 bedrooms, lounge/sitting room, dining room, en-suites, a workshop/garage and we didn't want one of those vaulted ceilings which seems to be de-rigueur among modern architect-designed houses.

Drawings soon arrived with a link to Google Sketch Up so we could manipulate the drawings at home, see the house from all angles and go inside and visit each room.  We went down to Keith's office and talked through various details and options and with the wonders of modern technology, to coin a phrase, he was able to  make changes immediately on screen and we could see the finished drawing.

Once the basic design had been completed there was then a hiatus of several months while we waited for the legals to be completed on the purchase of the plot.  This was a frustrating time for all concerned, but eventually we able to go ahead with a planning application which completed without any difficulty.  The next stage was the Building Warrant application.  Keith got an engineer's report on the ground conditions and calculations for the frame structure and the Warrant was obtained without much trouble, other than the BCO asserting his position over some trivial drainage detail.

One odd thing was the sudden appearance of a pond on the drawings.  Apparently the Firemaster insisted on a water reservoir for the use of his fire appliances should the worst happen, but later this condition was modified.