Why you don’t need an architect:
Use a free piece of software or splash out £30, if you must, to draw out your floor plans. Then taking inspiration from a few of your favourite houses, draw a rough biro sketch of your proposed house. A timber frame manufacturer has little use for a real architect drawing because they have to recreate everything using engineering calculations and they will be delighted to turn your biro sketch into a well-engineered house with all the right pitches and proportions. If anything on your sketch does not work they will change it for you free of charge. Ultimately, they will create technical drawings of your house that are good enough for planning permission purposes. They will also proportion the windows and doors etc, so that you can use off-the-shelf sizes that save money and simplify the build.
I could go into massive detail about every facet of the build but that is beyond the scope of this article. I will therefore stick to the most important elements, which are the foundation and the superstructure.
FOUNDATION
Dig the 1-meter foundations with a narrow 450mm bucket (saves concrete). Get it laid-out by a surveyor and hire a digger owner/driver for the day. Get the concrete lorries to back up to the trench and tip self-levelling concrete directly into the trench (self-levelling concrete will flow around the trench without the help of several workers and will end up completely level). Fill the trenches to the brim. You will always be told that ‘trench fill’ is an expensive option but it is in fact the cheapest option, if you pay the concrete company direct. The most common foundation method involves putting a splash of concrete into the trench and then getting several brickies to lay concrete blocks to just above ground level. This is in fact a slow method that incurs high labour charges and is liable to flooding, trench damage and delay. Concrete bought directly from the local manufacturing plant, with no contractor mark up, will always be far cheaper than hiring several brickies for a week.
The next step is to have brickies lay just one course of dense concrete block on top of the newly concreted trenches, so that the house sits just above ground level. Fill the middle of the foundation with compacted rubble, 120mm polyurethane insulation, damp proof membrane and self-levelling concrete. The use of self-levelling concrete eliminates the need for expensive screed and again speeds up the job. The end result is a foundation/floor that is cheaper, quicker, more solid and better insulated that any other system
SUPERSTRUCTURE
The timber frame can now be erected on the foundation. I used an outfit that will charge about £19,700 per 2200 ft square house (supplied and erected). This price includes the aforementioned architectural service. The end product is a house complete with roof, interior walls and boarded out floors. Building control and NHBC check the quality at every stage, so you have no worries on that score.
Using the above methods, it took me one week to complete the foundations for my 5-bedroom house and another four days to have the complete superstructure erected. An ‘expert’ team of architect, main contractor and builders would have got to the same stage in 3 to 4 months and they would undoubtedly have charged an extra £30,000 to £40,000, just to get it to this stage.
The rest of the house can be finished by regular trades, working at standard trade rates. Under no circumstances should you be tempted to use a main contractor because the complicated work has already been done and they will add a massive margin onto the labour and materials. Also, do not use a tradesman who has a boss or you will be feeding two mouths. Buy your own materials and vigorously shop around for the best quotes for labour and materials. Pay your workers at the end of each day/twice per week but only after their work has been inspected by the building control officer. Tradesmen love being paid frequently and they will do a good job if they know that their work is going to be independently inspected (they might sometimes argue with you but never with a building control officer!). A main contractor will usually only allow the building control officer onto the site for the minimum number of mandatory inspections. Most of them regard the building control officer as ‘the enemy’ and they try to ‘enclose’ some parts of the job, so that the building control officer can’t see what they’ve done. It’s all very sad but this traditional stand-off can be made to work in your favour. Your building control officer will be surprised and delighted to be treated as a friendly force and will gladly visit your site at a few hours notice, to act as your free of charge, quality control agent.
I built my house for £51 per square meter (after the VAT reclaim). It has under floor heating, an air source heat pump and quality fittings. It is so well insulated that we only require heating when outside temperatures dip below 3 Celsius. It didn’t cost me a penny extra to design the house in a pleasingly traditional style. The sprinkling of reclaimed bricks and tiles together with the ‘distressed white’ painted timber windows helped add some patina but cost no more than new bricks, tiles or UVPC windows. I was delighted when several visitors thought that it was an old house but I admit to also liking well-executed modern styles. I really don’t think much of the half-hearted period pastiche designs, churned out by modern architects and I wonder why they do it? On the other hand, I should thank them for driving me to find another way.
You may also be interested in:
If you want a cheap home, build your own house (Pt 1)
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Housing market? What housing market?
House prices have risen so where are the lenders?
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Tags: house price news, House Prices, News
Below are some links for further information:
SELF-BUILDER – http://www.self-builder.com/sb3/self-build-mortgage/staged-funding.aspx
Self-build mortgages – http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/self-build
Build Store – http://www.buildstore.co.uk/finance/
Compare Self Build Mortgages – http://www.money.co.uk/mortgages/self-build-mortgages.htm
[...] If you want a cheap home, build your own house (Pt 2) [...]
Excellent, hanks for all that info.
Joseph, you mentioned having the boarded out house up in a few days. I assumed you meant dry lined (perhaps not.
What you didn’t mention was getting power/water/gas etc into the site. Was this done before the timber frame was constructed and then fed through the house once the basic structure was up, to be finally covered up with the dry lining ?
Also, which timber frame company did you use ?
Hi Mark: I was referring to boarded out floors. However if you choose Fermacell instead of standard dry lining, you can dispense with the traditional OSB that sheathes the outside of a timber frame because Fermacell provides a similar racking strength. In this way the frame will already be dry lined (the timber frame company would install it as part of the structure). It’s not what I did because it slightly complicates the installation of wiring and plumbing. I only brought water onto the site before the build. The electricity is generally brought into the house once you have already had your consumer unit and wiring completed. I actually installed a septic tank (we had no mains sewage) and outside toilet before the build because a loo is very handy during the build! We also had no gas because it was fairly rural which is why we used an air source heat pump.
Unfortunately it would take about 50 pages to fully explain the build. The most important elements are the cost and time savings involved in using the above methods for the foundation and superstructure. I saved at least £30,000 by not using an architect or main contractor just on the foundation and the superstructure. My fully insulated foundation complete with smooth floors ready to tile and carpet cost me in the region of £3500 for a 5-bedroom house. It was also pretty exciting getting the foundation and superstructure completed in less than two weeks.
If there is enough interest I will produce a list of further money saving techniques. The entire build took 4 months to get the house to the stage where we could move in, so there is plenty more to consider.
Thanks Joseph
Yes love to hear all the details if you had time.
Mark: I used a Welsh company that sadly seems to have disappeared in the building recession. Fortunately I had several similar quotes, so the prices I achieved are still available or maybe better because there is less building going on and timber is cheaper at the moment. Stay away from the big advertisers like Potton
Don’t forget the 17th chaps!!!
Joseph
Interesting article (again!). Thank you. Perhaps you have missed your vocation – EV’s very own Kevin McCloud!!
I really struggle to get my head around your build costs though. £51per square metre? That under a fiver per square foot – cheaper than carpet! I presume this is in addition to the foundations/ erection of the timber frame.
I think that a self builder is a true self starter and the owners design input can only give YOU what YOU want – although from previous experience (major) home renovation & car building I know that the first one is the learning curve & that there is always mark 11.
Without wishing to impact on your privacy what area of the country did you build in? And just out of noseyness would you be willing/able to post a (’censore’d for privacy) photo of your house & maybe a rough floor plan?
Leo
I took that figure as a typo either £510m2 or as there are roughly 10ft2 in a m2 £51 ft2.
Either way I think that would be roughly 1/2 what a builder would charge you to build a house from scratch, for which I think they’re after about £1000m2.
But I’m sure Joseph will come back & confirm.
Hi Leo and Mark
Yes it was a typo. I used some novel methods not a magic wand! The house cost me about £51per square foot, which is the absolute finished price after the VAT rebate. I could have done it for less if the rural location didn’t dictate that I needed an air source heat pump/under floor heating and an electric sewage treatment plant.
The house was built just outside Cobham, Surrey. I will dig out some photographs from the estate agent details (I sold it after a year of living there). It was a very expensive area, which is actually ideal for self-build. I say this because the cost of building is roughly the same wherever you build, so you get a far better return if you build in an expensive area. It doesn’t matter if you just want to live somewhere but if you also want to maximise your equity then it is best to stretch yourself on the plot purchase
I promised Mark some extra tips for cost saving so here’s a couple:
Always use attic trusses in your timber frame but DO NOT include the roof rooms in your planning application. They cannot stop you putting in stairs, heating, lighting and ventilation because it’s your business if you want a very luxurious loft! The attic trusses on a timber frame cost very little extra and you can apply for planning permission for gable end windows or roof windows in a few years time. I actually had the gable ends and the roof already trimmed out for windows so that they could be fitted cheaply when the time came. Even though the large extra space was officially just a super luxury loft it added massively to the value of the house, with very little extra build cost. It’s also very useful to have the space in reserve for growing families
Fit your own Kitchen and bathroom. The plumber and electrician will have left all the pipes and wires sticking out of the plasterboard in pre-planned places. I can hardly wire a plug but I found it very easy to screw cabinets and baths etc to the wall. I used press fit plastic plumbing, which made it very easy to attach the showers and sinks etc. Connecting cooker wires etc is also very easy. Design the bathrooms and kitchen so that there are no complicated angles or oddball sizes that would need professional assistance. Kitchens and bathrooms can cost more than the entire timber frame, so there is a big saving to be made. Luxury cabinets and taps etc cost very little extra these days, so it is worth using them (they do cost a fortune extra if a kitchen or bathroom company supplies and fits them!)
Thanks for that Joseph. Even £51 per square foot is a bargain these days.
Looking at developers new builds the measure of value seems to be facilities not space so I suppose a roomy house can be built for not much more than a smaller one. Its quite logical in that the extra materials & labour to build (you still only need 1 door, 1 window 1 light switch etc) say a 15 by 8 foot rather than a 10 by 8 foor room are actually surprisingly small.
In my example I used a room 8 (2.4m) foot wide. This is one of those ‘magic’ numbers in building. If a span(of a room) is double this then the quantity of materials needed rises almost exponetially. The timber frame boys understand the structural strength of ‘their’ materials as they are ‘engineered’ rather than ‘built.’
Leo. Yes engineered rather than built just about sums it up. The engineered timber joists I talked about (sometimes called silent floor or eco joists) can easily span 20 feet so the old limitations no longer apply.
I used things like built in coffee makers, induction hobs, 10cm thick quartz worktops and natural stone floors so it could easily be done much more cheaply. I think it’s important to tailor the finish to the eventual value of the home. My house was a 5 bed in Surrey so buyers expect that sort of nonsense. I would have been happy with Formica and a kettle but I worked out that the luxury items would actually make me more profit
Thanks for the info Joseph.
Joseph/ Mark & Everyone interested in building their own home
Could I recommend:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Housebuilders-Bible-Eighth-8th/dp/190595915X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1260001064&sr=1-1
I have a very old version (copy 12 years old!) but I think it set the standard on building your own home. Read the reviews in the attached link then go to Waterstones et al & look at a copy for yourself. Buy a copy! Can’t say fairer than that.
Leo: I have read that book cover to cover. At the risk of being difficult, I would say that you should only read that book if you want to pay double the necessary amount. It is a study in conventionality and it is precisely the kind of thing I am trying to get people away from.
You will not find my foundation method in that book and you will be strongly steered towards using architects and main contractors. That is fine if you want to pay twice what I did but I am trying to provide information for people who do not have the money to pay the standard build costs
I re-read what I just wrote and it does seem rather aggressive. I apologise for that but I thought it necessary to point out that my article is intended to show people how to steer away from the appallingly Luddite British building industry way of doing things. The Home Builders Bible is the ultimate representation of the aforementioned Luddite methodology. I have built a house, the Home Builders Bible way and I have built a house my way. The ‘my way’ house was better built and half the price.
Joseph
Not being a builder as such yourself (by profession), how did you stumble across your foundation method ?
Was it based on something from a self build magazine or did it come from the timber frame manufacturers ?
Just interested to know your path from traditional to ‘my way’.
Hi Mark
I’m glad you asked:
‘My’ foundation method is put together by collecting things i’ve seen and heard along the way. However perhaps the most important element is dispensing with professionals and conventionality. Thats what speeds the job up and saves the cash. Here’s some of the thought processes that lead me…
I once had a house built in America and was impressed by the concrete polishing machine they used on the foundation floor. It looks like the ice polishing machine you see at the local rink. They pour the concrete at just the right time and the machine drives on and levels and smoothes the foundation. Unfortunately the machine and the process are very expensive and timing is absolutely critical. The concrete must be set exactly the right amount or it won’t work. The good thing about the method is that it does away with the need to screed after the house is built. Screed is very expensive and ‘wet’, so it also delays the other trades. The Eureka moment came when I read about self-levelling concrete. It uses smaller aggregate and plasticisers to help it flow. I thought, “why can’t I use that to get the same effect without the polishing machine. It worked beautifully and provides a glass smooth floor that is finished before the house is erected.
Another ‘method’ involves using a 450mm bucket instead of the standard 600mm bucket to dig the trenches. Conventional houses need 600mm trenches so that’s what everyone uses, no matter what. The narrow trench saves a lot of concrete and its all you need for a timber frame. Years ago, a neighbour I had a digger delivered with the ‘wrong’ 450mm bucket which caused a delay while they found a 600mm bucket. This episode stuck in my mind and when I was looking at the cross sections of a timber frame house it occurred to me that I could use the 450mm bucket if I was careful.
The ‘trench fill’ method is common but only used in adverse conditions because it is considered expensive. However I spoke to a concrete company and found out the real direct buy cost of concrete. I realised that if I bought it direct it would be far cheaper (especially with a 450mm trench) than using the ‘cheaper’ method of having brickies build up the trenches with concrete block. Even builder’s hire specialist ground work companies and I worked out that I could dispense with the builders and the groundwork company. Big savings! I also used my favourite self-levelling concrete because it did away with several workers with shovels who are normally needed to swirl the concrete around the trenches. The self-levelling concrete ends up glass smooth and very level. Most conventional foundations are not level enough for timber frames. The timber frame companies often need to shim a foundation, which is very expensive.
The other savings were made by having the guts to ignore conventionality and organising the job myself. I paid less than £500 for a surveyor to mark out the foundation and for a digger driver to carefully dig the trenches. The concrete for the trenches and the floors was remarkably cheap because I bought it myself (£1800 in total). Nearly all builders use concrete beam and block floors these days for the foundation’s floor. They need to be made specially which causes 5 weeks delay. The joints need to be grouted which take time and money and then they need plenty of screed to overcome the camber they have. They also need insulation attached to the underside, which is fiddly. They also need venting because they are in effect suspended. My pre-insulated foundation needed none of the above and had a better U value. It is also far stronger and took 5 days to complete. A professional groundwork company typically takes 6 weeks.
To sum up… my method mostly involves going it alone and using a collection of things I have seen over the years. I have attempted to provide some technical information that will help someone else to achieve the same thing. It was very nerve wracking going against the flow but it ended up being easier than I thought.
My wife is calling me for Xmas in the park thing, so I’ve got to go. Cheers
Joseph
Don’t be too dismissive of Brinkley. I’m not going to say that the Brinkey book is ‘right’ but he does mention (1998 edition) about the benefits of 450mm wide trenches and states that ‘most professional builders use trenchfill’. So’ your’ method is tried & tested.
But I will again suggest to the uniformed (people like myself!) that the book does offer a pratical guide – remember it also investigates ‘alternative’ foundations eg rafts/piling which may be necessary in a non-standard site. I think that it is (to my mind) the best starting point for a self builder. As such I think you perhaps shouldn’t dismiss it so lightly but suggest it is a starting point from which an individual can tailor their own design/ constuction techniques.
I agree that many conventional builders are perhaps too set in their ways because (unlike say the car industry) there is not really any foreign competition bringing new techniques to the industry. I have always wondered why the Barratts of this world don’t construct houses- complete with electrical wiring looms etc- in factories & simply assemble them on site.
As usual, a housing related debate draws lots of interest. I too would love to self build but I’m not sure how many of Joseph’s ideas could be applied to what I want to live in. Joseph sound like a serial self-builder which is fine but I don’t plan on having practice runs I just want to build one and live in it so the risks described are real.
I’ve always wanted to build with an American style basement which throws the foundation method out of the window. I also want a large south facing roof ideal for solar power and an open plan interior.
I’m currently living in Surrey and can confirm that prices are eye-watering but I have no intention of staying here long term.
As always Brian its LAND (with P/P) thats the problem. Joseph said he stumbled accross hisplot when cycling so I can only hope for such luck – other than scouring Rightmove etc. I think I mentioned earlier how land should be more variable to a general economic downturn & hope that sitting on a pile of cash will be the best thing to do in the mean time, who knows?
Leo, with respect, I think you might have missed the point of my article. I believe I am entitled to call it ‘my way’ because I have never heard of any person, other than a professional builder or craftsman who has built and designed a house from scratch without the use of an architect or a contractor. Everyone who witnessed or heard about my project was taken aback by the build cost and the lack of professional assistance. I was invited to give a presentation at H&H Celcon. The room was full of building professionals and none of them had heard anything like it either. As a DIRECT result of doing it ‘my way’, I made a 92% return on that house. The House Builders Bible almost certainly suggests trying for the industry standard 20%.
92% returns are unheard of in the building industry and I think this further endorses my right to call it ‘my way’.
For sure there are conventional elements to everything I do but my building control officer and the NHBC inspector had never seen a foundation EXACTLY like it. The difference is in the blend of standard ingredients and the simplification of the building system so that it is possible for a non-professional to undertake the project at less than half the costs typically quoted. Obviously I know all about piled foundations but you should always sneak onto your intended site and dig a big hole. If it needs a piled foundation (typically heavy clay and the proximity of large tree roots), then do not buy the site. It is one of things I do to avoid trouble and excessive cost. My foundation is suitable for more than 95% of sites.
I would be genuinely delighted to hear any suggestions that improve the build time/ costs I achieved with my methods. I still look for better methods and ask everyone I come into contact with …but to date no one can suggest anything to better my costs or speed. Unfortunately, the nature of the House Builders Bible limits it, to the extent that it can not contain a single sentence that would help you achieve anything other than the average industry cost. This article is intended to help people who want to build a house for half price, so in terms of this article, I do indeed completely reject that book. In my opinion it is more suitable for a person who uses an architect/general contactor but wants to have a vague understanding of what is going on during the build process. Please do not be offended by my rejection of the book. I am glad that you mentioned it because it gave me the opportunity to explain why the number one mainstream self-build book is anathema to the point of my article. Leo, I suspect that if you had actually built a few houses, you would not be so quick to argue that the book was useful. I read the book but learnt very little of practical use. I spent many weekends and evenings attending bricklaying, plastering, roofing and plumbing courses etc and that is where I formulated many of my ideas (I actually did very little manual work on the site becuase I was better served using my time to buy and organise) . I work in the city and the other apprentices were very always amused by the toff in overalls. We had a good laugh
I’m beginning to regret writing this article. I was trying to help people get an affordable roof over their heads. Hot debate wasn’t part of the deal!
Sorry if you think I hijacked the article. Not my intention.
I just simply raised the matter of the book coz I thought it a good read – for a layman , like myself – at least.
I think that there are many ‘alternative’ building methods and your approach certainly worked out great. Can I ask a question: Did you build with ‘your’money or was it borrowed. Even before ‘the credit crunch’ (God, how inept that term is) lenders have always resisted lending on properties not built using ‘conventional’ methods
Brian English. I am not a serial self-builder. I have only actually built one house in the way described. I had another house built in America but that was via the conventional architect/contractor method. I sold my last house because I saw a big downturn coming and I decided to lock in profits. A basement roughly doubles your build cost and is counted as normal space by the planners when they decide how big you can go. Unless you are a rock guitarist or have other sinister uses for a basement then I suggest you consider ditching that idea. I am actually looking for a nice 5-acre site in the Surrey Hills or thereabout to build my final house. My work has taken me overseas several times otherwise I would still be in the house I owned in 1995.
Leo: I did not just stumble across my last plots. I searched and searched. I cycle 100 miles per week and I used these training runs to look. Nothing comes without work. I bought the ‘article’ plot from an estate agent. Rightmove is pretty useless. I talk to all the estate agents and auction houses and there are loads of plots available in Surrey. I bought the two plots I own because I couldn’t resist the huge profit potential. I was actually looking for a plot to build my final family home.
Leo: No problem at all. I didn’t think you hijacked anything.
I build with my own money but there is still a way of ‘tricking’ the self-build finance companies. If you get the timber frame company to also quote for the foundation and for the roofing, windows and doors then they will lend on the basis that the building is being taken from dirt to water tight entirely by a qualified company (make sure they are members of a proper guild). They are not fussed by the second and third fit because they are safe by that time. Obviously you can tell the timber frame company that you will actually be using them only for the frame. Sometimes you have to get a bit creative to put a roof over your families heads in these times of silly prices
Leo and Brian: I appreciate that plots are expensive but I would like to revisit the first point in my article (part 1). If you team up to buy a multiple plot you can save a fortune. The interest in plots is huge and I’ve already had two people trying to buy one of my plots from me. Single plots are chased by zealous self-builders but small multiple plots are in a sweet spot. Big developers are not interested but small developers are finding it tough to raise finance
I would like to thank everyone who has added to the comments. You have enabled me to add far more information than I could have without writing a ten part article
Thanks for info Joseph. I will just have to be more proactive in my searching I guess.
I think Napoleon is credited with saying “I prefer a lucky General to a brilliant one” and maybe I have tried to hold to that doctorine, of hopefully being lucky, in my plot searching not perhaps understanding that you have to work hard (or at least cycle!) for your good luck-
Thanks for your article & taking the trouble to reply to our (my) distractions.
Yeah, Thanks Joseph, I’ll save this info. It’ll come in useful one day. Hopefully sooner rather than later.
There are many styles to choose from, and you can freely decide which bests suits your needs and can bring out the uniqueness and overall feel of your house.
Georgian homes are stately looking. It is reminiscent of the period of classical revival in England, which happened before the onset of the American Revolution. These types are usually are made of brick. In the colonies, there is a shortage of such material, and so most Georgian homes are built of wood. A more common feature includes two-story English-style freestanding columns that serve as support for a triangular pediment.
These days, more folk are ordering timber garden offices for their houses. Except for the fact that this sudden surge of orders implies the increase in numbers of home based businessmen, these ready-to-ship office models also mark the public’s need to choose environmentally friendly products.
As you might know, ready-to-ship timber garden offices are pre-constructed structures that are essentially made out of timber ( plywood planks ) and glass panels. Most models can be conveniently used as quickly as the structure is raised and the electrical wires are hooked up. Others would need 1 or 2 more days to be considered operational, particularly if plumbing, special fixtures, or a great number of appliances are going to be installed.
Your position dictates as to what type of space you can order in. Obviously, if you are ordering in any pre-constructed structure, you have got to deal with the hefty ticket also. Timber offices these days can cost you a pretty penny. But if you really bother to look around, you are certain to score on a good deal. There are some folks who order in comparatively cheaper models and then spend a few more greenbacks having these customised according to their taste or to the demands of their business.
One way of saving money though is to patronize the nearest merchants in your vicinity.
2. You can choose the office models that may be ingenuously energy efficient too. If you live in awfully sunny areas, you should get timber offices that are lightly coloured or painted with light colours. This may help reflect away too much warmth and light, which can keep your aircon desires to the barest minimum. This is perfect if your location is susceptible to really wet or very cold seasons, and that you use heaters to make rooms more at ease. In any case, such timber offices will help you keep your utility bills down. .Timber garden office
Is it possible to build a timber house that is fire resistant? It is without question that wood is bio-degradable and eco-friendly yet it is combustible and subject to total loss in case of fire. The answer is yes. By using rated gypsum board to cover up the wooden frame and doing it as per tested configuration by listing and approving agencies, it is very possible to make a wooden house fire resistant for a period of time at least. This will give the responding personnel to arrive and put out the blaze and possibly have the fire contained in just one area of the house. Of course, installation of a fire sprinkler system for residential dwellings is a must.
If you are working and don’t have a lot of time to build your own house, you can consider being the Designer and Project Manager of the construction and save around 20% of the total cost of the project. You can even save more by not choosing the highest priced materials, saving on living space, going green, harnessing of solar energy, etc. and save another 20%.
The tendency to complement the wood frame with other natural materials make the home a place where people want to go to experience feelings of peace and well-being.
Hi Joseph,
First of all, thank you for you article, very interesting.
I was wondering if you can help me with some doubts, after reading your article I started to look some more info about the timber frame market and I liked what I found, so I’m pondering to built my home in Spain with this metod, but I have some doubts that maybe you can help with.
It’s possible to build a house in brick and cement from a superestrucutre in timber frame? or I have to finish the house in wood/timber frame? if the answer to the first question is yes, it will be safe? The timber frame structure will be strong enough to bear the weight?
I’m not planning to build myself the house, so I would like to ask you if you think it will be more economic to build the house with a superstructure in timber frame than a superstructure in concrete (wich is the traditional way in Spain), considering that I will save a lot in time/manforce during this stage?
Thanks for your time,
Jorge
I have been hearing alot about flat pack homes does anyone know where i can view this?