ALI DYMOCK

I recall how excited we were to get started with the build, when the planning application I made was successful. I drew the plans by hand after first trying the online method you mentioned but I just kept loosing the will😃. That was back in early April 2019!!!  The detailed plans helped enormously when ordering materials: not ordering too much is really important as it’s costly. Especially if there are no plans to produce other projects and space is of a premium. 

We watched your videos over and over throughout the build: we came to recognise your dulcet tones and that music over your videos: we started humming it between ourselves as we went; sad or what🤣

Creating the piers was possibly the most difficult thing,  only because we were trying too hard to get perfection. We got there eventually. I believe it was also because the build was actually real. 

Like you in your new house; we made the decision to invest in good tools and they probably were and continue to be of great value. Table saw, circular saw and  several Makita tools,  drills, multi tool, reciprocating saw, sliding mitre saw and Marks favourite, Dewalt nail gun. It has to be said that we could not have done the build without the tools or certainly not as speedy  We did find we fell naturally into our roles: me for creating plans, ordering materials and measuring  mark for sawing, hammering and screwing. It worked for us when we weren’t at logger heads deciding who’s approach was correct or the best option😄

I loved working with the timber though Mark found it difficult to accept that sometimes it wasn’t entirely straight: good job I made him stick to the measurements and make it fit rather than cut to fit: your wise words I recall. The timber for the floor and subsequently the walls was measured and cut before construction. I wrote on every piece its position in the build using my plans. It worked well for us despite the extra time it took. I did make one big error: allowing only 6 inch roof joists instead of 8 inch. May seem easily resolved but the height would have been over planning permission. In the end I had to cut 2 inch notches out of each end of all the roof joists to solve the issue. That and return the timber and reorder in 8 inches. It was Mark that spotted the error and boy he kept reminding me🤣 

Rain was certainly not on our side; I think we must have had more than our fair share. We tried all manner of methods to try to keep the plywood floor etc dry. At one stage I actually used my sewing machine to stitch two tarpaulins together and stitch straps at 16 inch intervals all around to tie it down. The things you do. 

The funniest thing of all had to be lifting the EPDM onto the roof. It took several attempts being so heavy and cumbersome:  it was unceremoniously dropped several times with me underneath it😳🤣

We had opted for a warm roof which is why we wanted planning permission for a height of 3 metres. It made the whole process relatively easy, especially the insulation layer unlike the thankless task of the interior walls😩. 

Starting the OSB and Tyvek on the outside walls was a real lift: the feeling you were finally getting there. We had actually managed to get the build water tight by October 2019: 6 months from our start. Not bad given Mark was working away and could only do it at weekends. I had retired and did as much as I could on my own. I recall my neighbour telling me off for being on the roof joists: she said she wasn’t coming to my aide if I fell off: nice😳. It was the time I notched out the roof joists and managed to carry each one down the garden and lift onto the roof single handed👊: get in😃

As a result of your videos, nothing phased us: we happily fitted the double glazing without issue although I wouldn’t recommend small opening windows either side of the patio doors: fitting the beads was an absolute nightmare. 
We chose to have vertical cladding. We needed to make horizontal and vertical lats to maintain the gap for moisture to escape freely. I would recommend factoring this in from the outset as it makes a difference to the overall measurements. Thankfully ours was under the 30 square metres. 
Planning permission is something I’m pleased I got: one neighbour who we have yet to work out, made an enquiry about the size of the build. We got the email from the planning department when we were on holiday. We felt sick for the remainder of our holiday fearing the worst. It was okay thankfully. 

One thing we learnt was to spend the time and plan as near as possible the amount of materials needed. This is especially true when the sales person when buying our cladding suggested measuring the area of the four walls and add 10%. If we had done it their way it would have cost us £600 more and we would have had a lot of wasted cladding that could not be returned. It helps to have plenty graph paper, sticky tape and a mind for working to scale: obviously my forte😃. 
Mark came into his own with the electrics, especially his love of TV. He opted for an OHP and surround sound system. He placed all the wires for the sockets, switches and lighting as well as his OHP etc before plaster boards. Incidentally he had run an armoured cable in before we even started the build. We had to make use of two trades; plasterer and a company to certificate the electrical work. Other than those two the entire build was done solely by the two of us and your videos and encouragement; thank you😃

We finished the build on the 10th September 2020. We waited 6 months for the settee we ordered to arrive due to Brexit and Covid. We couldn’t have friends around until the Euro football but we use it regularly for film nights, my Pilates zoom classes and general chill time. Especially now the bar is finished: cheers 🥂. We haven’t stopped with projects. I bought a very old sofa 1900s took it apart down to the frame and rebuilt it using traditional upholstery techniques that I learnt from the internet😳. It was lovely to do. All done by hand as well. We have also been working on replacing the fences in our garden and our final project in the garden is redesigning and replacing the current patio. It’s a big job. We have just finished a three course brick wall for the edges of the patio. We have decided that we will spend a couple of years just being, once it is done. Don’t tell Mark though: I want a new bathroom next🤣

Thank you young man. 
Kaye and Mark Waite