

The Self-Builders Guide To The Construction Phase
Coming Soon About the Book In my previous book The Self-Builders Guide To Project Management I explored and explained many of the mechanisms involved to navigate the Pre-construction phase and therefore get you ready to tackle the construction works. That’s where this book takes over!
The Self-Builders Guide To The Construction Phase will use all of the knowledge gained of the Pre-construction elements, and put them into practice during the build process along with a valuabl


Building Regs changes – what you need to know
On 1st October 2015 further revisions to the Building Regulations for England came into force. Following the Housing Standards Review, as expected, the Code for Sustainable Homes is effectively abolished, and a number of requirements for sustainability and accessibility are being incorporated into Building Regulations. Planning authorities will no longer be able to impose additional technical standards or performance requirements for new dwellings (although they will still be


The A 100 House
I am currently involved with the construction of a house with what is promising to have a SAP of A 100! To those of you who do not totally understand the why's and wherefores of this, in its basic form, on paper this house will be just about as energy efficient as it can get. The construction will be timber frame, conceived and constructed by MBC, with a brick external skin and tiled roof, so will from the outside will look just the same as most other houses in the road. Of c


Book Release! The Self-Builders Guide to Project Management
About the Book Written from the constructor's perspective, with useful advice, this book will familiarize you with construction management fundamentals and provide you with the everyday knowledge required to develop, plan and manage your project. The Self-Builder's Guide to Project Managementexplains the process step-by-step and is designed to help you turn your dream into reality. This is not a book about how to build your own house, it will not explain how to lay bricks, th


The Self-Builder's Checklist
I realised a while ago that many Self-Builders are not aware of the numerous elements that should be in place before works can commence. Below, you will find a free basic Checklist to help you understand the often tedious, but necessary Pre-Construction phase. Whether you intend to manage your own project or seek professional assistance, I trust that this will be a useful tool. Sign up to my Newsletter to get The Self-Builder's Checklist for FREE!


Section 106 Abolished for Self-builders
Section 106 Exemption Confirmed for Self-builders Homebuilders across the UK can claim a major success with news announced by DCLG on Friday 28 November. People building their own homes will now be exempt from Section 106 payments to local authorities, the Communities Secretary Eric Pickles announced. The exemption, originally announced back in February, will come into force immediately and could affect hundreds of self-builders currently going through the planning process. M


What's in a name?
I often ponder as to what is the best title for what I do for a living. Construction Project Manager is the closest to explaining, but every Architect, Builder and their dogs call their services “Project Management” and to an extent, that is what they do. However, whilst your average Architect knows the procedures of say Pre-commencement planning conditions, Building Regulations, Service enquiries and a whole load of spreadsheets and flow charts, does he know the nitty-gritty


Self build plan presented to ministers
With the recent announcement that the number of self builds in the UK each year is at a 30-year low, Homebuilding & Renovating yesterday presented the self build industry's 10 Point Plan to Boost Self Build to the Housing Minister Mark Prisk MP. This is a series of proposals that, if implemented, we believe would significantly boost the numbers of people who are able to build their own home. Homebuilding & Renovating Presents the Self Build Industry's 10 Point Plan to Boost S


Construction Sustainability
The construction process itself generates significant quantities of waste: about a fifth of all waste arisings are attributable to the construction phase. This waste is generated at every stage in a normal construction project, from initial winning of resources such as aggregate, through processing, packaging, transport, use on site, repair and disposal. A significant portion of these arisings can be designed out of a project with careful selection of materials. For example,