The Selfbuild Podcast

At Selfbuild Extend & Renovate Live Belfast 2024, DJ Rasdale of Build Cost Estimations runs through a real life example of costing a build from start to finish, and provides an update on how much it costs to build a house in Ireland today, including:·      Labour and material costs as of September 2024·      Cost estimations: how they’re put together·      Details of a costed project in NI·      Direct labour versus main contractor: how much can you save?·      Project details: issues with foundations and how much they set the project back·      Variations during the build, PC Sums·      Kitchen costs, ways contractor saved money on the project·      Budget busters and best value-for-money ways to cost a project·      Traditional (concrete blockwork) vs timber frame vs ICF vs SIPs: how they compare cost wise·      Heat pump with underfloor heating costs

A snapshot of what to expect at Selfbuild Extend & Renovate Live Belfast 2024, including testimonials from self-builders who attended the event and special offers from a few of the 150+ companies exhibiting at the show; clips from: Kitchen Pod, Breedon Tiles, 3DNA, SolarFix, Viltra, NIE Networks.

Bathroom consultant Gareth Holland chats about how to go about your renovation or new build project, including:·        How much to budget for your bathroom for a good finish·        Dangers of buying online·        Where to start when renovating a bathroom·        Where to start with a new build·        What to bring on your initial consultation·        Typical design constraints·        Shower choices·        How bathroom suppliers liaise with trades·        Sequence of works·        Considerations for a wetroom and bath in a small bathroom·        Storage solutions for small bathrooms·        Size of small downstairs bathrooms with design ideas for wow factor·        Which bathroom is worth investing the most in?·        New build bathrooms: budgeting tips·        Tiling trends for 2024·        Trends and making brassware work·        Timeframe to create recessed shelves (niches) in stud walls, benefits·        Futureproofing and typical bathroom lifetime·        Typical lead times·        Maintenance for taps

Andrew Acheson of Internorm chats about window and door design, including:How to compare windowsHow much self-builders are spending on windows and doorsHow to save money on your window and door designU-values explained in detailThe case for triple glazed windowsAluclad options: uPVC vs timberWindow replacement: what you need to considerTrickle vents in windows: pros and consHow quotes for windows are put togetherMitigation for overheating with window design, including low-g glassShading devices pros and cons, from brise soleil to blinds and curtainsLift and slide vs bifold doors: pros and cons, design limitationsDoor types, how they're builtHow to compare doors from different suppliersPrice points for doors and hardwareChoice of front doors vs other entry pointsSolutions for coastal locationsRetrofitting new external doors, watchpointsLead times, factory holidaysTimeframe for ordering windows depending on the building methodTroubleshooting with product issuesTroubleshooting installation issues

Craig Jones of Land Options Ireland chats about how much it costs to build a house in Ireland today, including:Budgeting for your build: why a cost per sqm is the best place to start - and what the next steps areThe typical budget busters on a buildHow to check if the site won't cost a fortune to build onHow much reports costHow much to set aside for architect, engineer and quantity surveyorPreliminaries: what are they and how much will they set you backCosts per sqm as of mid-2024What's the cheapest building method and will we be building with blockwork in 20 years' time?What is value engineering and how does it workWhat's the most cost efficient way to build

Pete Finn, AKA Pete the builder, of RTÉ's Home Rescue and advisory firm Let's Talk Homes joins tiny house builder Paul Lawford of smallchange.ie to chat about the process of building your home in Ireland today with cost saving tips, including:Once the house has been designed, planning permission has been approved, Health & Safety has been done on the design, what are the next steps?What is the first thing to happen on site - what needs to be organised before you can start on the buildOverview of the steps from foundations to roof finishes on a traditional buildThe process of building a tiny houseWays to save during the buildHow to prepare for the building stage

Jonny Orr of Daniel George Kitchens and Caroline O'Neill of Digg Mama chat about Caroline’s kitchen design journey including how she went about it and what steps she would recommend self-builders taking. The chat also focused on:·        Main things to consider when designing a kitchen; common mistakes to avoid.·        Best time to involve kitchen designers and do they do 3D renders? ·        How much do kitchens cost and where can you save money?·        Downdraft extractors vs traditional hood, which is best?·        Lighting tips including task lighting when using an in-hob extractor and whether to include lighting in all units.·        Hardwearing materials and colours, how to make sure the kitchen won’t go out of fashion.·        Not thinking of putting in an oven, is that a bad idea? If I plan to have a pantry, do I need less cupboards?·        Design tips for islands and peninsulas (breakfast bars) in the kitchen layout.

Matt Kinloch of SONAS Bathrooms and Darrel McCauley of Spectrum Bathrooms joined us at Selfbuild Live Belfast to talk about what’s trending in bathroom designs and how to get the style on a budget, includingColours and style in general: what’s on trend, e.g. is barbiecore a thing in bathrooms? What are the classics?General budget saving advice: consider number of bathrooms, size? How about renovations, how to save with existing bathroom upgrade?Sanitaryware: what’s on trend, e.g. wall hung basin/toilet and standing bath, and how to save and still get the lookFittings: what’s on trend, e.g. is gold still fashionable, and how to save and still get the lookRadiators: what’s on trend and how to save, e.g. output?Mirrors: what’s on trend, is it still LED and Bluetooth mirrors, and hacks to save.What are the other big ticket items in the bathroom and how can self-builders save?

Pete Cole of Pete Cole Consulting shares the most common issues he comes across self-build sites, including:How to work to a budget - where to spend your moneyEvaluating site conditions, from utilities running through the site to contaminationTask approval in NI, developer enquiriesVariations to designs and importance of site meetingsHow to choose a builder and pitfalls of going direct labourWhat can go wrong and examples of the need for site supervisionWhat contract to sign with your builder in NIWhat to do if you want to do some work and/or hire some trades yourselfIssue of availability of skilled labour and changing technologiesIssues with pitched warm roofs, including potential of condensation with panelsHow to deal with defectsWho has PI insurance and who needs to sign off on changesPractical examplesRecorded at Selfbuild Live Belfast in October 2023.