THINGS WE LEARNT…
THINGS WE LEARNT ALONG THE WAY AND CAN MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE TO KNOW!
I have started this page now as no doubt when all is said and done and we are in our amazing home all the crap and will be forgotten and everything will be rosy….. So I will add to this as we go and of course as we learn as this is all new to us as well and the plan is changing all the time…..One of the great things about doing a self-build is as you start doing one action you can often see whether it will actually work or not and change as you go! Good luck!!
- Make a plan…. but know you will not stick to it, we have made so many and it will actually be nothing like the first plan!
- If you live in Greece make sure you can build on the land you are buying AND remember the 15m from the boundary rule!!
- If you live in Greece you will [under current regulations as I write this!] have to have a FULL cement base! This makes a HUGE difference to the planned budget! No cement pillars for us!
- Make sure you can get the containers you want before you make and submit your design for the permit – with COVID of course trade has been slow and we had to wait for our last 2 containers!
- High Cube containers are the best if you can afford them –if making a house the extra space makes SUCH a difference!
- If you’re making a house! And if you can afford it get the “New/one-trip” containers rather than old ones – the amount of time and money you will spend getting the old containers ready is worth getting the new/one-trip one – if you are just after a garage or shed then the old ones are fine
- If you’re doing the build yourself invest in decent equipment – you need equipment you can rely on to do the job!
- Self-build – then invest in a plasma cutter!! It makes it soooo much easier!
- Beware of spray foam! We had a fire as due to the condensation the foam had not gone off completely and a spark caught in it. We use Knauf insulation now!
- …….