You’ve decided that timber frame construction is the best way of building your home because it is environmentally friendly and it is really flexible in terms of design, but you don’t really know what to do next. This is only natural. Most people that choose to build their own homes do so because they are in a financial position to make it possible and they have always fancied doing it. They don’t necessarily have formal training in the field of construction.
It would be far too exclusive if the only people able to build their own home were those with years of experience in construction. The fact is that some of the best and most original ideas sometimes come from those without a construction background but who have a real instinct for what makes a great home.
If you have that instinct but you don’t have the technical skills to manage your own self-build project then you ought to welcome the fact that timber frame construction specialists can undertake your project management and work alongside you to realise your dream of building your own house.
Responsible development is absolutely vital for the future of the UK housing market. It is not just crucial to the future of the housing market but also to the British community at large. If people are able to get onto the housing market because affordable homes are available then everyone has the opportunity to lay down the foundations of a stable home and that is really important.
It is not just about affordability either. The question of sustainability always comes up and the most responsible developers are those that recognise demand for housing where it is most needed and provide sustainable solutions that are affordable. The delivery of such homes does the country a genuine service and it helps to improve the economic outlook in general.
Timber frame construction may well have an important role to play in the delivery of such affordable and sustainable homes. The process of building using timber frames is quick and economical in terms of energy. This makes it the ideal candidate for those looking to build more affordable homes in an environmentally conscious manner.
It’s a source of genuine pride to be able to say that you live in a sustainable modern home that provides an example of progressive techniques in construction. That might seem like a mouthful and it may be received with raised eyebrows rather than a round of applause, but when people grasp what you’re going on about, they’re likely to congratulate you on a job well done!
Sustainable homes are those that are produced using eco-friendly methods and sustainable materials. Few construction techniques are able to offer this desirable feature, especially given that affordability is so important when it comes to building domestic spaces. Timber frame construction is one of those methods that succeeds.
However, sustainability is an on-going concept. An eco-friendly house needs to go on being eco-friendly when it is occupied and that’s timber frame specialists aim to achieve when they design and build new structures. They work using the latest technology to make structures almost microscopically airtight in design and they take a very keen approach to insulation to ensure no energy is wasted even long after the house has been built and the finishing touches applied.
If you are in the process of working through some very preliminary ideas about the design of your timber frame home then it might be worth focusing on some of the approaches that actually make the most of the building method you have chosen to use. Timber frame construction is not just the sort of technique you settle for. It actually opens up a host of possibilities.
Perhaps one of the most exciting modern ways of looking at your timber frame design is to think about making your ground floor more open plan. This is obviously something that appeals to more contemporary homemakers. It helps to create large open living spaces that are aesthetically appealing and very functional.
This is something you can actually try and work into your design whatever method of building you are trying to use, but timber frame construction just makes it really easy by removing any issues to do with internal walls. The fact is that given the frame is the primary weight bearer of a timber frame house, you don’t actually need interior walls if you don’t want them and so you are free to design in as open plan a manner as you like.
Certain parts of the country are really popular places to live because they have all the right amenities for individuals, couples and families and they are aesthetically pleasing to boot. Property in these areas is always in demand from buyers and landlords. If you are thinking of investing in a development then it is important to find the perfect spot where demand for property is high.
On the one hand, this gives you a great opportunity to earn money from a lucrative venture. On the other hand, it gives you the opportunity to provide for people and help meet the high demand in those popular communities. This represents the ideal situation for developers keen on doing things properly and responsibly.
Do you research in order to find the perfect location for your development and then assess the market to see what people actually want in that area – whether flats or houses are in more demand and whether it is first time buyers or movers and shakers who are most interested in properties in the area. These are important question to ask yourself before embarking on a such a project.
It is entirely possible that you will fall in love with a particular location when you are looking for a house before you actually fall in love with a property. This happens all the time and it can be frustrating for buyers because they have to wait for a property to come onto the market in that area and even then it isn’t guaranteed to be the right sort of property for their needs.
In this situation there is another possibility. Instead of actually waiting for a suitable property and getting frustrated, you could look for properties that are not perfect with the aim of renovating them or changing them drastically to meet your needs. An even better plan is to find a plot of land where you can actually build the perfect home scratch.
This is something that many homeowners dream about but it is far from a dream these days. People do have the option to build homes with the help of specialist designers and construction experts and this gives them an exciting opportunity to create the ideal living arrangements in the ideal location.
It has been reported a number of times in the last few years that the state of the London housing market has enjoyed better prospects than that of other parts of the country and in particular the North. There is a sense in which the property market indicates a genuine divide between North and South and some are suggesting that this will actually become more marked in the near future.
The double-dip recession currently being experienced in the UK is likely to have implications in the housing market and this means that properties in the North are likely to drop in price but it has been predicted that properties in the South will continue to see growth in terms of prices. This is largely because properties in London will remain in demand and will also continue to attract the interest of foreign nationals interested in relocating to the capital.
Properties in the North do not wield as much power when it comes to foreign interest and this may contribute to the continued slide in prices in the future. As a result, it may be that the gap between the North and South opens up even wider in the coming months.
The environment is a main issue affecting the construction industry and this explains why so many home building experts are carrying out research into the best construction methods for the future in terms of cost-effective and eco-friendly options. Already many home builders are opting for timber frame construction because they know it meets their requirements in terms of the environment.
It meets their requirements because it does not involve a reliance upon steel – one of the more expensive and least environmentally friendly of the building materials available. It also meets their requirement post construction in the sense that it does not involve a reliance on energy companies especially where heating is concerned because timber frames have a good reputation for interior environment regulation.
Comfortable interiors that are the right temperature all year round prevent people from having to engage in poor resource management as a means of keeping the environment at home as hospitable as possible. This puts timber frame construction high on the list of desirable techniques for those interested in making the environment an influence in their choice of building method.
Character is very important in a house – especially one that you are building yourself. If you manage to put into effect on operation to build a new house and yet the result does not really have any character then it can feel a touch disappointing even if you can revel in the modernity of the space and the structure. Character is something that comes from attention to detail and great design.
Nowadays the word character is often used in the construction industry to paint a pretty picture of some of the more curious irregularities that pop up from time to time in properties on the market, but the term genuinely does apply to those houses that look a bit special or a bit more unique than those that make up the run of the mill. Conventional properties may not be all that original and so those with bona fide character stand out.
If you are designing your own home then it is important to speak to your designers about how to give your property character with a modern twist. Plenty of older properties have character by virtue of belonging to other times, so it takes all the creative expertise of construction specialists to give contemporary structures their own sense of character.
All sorts of factors seem to be affecting the housing market at the moment. The problems in the Eurozone have led to cagey lending by the banks and building societies while the double-dip recession continues to cause problems in terms of investment and activity within the property market. In general, these factors and others have conspired to suppress house prices.
Some prices will rise and some will fall but for the last year or so things have generally stayed fairly stable. Recently a new factor came into play. The stamp duty holiday for first time buyers was good news for those ready to move onto the property ladder but it ended last March and first time purchases have slowed as a result. When the market gets used to the return of stamp duty, activity may return in this area.
As it is most industry insiders are reporting the same thing – a period of inertia after the expiry of the tax holiday, but most predict that house prices will remain at a steady level for the next year or so, barring any drastic changes that have an immediate impact on the health of the market for better or for worse.
