Buying a house kit – five ways it can make your self-build hassle free
As a first-time self-builder, you may not have the knowledge or the time, why not make it easy on yourself?
A pre-manufactured home or timber frame home kit is a quick and cost-effective way to create a sustainable self-build. These kinds of structural systems are factory-manufactured and allow for on-site assembly.
Some self-builders may dream of a bespoke home, and with the right supplier you have control over almost all aspects of the specification and design.
According to the Structural Timber Association (STA), around 88,000 timber frame homes were constructed in the UK by 2021. Figures from the STA show that timber frame accounts for 83% of the housing market in Scotland, and almost 23% of new homes in England are timber frame – a market share that is set to grow in the future.
Offsite timber frame construction allows homes to be built faster, which leads to making them more cost-effective to build and live in.
Scotframe provides whole timber kit packages, supporting you from start to finish in building your forever home. Scotframe has pioneered the development of closed panel insulation systems, which many self-builders opt for as they are faster to erect and can achieve excellent airtightness levels.
Scotframe can provide a wide range of different designs to suit budgets, tastes and space requirements as well as a range of design and architecture services to help create exactly what you need.
Five ways a house kit can make your self-build easier
1/Safety first
Timber frame house kits are manufactured under strict factory conditions, reducing the risk of injury on construction sites. The quality of construction is high and using a single supplier can give you the peace of mind that you’re paying for a quality finished home.
2/ Visualise your self-build
It can be hard to imagine your dream self-build house, but Scotframe remove the hard slog by providing architectural design services for self-builders to make the home design stage of your build easier.
Scotframe’s Home Designer can help to bring your dream home to life through 3D models of multiple house styles – complete with windows, doors, external render, roof materials and internal features. You can take the reins and build your own home online. The Home Designer tool offers 3D images and visualisation, including complete walkthroughs that deliver a feel for the conceptual design of the building, and illustrate ideas for finishes and materials.
Scotframe’s in-house architectural team can support self-builders with obtaining the necessary approvals to get a project started - from supplying basic planning drawings for the local authority planning office, through to producing SAP calculations and elemental U- values to ensure your property is thermally efficient.
3/ Quick installation
There’s no doubt about it. A pre-manufactured home kit is a speedy option. Construction is fast, as the parts are prepared off-site ready for on-site assembly; so the weather won’t delay delivery and construction. According to Scotframe, their timber frame house kit packages can be built eight weeks faster on average, when compared with traditional construction methods.
4/ Energy efficient home
Timber frame can help you to achieve building regulations and excellent thermal performance, as it’s an energy-efficient option. By trapping CO2 throughout its growing life, this eco-material offers significant benefits in terms of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Timber frame is the most versatile and sustainable form of construction. It ensures high quality, reduces overall build costs and considerably shortens the build programme.
Scotframe has pioneered the development of closed panel insulation systems – their Valutherm+ panels are precision factory injected to provide airtight, maintenance free, and long-lasting insulation, cutting energy bills to virtually zero. Scotframe timber comes from sustainable sources and is transported to manufacturing centres in bulk to reduce their carbon footprint.
5/ Cost effective
It’s easy for costs to spiral out of control on your self-build, but the beauty of building your own home means you can monitor the costs more effectively. It all depends on the model, design and unique elements you select. When it comes to cost, according to Scotframe you’re looking at between £1,000-£1,800 per square metre, depending on specifications, for a complete build (including foundations, utilities etc.), when utilising a timber frame solution.