Frustrated Self Build

[hotrod]

I stumbled across a guy's self-build website. His blog on his substructure work cracked me up so I've included a snippet below.

The move from demolition to finished foundations looks easy doesn't it?

Actually, It wasn't easy. At all. In the slightest.

I found out many things during this time. Principally:

● NEVER try and get a Structural Engineer in the Highlands of Scotland to do anything other than sit at a desk and not answer a phone or an e mail.
● Get a builder that will work on a Sunday.
● Add 30% to every estimate.
● The date you set for the absolute latest that the job has to be completed should be at least five weeks before it needs to be.
● Ground that looks completely flat is in fact sloped.
● If you send anything to a quantity surveyor by post - it never arrives.

- His first and last points are belters!

The rest of the site is pretty lengthy with loads of good photography, although not overly technical. Full site can be found here.