FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
We have put together some of the most frequently asked questions as a guide.
If you require further help or advice please contact us.
1. Can I build my chosen plan anywhere in the UK?
The house plans will only gain approval for construction in England. There will be adjustments required to comply with Scotland, Ireland and Wales' Building Regulations. Please feel free to e-mail us for advice. Rest assured we will give you all the help necessary to gain full approval.
2.What Is Included In your House Design Pack?
Each house design pack that we offer will provide you with the necessary information to build your home, depending on the pack brought.
Below is a list of information you will receive depending on the pack purchased: Sales Plans:
Full A4 sales plans including elevation and block plans, for use as required. If only to show to friends and family or to use as a guide for your coloured brochures, they are still an effective piece of information. House Design Planning Layout:
A layout of the house design ready to send to your Local Authority Planning Dept, with blank location and site sheets and a planning guide to help you submit your dwelling to the Planning Dept.
Working Drawings of the selected dwelling showing the following: Elevations: Shows the front, rear and sides of the home including all exterior details and height measurements. Detailed Floor Plans: Shows all information in plan form to construct the property. Please note, kitchen layouts, sanitary ware and all other fittings are shown indicative and your exact type/size etc. may vary depending on your own specification. Electrical Schematic: The working drawings only show the necessary electrical items to achieve Building Control Approval, however there are blank plans with an electrical key, to help you create your own electrical layouts - simple! Foundation Plan: This will be a standard strip foundation footing plan, to enable you to set-out your property, and will be dependent on your ground conditions. It will include all waste drops, setting out dimensions and service entry points. However you should employ a professional to evaluate your particular site to assess the foundation/slab requirements and provide full construction details as required. Heating/Plumbing: It is impossible to include the heating specification to your own requirements. Ductwork, venting and other details vary depending on the type of system and the type of energy used. These details and specifications are easily obtained from your builder, contractor or local supplier. However we do show the standard radiator, boiler position and cylinder cupboard on all floor plans.
Construction Details:
All sections, roof plans, chamber joist layouts and any additional details to ease the construction process are included. Housetype Specification:
This manual covers all aspects of the construction from drainage, foundation, block types etc. to insulation and ventilation and in turn will achieve your complete Building Control Approval, together with the included drawings. The specification is not exhaustive, and you may change it, with agreement by you Local Building Control Officer. Robust Details:
Constructional details are included, to comply with the new Robust Detail standards and to provide an alternative to pre-completion sound testing as a method of complying with Part E of the building regulations (mainly for attached dwellings). Please click here for advice. SAP Certificate:
The Standard Assessment Procedure provides your house design with a rating of energy efficiency. It is a basic energy rating, assuming average factors for shelter, shade and orientation and considers the space and water heating only. The SAP scale runs from 1-120 (extremely poor-extremely good) with a score of 80+ considered as an energy efficient home. Also included with the SAP rating is the carbon Index. This has a scale of 0.0-10.0 based on annual CO2 emissions from the completed dwelling. The higher the better obviously. CDM Risk Assessments:
These are assessments on the house design chosen identifying any potential risks that there might be, that are not clear, in the construction of the dwelling. They are sometimes required by the Health & Safety Executive. Please see our Technical Information page for advice. LANTAC Certificate:
This stands for Local Authority National Type Approval. Which means that your chosen house already has the approval of your Local Building Control Dept and no checking of the plans by them is necessary. We give you the approval number, you can then proceed to build, this speeds up the building process. This does involve a time delay in sending out the pack of information, but we will advise you.
To view 'The Package's Page', please click on the left menu.
4.What is a hardcopy?
This is a set of paper drawings known as hardcopies and they can be copied at your local printers. We issue 5No. sets of all plans in each pack.
5.What is a CD and what format are the details on it?This is a complete set of the house designs and additional information in an electronic file format. The information on the CD is in a format that all home computers can read, with the relevant software, like Microsoft Word, Excel, Adobe Acrobat etc. However, there are specific drawings and information in an AutoCAD drawing format on the disk. To view these file we recommend you download the free DWG viewer from Autodesk. Please click this link to be forwarded to Autodesk's website, where you may download this viewer. The drawings are in this format, as this allow professionals to take copyright and amend your house design as required. You will want to consider this if you are planning to make youre own changes to your house plans and a professional in your area is available to make the changes. This is also a good record of your original plans and can be amended as many times as possible. A CAD Set includes a copyright release allowing you to make changes and legally make copies of this copyrighted house design.
6.Will you supply enough sets of drawings etc. to enable me to complete my project?
This can depend upon the Local Authority, however we do include 5No. sets of all plans for Planning and Building Control. As the Local Authority ask for 4No for Planning and only 2No, for Building Control, so this should be plenty. If you should require more please speak to you local printers, who will make you additional copies.
7.What is a mirrored drawing?
The plans are designed in a particular way and as such may not work correctly on you plot of land. We therefore offer a mirror reverse option, which mirrors the drawing, and makes it correct for your plot.
8.How is the square footage of a house design calculated?
This is calculated from the CAD drawing and therefore will be correct. The area calculated is the whole area of living space or habitable space internally and does not include the cavity wall or any porches, garages, canopies etc.
9.How Do I Know If I Can Afford To Build This Home?
The cost of building a home varies, depending on where you build, the cost of materials in your area, how you finish the home, and whom you hire to build your home. Due to all these variances involved, we cannot tell you exactly how much it will cost to build a specific house design. However we have included in the pack a spreadsheet of build items to help you cost each item. Otherwise we suggest you consult a local builder for advise.
10.Can I modify the house design or garage plan?
If you purchase the CD with your pack the copyright will be released and you can then contact an Architect in your local area to make the changes for you. How much they charge for this service will vary, so you may want to shop around. In many cases your builder will make the changes for you, without having to go to the expense of having the original house design/working drawing changed.
You can also submit a modification request to us. Our modification team will be able to determine if the changes can be done and give you a quote within 48 hours.
11.How Much Does It Cost to Have Modifications done to House Designs?
The cost to customise a home plan completely varies depending on the plan and the types of changes required. Customisation work can range anywhere from £10 to £100's, depending on the complexity of the changes. Please contact us if you would like a quote and we will get back to you within 48hrs!
12.Will the house design pack I order contain all the information needed for my Building Control Approval?
The house design pack will include as much standard information that is possible to ease the process of building your own home. However there will always be variances or items that we cannot show simply because we do not have the information. i.e the drainage runs, septic tank required and position, a landscaping layout etc. There most probably will be additional items required and if you need our help please contact us.
13.Can I return the plans if I change my mind?
Unfortunately not. Since it is possible to make illegal copies of the home plans you received, we do not allow any refunds. You need to make sure of your order before placing it. It is also VERY important that you check the dimensions of your plot or land before selecting a home plan, to make sure there are no problems. Also make sure you have the correct distances required by your Local Authority to any existing dwellings or buildings including the restrictions (if any) on your land. Mistakes and Planning refusal's are non refundable.
14.Is my privacy and credit card information secure?
Absolutely. When you place an online house design order, all information is sent encrypted from our secure server to an automated payment-processing center that validates your credit card. Your order information is then sent to us for fulfillment without your credit card information. That way, no credit card information is ever stored on our server and no one will have access to it at any point in the transaction. As for your privacy, we do not give out any private information to anyone for any reason.
15.Do your plans provide all of the information necessary for the heating, plumbing and electrical systems?
Due to the complexity of these drawings and changing regulations they are not provided. However, on every house design we show the standard electrical items and heating equipment like radiators, boiler etc. This is given as a guide only and you should check and amend for your own satisfaction in compliance with your electrician/heating engineer. We also include block plans for electrical layouts with an electrical key to help you design your own scheme.
16.What if the foundation I need is not correct for the house design I have selected?
The working drawings can not provide for all instances where ground conditions dictate the use of a particular foundation/floor slab. You will need to employ an Structural Engineer to assess the ground conditions and provide suitable foundation/floor slab designs for your particular plot. Your Building Control officer will be glad to help.
17.Are the House Designs Copyrighted?
Yes. All illustrations and plans contained on this website are the exclusive property of Ajhousedesigns.co.uk and our Architects/Designers. Law strictly prohibits reproduction in whole or in part. One dwelling may be constructed from a construction set purchased. House Designs may not be resold or copied. We strive for accurate representation of illustrations and plans and will not be responsible for errors or omissions in this publication. Strict penalties will be enforced for violators of copyright laws.
18.Can I Modify the Exterior Cavity Wall Construction?
Yes. All house designs are provided with a standard construction to meet the current regulations. But only If your new proposals are acceptable by your Local Building Control Officer can you amend them. However there are difficulties in doing this, so we would suggest you discuss the best way with your Local Building Control Officer and builder.
19.How Long Does It Take to Get My House Design Pack?
It all depends on when the order is placed and what method of shipping is chosen. In most cases, we can ship out the plans within 48 hours. If you require any modifications to the plan, or a mirror, the time varies depending on the complexity. Please email us with the plan number and we can let you know when to expect your plans!
20.What is a SAP (Standard Assessment Procedure) rating and a Carbon Index rating?
The Standard Assessment Procedure provides your house design with a rating of energy efficiency. It is a basic energy rating, assuming average factors for shelter, shade and orientation and considers the space and water heating only. The SAP scale runs from 1-120 (extremely poor-extremely good) with a score of 80+ considered as an energy efficient home. Also included with the SAP rating is the carbon Index. This has a scale of 0.0-10.0 based on annual CO2 emissions from the completed dwelling.
We hope the above has answered most of your questions. However, if there is anything further you require then please send us your questions and we will respond as quickly as possible and add them to the FAQ's.
