hen considering to build a kit home, many people ask which are the materials and services they should source locally.
The things you need to source locally are essentially divided into two categories:
- things you need to have in place before the AVRAME kit arrives
- things you are going to need after the kit has arrived
Let’s take a look at each one of those…
Before the arrival of the kit
PAPERWORK
This is the primary requirement for the entire project.
Make sure to get all kinds of necessary paperwork sorted out (such as the permit to start the construction).
Depending on your country, this can go by different names. For instance, in the UK they call it ‘Planning Permission’ while in most other countries it goes by the name of ‘Building Permission’.
Depending on where you live it may go by other names.
The paperwork typically includes:
- the drawings of the house;
- the details of the foundation;
- the layout of the utilities;
- driveways;
- …
Basically, it’s the mapped-out version of what’s supposed to be in the house and onto the property.
The paperwork also includes the official permit that allows you to legally get the construction works in motion.
Permission to build can be pretty hard to get at times, but without it, you won’t be able to get started.
FINANCING
Though this one is a no-brainer, it’s worth mentioning that you do need a proper finance plan for the building project.
Creating a proper budget is often a big challenge. This is why we put together a Budgeting Guide. If you are interested, you can find it in the Self Build Guides page.
GROUNDWORKS
Groundworks include the removal of any unnecessary rocks, bushes, or trees that might come in the way of construction and leveling of the ground in preparation of the building activities.
FOUNDATION
The foundation needs to be built by a local specialist, according to the specifications given by the manufacturer of the kit.
It is very important to make sure the foundation is flat and it perfectly matches the design measures.
There are several things that can go wrong at this stage. We cover those in this article.
When the foundation work is ready, it is time to receive the kit.
UNLOADING EQUIPMENT
A forklift or a small crane will be necessary to unload the goods out from the container or the delivery truck and onto the storage site.
This equipment shall be timely provided at the arrival of the delivery truck.
After the arrival of the kit
Once that first stage is out of the way, you’ll need an order of things for the second half of the phase. That should include:
LABOUR
You’ll need local carpenters and builders to assemble the kit. Our kit comes with elaborate and extensive assembling guidelines.
We are ready to provide advice during the assembly phase so that carpenters always know what to do and that works on your site don’t get stuck.
INSULATION MATERIAL
The insulation material is very bulky and it doesn’t make sense to deliver it from our factory, therefore you need to buy it locally.
To insulate the A-frame, you can use rockwool or glass wool or whatever material you prefer. Be mindful of the insulation properties of the material you use. Some materials are more expensive but they offer way better energy performance.
SKILLED PROFESSIONALS
You’re going to need someone to take care of the electricity connection, plumbing, heating and HVAC system inside the house.
We recommend getting in touch with the local experts in this regard. Know that all these may require complying with the local guidelines so be wary of that as well.
IMPORTANT: professionals and carpenters are usually booked months in advance. So make sure you plan your build in time.
INTERIOR SIDING
As you can tell from our website, we offer only wooden boarding as interior siding (optional with the kit). You can choose to either include those in your kit or you can skip them altogether.
If you choose to skip the interior boards, you’re going to have to source them locally.
Also, in case you want to use plasterboards or another kind of material for the interior finish, you shall buy that locally as well.
STAIRCASE
Although we do provide a wooden staircase (optional), if you prefer to install something like a cast-iron staircase, then you need to buy that locally as well.
TIP: the important thing is to make all of these decisions ahead of ordering the kit to avoid any unnecessary expenditures.
KITCHEN APPLIANCES AND BATHROOM FITTINGS
Kitchen appliances and the bathroom fittings vary significantly from location to location, plus they are a matter of personal taste.
You’re going to have to figure this one out on your own and you have to buy all those things from a local shop.
FLOORING
Thousands of options are available when it comes to flooring. Some countries are big on ceramic tiles while others emphasize the use of wooden floorboards and some like carpeting.
For this reason, we do not provide the final flooring and moldings with the kit. You have to source those items locally.
THE PRO TIP
In order for the entire project to turn out in schedule, within budget, and as per your liking, it is super important that you combine the kit material with locally sourced items.
The success of this operation depends almost entirely on planning.
Most shortcomings in any house building project are often a result of poor planning. For example, if the groundwork isn’t done correctly or if the foundation is done wrongly, the kit will just lay there until those things are fixed.
Planning is the key to it all. A poorly planned project can set the tone wrong for the entire endeavor. But, a nicely laid plan will make everything move fast and smoothly.
To help you plan your project properly, we developed (and we keep developing) a set of self-building guides.
The guides are straight to the point and very practical and they received stellar reviews from customers who have actually read them and implemented the tips listed in there.
No matter how you decide to proceed, make sure you plan everything ahead and in great detail.