Off grid house build Orkney

So many updates to catch up on, it looks AMAZING!!! 👏

Great stuff, haven’t been keeping up and these last pages have been full of cool things and good jobs.

No, but I really did capitalise Orkney. It was bugging me.

@JurekB @ltc @TW thanks so much, I can’t believe how it’s all turning out really, and it’s still not feeling quite real, folk like me do labour for people with houses like this and then leave again, right?

Considering it’s my first time doing a significant chunk of these things it’s way less slapdash or “that’ll do” looking than I expected to be honest

@bigshape I think I like the pink ones even better than the blue, there’s a real warmth to them. I just got my way round the kitchen window last night and have got them all cut for going round those plugs now so that will be tonight’s job. Couldn’t quite fit all full tiles under the window and didn’t want one side or the other to have a sliver so started full tiles each side and worked my way to the middle so the not quite full size tiles should be hidden by the tap

@hippy haha yeah I’ll give you that one, cheers!

@Cazakstan @russmeyer thanks so much! Not going to be as finished as I’d hoped and we might be relying on the wood stove for heat and cooking and I may need to get a gym membership for showers for a bit, but in the grand scheme those are small things really

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the not quite full size tiles should be hidden by the tap

But they will still be there, whispering in your mind at night.

What paint/colour is this arrangement? I need something similar for a project.

Hahaha, and don’t I know it, there’s going to be a few bits and pieces like that..

@6pt just at the corner of the kitchen there? It’s Dulux colours and the kitchen wall is “tranquil dawn” and the gable end wall meeting it is “letters unread”, which has somehow stuck in my head as “human remains”. Used human remains in the porch and a couple walls in the office and it looks different depending on what colour it’s sitting beside but in a complimentary fashion

The cloakroom link bit!

@6pt Ahh, the cloakroom the walls are that letters unread and the pink is called lady Penelope and that’s in their diamond satinwood finish

Love those lampshades. Utterly cool.

Thanks so much bud, couldn’t be happier with them!!

Getting those tiles round plugs was a fight this week! I was knackered and getting measurements and cuts wrong trying to do it in the dark after tough days at work. A good night’s sleep and doing it in the daylight was much easier and I got that finished off. Even feeling confident enough now to knock a few off above plugs that I wasn’t happy with and replace with slightly longer ones so I was certain it was the right overlap for the sockets rather than just hoping. Got the coffee table up and gave the place a proper tidy today too. There will be a couch sitting in front of the table facing the windows, but I’m currently sleeping on that so don’t want to move it up too early.

Grouting tomorrow and then laying a slab outside for the heat pump to sit on.

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Looking really good! So close now.
You guys should be very proud of yourselves, from a field to what you've got now, in what, 18 months (ish)?
It's a joy every time this thread gets updated.

It's a joy every time this thread gets updated.

Completely agree. Such a great thread and to see all the plans and hard work coming close to fruition is heart warming.

That’s really kind of you, thank you. Yeah uh huh, broke ground last June, but between searching for land, planning, building control etc it’s been about 5 years in the making. I am trying to be, self esteem and the like have never come easy to me, but as it’s coming together I am managing to see what we’ve achieved. People have asked if I’m proud about it before and my answer has always been “I hope I will be when it’s done”.

That’s intensely kind of you @andyp thank you. It can really feel isolating slogging it out on my own and being let down by trades/shipping/timescales so the support from fellow forumers has meant more than you could know.

Had a nice day outside today so took advantage of it and got the slab laid for the heat pump. Got the kitchen tiles all grouted and tidied off too. The sink still doesn’t have a tap in it as they cracked the ceramic glaze drilling the tap hole.. it’s just some of the finish that has chipped away so I’ve bought some kind of enamel chip repair. They’ve ordered us another sink but have told me that I’ll have to drill it this time and they always ask this of customers if they’ve bought ceramic, has anyone else come across that? Either way, I might just try and fix this one first and either sell the second one or use it in the workshop.

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The house is amazing, then I see the casual sea view through the window on a sunny day 🤯

Great work, inspiring!

I love the pink paint and tiles- reminds me of a Cyfac I had painted once.
Our big renovation build starts in Feb after 3 years planning.
Hope you’re very happy there you deserve it.
Meanwhile working from home does have its advantages ( lunch time today)👍

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I am trying to be, self esteem and the like have never come easy to me, but as it’s coming together I am managing to see what we’ve achieved. People have asked if I’m proud about it before and my answer has always been “I hope I will be when it’s done”

Oof. I feel this so hard. I’m nearly 2 years into building our house, the first 6 months I had help, since then it’s just been me. It’s a weird roller coaster of achievement and despair, productive weeks and self-loathing weeks.

Just some cladding, guttering and details left to do here, but I still feel exactly as you do.

It really helps me to think back to the start and look at photos to remember how far it’s come, but most of the time I can’t help but focus on what’s left to do.

I’m sure you will be proud at then end, hopefully we both will!

And they even look similar innit, though my view is of a block of flats rather than the sea. :(

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To drill ceramic sink you'll need good quality holesaw (diamond ends type) and water spray bottle, plus a bit of patience. I drilled many of tiles without any issues. Create a wooden template with a hole the size needed - drill same size hole into say 5mm mdf or similar- attach to sink (gaffer tape?) and drill. Do not try to drill directly as it will most likely dance across the surface.

BTW - good to see heatpump usage, not sure why not more common in UK. Air to water?

You did, and are doing, a great job!
From my point of view it also looks like you're quite organised and really get stuff done.

@Hefty that also looks like a great house!

Thank you so much, it’s way more than I could have ever hoped for. Think I’m going to spend most of my time just staring out those windows when this is all done. Although, there’s still a huge amount to do inside and 16 tons of stone in the driveway for building a porch so that might not be for a while yet..

@johnnettles2 ooh, do you have any pictures?? I’ve got pink and purple paint and a can of montana crackle paint sitting waiting for the steamroller but just haven’t had a chance yet.. not sure if we’ll get mature trees in our lifetime, but hoping for at least some windbreaks and willow hedgerows over time. That must be really exciting! I hope you’ll be starting a thread I can follow!

@Hefty You couldn’t have articulated that better! Had some really good days recently and then the plumbers haven’t shown up this week, the joiner’s clamp holding the shower panels came off the wall and chipped the shower tray.. the main room looks like a building site, and we have to move in Friday morning.. been a tough couple days.. it looks like you’re making something really beautiful there! I can’t imagine what 18 months on your own must feel like, I’m incredibly impressed by your resilience. Maybe one day we can give tours to each other, no need to lock up the bike either! If you ever need a rant or a vent I’m here.

@Foreigner65 that’s really great info, thank you very much! I just missed carbide hole saws in the middle of Lidl as well.. yeah uh huh, water underfloor heating so it’ll be powering that and the hot water. Yeah me neither, and there doesn’t seem to be a huge amount of suppliers/engineers either..?

Haha, thank you, although I reckon I’m just giving off an impression of organised or together..

I did make these wee tile bits for framing the sockets so it’s level behind for screwing the socket on top of. Got the outside lights fitted too.

The joiner got the shower panels finished today which I’m really happy with the look of. I tried cutting the floor tiles for finishing the room this evening but failed with a tricky fit around the shower panel trim and not quite in the right headspace so called it a night and I’ll do it in the light at the weekend..

We had the most amazing northern lights the other night. This is a long exposure, but you could actually see the green verticals moving around by eye.

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Wow.

Fuuuuuuuuuuuu that northern lights photo is so cool!

What the shit. This just gets better and better!

I mean. Wow.

Wow!
Northern lights.
Icing on the cake.
So much win!