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The first pilot project in the UK to inject zero carbon hydrogen into a gas network to heat homes is now fully operational. 

HyDeploy is a concept designed by Keele University, Staffordshire, to help cut carbon emissions in homes, enabling the UK to meet its climate change obligations and ensure more energy efficient homes are developed. 

The £7m project, reported to be the first of its kind, could “pave the way to saving six million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions across the country every year,” according to Keele University. 

HyDeploy will inject up to 20% (by volume) of hydrogen into Keele University’s existing natural gas network. This will feed 100 homes and 30 faculty buildings, and represents the highest hydrogen blend in Europe.

Hydrogen, when burned, creates heat without carbon dioxide. And with 83% of homes using gas for heat, the 20% volume blend means that homeowners can continue to use their gas supply as normal without the need to change their gas appliances. All the while homeowners will be cutting carbon emissions. 

Cutting Carbon: The Mission

The construction industry has been challenged to slash its carbon emissions and build more environmentally-friendly homes, and the carbon dioxide produced in the building of a home has a bearing on how green it is. 

Self builders, in particular, are discovering that building an eco home does not have to be prohibitively expensive, and making a home more sustainable and energy efficient can be associated with lower running costs.

(MORE: Self Build: The Complete Guide)

The HyDeploy project reports that a hypothetical rollout of the 20% hydrogen blend was rolled out across the UK it could save around six million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions each year. This is the equivalent of taking 2.5 millions cars off the road. 

Professor Mark Ormerod, deputy vice chancellor and provost at Keele University, said: “Sustainability and low carbon energy is a key overarching institutional priority for Keele University, and we are delighted to be a key partner in HyDeploy.

“HyDeploy is a pioneering landmark national demonstration project, using our campus as a genuine ‘living laboratory’ for low carbon and energy efficient technologies. HyDeploy has the potential to be hugely impactful and lead to a step change in the reduction of carbon emissions associated with heat.”  

It isn’t hard to see what attracted Nigel and Alison Maddocks to the Worcestershire plot that is now occupied by their spectacular new home.

With the River Avon meandering along the bottom of their garden, a selection of balconies from which to enjoy spotting the local wildlife and a G&T deck to boot, their new home is something of a tranquil haven for the couple. But the build was not without its complications.

As keen boaters, Nigel and Alison had been looking for a plot close to the water. The site already had planning permission in place for a traditional style house, but the couple were keen for something more modern.

A Difficult Site

“We had some idea of the kind of house that we wanted and liked the idea of SIPs [structural insulated panels] as a construction method,” explains Nigel. “Then we met architect Allan Corfield and SIPs were kind of his bag.

“Working with Allan, we changed the design for the house completely,” he continues. “We wanted an upside down layout to make the most of the views and we were keen on an open-plan arrangement internally. I liked the precision and speed of SIPs —  plus they work well with large open-plan spaces.”

“From the initial consultation with Alison and Nigel it was clear that they had strong ideas and a detailed brief for this challenging site,” adds Allan Corfield. “Two of the key requirements were to maximise the river views and to have all of the main living spaces on the upper floor. These spaces were complemented by the vaulted double roof space, made possible by the SIPS construction.”

The new plans were granted planning permission with no difficulties, something Nigel attributes to the fact that there is a broad range of architectural styles on the road their new home resides on. Nigel took on the project management of the build, despite the fact that he and Alison were still living in Derby at the time and working full time.

“We knew this was going to be a difficult site,” says Nigel. “It was heavily sloping and totally overgrown. In fact we struggled to find a groundworker who could cope with the site. In the end, Allan came up with a contact — a company based in Scotland. They came down and stayed in the local village hotel.”

In order to level the site and prepare it for the new house, extensive areas required sheet piles to be inserted into the ground. “In some ways the slope helped, as it informed the design and made it possible to fit in a two storey home, where only a single storey was allowed from the road,” explains Allan.

“However it did cause significant issues (and added costs) during construction, especially at the initial groundworks stage. Once the various retaining walls and beam and block floor was installed, it created level working areas. Choosing an off-site construction method such as SIPs reduced on site time quite dramatically.”

“There are retaining walls all over the place,” says Nigel. “Four metres of sheet piling runs along the river frontage, they have been put in at the road side too. There was a period of time when the entire site was sliding towards the river — it was pretty scary stuff! Luckily our groundworkers were really skilled at what they do.”

Around half the width of the road frontage was temporarily held up with sheet piles, before a five metre retaining wall was constructed, built using Tobermore Secura Grand blocks, the same material that was used to build the retaining wall at the rear of the house. “Around twenty lorry loads of concrete went in behind that wall,” recalls Nigel.

Designing the Exterior

With site preparation complete, the shell of the house was constructed using SIPs. These panels are made up of an insulating foam core sandwiched between two structural facings, usually oriented strand board. Once the shell was up, the construction company took on the rest of the work, with various specialists organised by Nigel.

Externally, the striking house is clad in a combination of white CorkSol render, which was sprayed on, and brick. Huge areas of the rear elevation are made up of full-height glazing and sliding doors that open out to balconies, a feature that makes the very most of the setting of the house.

“The rear of the house is south facing,” explains Nigel. “From the balconies we get the sun in the morning and the last sun of the day.

“We had been used to living in old, cold houses before this,” he adds. “Being able to build in some thermal efficiency was a draw of self build. We get lots of solar gain from the reflection of the sun off the water so that the house is never cold, yet awnings fitted over the windows mean it never overheats either.”

The house is heated by underfloor heating on the ground floor, while the first floor has no heating at all.

“Alison and Nigel were conscious of designing a large home that wouldn’t cost a lot to heat,” says Allan. “This is why we adopted the fabric first approach, focusing on creating an airtight, highly insulated shell with renewable heating and cooling.” The front elevation of the house has been left deliberately understated in comparison to the rear — “it suits our personalities,” explains Nigel.

A rendered section of the house, named ‘the Undercroft’ by Nigel and Alison, sits to one side of the brick-clad section. In response to the sloping site, the Undercroft was created in order to build up to drive level from the rear, with the garage sitting above. Internally, this space is accessed from the bedroom down several steps.

“We could have just filled the space with rubble,” explains Nigel, “but we felt we would rather use it as a room, so now we have this big space, used for everything from office meetings to parties.”

An Upside-down Layout

Internally the house is accessed through a hallway, with a dramatic open stairwell leading to the lower ground floor to one side. The living spaces are bright and open, with the sitting area at the heart of the layout, looking out over the river beyond.

On the lower floor, three large bedrooms all open out to the rear, with their own balconies providing stunning spaces from which to take in the surroundings — Nigel and Alison are regularly treated to visits from a kingfisher to their balcony while sitting in bed in the morning.

“This project was extraordinarily stressful,” says Nigel. “The groundworks in particular took longer and were more expensive than we had anticipated — thankfully nothing fazed our groundworkers. Most of the solutions for the problems we encountered with the house involved more concrete!

“However, while we might never want to build again, we would never have ended up with a house like this otherwise and we now have somewhere we will never want to move from.”

Self build mortgages have been specifically designed to help facilitate the self builder in building their own home. Unlike a traditional mortgage where the funds are released in one lump sum upon sale completion, a self build mortgage is released at key stages of the build.

Some self build lenders will lend on the plot purchase too, but not all do. Rates of interest are typically higher than the standard house purchase/remortgage rates currently available, and the arrangement fees also vary from lender to lender. Once the property is habitable, some lenders permit the borrower to switch to a lower rate of interest.

In order to progress your application you’ll need to provide plans and a breakdown of the potential build cost. Use our Build Cost Calculator to find out what your dream home is likely to cost, but remember to add on the cost of your plot and a healthy contingency fund for any issues you may encounter.

This article will explain what you need to know about getting a self build mortgage — from the types of self build mortgage available, interest rates and how much you could borrow, to the documentation you will need and some of the latest self build mortgage deals available.

Which Type of Self Build Mortgage Should I Choose?

There are two types of self build mortgage available:

• the arrears type, where stage payments are given as each stage of the build is completed. The arrears-type self build mortgage is suitable for those who have a large cash injection of their own to put into the project.

• the advance type, where the stage payments are released at the start of each stage of the build. This means money is available at the point of need when labour and materials bills are due — removing the need for short-term borrowing/bridging loans to cover the shortfall. The obvious advantage here is that this type of product assists cash flow and is generally better suited to those who do not have large pots of savings to fund the build as it progresses. There are fewer lenders who offer this facility though; try BuildStore.

Some lending institutions lend on the land purchase or existing property and at key stages during and on completion of the build project.

This can vary from:

• 75-90% of the purchase price or valuation (whichever of the two is the lower)
• up to 80-90% of build costs
• up to 75% of the growth in value of your project at key stages during construction.

Some lending institutions do not lend on land, but they will lend during the build period.

Products available include:

• discount from standard variable rate of interest
• fixed rate of interest
• bank base rate tracker
• offset

Interest Rates on a Self Build Mortgage

Interest rates on a self build mortgage are higher than standard house purchase/remortgage rates and typically vary from 4-6% per annum. The arrangement fees also vary depending on the broker or lender. You may be tied into the lender for between one and three years, again lender and product dependent.

Once the property is habitable and this has been confirmed by a RICS’ qualified surveyor and issue of the building control completion certificate, some lenders permit the borrower to ‘switch’ to a lower rate of interest during the ‘tie-in period’ without incurring penalty interest.

How Much Can I Borrow with a Self Build Mortgage?

The amount you can borrow will depend on your unique financial circumstances — your income and outgoings (and any outstanding debts) will be used to establish how much you can borrow. Banks and building societies apply an affordability calculation to assess your borrowing limits.

Are These Mortgages Regulated?

Mortgages of this type are regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

What Should I Consider Before Applying for a Self Build Mortgage?

Where Are You Going to Live During the Works?

Where you intend to live while you build will have an impact on your affordability to borrow monies to build your dream home. For instance, the monthly rental payments or mortgage payments will have an impact on your affordability calculation.

Some lenders will accept you making upfront rental payments, which will not have an impact on your monthly income versus expenditure.

What Build System Do You Plan to Use?

Some lending institutions will not lend on certain types of construction, so do ensure you check with them. Of course, all your design and construction methods will need to be compliant with the current Building Regulations.

Each lender’s criteria are different, but you do need to ensure they are aware of your build type and of the payment terms and conditions your supplier has stipulated.

Do not agree any payment schedule with your builder or suppliers until you know how your lender will release funds to you.

What’s Your Estimated Build Cost?

Some lenders require that you must work to a fixed build cost budget; others may request that a qualified quantity surveyor provides the information on the build costs. Check with your lender what they require. Also, ensure that you include a minimum of a 20% contingency built into your build cost estimate.

(MORE: Use our free build cost calculator to estimate your build costs)

In addition, as part of your full project costs and budget control estimate that you provide your lender with, you’ll need to identify (or at the very least estimate) the following costs:

• Land purchase and associated fees
• Project management, including health and safety compliance
• Gaining planning consent, if not already achieved, and associated fees
• Demolition and/or site preparation
• Construction design fees
• Construction costs (preferably estimated against Building Regulations drawings).

What Documentation Do I Need for a Self Build Mortgage?

The supporting documentation required is essentially the same as a standard mortgage. However, additional supporting documentation will be required, which may include:

• Copy of planning permission
• Copy of construction drawings and specifications
• Copy of total project cost estimate (where possible, fixed-price contracts)
• Copy of Building Regulations approval
• Copy of site insurance and structural warranty
• Architect’s professional indemnity cover (if required)
• SAP calculation (this will be in the Building Regulations package)
• Experian credit report.

An initial valuation will be carried out to establish current value and anticipated end value, too. You will be required to pay the valuation fees. Interim and final valuations will also be requested and carried out by a RICS valuer.

The reports will be presented to the lender to evidence the increase of the interim value(s) prior to interim and final release of funds from the lender. Again, you, the client, will pay the valuation fees.

Where Can I Get a Self Build Mortgage?

There are a number of companies who specialise in mortgages for this type of project.

Best Self Build Mortgage Deals – October 2019 

Lender	Contact	Max LTV on Land	Stage required for first payment	Max LTV during construction	Final LTV land and building
Beverley BS	01482 881510	Not on land	Negotiable	Max 75%	Negotiable
Buckinghamshire BS*	0345 223 4888	Max 85%	Land	Max 85%	Max 80%
Chorley BS*	0345 223 4888	Max 85%	Land	Max 85%	Max 80%
Cumberland BS	01228 403141	Max 75%	Negotiable	Max 75%	Max 85%
Darlington BS*	0345 223 4888	Max 70%	Land	Max 70%	Max 70%
Earl Shilton BS	01455 844422	Max 50%	Land	Max 75%	Max 75%
Ecology BS	0845 674 5566	Max 80%	Land	Max 80%	Max 80%
Halifax	0345 727 3747	Not on land	1st floor level	Max 80%	Max 80%
Hanley Economic BS▲	0345 223 4447	Max 75%	Land	Max 75%	Max 80%
Hanley Economic BS*	0345 223 4888	Max 85%	Land	Max 85%	Max 80%
Hanley Economic BS	01782 255000	Max 80%	Land	Max 80%	Max 80%
Ipswich BS	0845 230 8686	Max 75%	Negotiable	Max 75%	Max 80%
Loughborough BS	01509 631950	Max 80%	Land	Max 80%	Max 80%
Mansfield BS*▲	0345 223 4888	Max 85%	Land	Max 85%	Max 85%
Newbury BS	01635 555777	Max 66%	Land	Max 75%	Max 75%
Newcastle BS*	0345 223 4888	Max 85%	Land	Max 85%	Max 85%
Nottingham BS*	0345 223 4888	Max 75%	Land	Max 75%	Max 80%
Penrith BS	01768 863675	Max 50%	Land	Max 75%	Max 75%
Progressive BS	028 9024 4926	Not on land	Footings	Max 70%	Max 75%
Saffron BS	0800 072 1100	Max 80%	Negotiable	Max 80%	Max 80%
Scottish BS	0131 313 7700	Max 60%	Land	Max 80%	Max 80%
Stafford Railway BS*	0345 223 4888	Max 85%	Land	Max 85%	Max 75%
The Melton BS	01664 414141	Max 85%	Land	Max 85%	Max 75%
Ulster Bank	www.ulsterbank.com	Not on land	1st floor level	Max 80%	Max 80%
Vernon BS	0161 429 6262	Max 75%	Land	Max 75%	Max 80%
West Brom BS▲	0345 223 4447	Max 85%	Land	Max 80%	Max 75%

Notes

▲ via Intermediaries through BuildLoan.* through Buildstore Financial Services. Royal Bank of Scotland offers finance via a bridging loan facility. Ecology BS will lend on ecologically-designed houses only. Restricted lending areas may apply. Figures compiled on 30 October 2019. Source: Moneyfacts.co.uk

When Are Funds Released?

Funds are typically released as following:

Self Build

• Land (with the minimum of outline planning consent)
• Substructure
• Wallplate/eaves height (just before the roof trusses go on)
• Wind and watertight roof tiled
• First fix
• Second fix
• Certified completion

Renovation or Conversion

• Purchase of existing structure
• Inspected completion of structural survey and cost estimate of necessary works
• Completion of load bearing elements
• First fix
• Second fix
• Certified completion

Custom Build or Group Self Build

• Purchase of land
• Associated preliminary costs and substructure
• Construction to wind and watertight stage
• First fix
• Second fix and completion

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Site Insurance and Structural Warranties

A bank or building society may not release initial funds until you can demonstrate that you have a 10-year structural warranty policy in place. When taking out your warranty, it’s also a good time to ensure that you have the right site insurance policy in place to give you peace of mind should anything go wrong.

Such policies are offered by providers such as:

• Self Build Zone
• Q Assure Build
• Protek
• NHBC Solo
• Premier Guarantee
• LABC

Anyone undertaking a build project, whether borrowing or not, should have both in place prior to starting work on site.

Subject to affordability, banks and building societies are keen to lend on residential construction projects, providing you have carried out due diligence and engaged the appropriate team(s) to achieve the successful construction of your new home.

(MORE: Self build warranties).

By learning how to board a loft, you can not only drastically increase the storage potential of your loft, but also make it safer and more stable to move around in. This is especially useful if you are short of storage space in your home – the loft is often completely underused, so if you’re not planning on turning it into habitable space with a loft conversion, then adding loft boards and using it for effective storage can be a great solution.

Loft boards are fixed together relatively easily, but working withing the confines of the loft’s available space can make boarding a loft a tricky endeavour. Do heed the safety advice detailed below and only attempt the task if you are capable. If not, hire a professional.

If you want to board your loft, follow this step-by-step guide.

How to Board a Loft: Step-by-Step

Before you start:

• Don overalls, gloves and a dust mask for protection, and finish off with a pair of trainers to aid agility in the loft
• Set up a temporary work platform on a piece of board set across the ceiling joists — it is safer, and more comfortable, than trusting your balance

Step One: Measure Up

Measure the area you plan to board out (multiply the width of the loft by its length). Take measurements in metres, this makes it easier when you are buying boards.

The 1,220 x 320mm boards come in packs of three and cover 1.17m² per pack. The 2,400 x 600mm boards are sold separately and cover 1.44m² each. Always add a 20% contingency on top of your final square metre figure to allow for awkward cuts.

Before you buy the boards, check the edges for damage. The tongues-and-grooves are vulnerable to clumsy handling, so be very picky when choosing.

Step Two: Assess the Insulation

Before you start laying boards, check the depth of your insulation. Building Regulations guidelines recommend a minimum 270mm thickness of insulation blanket. But joists are usually no more than 100mm deep, so this would be impossible to achieve and still put a floor on top. Furthermore, squashing insulation down to fit joist height is a bad idea as this halves it’s effectiveness — doubling your heat loss.

The best solution is to build a raised loft floor above the insulation (details of which are shown below). You can still board directly on to the joists if you want, but it is worth noting that this would not pass a building control inspection, because you wouldn’t have the full 270mm depth of insulation required by regulations. Whatever you do, make sure you put as much insulation beneath the boards as possible.

(Do note that if you board directly on to the joists, you run the risk of causing interstitial condensation. This is where moisture condenses on the underside of the boards and drips down, causing damp. To avoid this you need to raise the boards up and permit a flow of air between the insulation and the boards. Only board directly on to the joists if you know there is no risk of condensation forming in your loft).

Step Three: Lay the First Board

If you intend to board directly on to the joists instead of having a raise floor, then start by placing the first board across the joists.

If the board overhangs mark it at the centre of the last joist it crosses and make a straight cut at this point with a jigsaw. This allows the board that will butt up to its end to be supported by the joist.

Step Four: Stagger the Joins

For maximum strength the boards must be laid in a staggered pattern, in such a way that neighbouring joins do not line up. Lay a full board next to the first one and then mark or measure if it needs to be cut (SEE STEP 3).

Step Five: Fix in Place

Cut the second board (if necessary) and slide it into position with the first board, making sure the tongue-and-groove is fully connected to form an almost invisible join. Fix with two or three screws along the join.

Step Six: Fill in the Gaps

Measure, cut and fit infill pieces as you go to complete the run of boards. Slide them into position with gloved hands (the cut edges can be sharp).

Lay a block of wood along the outer edge of the board and tap it with a hammer if the tongue-and-groove connection creates too much resistance. This method prevents damage to the vulnerable board edges.

Things to note Rather than having a run of uniform ceiling joists to attach to, older houses may have a mixture of old roof joists and joists put up to support a more modern ceiling. This can create a riot of different levels and cause problems with fixing boards. If this is the case, it may save time and make sense to go down the raised floor route instead. Wiring in the loft often takes the most direct route from source to outlet. This means there could be wires strewn directly where you plan to lay a board. If there is enough slack in the wire, the joist can be notched and the wire run beneath the board. If you decide to do this, mark the position of the wire clearly on top of the board and make absolutely sure that you are not trapping the wire before you fix it down. A better alternative is to fix the wire with clips where it can be seen. If there is no slack at all in the cable then you may find that you have to disconnect the wire at its source before lengthening it using a junction box and some extra wire. You are likely to come across the tops of light fittings while you are installing your loft boards. You can cut the panel to make access to the light easy and make a removable infill panel if the light falls mid-board. Be aware that recessed spotlights generate a lot of heat, so make sure that any additional insulation material you have fitted is pulled well away from these fittings to prevent a fire hazard. However, doing this will reduce the insulating properties and counteract any efforts to limit heat loss. It is now common practice to fit heat diffusers, or completely seal the area around the light fitting.

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