A newbie builds a house

["Steve Clark" <steev@xxxxxxx>]

Hi everyone,

I'm new to this list, but I see some familiar names from the UK
selfbuild group. Hi Dr John! Anyway, here's my introduction to what
I'm looking at doing.

After several years of talking and thinking about it, it finally
looks like we're going to be building our house by the end of the
year. It's going to be a 3 bed timber frame on our existing large
plot in Bedfordshire.

All along I've assumed we were going to be wiring for most
eventualities. I like my computers, so there will be CAT5 to every
room (at least 2 lines) and probably coax as well for the video.
Having played with the likes of SnapStream I can imagine using PCs
for distributed video as well as MP3 and internet.

I'm thinking that we may use cordless phones, but there will probably
be one or 2 hard wired handsets as backup.

To be honest, I'm not too bothered about having automated lights,
curtains etc, but I want some decent heating control with separate
zones for up and down. Heating will be by radiators. I'd like the
flexibility to change the program to cope with holidays and days off.

I've considered the Comfort system, but am not totally convinced it's
right for us. We do want an alarm, but if that's all we use it looks
expensive. I suppose we might find a use for X10 type functionality
some time, but if that just uses the mains we shouldn't need to put
in anything special for it.

The existing house is on NTL and I'm using their cable modem which
works well most of the time. We're getting a digital TV box next week
as well. Having just replaced our dead video and added a DVD I'm
definitely in the market for a multi-remote. I don't want to spend a
fortune so the current favourite is the One For All 6-way which
Letsautomate say works with an NTL box. They have the best price even
with their 5.50UKP delivery.

I intend to put in cable for surround speakers so it's all hidden.
The AV equipment is going to go in a custom cabinet within a room
partition with easy access to the rear :-) Again it won't be anything
too fancy. I picked up SmartHouses today and found very little I
would seriously consider buying. I tend to think in hundreds rather
than thousands.

I've been working with computers for a fair time and I know which end
of a soldering iron to hold. I just want to get going, but have to
wait for the house. In the mean time I want to do plenty of planning.

If anyone can offer me advice I'm all ears, and if anyone in the mid-
Beds area has an interesting system installed I would like to see it.
I work in London and see that folk meet up there some times. Maybe
I'll make it there some time.

Thanks for reading this far

Steve Clark