After much discussion with the contractors on my shortlist, following up their references and refining the specification for the house in order to fit within my budget I have finally decided on a Main Contractor for the build phase – Steve Yardley and the team from Burton Building Solutions. As with all good contractors they’re booked up for the next few months but they’re forecasting being ready to start work on site before the end of September.

My main reasons for choosing this particular contractor were:

• They’re pretty local and work with a good team of local subcontractors. They also know the local Building Control and Planning people.
• They impressed me with their attention to detail throughout the tender process. I’m confident they have quoted for exactly what I asked for and they won’t substitute items without prior agreement.
• They have a proven track record of delivering Passivhaus levels of performance, especially with regard to Air Tightness which is particularly sensitive to the quality of the on-site workmanship. I’m happy they understand the importance of the high standards they need to achieve and that they will be able to deliver them.

Apart from the small matter of getting confirmation of a very substantial mortgage, everything is now lined up to turn my plans into reality.