i think i've married a madman... possible to build our own stables?

Bowen4Horses

Bowen4Horses

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so... my (money saving) husband has said if we can't afford to buy a stable yard he will build me one...

now, he's fairly good at DIY (as long as you don't mind clearing up after him) and fairly practical minded... however, he doesn't actually know the first thing about building...

has anyone EVER built their own stables? is it possible?

or have i married a madman?
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if you go to the web sites for stable suppliers,they will give you the specifications (size of timber and distances apart etc) so you could use that to start your plans.

good luck!we have done our own and it worked well.
 
probably not heaps cheaper but if you diy,you can buy the materials in,as and when you need them ,so you are not parting with a big lump if money all in one go.

its very important to do a good base,it`s not cheap but worth it.

all depends on how quick you need them up.
 
We built ours, plus OH is currently building a block of four and a tackroom AND a 20 x 30m manege for our friends. Since he is actually qualified in Law rather than a builder by trade it can't be that difficult! Actually, OH has done plenty of building in the last six years and is pretty good at it.

Put it this way, friends were quoted 8000€ to do the necessary blockwork and cut six door ways in existing walls. OH and friend have done blockwork, plumbing, wiring, laid a new concrete floor (delivered by big mixer) constructed wooden doors, panelled the tackroom, tiled the floor of tackroom and put a dinky slated roof over tackroom and the total cost will be 3000€!! Just goes to show that builders like to make a profit! If your OH can do it, let him, you'll save a fortune and remember, it's for horses to live in - not you.
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We got a quote for 6 boxes (wooden) £6500. Then one day OH dad suggested getting wood and building ourselves! (OH dad builder and OH used to be builder/carpenter). OH worked out wood needed and for everything including the roof, only thing not included was the door hinges, bolts & kick bolts came to just over 3K. This was also using a better spec on the timber than the stable companies. It can be done, although we haven't done as yet, due to OH back problems at mo, we probably gonna end up having to buy them in!
 
Have never done stables, but if it's any help we have just finished building a 5 x 4 m home office in the garden. Wooden construction, all details given by suppliers. We're reasonably competent DIYers but not builders. It really was okay. I do second Cahill's comment abuot the base being really, really important. It may well be worth while getting builders to lay that for you but the rest really should be straightforward. Enlist help from friends and family - most people seem to be happy to muck in with this sort of project.!
 
Sorry to be the voice of doom but this is a complex building project and I have seen people do it wrong - the result is that horses can pull down the stables merely by rubbing their bottoms against them!! (yes, that happened at a DIY built yard I was at about once a week!). I think you may well end up spending more money fixing mistakes. Also, there are some jobs, like electrical wiring, which people above mention doing themselves, that are very dangerous and illegal in the UK for a non-qualified electrician to do.

Why not buy a DIY kit and put it together? That is still pretty demanding (will need two people) but you can save some money that way.
 
HI Booboos - it's the kit version which I was referring to in my post! I wouldn't recommend a start-from-scratch approach at all, but many manufacturers provide all you need as a "kit", which is bascially what our office was. As you say, you will need someone to take care of the electrics (and plumbing if needed), but the rest should be all right.
 
Sorry, I misundertood!!

The kit is much more feasible!

We had it all done by contractors, it took them a week to clear, level the ground, put in pipes and put down the concrete base and it then took two men from the stable company 10 working days to put up the stables which came in a kit form. It was then a couple more days work to get plumbing and electrics sorted out.
 
My Oh built mine 12x14 from scratch(And he's a mechanic no builder lol) they worked out including concrete and roofing at around £2500 however they are very well built robust stables so where more expensive,and it took 2 men to build alot of it,
Not mad but certainly not easy!
If the pics work there below
n1215595407_30263580_89641.jpg

n1215595407_30263583_98551.jpg
 
My husband built our five loose boxes but they are internal stables in a barn - still hard work but a lot cheaper than getting a company in to do it.
Kate x
lockwoodfarmapril09019.jpg

lockwoodfarmapril09052.jpg

(Excuse the state of the place this is when it was being built so very much work in progress!)
 
[ QUOTE ]
My Oh built mine 12x14 from scratch(And he's a mechanic no builder lol) they worked out including concrete and roofing at around £2500 however they are very well built robust stables so where more expensive,and it took 2 men to build alot of it,
Not mad but certainly not easy!
If the pics work there below
n1215595407_30263580_89641.jpg

n1215595407_30263583_98551.jpg


[/ QUOTE ]

they are deeeelish! when you say 'from scratch'... so you mean each 'plank' was bought and nailed up etc? cos, i have a (horrible) feeling that's what my husband intends to do... eek...
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though, if it's possible they'll end up looking like yours... i won't complain!!!
grin.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
My Oh built mine 12x14 from scratch(And he's a mechanic no builder lol) they worked out including concrete and roofing at around £2500 however they are very well built robust stables so where more expensive,and it took 2 men to build alot of it,
Not mad but certainly not easy!
If the pics work there below
n1215595407_30263580_89641.jpg

n1215595407_30263583_98551.jpg


[/ QUOTE ]
these look wonderful has you qh ever thought about changing cereer
 
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