Owning your own home

Huf-Haus, a good idea in principle but massively expensive and often overengineered. Not for the light of wallet.

Still the idea of modular self build homes is a good one and one that needs serious consideration on a more economic scale.

If the planning permission has already been granted then it shouldn't be a problem. It would be a matter of checking the dimensions of the dwelling are suitable for you and resubmitting the application. However, it would be worth checking with the adjacent neighbour to see if they would raise any objections before doing so.

As for building your own home. Would you actually build it yourself or get someone to do it for you?

If you're doing it yourself, you're in for a long journey. Firstly a double garage will probably have a hard standing that is completely unsuitable for domestic contruction so you'll need to dig all of it up and get rid of it. Next there's foundations to lay. This is the most complicated part of any construction and needs to be done exactly right. If the council get any idea that you don't actually know how to build a house, they will be watching you like a hawk and you will often have to work to their schedule, which can be very time consuming and frustrating.

Also, don't imagine that it's that cheap. Unless you know all the building regs and so on you pretty much have to get and arcitect to do all the technical drawings and so on. Prices will ramp up pretty quickly. If you want to do this sort of thing, it can be much easier to recommision and refurbish an existing property such as a disused substation or exchange.

We emailed the surrounding neighbors giving them a rough idea of our plans and they all seem to be positive. I've drawn up a rough idea of what I want and my cousin who is now about to become an Architect has agreed to make them workable.

The next step will be planning permission. Due to my design, essentially a four storey rectangular box (I had do build up due to the size restrictions of 40sqm) Im concerned that the planner wont like it because it will obviously be fairly different from the other 70's council houses that is sits amongst.

The main structure will be built by professionals. All in I have a budget of about £110'000 (minus £20'000 for the land) which is very tight but hopefully possible.

@Hippy - Congrats on the new home. Do you have somewhere to put all your bikes now?

Add at least 10% to allow for hidden costs.

Wow, that's lovely!

I'm based in Suffolk at the moment, and I'm at the international boatbuilding training centre (IBTC) in Lowestoft.

I can't stand living away from the coasat anymore, I virtually live on the water already!

My dad has one of these: http://www.spirityachts.com/spirityachts_52_drawings.htm.

I used to live really close to the boat yard in Ipswich where it was built and go to see it being put together. The level of craftmanship is amazing!

if anyone is looking to buy their own place in south london, this place looks lovely.

you wouldn't have to do a thing - just move in!

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-27577340.html

Brilliant photos, really shows the place in the best light. Nothing like a house full of shit to entice prospective buyers.

I've spent two nights in MY house now.. fuck yeah.

That is all.

Nice 1 fella.
It's a great feeling for sure...

Hippy is always bragging

congrats got any furniture yet?

Ikea and freecycle = saviours

@Hippy - Congrats on the new home. Do you have somewhere to put all your bikes now?

Bedroom.. same as always. I mean, where else would you keep bikes?!?

Hippy is always bragging

We upgraded from a studio box to a 1br box. Bright times.

Ikea and freecycle = saviours

ha ha yes.. I'm now at the stage of my life where I'm removing ikea furniture... except the benno cd racks

check ebay for things like dining tables and wardrobes, some real bargains of really nice pieces

Bedroom.. same as always. I mean, where else would you keep bikes?!?

you can put them on the wall as art

The next step will be planning permission. Due to my design, essentially a four storey rectangular box (I had do build up due to the size restrictions of 40sqm) Im concerned that the planner wont like it because it will obviously be fairly different from the other 70's council houses that is sits amongst.

There aren't really any problems stemming from out of character in developments among 70's council houses. They aren't something that is considered something worth preserving in terms of consistency in the area. Provided the design of the building isn't something that would be considered an eyesore then there shouldn't be a problem on these grounds. Your main issue is on affecting other people's sunlight. Casting a shadow that significantly blocks another person's sunlight can cause a lot of issues in planning.

Art? Do I wear skinny jeans? I don't do art.

Paging BRM.

There aren't really any problems stemming from out of character in developments among 70's council houses. They aren't something that is considered something worth preserving in terms of consistency in the area. Provided the design of the building isn't something that would be considered an eyesore then there shouldn't be a problem on these grounds. Your main issue is on affecting other people's sunlight. Casting a shadow that significantly blocks another person's sunlight can cause a lot of issues in planning.

Awesome. Are you a surveyor/architect/...?

Art? Do I wear skinny jeans? I don't do art.

you own your own house... what have you got on the walls other than Oz flags?

justification my man... more bikes = art

Persoanlly I've got some Malleus and Giger pieces around the house,
http://www.malleusdelic.com/eng/home.html
Om, Current 93 & Boris Roadburn prints amongst others got the Sleep one too

Awesome. Are you a surveyor/architect/...?

No, but I watch a lot of Grand Designs and once audited a planning and building control office.

you own your own house... what have you got on the walls other than Oz flags?
justification my man... more bikes = art
Persoanlly I've got some Malleus and Giger pieces around the house,
http://www.malleusdelic.com/eng/home.html
Om, Current 93 & Boris Roadburn prints amongst others got the Sleep one too

I have a map of the City that I stole. That's it.

Awesome. Are you a surveyor/architect/...?

BRM in a sunlight surveyor. Have you considered a basement to reduce the hight? All things to chat with an architect I guess.

BRM in a sunlight surveyor. Have you considered a basement to reduce the hight? All things to chat with an architect I guess.

Yeah. We have made two sets of plans one with a basement one without. My preference is without as it will obviously limit the natural light coming in to what would be the kitchen/dining room.

Does anyone have any info on eco friendly building materials and/or how to make your home as efficent as possible. Ive got a few sources but I thought i'd ask just in case. Im really interested in building a home that uses as little energy as possible? Which will more importantly save me money on bills etc in the long run.

BRM is a paiss-head but one of the worlds best sunlight surveyors. He also used to be a weatherman and did the weather on his school newspaper.

@ Hobo. £20,000 sounds very cheap for a plot of land. First off I would nip down the planning office and get them to dig out the original planning application (you may well be able to do this on line) to get an idea of what was originally granted. I doubt you will get to put a 4 storey building in a street full of 2 storey properties. Building costs are almost certainly going to be on the wrong side of £1,000 per square metre depending on size and location of build - http://www.homebuilding.co.uk/files/ascent-homebuilding/Build%20Cost%20Guide%20September%202009_0.pdf
Most planning officers will be willing to talk to you about your ideas and will help advise what will be likely to succeed in getting permission.
Any offers on the purchase of the plot should be subject to getting renewed permission.

It had permission for a two story dwelling, though this expired last year. And it has access to all the aforementioned services. The only issue I am concerned about is that the land used to be someones double garage so it is very close to someone's property.

I have no knowledge except that gleaned from grand designs, but a couple of the builds they did built a fair bit underground, and piped light in through those tubes.
You could have a two/three story above ground, and a large cellar pad below.

Yeah. We have made two sets of plans one with a basement one without. My preference is without as it will obviously limit the natural light coming in to what would be the kitchen/dining room.

Does anyone have any info on eco friendly building materials and/or how to make your home as efficent as possible. Ive got a few sources but I thought i'd ask just in case. Im really interested in building a home that uses as little energy as possible? Which will more importantly save me money on bills etc in the long run.

I hate to say this because I really do support any eco builds. However eco building materials and a tight budget don't work together. Concrete is just about the biggest environmental evil from contruction but building without it means you can afford a very ecofriendly, well insulated, small shed. Either you reduce your design and make compromises or look for longest built life of the building and lowest post construction impact.

Good thing with a new build is that you can incorporate a lot of things at the outset. Ground source heat pump underneath the property, dual solar and garden on top, optimum thermal efficiency and so on. All fairly dull stuff, but the important stuff is.