New Home Self Build

[the guy with the bowtie]

Anyone out there done a New Home Self Build.

We are considering it but from the 'choosing where and designing the perfect home to live / retire in' angle rather than any desperate attempt to enter the housing market (which seems to be the majority reasoning at the moment).

Seems feasible from the research I've done but I cannot help thinking it is more hassle than the obvious benefits are worth.

Does the esteemed panel hold any view ?

[Troll]

As always - the trouble is getting the land - so many chasing with a view to doing the same - best bet is find a bungalow , demolish & rebuild - but it is a pricey way of doing things
- there is a usefull magazine - self build home ..I think

[milanbenes]

I've done it.

If you want to see lots of house designs to get some inspiration have a look at this site:

http://www.gservis.cz select English then select Choose Your Own House from the left menu then start with Large House, they have 676 house designs. If you liked one you could buy the plans and use them in the UK I guess. I know people who have bought house plans in Austria and used them in CZ. Of course you can work with the architect and make whatever changes you want to the basic designs to personalise the house.

Milan.

[Troll]

I've done it.

If you want to see lots of house designs to get some inspiration have a look at this site:

http://www.gservis.cz select English then select Choose Your Own House from the left menu then start with Large House, they have 676 house designs. If you liked one you could buy the plans and use them in the UK I guess. I know people who have bought house plans in Austria and used them in CZ. Of course you can work with the architect and make whatever changes you want to the basic designs to personalise the house.

Milan.

a bit chocolate box cover-ish but definately suited to Europe

[milanbenes]

amazing solid house, built using these bricks:

http://www.wienerberger.com/servlet/...wb_com_home_en

walls 45 cm thick bricks and then round the outside of the whole house an extra 10cms of polystyrene thermal insulation !

ceiling (between ground floor and first floor) is 30cms thick concrete !

Was in my mate's house in the saaaaafff east, an expensive new build and when I walked upstairs I could feel the floor shake and here the ply wood creaking !!

Milan.

[rootsnall]

I've done it, I got some freebie family owned land which helped a lot !

Get this book, it answers a lot of questions and has a good summary of the downsides including the author being on the wrong side of the last crash.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Housebuilder.../dp/0952485249

[Captain Dispensable]

I was almost there with an old derelict building on a farm. Intended to buy it to demolish then build something new as it was literally just a few crumbling walls with no roof. Got mates who can do most of the building, electrical, plumbing work so would have been cheap as chips.

Farmer was interested in selling but only to someone he knew and was local. No problem, my girlfriend was well in there having been a family friend for ages. All fell through when I split up with the psycho bitch. Some things aren't worth putting up with but I almost did just to get the land.

Looking back I think I had a lucky escape. John Bobbitt isn't someone I aspire to, even if he is balls deep in pornos these days.

I think derelict properties are one way you can still find a good deal, either for renovation or demolition for a new build. Finding the owner and getting them to sell to you is another thing altogether though.

[SoupDragon]

I like the SIP - "structural insulating panel" building method. The shell is prefabricated and erected on site in a day or two. It's super highly insulated to the point of being airtight.

It's particularly suited to extensions and chalet style houses (because you don't need rafters in the roof)

[MarillionFan]

Milan big difference between building a house in the UK and yours which is no doubt abroad.

Been looking for a while but the land cost is astronomical.

Most get the planning application in on it first and then sell the land for a huge price, or an auction where you can knock down the existing house.

I've been looking for a decent plot for yonks but anything down in the South always seems to be 500-600k before the build

In terms of doing the work though, effectively you save about 30% on buying the house already built, so that a 250k plot + 150k to stick a good 4/5 bed house on it will get you a 500k house (ish)

[milanbenes]

how can you build a 4/5 bed house for 150k ? what you making it from recycled newspapers ?

Milan.