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About this blog

This is the story of our project to upgrade a 1950s 2 storey detached house in Leicestershire to an almost air tight, highly insulated 4 storey family home. And we do all the work ourselves....We have nearly finished it now, but i have decided to put the story up here as and when i get time. Maybe it will be helpful for people considering the same type of thing.

 

Entries in this blog

Finally start digging and build a basement... early 2022

So to recap: we bought an old house with a bit of land at the back. We tried to get permission to knock it down and do a new build passiv house in the backland. The council said no no no, we lost an appeal, then put in ridiculous plans for a massive extension with basement on the existing old house, plus a large stable block on the back land where we wanted the new build. Council said yes yes yes, thats fine,  please go ahead....   Having never built anything major before, we hired a 9

Kai casswell

Kai casswell in General

So how are we going to build this....

You think getting planning is the final hurdle, and then you start talking to building control, structural engineers and steel manufacturers! Thank goodness we didn't have to talk to builders as well, as we had made the bold decision to do it all ourselves. I am a plumber by trade with a weird niche sideline of repairing solar thermal systems so i have some site experience. Having worked on a lot of new build single plot sites and with a variety of builders, project managers and architects I ass

Kai casswell

Kai casswell in General

fast forward - 2022

Three years, two planning applications and an expensive appeal later we began preparing works. And no we didn't get permission for a new build. Instead we got planning permission for an 11m extension, basement and loft conversion of the old existing house, plus a large stable block in the back field.   The new design involved extending the rear of the house out 4m as three stories and then a large flat roofed single storey a further 7m, which will sit over a 30sqm basement.  

Kai casswell

Kai casswell in General

State of play 2019

This old house turned up for sale with a largish four acre plot at the back. Our "plan" was to knock it down and build a modern ICF passiv haus on the land, and also keep horses and pigs on the land. Well you know what they say, if you want to make God laugh then tell him you've got plans....  

Kai casswell

Kai casswell in General

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