JAS-Build

I see lots of airtight VCL here but not many are reflective - is there a reason for that? Thanks, Jas

Thank you for this reply. What product did you go with please?

Trying to decide whether to fit an internal VCL for our SIPs build... How essential is an internal VCL to achieve airtightness and maintain the health of the internal OSB sheets on the SIP panels? Our building inspector seems to think polythene sheeting would suffice? I'm thinking something like Tyvek Airguard Reflective or Novia VC200 Reflective. Thoughts welcome please? JAS

Hi. We don't have a lender since we're building with cash, but will probably want to remortgage the house once it's done so are looking ahead to that. Probably one of the high street banks - they've been our best rates in the past. Last one was Barclays.

Thanks Nod - who's the provider please? JAS

Thanks PeterW. Here's the CML list from ABC+ for a PCC - I can't see many major lenders missing? CML-Approved-Lenders-List-PCC.pdf

We have to choose between a 10 year Structural Warranty or a 6 year Professional Consultants Certificate soon - ie before site inspections start, and need help with the decision. What are the Pros and Cons of each? Our architect is saying get a Warranty. Price £7000 Our mortgage broker says a PCC is fine. Price £2500 We have good quotes from ABC+ Warranty (https://www.architectscertificate.co.uk/) and they have great reviews. Obviously the Warranty is an insurance policy that should (?) pay out if there are issues with the built house - but there are exemptions for the flat roof part, etc Some questions: 1. Does anyone have knowledge of a warranty paying out for anything at all? 2. What happens after the 10 or 6 year point if we want to re-mortgage? Thanks in anticipations...... JAS

We're going fixed price with a local builder for slab & finishing, with the main structure being SIPs from ecologic-sips.co.uk. Separate providers for GSHP/UFH, MVHR & Solar PV

We're going full plans but in 2 hits - 1. Sub-structure 2. The rest

Hi there! We're at the start of our self build and wonder if you went ahead with JCT MW contract for yours - if so did it go OK? Thanks 🙂

Ah, OK. Shame but never mind. John

Hi Ben - This post of yours has come up in a Google search I've just done because I am looking to do a new self-build in SIPs with stone exterior - how did it go for you?? John

We are at the point of deciding whether we opt for a fixed price from our builder or employ him (with his company) as the Project/Site Manager for our new build project (demolish bungalow and build 2 storey house). We accept that for a fixed price at this time he will have to build in a risk/contingency amount in the price because of the uncertainty over material prices over the period of the build - 48 weeks. He's set this at around 15%. The alternative is to pay him a fixed sum to project manage the build - with his team plus subbies. He will control the day to day work to stick to an agreed schedule, make sure all the trades work well together (and earn their money) and assure the quality of the work. He will also source all the materials, arrange Building Control visits/sign off etc. We will have an open-book meeting with him each week where he will report on how things are going - showing us the exact spend against the projected costs. If we are over, we either decide what can be saved from elsewhere in the build or dip into the 15% contingency that we will hold. Our concern is - will he be as motivated to stick to schedule and price if he is project managing? And if not, how do we incentivise him to do so? Grateful of thoughts? JAS

We await final planning to come through so we can demolish our bungalow and build a replacement 4 bed 2 storey house. In the meanwhile we have a builder who we like and trust (he's just built a house for a friend) and we are discussing with him the best approach for Building Control - Full Plans versus Building Notice (He built our friends' house on a Notice). Of course our Architect (also a friend) is a fan of Full Plans - and the £13k he'll charge to do them. We wonder what the Pros & Cons of each approach are and the likely poo traps also? Thanks. JAS

Thanks DevilDamo. It looks to me like for us it will be the initial bit of taking the bungalow down - i.e. the day that we start lifting tiles and removing soffits in the presence of our Ecologist with our EPS Licence in hand since we have 13 resident soprano pipistrelle bats ? Everything else on that list will follow. So we need the CIL fixed before we take off the roof. Got it.

My question relates to the extract below from the CIL regulations. It is - "What constitutes 'commencement' in Reg54B(3)?" We are about to start a self-build - demolish our owned bungalow and build a replacement dwelling-house. I'm guessing day 1 of demolition is 'commencement' but am I right? Could it be putting up the site fencing, the site electric supply, portaloos etc It's an expensive thing to get wrong I think. Thanks. JAS --------------------------------------------------- The Community Infrastructure Levy (Amendment) Regulations 2014. Exemption for self-build housing: procedure. Reg 54B. (3) A claim under this regulation will lapse where the chargeable development to which it relates is commenced before the collecting authority has notified the claimant of its decision on the claim.

Thanks for all the comments. After a considerable effort all round. we actually got a site visit by the case officer last week where we could discuss things face to face (at a distance), and this has appeared today.... A change of heart, thank goodness. Now the real work starts...... ?

We immediately contacted our Ward Councillor on hearing that the Officer was going to Refuse the application - she told us she couldn't help because she was the Planning Committee Vice Chair, then wished us luck! I'm tempted to contact our next door Ward Councillor who seems a bit more sensible.....?

Thanks epsilonGreedy. We have done a lot of research and have a terrier-like planning consultant who is all over the policy, both what the Council must adhere to now, how it can be/has been interpreted and what has or is coming down the line on NPPF etc. We do have 3 minutes at the Committee (if our case is 'called/pushed' there) but since it's all done over Teams now, the public statements are just read out by a Council speaker. Just trying to decide how much we 'target' Committee members by email/phone to get their support but not put their noses out of joint. Any thoughts on that welcome...?

We've really struggled to get the planning to converse with us, apart from him emailing asking for extensions of time. Our neighbour's planning went through in late 2014 and it was under a previous release of planning policy 2006 - it was in renewed in 2016. They're now playing catch-up to re-do the policy since NPPF 2021.

Thanks. Yes the proposed 4 bed house is larger than the current 3 bed bungalow. It's footprint is not that much of an increase though. In terms of scale, we've based our design on being smaller than the 398sqm that we could build the bungalow out to under Permitted Development, so have a design with GIA of 357sqm. We have a near neighbour who replaced their bungalow (which was closer to the road and on a smaller plot than ours) with a house and we have followed their lead on scale and finish. Below is what the Council Case Officer wrote in their Report for our neighbour. You'll see that the Council was happy to allow them to build larger than the PD rights envelope, whereas they've declined our request to go smaller. We followed our neighbour's lead in the hope that the Council would be consistent in their application of their own planning policy. Our intent, if we get to committee, is to make this case to the councillors. "

Thanks Mr Punter. We called our Ward Councillor and explained what has happened but she said she could do nothing specific to help us because she's the Vice Chair of the Planning Committee (!) and can't be seen to favour her voters. We've now contacted the Chair of the Planning Committee asking for her to take it to the next meeting on 8th Feb - she'd replied saying it's not her decision but that of the Head of Planning under their Scheme of Delegation. We've contacted the Head of Planning 10 days ago asking for clarification of the Scheme of Delegation and the 'calling to Planning Committee' process but he hasn't replied.... We're reluctant to go straight to appeal because if we do it will mean we'll probably miss the 30th April Bat Season date and, in addition to all our bat survey work needing to be redone, it means our hands are tied to do anything until the 2022 bat season starts on 1st October. If we are lucky to get to the Feb Planning Committee and get an Approval we can still get a bat licence on our paid for surveys and will re-home them before the 30th April deadline so we are able to start the new build this Spring. Here's hoping!! John

Thanks Joe90. This is the 'street view' photo submitted in the Design Statement by our architect, together with a couple of others. This, plus our proposed additional tree planting in the landscaping plan, makes the proposed house all but invisible to the public. Our nearest neighbours can see some of it side on but they're happy and sent a supporting comment during the Council's consultation period.

I didn't get chance to confirm how our near neighbour had such an easy ride with Planning - he's recently sold and moved away. Our next door neighbours, and in fact all near neighbours, are supportive of our plans. Just not the Planning Officer ?

Sadly not. He didn't do a site visit (unlike the Parish Council) and wouldn't communicate other than by email over the 3 extensions he asked for and we granted. It seems to us that the Pre App guidance wasn't looked at either since that said the scale of the proposed new build was OK.