TheMitchells

@Bitpipe any chance of a photo to show what you mean, please.

they initially said 18 months but it went up to 3 years. here's the relevant bit from the HMRC site. You won’t pay the higher SDLT rates if the property you’re buying is replacing your main residence and that main residence has already been sold. If you buy a new main residence but the sale for your previous main residence is delayed you’ll pay the higher rates as you own 2 properties. But you can get a refund for the amount above the normal SDLT rates if you sell your previous main residence within 3 years. A refund must be claimed within 3 months of the sale of the previous main residence or within 12 months of the filing date of the return, whichever comes later.

Its so ridiculous - the other thing I learnt about stamp duty is that if you buy two properties that can be linked by HMRC they charge you are charged stamp duty on the whole amount. when we looked at the last plot, which was 150k, we agreed a deal to buy the bungalow for 300k 6 months later when the vendor had found a property. however the solicitir pointed out that we would pay stamp duty on the whole 450k which is over 12k rather than 4.5k on the two separate transactions. That was one of the reasons we decided against it - the additional 8k just added to the extra amounts which were taking us over our limited budget. even family members buying proerties next door are included in the linking for stamp duty - not something I had ever heard of!

we got hit by the extra stamp duty charge when we bought our place to renovate but we do claim it back when we sell. Hopefully in the not too distance future. I shall enjoy watching the next programme - seeing what not to do, mostly. And did you see the electric socket hanging down from the ceiling in the middle of the kitchen at head height - wires sticking out, with an extention lead running to somewhere - not exactly safe practice. But pay peanuts .......

well the small cottage made a profit of 19k and she is planning to buy a second property soon and the novice eventually spent 40k, twice her origonal budget and far more realistic. It went up for sale at 325k , which would make a profit of 87k but it didnt sell so she rented it out and plans to sell it later. Maybe trying to get too much - I'd be happy with 75k for 6 months work. I'll be very happy if we can make that on our job. And we are doing most of the work to maximise the profit. And the novice isnt planning on doing another renovation - she didnt enjoy the experience at all. Next weeks looks interesting - I like this programme!

yes, we have been to Howdens for our kitchen and the quote came back almost the same as the Wickes price with lots of sale reductions (£2000 for only the units). it wasnt for the basic kitchen but an average value one which will hopefully still look great. But part of the learning experience is getting a good idea how much to budget for things - I guess we all have to learn.

Is anyone else watching the programme - Climbing The Property Ladder on Channel 5? Its really funny to watch. Tonights two examples include one in yorkshire, renovating a small cottage. the other is a completely novice who seems to think because she has set a budget of £2,000 for the kitchen, thats what it should cost. She seemed shocked that a complany quoted nearly £3k for the units and it didnt even include tiles, appliances etc!! Which planet is she from? And she wants a profit of nearly 100k - she needs to get real and understand that spending 20k on a house does not add £120k to the value. But I guess thats why they are filmed - it makes interesting tv. I wonder what they'd make of our renovation? Hopefully I wouldnt be making too many mistakes that cost dearly.

Location of trees on the plot (and near the boundary), their size and species is useful to know as they may affect costs of foundations.

While at the NSBRC at Swindon last week, I sat in on a lecture for self builders and having already done their 3 day course, I thought it would not be very interesting - heard it all before! However, the speaker was talking about the CIL and how self builders can avoid it but how easy is was to get caught out and end up paying the full mount, which in my area is £200 per square metre of build! I had forgotten this information and was glad to have been reminded. I thought it may be useful to remind everyone how they can avoid the charge - do not start ANY of the build till you ensure you have submitted the correct paperwork and the council have confirmed it is the correct form. I heard several stories of those who had not completed the form correctly; no one told them until it came to the end and they received a bill for the full amount. Self Build Exemption - Whole House Self-build Exemption Overview The Government is keen to support and encourage individuals and communities who want to build their own homes, and is taking proactive steps to stimulate the growth of the self-build market. One measure to help self-builders has been to grant them an exemption from the Community Infrastructure Levy. The exemption will apply to anybody who is building their own home or has commissioned a home from a contractor, house builder or sub-contractor. Individuals claiming the exemption must own the property and occupy it as their principal residence for a minimum of three years after the work is completed. Essentially, there are three types of self-build exemption: self-build exemption - for a whole dwelling [you are here] self-build exemption - for a residential annexe self-build exemption - for a residential extension Whole Dwelling You can apply for exemption from CIL if you are building your own home, and intend to live in it as the owner/occupier. To make a claim, you must: Assume liability to pay CIL certify that the scheme will meet the criteria to qualify as self-build development (using Form 7 Part 1) submit a Commencement Notice, before development commences within 6 months of completion, send us evidence to confirm the project is self-build (using Form 7 Part 2). This provides the evidence to confirm the project is self-build. The evidence must comprise: proof of the date of completion (building completion notice, compliance certificate), proof of ownership (a copy of the title deeds), and proof of occupation as your main residence (Council tax certificate, utility bills, bank statement, electoral roll). In addition, you must also provide a copy of one of the following: an approved claim from HMRC under VAT431C - VAT refunds for DIY house builders specialist self-build warranty approved self-build mortgage from a bank or building society Full details of what is required can be found on the forms. If this evidence is not submitted to the Council within the 6 month time period, the full levy charge becomes payable. Important Information It is important that you do not begin work until you submit your application for exemption and you receive notice from us with a decision. If you start any work, including digging foundations, your application for exemption will be refused. If you fail to submit a Commencement Notice before starting any work, then we will charge the full amount for CIL immediately. If you fail to submit the correct evidence on completion, then we will charge the full amount of CIL immediately. If you receive exemption, and then sell, or rent out, your home within 3 years of the house being completed, we will charge you the full CIL amount immediately. CIL is registered as a land charge and so if any of these disqualifying events occur within three years, we can revoke exemptions and the levy will then be due immediately. Be careful out there - they are after as much money they can get......

The OH built a shed for a friend as it was an awkward shape and size and the only one we found online was about £700. we used the stud carcasing timbers which are being sold in Wickes for 2.15 for 2.4 m length minus our 10& discount, if bought in bulk and it is solid enough to withstand anything! The only thing which put up the price was the nice shiplap - if she'd been happy with OSB and fencing boards, it would have been cheaper. we think it ended up costing around £350 for materials. He built it in our garage then took it to bits and rebuilt it in the garden. Its solid and the perfect shape and will last for years. She just has to paint it now.

Hi Clare - I love the house! Fab design and great use of internal space. So have you got full planning yet? or is that still to come?

I am not sure if this is any use. But I have visited the NSBRC at Swindon many times and often have listened to David Hilton of Total Home Environment talking about how to plan the heating systems of a self build. He seems to be just the right guy for you to ask all these questions to. While his company does sell you all the bits, he genuinely seems to want to sell you what you actually need. for example on the subject of heat recovery of baths and showers, his answer is to leave the water in the bath and the heat will be recovered by the MVHR rather than another piece of equipment/cost. And I have nothing to do with the cmpany except I like his common sense approach and his ethos of only installing what you actually need. He runs the following course a few times per year at £150 for the day. Heat & Energy Basics - The pros & cons of various solutions & designs - What standards are you expected to meet (Building Regulations) - What is possible (Passiv Haus) - Gas or no Gas? - Comparative fuel costs and Government incentives - What is safe for you to do and what’s best left to the experts Fabric First - How to calculate a systems ‘payback’ period - Heat Loss and Air Tightness - Cold Spaces < Heat Loss - Solar Gain Modelling Different Solutions - Boilers & Radiators - Ground & Air Source Heat Pumps - Underfl oor Heating - Mechanical Ventilation & Heat Recovery - Biomass - Combined Heat & Power - Solar Thermal - Solar PV

no i havent. I shall have a look. I did look at a plasterers forum but the replies were a little arguementative so I didnt go any further.

Change of plan - we are not going to insulate internally as it is just going to cost too much and I am worried about interstitial condensation which may occur if the insulation is not breatheable. I think I have that right. But I am wondering about using a thermal plaster. I have looked at ALC's Thermalime which is a lime based plaster with insulating qualities. as the house is in a bit of a state with bits all over the place, my builder suggested that we just use a wet plaster to cover it all up. And I thought if we use a thermal plaster, we'll gain some insulation as well as making it all look lovely. has anyone here any experience of thermal plasters?

yes, we had the same problem. when we contacted BC to enquire, they said they dont have anyone who can certify the work so we couldnt use them. I wont comment any more as the OH isnt here and I get into trouble if I get it wrong........

Thats just my way of writing it - he has it all as well as PL insurance. Its been a long evening and the brain has had a melt down - apologies.

Not a lot happened over Christmas and New year while we waited for the builder, Patrick, to arrive to remove the pillar between the kitchen extention and the middle room. We initially decided to not remove the pillar but after great thought, it seemed to be the best thing - it would create more light into the dark middle room and hopefully it would make the kitchen easier to fit out. And at a cost of around £2k it was a large chunk of the budget. This is the view across the room, into the kitchen from a couple of months back. You can see how dark the middle room is. This one makes the room look bigger than it will be as we have removed the bathroom wall - it currently has an open plan loo.... The RSJ's in the garden - our only snow of the winter so far. Very exciting day when it all got going. but then, I am easily pleased...... The back wall of the house is a thick rubble wall while the kitchen extension was only build a couple of decades ago so of normal construction. But I dont think any of us realised how large the stones were in that rubble wall. Getting the RSJ's into position - I wouldnt have thought of doing that and then once all the props were in, I wouldnt have been able to bring in the steels. Good job we had an expert! This shows some of the rocks taken out of the back wall in the bedroom, above the middle room. The view into the kitchen! There had been a pillar to the right of the wall being removed on which the RSJ would sit but once exposed, Patrick was not happy with it. So he removed it all and build a new pillar. The unexpected advantage of doing this, is that now the new wall will be level with the rest of the kitchen wall, making it much easier to arrange kitchen units. This is the new pillar - much better! Patrick and the OH removing the current wooden beam. The new steels are in place and the middle room joists are refixed with steel hangers. Then its my turn to get busy. To avoid too much mess, I took out the bricks and stones individually and was able to clean off the lime mortar to leave a rather large pile of perfectly useable bricks. So this is how it looked on Saturday by the time we packed up. What a difference! we are thrilled. And we have now decided to have a U shaped kitchen with a breakfast bar where the rest of the wall is. Thats the next project for me - plan the kitchen units and get prices from Wickes, Howdens and Ikea. Hopefully before the sales run out next week. Even if it means storing them in the garage till we need them, if we can get a good price, it will be worth it. And does anyone need any large cotswold stones?? we have a few.

As we want to do all the electrics of our renovation ourselves, (okay - all I do is help hold things, he does all the actual work) and is Part P, he must join a certification scheme. He previously was with Elecsa but left while still in full time emplyment and not doing enough electrical stuff to even cover the cost of the registration. But he's now retired and working full time on our renovation, including all the electrics. He wonders if anyone has had any dealings, good or bad, with Stroma as they are half the price than Elecsa.

thats something I'd like to know too. When doing previous DIY and bathroom renovations, I too just used normal plasterboard and tiled over it. But of course, now having read stuff on the forum, I now would always do it the right way! Just not sure what the right way is.......

Please do - I cant concentrate on the posts! its too distracting....

Anyway - he must be okay if he has retrievers......

Ooh, he's going to the Self Build Centre on Friday - so am I.... Good job the OH isnt going. Fresh from his stint in the Celebrity Jungle, Martin will be joining us on Friday 27th January to open our show and explain more about his new TV show 'Build Off'. Martin Roberts is one of the UK's most respected Property, Travel and Lifestyle TV presenters and journalists. For nearly 14 years he has presented the popular property auction show "Homes under the Hammer" on BBC1, now in it's 21st series. He has also regularly appeared on BBC Radio, ITV, CNN and SKY TV.

ours did that and we just changed the whole unit as we couldnt get the right sized washer. Its silly - £15 for the unit when all we needed was the washer. Yo'd think they would include one as a spare. I think it took us about a year to realise it was running as it was in the spare bathroom and not used very often. Also the leak was obviously quite small and it was only when looking at it very closely could any running water be seen. I reckon it cost us around £100 extra in the water bills till I spotted it.

If you havent already, take a look at Dean's Facebook page for Graven Hill. https://www.facebook.com/groups/787895734689918/?ref=bookmarks

it is narrower but the back of the planned house will be within 45m of thet front of the bungalow at that side. as long as the fire engine can get onto the driveway, it should reach. We are probably going back to planning for some chages so maybe we need to look at bringing the planned house slughtly nearer the bungalow? Its some thing to consider. But at least there are ways round it. Those sprinkler systems sound hugely expensive. I was thinking around the £1k price range as its not a large house - only 150 square metres.