Square Feet

No worries. I'm at the very early 'back of an envelope' stage of my design, so anything you can offer is really helpful. I had reckoned on 11x7m internal so it's very pleasing to see that's exactly what yours seems to be.

@ProDave Brilliant, thank you. I will study them and let you know if I have any questions. Really appreciate it.

As the title says @ProDave Do you have a floorplan for your house that you could share? I am looking to build a 150sqm, 1.5 storey house in Scotland so it seemed an obvious choice to have a peek at what you have built. I tried to look it up on your blog but it said the earlier posts weren't available. Asking in here rather than private message so that we can all see - feel free to message me if you don't want it out in public. Cheers

Nice one @Great_scot_selfbuild, that's really helpful thanks. 1 - I'm speaking to Gus Potter of this parish for this very reason. As he is a former builder who is familiar with the stick build system who is now an SE with an architectural approach he seems ideal to avoid the very issues you mention. I've had experience of the disconnectedness of architects from the real practical world before and I am not keen to repeat. I'd much rather use an SE/former builder that can do a bit of the architectural side than an architect who hasn't a clue about the SE/construction side. 2 - Nice one thanks. I will look into this later. 3 - This is a very good tip. If I can get the plot loosely tied down I will definitely do this. at only £3.60 per it's a no-brainer. 4 - A lot of the houses in the vicinity are self-builds so I am looking forward to meeting the neighbours. Hopefully there will be some kindred spirits and good advice there. I'm still trying to start the conversation re the plot purchase. I've made two approaches but it's been crickets so far. I will have some more time to put to making progress on that next week. I was hoping to avoid having to make a low-ball offer via my solicitor to get their attention as it's an easy way to get folk's backs up, but it may be the only way.

I sold my soul to DeWalt some years ago and I haven't regretted it. The batteries last forever and stay charged even if you don't use them for a couple of years. The tools are very robust and well made and purr along like a sewing machine. You can pick up second hand tools and they will still work fine, even if the outside shows them to have had a hard life. They hold their value well for selling on later if you find you no longer need them. Some of the more simple tools like torches and sanders you can get aftermarket versions of that will work fine with the DeWalt batteries. As others have said - pick a good brand and stick with them.

I forgot to add a bit about sewer pipes and water lines etc. Most underground pipes or cables can be identified on-site by looking for the marker posts at the edge of the road. Access to the proper asset plan should always be a part of the conveyancing and health and safety policy for your plot, but if you want to check before you get too carried away and invested in a plot then you can access these maps online for a fee. If you were buying a plot at auction then you would want to do this anyway before you bid. In Scotland these used to be available for free from the Scottish Water website but they seem to have farmed them out to three private companies who now charge a fairly modest fee for this. Here's an example https://www.cornerstoneprojects.co.uk/scottishwaterplans/ This company charge £35.50 +Vat for a same-day service.

Thanks that's very useful. Would you do the plastering differently if you were starting it now? I totally get what you mean about getting it 'good enough' so that you can move in but I want to try and avoid doing things twice if possible.

Well exactly. I like to be nice, but if someone is taking the p1ss then they aren't going to be my friend for very much longer.

I don't know where you live, but here in Scotland we try to be nice to our friends. It's likely to cost less than the price of a bottle of wine and is the least I can do if someone is helping me out. Also if they come to visit me then it's nice to be nice. I honestly can't stand the mentality of 'what's in it for me?' Just be a nice human.

Yes that's what I meant by a dead neighbour. Poor old guy was lying there for six months over the hot summer of 2020. The first policeman to break into the flat came straight out and threw up on the pavement after. For months I'd been trying to find the source of the grim smell - it wasn't the drains or the sewer or the bins but smelled a bit like all three. Sad business.

Is there a void that an animal might have crawled into and died? I know there shouldn't be with airtightness regs but the last time I had a smell that I couldn't find the source for it turned out to be a dead neighbour 😌

My van has a 40kwh battery. If I was your friend and stayed over it would cost 40x7p = £2.80 to go from completely empty to completely full on overnight rates. I'm very unlikely to arrive with a completely empty battery, so I'd probably only need a quid or so worth of juice. If you've got spare solar then it's free.

But someone who comes to visit you might.

EV charging can take place via a 3-pin plug if the outlet socket is correctly rated. If you do it through a regular one it can melt them over time. Is this just a regular 3-pin 230V house socket that is marked so that you know it's safe for EV use? Otherwise you don't need a special EV charger for each brand of car. An untethered 6kw wall charger with a type 2 socket on will be fine for all vehicles. There's a few around that still have Type 1 charging (mostly Nissans) but they just use a Type1 to Type2 cable to get around this.

Hi Mike, I just finished reading all your blog to date. Thanks for writing it, I've found it really useful. The IKEA wardrobes are not beyond redemption - you can push the backing off from inside so that the nail heads stick up a bit and then pull them out with a claw hammer. Then get it square and renail. Having them squint like that would drive me nuts! Can I ask a question about your wall finish? You've done what I plan on doing and boarded it out yourself. Have you also done the taping/filling of the joins yourself and if so were you able to do that without sanding? Is there a final finish coat of plaster to go on top after that stage? I hope you don't mind me pointing out that there's a couple of dodgy bits I can see in the plaster around your rooflight reveals - are these getting edged and skimmed later or have they been done but just got bashed during construction on site?

Thanks Dave, yes that was all covered in the deeds and planning consent. The reason I wanted more info about surrounding landowners was to check how robust some of the agreements are. I'm sorry that I can't say any more at this stage and am being a bit cryptic, but I'm not wanting to give the location away! There's nothing there that's causing me concern re the water, drainage or services though. I know it all needs checking to make sure it's still current but it seems good so far.

I've spent the last few days carrying out some desktop due diligence on the plot I want to buy. I thought I would detail it here in case it helps anyone else on their plot buying journey in Scotland. I've accessed as much information as I possibly can about the plot from the following sources. Most were free, but two were paid. In total I have spent £9.60 on this. ScotLIS - Scotland's land registry. You can search the index for free and may glean some information, but for to access the title sheet, deeds and owner info you need to pay £3.60 (£3 plus VAT). The download to your email is instant. WhoOwnsScotland. This is a privately run website that allows you to map search for the details of significant landowners. I used it in addition to the above as the plot I am interested in is in the countryside and surrounded by farmland. It costs £6 for one month. (I happen to have an annual subscription for this already which works out at £1 a month, but if you just want it for one thing it's £6). It doesn't show small plots below a certain size which is why I needed the land registry info too. Council planning portal. Free. From this I have been able to view the existing (lapsed planning), and read all the documents, view plans etc. I did the same for earlier planning applications on the same plot and also neighbouring houses. There's a vast amount of information available. I now have a pretty good idea of what kind of house will be allowed and what won't and also a steer on the council's likely response to road access, archaeology, environmental, services etc. I also found the owner's email address which they had neglected to redact. National Library of Scotland. Free. I used their 'side by side' feature to view historical maps alongside the existing google aerial view. This allowed me to compare the 1800's map with the present day to get some insight as to any old buildings that might be on the site. Google Earth. Free. I used the Historical Imagery button to enable me to go back through earlier satellite images of the plot. This allowed me to see if any modern buildings had been on the site since Google Earth started recording imagery in 2009. Companies House. Free. The plot is owned by a limited company so I was able to find the owner's details including age and address. This allowed me to get a better idea of who is selling the plot and why. I could also see what value had been given to the plot in the company's balance sheet. I now feel as though I have a much better feel for the plot and the reasons why it hasn't sold so far. I still haven't heard back from the agents but I will try again with the benefit of feeling better informed to begin negotiations in order to make an offer subject to planning. Of all I've read today, the only thing that concerns me is some of the clauses in the deeds, which I can't interpret without the help of my lawyer anyway. I won't bother them though until I have an informal price agreed with the agents as there's no point getting carried away if the seller won't budge on the price. There were some things that I learned today that I hope will give me leverage though. Please don't tell me that I have to be careful regarding a plot that doesn't have planning - I know this already. I'm not about to throw a large wedge of cash away on a plot that can't be built on so of course I will make sure I am completely covered and have plenty of legally binding get-out clauses before I formally offer on it. If I missed a useful source then please feel free to add it to the comments below.

Some good ideas here, thanks - definitely some things to think about. I have been to see the agents so I'm just waiting to start the conversation with the sellers. Yes, I've done a lot of research on the plot and I fully understand why it hasn't sold. The reasons happen to align with what I do for a living so I feel confident that I at least know who to speak to and what would need done to deal with those issues. I don't think they are a problem, but I can see why it has put other potential buyers off - especially when there were other local plots available without these issues. I haven't put a load of time into it yet as this plot may be a non-starter, but I should reassure you all that I am not a naive dafty who is completely new to all this! I just didn't want to go into the issues too much in my original post as I don't want to give too much away in a public forum. I suspect the sellers have been fairly relaxed about renewing permission as they didn't think it would be a problem. They may have made a mistake there, but we shall see.

Yes, it's pretty common here too with plots. Very often here there's wiggle room for the buyer to get out of the contract later on if the planning that is approved isn't completely to their liking. It's not a nice thing to do to the seller and it won't win you many friends but there's usually a get-out in the contract that can be exploited if needed.

Yes, I'd love to buy both if I can, but I need to be realistic and not get carried away here. It will depend on whether the sellers are willing to come down in price tbh, but I can't drive them down too hard as I work in the area and also will be their future neighbours. We'll see. I've been to see the agents to start the conversation but not heard back yet. There's also the possibility that if I buy the best one of the two plots that the other will just sit there unsold and I can snap it up for garden ground at some point in the future. It would be a gamble though!

Just thought I would put a recommendation for Handle King on here. I'm not connected or affiliated with them in any way - just a very happy customer. I've bought several sets of door handles from them over the years. They dispatch quickly, offer great quality products at really good prices and there's an actual person that picks up the phone on the second ring to deal with any queries. They are based in the Midlands somewhere I think, but just sell online. https://www.handleking.co.uk/

Yes I think that's it - they live locally so won't want anything they don't approve of.

Sure, but the law is different here in Scotland - we have a lot more protection when we buy.

The planning has lapsed and the seller has put a condition on that the buyer must have planning approved before an offer can be accepted. This must mean they will be willing to consider an offer subject to planning as it won't work otherwise. I will speak to the agents about this on Monday morning. I will need to make a fresh planning application which would just be for my house plus a solo garage. I completely understand that land registry don't like to split a title when the owner is the same person, so I get why it's being sold as a twofer, but there's a lot of details to figure out with the agent before I jump in.

Hey everyone. I've been a forum member for a number of years as a renovator of properties in Scotland. I joined with the goal of one day building my own house but as happens to many, this has been postponed and pushed back many times. In the interim I have really enjoyed reading your blogs and posts and I have learned an enormous amount about self-building. I am now at the point where my ducks are sufficiently in a row to embark upon my own self-build, which is scary but very exciting. I've found a plot I want to buy, which has brought things into sharper focus. As ever, I have a million questions and decisions to make to ensure I get this right. I'm aware that some of this could be questions in various different forums ie design, planning etc but I thought it would be easier to start this blog from the very beginning in case it helps others by keeping everything in one place. So here we go..... The house I want to build The house I want to build is c.150sqm, two storey, passivhaus standard with enough eco features so that it is as off-grid as is practicable. I currently live in a top-floor flat that has been extended into the attic - a 'double upper'. It feels like a house when inside, but lacks the amenities such as driveway parking for my EV, private garden etc that a house would bring. It's also in a town and I want to live in the countryside. My flat is 150sqm in size and is costly to run. It feels like a good size, albeit with a rubbish layout. So I'd like my new house to be similar in size but with a better layout and good insulation, eco heating etc. Downstairs would be the usual - kitchen, dining, living rooms plus a small office/spare bedroom with downstairs shower room for guests or future proofing. Upstairs would be two/three bedrooms and the main bathroom. I'd like a separate garage/workshop. This would perform a lot of different functions and hopefully keep a lot of the mess of my work and hobbies out of the house as this is a problem currently in the flat. The plan The 'back of an envelope' plan is to buy the plot, move onto it in a touring caravan and first build the garage/workshop. This would be fitted with solar panels and a battery, inverter etc to generate electricity for the build and to charge my electric van. It would also house a small basic kitchen, lunch room, toilet and shower room which would operate as the welfare facilities for the build, plus a small site office for delivery notes, plans on the wall, etc. If allowed I would sleep in an attic floor above this, but if not then I would continue sleeping in the caravan. If needs be I would remove the welfare facilities after the build in order to not create a habitable building out of the garage. I would then build the house while living on site, with the main goal to get it wind and water-tight as quickly as possible. If funds have run out by that stage then I will have to earn some more to finish the inside but it's absolutely imperative that I can get a sealed house before that happens. The house The house will be around 120-150sqm, 3/4 bedroom, near-passive house. It will be stick-built on site. I would like it to be 150sqm but might only be able to afford to build a 120sqm house. I would like a two storey house, but planning might only allow a 1.5 storey to fit the local vernacular. I like wooden finishes but I have heard what has been said in here re timber cladding and insurance etc so I am aware that some of it will need probably need to be render externally. The plot I am going to be deliberately coy about the plot at this stage as I haven't yet signed on the dotted line for it and don't want someone stealing it out from under me. Plots don't come on the market very often so I have been shopping for one for years. These were my criteria: In a specific Scottish rural area which I love and know well (I work there and have lived there in the past). South facing for passive solar gain and solar generation, also a sunny garden. Rural outlook Space for a separate workshop/garage building Space to park my EV and charge it at home I also had the idea that I wanted to find a plot with planning consent for more than one house so that I could build a second one to sell on to help pay for the house I keep and live in. This may change however as I know there's complications with this! I have now found a plot that ticks all these boxes. It has planning for two 4 bed detached houses with a separate detached garage building shared between them. The planning lapsed over 10 years ago. It is south-facing, in the area I want to be and has an outlook to die for. I can afford it now if I just buy one plot (the sellers are willing to split) or I can buy both plots together if I sell my flat quickly or get creative with finances. The budget After buying the plot I should have around £1,500 per sqm for the build. This includes the workshop. I'm very aware that this isn't a great deal, which is why I have opted for stick-built on site for the construction method. The plan is to do as much of this as I can myself, with the help of unskilled labourers, plus skilled trades only where absolutely needed ie spark, plastering, heating engineer etc. I have an idea of how I want to do this, but I haven't seen anyone else do it yet! So I am not sure if it's a brilliant idea or a really stupid one As I said above - the main focus is to get to wind-and-watertight within budget and I can figure out the rest from there. I've waited over 20 years for the chance to do this so if I have to wait an additional couple of years in order to get it finished inside it won't be too much of a hardship. The first issue to make a decision on: Do I buy both plots or just one? My finances are tight, so it would be better for me to buy just one, but buying two ensures I can control who my neighbours are to some extent and ensure I get the best bit of the land. I could build the first house and sell it and that would give me enough money to build the second one for me to keep and live in with less need for compromise. I would also have the opportunity to learn a lot by building the first house and could put these lessons into practice in the second (keeper) house. All of which sounds good, but it means a lot longer to wait until I am living in my own house. I might be completely done-in by the time I've built one house and not want to go ahead and build another. There may be CGT, VAT implications etc which would make things unworkable. There's no CIL in Scotland but my area does have a railway contribution that developers need to pay. If I have to live in the first house for 3 years before I can sell it this would stretch the whole scheme a bit too far into my old age (I'm 55) and would impact my ability to cope with build 2. I'd love to hear your thoughts.