Square Feet

That's not it though. There's a recognised 'thing' that happens on the internet where people take one little thing from your post and zoom in on it and blow it out of all proportion. It isn't done to help or advise, it tends to be more about point scoring or showing off. This leads to people feeling the need to endlessly caveat absolutely every possible wee crack that the keyboard warriors might slip in through before they can ask a question. Now I know that people on here are incredibly helpful and genuinely knowledgeable and consequently that point scoring, willy waving or showing off aren't part of the mentality here, but we do all need to be careful and question our motivation before we comment.

Thank you. I'm buzzing!

He said yes.

Thanks Gus! I'll keep you posted 🙂 Embarrassed that I haven't read any Adam Smith (yet).

Yeah mine is going to be in a separate building.

I'll just put the links to the YouTube vids I am talking about here in case it helps anyone in future. He goes over every step including the flashing. Part 2: Here's a video re landscape install of the GSE trays. I haven't watched it so apologies if it isn't helpful.

I've recently found this guy who does EV battery installs in domestic projects. I'm going to do the same on my build so it's very interesting to see how he does it, which EV batteries work best and how much it all costs. He is English, from Shrewsbury or somewhere like that I think so it's helpful for me that he is speaking in pounds and pence and UK regs.

Can you tell me where you saw these please? I've hunted high and low for some around this size but I can't find them. Someone near me is selling 1840x1020 GSE trays at a very good price but I can't seem to find any panels that would fit them (which is likely why they are so cheap). I watched a video of the GSE rep showing how to fit one a trade stand and he said the hole in the middle was so that the roofers had somewhere to stand on during install to avoid them stepping on the trays and damaging them. He also said it allows airflow under the panel to stop it overheating. It makes sense, but it also makes me a bit nervous about how waterproof they would be. I know they are designed so that the water all falls away around the hole, but water is a sneaky thing and if it can get where it's not meant to be, it will. It should still be ok as the membrane should do its job, but I'd prefer it if there wasn't a hole there tbh.

I appreciate your concern, I really do, but I do also feel frustrated that many of the comments I've received on my blog seem predicated on the assumption that I am a total numpty who is the fool from whom money is easily parted. Of course I am going to take every precaution to protect myself in this any every other transaction. That just goes without saying. Am I concerned about it though? Nope. I've been buying and selling properties in Scotland for more than thirty years, so maybe that's why. I've just tried to tot up how many and I have honestly lost count. Around 30-40 though.

I honestly don't know of any solicitors that would allow it. It just doesn't happen here.

Once it's under offer we don't allow gazumping here in Scotland.

I have only made a verbal offer so far so I can take advice from my solicitor if/when it comes time to put in a formal offer. Just now I'm waiting to hear what the guy says. I won't have to pay for the plot until I have the planning that I am happy with. Even if planning sails through first time I can still say that I am not happy with it and back out, though I am not looking to mess anyone around. A subject to planning offer won't lock me in, but will lock the plot in for me exclusively for a period of time which will be agreed later ie a year. Once I have planning I can get an Ecology plot mortgage as I will have full planning in place, which is what they require. At that point I could move onto the plot in a caravan if my flat sells. I am not going to put it on the market until next Easter at the earliest anyway so it would all tie in well as long as the flat doesn't hang around for ages unsold.

I’m totally agnostic but I think there is something in the bible about ‘thoughts becoming flesh’ and the dangers thereof. I’ve seen this concept given a positive spin by motivational gurus and I think there’s something to the idea that by thinking about something enough we can cause things to start to happen. You are just much more likely to make the appropriate choices that will lead you along the required path if your head is already in that space. The next step which creates a very scary momentum all of its own is actually voicing these thoughts and ideas to other people - very quickly these then go from ‘I am thinking of’ or ‘I might’ to ‘I am going to’. Suddenly there are no excuses or reasons to delay. It’s happening. This is the jump I have taken since my previous blog posts (which have in themselves also been an act of ‘starting the conversation’). People I have been speaking to re the house build: Gus Potter - structural engineer/designer/former builder Gus and I had a two hour phone conversation that was incredibly useful and informative. It’s hard when all the ideas live in your own head and it’s easy for the fear and doubt to kick in, but hearing Gus agree with many of the choices I plan on making was a phenomenal endorsement and morale boost. He also raised a lot of points which I hadn’t considered which have been extremely useful in mapping out this project in my head and hopefully avoiding pitfalls along the way. As a result of the call I felt a lot clearer as to the next steps I need to take. Estate agents all over the borders I’ve seen a plot that I would like to make serious moves on, but it seemed wise first to physically call in to all the agents I could find in the Borders to ask them if they are aware of any plots in the planning pipeline or such that will come to the market soonish. Planning is a lengthy process after all and so it was possible there might be plots out there that agents know about but which can’t be seen yet by Joe Public. There weren’t, but at least I know that now. The other thing to do would be to scour the planning notices, but I haven’t done that yet. The owner of the plot I got frustrated at not hearing back from the selling agents regarding the plot I was interested in so I contacted the owner directly via an email address I found on the planning portal notices. Initially I got crickets there too and both myself and the agents started to worry that he might be incapacitated somehow but it turned out he was just abroad and not very good at checking emails. On his return he replied to both myself and the agents and was kind enough to agree to meet me for coffee and a chat. I really enjoyed meeting him - he is a bit of a kindred spirit I think and it seemed as though the discussion went well. I recently sold a property to a guy who was an absolute dick in negotiations and the contrast with Mr Plot Owner couldn’t have been greater. He was emotionally mature, open, honest and straightforward and our conversation was friendly, civil and respectful. I wanted to explain to him in person why I think it is that his plot hasn’t sold in several years on the market and why the offer I would be making him was considerably lower than the asking price. By doing so I hope that he won’t automatically reject it and feel angry/pissed off/upset/disrespected by it. He is a really nice guy and I got the feeling that he would like to sell it to someone who loves the plot as much as he does and also has strong local connections. Whilst I tick those boxes I think it’s fair to say that he was disappointed in my offer. I’m sure he would like to get more for the plot, but unfortunately I can’t offer him any more. It seemed worth a punt to ask the question - I’d be gutted if I saw the plot reduced to what I would have paid at some point in the future when I had already committed to a compromise plot I don’t like as much. He was generous enough to not reject it right away but instead to say that he would think about it and talk it over with his partner before getting back to me sometime next week. I can ask no more than that. Other things I’ve been doing to prep Watching YouTube videos of Robin Clevett and others who stick-build. Selling my possessions on eBay to raise funds. Optimising the return on my savings. Working on the renovation of my flat which will need to be sold to fund the build. Working on a rough house plan layout to prepare for the PPP application. Learning about products and materials. Financial planning based on my convo with Gus - vaguely Gantt structure. Quietly crapping myself.

I've not done this before so I'm not completely clear about it but that's my understanding too. My outlay on planning fees, design etc shouldn't be for nothing unless I back out and I'll only want to do that if I hit an issue that can't be surmounted easily or within budget.

No, I don't believe they can. Once you have a concluded missive then you have a legal bargain which must be adhered to otherwise penalties will be incurred (ie its breach of contract basically). It will depend on how the solicitor words the offer but it should mean that the seller is required to sell to me at that price once I am satisfied with the planning permission. There is usually a time limit imposed like a year to allow for the planning process to go through without making it possible for me to just string the seller on indefinitely.

One major flaw in the quartz idea is that most phones now have slightly protruding cameras on the back so they don't sit flat and therefore wouldn't charge wirelessly on a flat surface. I really like the IKEA wireless charging stuff. I've had several of theirs for years and it's all been good. Much more easily replaceable than something chiselled into quartz. The one I linked to above is wireless btw. No plugging in required.

I guess if you are a Youtube chef or something that spends all your life in the kitchen then something like that might be useful, but I just have a wireless charging stand on my desk and in my van. Between the two my phone stays charged all day - I never bother plugging it in at night. I agree with what others have said that it's just a fancy waste of time, money and effort. Also a waste of electricity as it will be beaming out charge into the stone to dissipate all over the shop and won't be very efficient. Oh and the phone will be flat so you won't be able to see the screen very easily. Nah. I've got one of these. It's the biz. You just sort of throw your phone at it from a distance and it sticks on and charges. https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/vaestmaerke-wireless-charging-stand-30618430/

Nope. As I said to you before - not a Dunoon Daftie 😏 (a friendly reminder).

I was worried that when I returned I would find the door locked and a sign on it saying 'No Square Feet allowed' or something along those lines, but the boss was surprisingly friendly. She readily agreed when I said that a serious conversation needed to be had about the price. It's given me hope again, but cautiously so.

I agree that there is something to be said for the slow, considered way of the farming community, but after two years on the books (during which time they had actually forgotten that they were selling it 😂) it really is time to sit up and take notice of me and my cash.

I went in to said office at the start of the week and became mildly irritated when told once again to just leave my deets to allow someone to ignore me more effectively. I startled everyone in earshot and made them all very uncomfortable by declining that kind offer - instead stating that I would come back in an hour and see if they had any progress to report. Upon my return I found that they had actually done something 😮 My query had been elevated to the boss and attempts had been made to contact the seller, but without success. I'm starting to worry that the seller might be ill or even passed away or something which would not be good at all for anyone concerned. They are going to snail-mail him and if that doesn't work I've suggested they send someone from the local office round to 'chap his door' as we say here (a 'chap at the door' meaning very different things in Scotland and England btw). I'm hoping that if nothing else, this will all strengthen my arm for future negotiations. I'm in no rush, I shall wait and see.

Yeah that's a thought. It might be better for them in stage payments or something. I will bear in mind. I'm off to camp out in the agent's office today till I get to speak to someone who isn't going to file my enquiry under WPB (waste paper basket). Warning - classist statement incoming - I find that a lot of these rural land agent/estate agent offices are staffed by privileged middle-class offspring who just coast through life and do very little actual work whilst having lots of jolly chats with their chums in the farming/landed gentry community. Get wee Shanna fae Bathgate in there and she'd have the lot sold by the afternoon 😂

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