RBran

Will try to get some pictures when we are next over there

The property is not easily visible from the road or nearby footpaths, you would have to be deliberately looking for it. Plus, we know the locals very well so hopefully they wouldn't be too concerned, you never know though! We have a site meeting with an architect in a couple of weeks so hopefully, get more clarification on exactly how we can proceed both planning-wise and financially. Does anyone have experience with self-build lending? I am currently reading a lot of the guides on the Build Store website. Are there any ways to borrow if we did replace the mobile home? Currently, a lot of our funds are tied up in our flat.

Thanks for the replies and help so far - I think our current plan is to get permission to replace the mobile home with a new model, then once this is granted we can push for a change to a permanent residence. Potentially apply multiple times with incrementally larger properties to test where the limit is but ensure we have backstops. Does anyone have any good resources/tips for research around planning?

Hi Everyone! I have a small patch of land (possibly 0.5 acres after site clearance) that I am hoping to build on, it is effectively in the middle of nowhere as the connecting road is very quiet and rarely used. I am currently talking to a couple of mortgage advisers to assess what our budget might be. The land is located in Buckinghamshire and is an Area of Outstanding Natural beauty and agricultural land but has a static caravan on it. This has been in place for at least 23 years (shown on google maps satellite view) and has had council tax paid for at least the last 13 years. The land has been owned by my family for many years and they always intended to develop it but never got around to it. The caravan is now very dilapidated and is not liveable It has direct access to the road via its own driveway, this is about 200m long though There is no mains electricity, gas, water or sewage but the location is idyllic and completely secluded, the nearest neigh is over 300m away We plan to build a medium size family home in a single-storey barn style, we plan to build as big as planning and budget allows. I like the idea of going for almost passive house standards but only if the budget allows. We hope to make the site self-sufficient by installing a borehole, septic tank, solar plus battery system and possibly an LPG tank for cooking. Heating is likely to be taken care of using an ASHP and UFH plus we want a small log burner in the living space. I am thinking of getting a StarLink satellite dish for the internet - I particularly like the idea of the only evidence we live there being the smoke from a wood burner during the winter. I have no idea of what the energy requirements are going to be yet though so it is hard to decide on the size of the solar array and battery. This will be our first self-build so any advice would be greatly appreciated.