Jilly

Bats only matter if they are in a building you are planning to demolish or renovate (as I understand it). Congratulations BTW!

Hey, yes, sorry, don't be down beat because of me, I guess the £400k figure just came from extrapolating from my costs and watching Grand Designs ... there are people who have build new inhere for £1k/m2

PS, I think you might need nearer £300-400k as a gut instinct... The next thing you need to do is work out how to get through Building Control with all these bits of legislation fighting each other, as its much safer to do a Full Plans submission and get the loadings and design stage SAP calculation approved etc. A Building Notice could go horribly wrong. An experienced architects technician will help you comply with BC (there is little leniency with conversions, but not much). Get experienced people for everything here: think if a mistake can be made, it will be, and try to prevent it.

Mine will be turn key for that, but excludes services (about £7K) and all the professional fees have totalled about £20k, I think. I could do it for less by using subbies and project managing, but feel under confident about co-ordinating the parts before first fix.I haven't included landscaping. Random thoughts: At a glance, the oak garage would be good value if you could camp in it, but the cost of foundations might push the costs up. Could you compromise/ wait on the landscaping? Secondhand kitchen? Electrics might be more. Sheeps wool is great but relatively more expensive. Stonework might cost more if you need conservation specialists Do you need scaffolding? I think glass secondary glazing would look better on non opening windows (Sorry!). I'm renting an old house and its surprisingly good. I may be naive too, but if you can design as much as possible to reuse what you have, could you avoid so archeology by not digging? Have you considered compost loos? They are getting better all the time. Some are up to building regs and would avoid the need to dig? Grey water reuse (careful not to flood the grave yard?!) for the same reason?

'x' perhaps should say oops!!

x

Hopefully no bats? If you weren't asked by ecology for a survey, then you are in the clear (add another £5-10k if you have bats). I'm doing a very simple 60m2 conversion and have a working quote of about £100K. It's relatively expensive to convert. However, if you can live on site in a static and go slowly and allow yourself plenty of time to research everything you will save a lot. It's a really steep learning curve. You will make lots of surprise discoveries: for example, I had read that conversions attract just 5% VAT and you must ensure each and every invoice is charged at this rate if possible. But I've just discovered that I can actually claim back this 5% (!), seems daft, but there you go. Also, once the building is habitable and signed off, any future extensions will be charged at 20% and this can't be reclaimed, so it pays to plan properly and do your pros and cons calculations. My experience with structural engineers (SE) was that I needed a second opinion and saved £15-30K.I needed calculations to prove I wasn't changing the loading. The first SE wanted to underpin everything. Advice I have had is to start with the SE, as an architect may design something fancy but expensive. Good luck. I'm guessing at the very least you can camp in there if you have services, to avoid rent?

Double check the situation with the planning dept, as I have pp to convert a stable in a Conservation Area, but all my PD rights removed. In practice, this means I cannot make any applications for extension/chimney/garage etc until its been signed off and I can make a householder application. Initially, I went in to speak to the duty officer (novice I suspect) and they told me I could apply for a 'variation of condition' to get an extension, which turned out to be completely incorrect and was refused (but they don't tell you why). I eventually got to speak to a more experienced case officer after trying for a pre application meeting (which was shoved to the bottom of their pile as they are snowed under), and she explained the above. I wasted 6 months, so be careful. It doesn't mean you can't have it, but it may mean you have to be careful of timing with the application.

The stable has a small lean to which is included in the footprint of the planning consent but is 'difficult' in that it is on clay, near trees and has no foundation. After differing opinions, I have gone down the route of getting Building Control Full Plans approved on the main block built stable, but want to keep in mind the 'extension' for the future or to maybe start something now, if it makes sense financially. So, I have a few questions: A timber extension would be lighter, is that likely to bother insurance companies? If we start this part on a Building Notice, do we have to submit drawings of the layout and foundations or just ask them to inspect? I've got a structural engineer thinking about options. I'm concerned another full plans will take too long (its just taken 5 months instead of 5 weeks).

Not sure if this helps, but I took two years of procrastination because of differing structural opinions, but I didn't break ground until it was resolved as it was so confusing. I found an engineer who would provide calculations to show that the existing structure was fine to reuse (stable conversion), so you may need another opinion... and the BC SE may have his own ideas too, so you need an SE that can argue their case well. Not sure if I've missed something but not joining the building and extension foundations can be done, to allow differential movement with some flexible joining of the building which I don't know the name of. Padstones foundations can can be one solution. I've been warned that some SEs over spec to work defensively.

Good grief! Do you have to also co-ordinate with Building Control and Listed Building Consent too?

Gus, thank you! For such a considered reply. I know this is a journey which I must be resolved to enjoy. I've sat on the edge for a couple of years learning, to try and minimise mistakes. I feel I've learnt an awful lot, from this forum, Dr Google and simply talking to people. I'm as ready as I can be. It's just happened this way, because of the quirks of planning laws in Conservation Areas, I must 'practice' on the actual house, which is on a difficult site, rather than start on something easier. I'm viewing the rest of the site as my pension, but I don't have a sous left to invest in it, so I will have to figure out a strategy for another day.

Exciting!

We've had a quote from a recommended contractor, working off a full plans Building Control (BC) application for stage one of the stable conversion, it's about £100k for 60m2 block build building. Ie the building has adequate foundations and 3 walls will be used. (I know, I know I didn't get more quotes, but the other builder wanted a blank cheque, another seemed overwhelmed and didn't give a price, and this one has built a fairly priced extension for a very fussy friend to a good standard) The full plans route was chosen was to secure that BC are happy with the existing foundation/structure/loading, which they are. My 'problem' is that the prices seem expensive and I'm wondering about just using this firm for the external building work/roofing/steels/drainage (approx £60k) etc which needs experienced co-ordination and then subbing the internal work: plumbing/electrics/stud wall/suspended floor/kitchen/bathroom/insulation because I feel (reasonably) able to do this and hope to save some money. I'm resigned to the fact that I am paying about double labour costs for each job (assuming £150-200/day for most trades), for the benefit of his experience of how to co-ordinate everything. I'd already decided to knock off his £4k quote for decorating and do that myself. I know its not a lot of money in the Grand (Design) scheme of things, but it's all I have. Weighing up risk: it will cost me £5-10k in rent to take this longer route, and there is a chance of rookie error. It might be worth just letting him get on with it all... Thoughts folks?

Mine was over £1000 for a small 60m2 house

Gosh, you poor thing, that must be so hard for you. I know what it is to have a love affair with an old house. Random musings: Have you thought about crowd funding? A couple raised cash on Grand Designs by this method. You might appeal to people who love old buildings. What will you get for your £100k from the dry rot co? Will they replace all the timber and make the house good as new with a guarantee? Could you find a hardy lodger who might be willing give you a few hours work a week in return for a roof over their head? Good luck xx

Welcome, you must be my alter ego! I'm finding conversion more expensive than new build. Everyone on here told me to try for demolition and rebuild like for like, due to site difficulties, but as we are in a conservation area, it was 'against policy'.

You are doing well!

The BBC website has a 'how to lay a hoggin path' and it says for foot traffic, won't stand up to vehicular use.

So, I'm not at the point of choosing an ASHP, but...you need extra heaters?? TBH it was troubling me how it would work in the really cold weather...

Worries. This whole building thing is a worry. The build is probably making you anxious and your brain is doing overtime. You can't do anything about it now. I think most of us have had an asbestos exposure at some time so try to stop yourself panicking. As your GP said, it's unlikely to have been contaminated. You could send some samples for testing (its not that expensive) to put your mind at rest. Just learn what you can from the experience. Protect your lungs and put a mask on for every dusty thing (I've got asthma and I always greatly regret doing a quick job and not bothering) and make sure you and your subbies wear PPE.

Have you looked at Reed Bed treatment if you have space?

I've been told to have larger than normal radiators, too, in this situation

Hi there, I can't find this info fully in old threads. Please could someone please run thru the different insurances needed and the pros and cons and obligations and scary things to be aware of? I am having unexpected problems finding insurance. I had a quote yesterday for £5k per annum for my conversion because I said I wanted to get to first fix and then and hire subbies, so I'm thinking I may look for a turnkey contractor. I was refused outright by one company because the building has cladding (planning permission condition in Conservation Area), I presume post Grenfell.

For planting ideas look at Beth Chatto's Dry garden. Prickly low growing things might deter cats...