Stu-UK

I thought it time I updated this forum as you were all very helpful coming forward with advice. I bit the bullet and used Potton Homes (Kingspan) to take the project forward. We are nearly at watertight stage but not without significant amounts of trouble and alteration. As soon as Potton have signed off from their participation in the project I will post a more detailed review. Unless things change significantly it wont be a dazzling review and should be of help to others venturing into the world of self build for the first time!

Yes I think possibly they are all guilty. I never heard anything from Scotframe despite pestering. Weird considering the effort they put in to getting new business. Their rep in Cumbernauld contacted us in February for our brief and that was that!. Nothing. Commonplace response for norfolk trades but disheartening to think it is more widespread. I hope hope hope we have made the right choice. ?

Update: After much research and looking for a positive helpful supplier I have decided to give Potton Homes a go. I visited their show homes in St Neots and spoke to their self build consultant. I am not committed but will go through the design and planning stage and see what comes out the other side. One refreshing change from the idiot architects that have basically stolen my money, Potton suggested I slightly reduce my wishlist to cover contigency. I know it is obvious but the arcitects have just assumed I have given them a brief of only 2/3 rds of my actual budget! In fact Potton said this is common. As we have no plans. Potton will design us a new house for a fraction of what we have spent on the others. I have had to get a topographical survey done. Potton require this but I have never had to get one on the two prior and successful planning applications!? I now have a timetable which Potton are suggesting I could have a watertight shell by the winter. Trades and other unkown factors considered Stuart

Thanks for replying to my opening post so quickly. I am comforted hearing the project is doable for the budget. To me £300k is a huge huge huge amount of money but when we start talking house building it becomes a rather average pot. ? I am now decided on the new build. My problem is I don't have plans to use! The original architect designed a very modern new build which I slowly grew to hate. It ended up looking like a health centre. The second architect's plans are unsuitable as they rennovate the existing bungalow so I am back to the beginning with less money and no plans, just ideas. I cannot tar all architects with the same brush but I really do not want to go there again. This primarily is why I am looking for an off the shelf kit pattern that I can tweak. The attached plans is a design by Scotframe that we like apart from the garage which we would adapt to a living area (office). If I cannot get Scotframe to respond in time (I really want this well underway this year) something on a similar theme would be ok. I hear what you are saying @Declan52 about companies being inundated with enquiries. I will cut them some slack. This would change the existing bungalow to a 1 1/2 storey . Planning have been very easy upto to now and my theory is as they passed the original modern (health centre) house I cannot see this being and issue. Noone is overlooked etc as we are very rural. I am prepared to put as much work into this as I need to save money. One big bonus is I have found a really keen helpful builder (one man band) that will guide me where he can. I was aware of the VAT refund on newbuild but your comment @newhome is really interesting. I will not use loose descriptions in the future, thank you for that! Also although a turnkey is tempting I will do as much as I possibly can to cut costs. @Christine Walker I will look into Claymore.

Hello to you all. I thought I would join this forum in the hope I could learn from members and get some pointers. I live in Norfolk on a smallholding. Our bungalow is around 180 sq m of which 50% is uninhabitable due to disrepair. We have engaged two arcitects over a period of 4 years. Frith Associates charged us £20k for plans that sucesfully achieved planning permission but it was clear before even tenders were received that the budget had been seriously underestimated by the architect. We were unable to proceed. The second architect/surveyor David Cutting , completed plans to rennovate the existing bungalow and add a new extension. We got planning permission and the project went out to tender. We then found out the architects plans were at least £100k over our budget brief. We were unable to proceed. To me an architect should start the conversation "what is your budget'. IF they can work within that budget and produce a house that works. Both of these muppets have seemingly totally ignored basic formulae and missed the target at my expense. In summary we are the best part of £25k down and not a spade full of earth moved! With this in mind I do not intend to get yet another architect involved. I am now going to seriously explore a kit build to replace the existing bungalow. The £300k budget will buy us a new efficient house rather than a rennovation. I like the Woodcock that Scotframe offer and met them at the Swindon NHBC show but since then their communication with me has been non existant so I will not proceed any further with them. I am also looking at Potton Self Build homes. If anyone can offer any advice as to a good choice of timber frame manufacturer that has a high standard of customer service I would appreciate it. It seems in these modern days the art of running a good business has disappeared. I don't know if businesses are overwhelmed with work and don't care or I have had bad luck but I am getting heartily sick of the 'take his money and run' philosophy.