Pav

Hi all. I wasn't sure whether to start a new thread or post here. We're also researching warranties and from what I can see in the attached spreadsheet, there are fair number of lenders who would accept PCC, including some major ones such as Halifax, Natwest, Nationwide & RBS. I've been pondering this question for awhile now. In our case, we will be doing most of the building work ourselves, employing tradesmen only for the more laborious jobs, electrics & gas, etc .. It is also very likely the project will span 3+ years. It goes without saying that we are not concerned with the quality of workmanship or any future problems. With this in mind, it doesn't seem to make any sense to pay in the region of £7000 for warranty cover if we can avoid it and still re-mortgage at the end. Any thoughts? Has anyone been on the market to re-mortgage only with PCC? Any recommendations for good (and reasonably priced) surveyors who we can get onsite to oversee the build and issue the PCC? We are based on the Surrey/Hants border. Thanks Lenders Criteria.xlsx

Yes, we've been in touch with some ICF suppliers. Our design features several curved walls which is what makes ICF so suitable. We also have experience building with reinforced concrete, which is another factor. I guess, at this point, I just need to verify if some of the elements of the design are not in the "impossible" range and will not be prohibitively expensive to do. Thanks Pav

Owning to our site characteristics (lots of large oaks, proximity to green areas, farms nearby) we had to do ecology Stage 1 survey. This identified medium risk of bats, which in turn necessitated having a Stage 2 done. The latter essentially involved "bat experts" sitting outside the house at dusk trying to spot bats in the vicinity of the house. The entire pleasure shaved nearly 2 grand off our budget. No bats were found which is fortunate since these critters are protected and displacing them can only be done in a very controlled and supervised way and you also need to provide alternative "accommodation" which meets certain criteria - think "building regulations for bats" (crazy, eh?)... The problem with Stage 2 is that it can only be done between May-June and September (so we were told). If you miss this window, the entire planning process becomes significantly delayed. Good luck.

Hi all. Nice to be here. Two years ago we moved to a house in disrepair sitting on a 0.5 acre plot. We were initially thinking of renovating, but now decided a better option is to erect new house next to the existing one and demolish the current one when the build is finished. I am designing the house myself (using https://www.homedesignersoftware.com) and will be using planning consultant to get us through planning. Right now, we are at a point where we will need structural engineer who knows their way with concrete buildings or, ideally - the ICF method. This is to validate the design and ensure it can actually be built at reasonable cost. A recommendation or two would be really helpful ... Thanks Pav