shuff27

@Adsibob none of the windows shown are the finished size or dimensions, I'm just playing around with the free floorplan software & intend to have proper plans done once I've secured the plot. The 1F bathrooms will have decent sized Velux or Fakro opening roof windows (LPA has of course conditioned they must be conservation style even though nobody will see them at the rear). I'm basing everything on the existing FPP - as @TerryE notes the LPA is notoriously prescriptive with house design & resistant to amendments.

Good solution @Bozza for the downstairs WC, I'll amend plans accordingly. Will also increase size of office/study/hobby room.

I may remove the side windows from beds 2 & 3 for the same reason.

Re master bedroom - I use the bedroom to sleep in not look out of the windows so a single window is fine for me ?

The coats/boot room will be 3m x 1m. We had similar in my last selfbuild & it was great - 2.5m run of coat hooks along one side, Ikea shoe racks with bench tops underneath. No door for easy access. I like large hallways with a partial void above and a galleried landing (again, had one last time) - the house is a boring rectangle to reduce build costs so this gives it one distinctive feature inside.

Please note all measurements are approximate so some elements won't line up etc!

Sorry l posted the 1st floor twice, here's the GF:

I've removed the attached garage altogether & added 2 windows to the front elevation (dormer on 1st floor) where that would have been. Hoping to placate the planners, I've kept the same footprint, orientation, roof pitch & ridge height. Most of the windows are in similar positions, although on the rear elevation which has no overlooking issues I've changed the bedroom windows from dormers to casements. The 2 bathrooms would have rooflights (conservation of course!). I've kept all the wet rooms & services together for efficiency. The living is large enough to be subdivided to create a ground floor bedroom if required in the future, while the toilet is large enought to have a shower installed. Comments welcome as usual! @TerryE @Iceverge

So while waiting for my house sale to complete so I can progress with the plot purchase, I've been playing around with the floorplans:

Many thanks @Iceverge some very useful stuff here. My main takeaway is to take advantage of the south gable end by swapping over the living & kitchen/dining rooms as you suggest. The approved plans allow approx 200m2 - the plot seller & his architect freely admit they went for the largest possible footprint in order to maximise the plot sale value. I'm working on approx 180m2 as an ideal size for our needs. In particular we need a larger living room than you have drawn as we have a large piano to fit in! Your large utility/plant room is good as we'll have the usual UFH manifold & MHVR kit etc. So to scale up from your 157m2 I would propose moving the north elevation out approx 2m. (happy to lose the carport). Re the upstairs layout, beds 2 & 3 need to be similar sized doubles to avoid strife from my 2 kids, even though they're both adults now! The 4th bedroom can be smaller as it will be my wife's sewing/hobby room (not in use as a bedroom). The detached garage would most probably be vetoed by the planners even in a new full planning application - the seller had a pre-app meeting which included discussion of potential garage positions & he ended up with the ungainly compromise shown above. In any case I'm minded to do without a garage & just have a storage shed. What software did you use BTW?

We have 2 cars - in 40 years of car and home ownership I have never kept a car in a garage ?

Please bear in mind that ideally I want to get any changes to the existing PP design signed off as non-material amendments. I'm not sure if all planning depts use similar guidelines so here is the list in my location; "We are likely to accept the following as non-material amendments to previously approved plans: Reduction in the volume or size of the building/extension where the overall appearance and scale of the scheme is not significantly changed. Reduction in the height of the building/extension where the overall appearance and scale of the scheme is not significantly changed. Amendments to windows, doors or openings that will not have any impact on neighbouring properties or that would significantly impact on the appearance of the building/extension. We would normally consider the following to take the development beyond the scope of the permission and therefore the non-material amendment process could not be used: Increase in the size of the building/extension. Increase in the height of the building/extension. Relocating or moving the position of the building/extension. Changes which would conflict with a condition on the original approval. Significant changes to an external facing material. Additional or repositioned windows, doors or openings that will have an impact on neighbouring properties. Changes which would alter the description of development from the original application. Amendments that would warrant re-consultation of either neighbours, internal or external consultees."

I empathise with your concerns as I'm in the process of buying a plot for my 2nd self build (see my previous post for details). I'm currently considering removing the attached garage, which is perpendicular to the main structure, in order to help the budget. I'm budgeting for £1400 psm including fees, prelims & landscaping - self-managing but not labouring. Build will be timber frame, facing walls in brick, upvc windows & concrete roof tiles - so nothing fancy. Mains gas available near edge of plot along with other services. So I feel it's doable but time will tell!

Thanks Jonathan, any design ideas most welcome. The plan is north up, I reckon the rear elevation faces ESE. There are no real overlooking issues - the property to the north has a blank gable end & to the south the plot owner has just built a new double garage attached to his bungalow & will be building a new 1.8m brick boundary wall. These pics show the plot owner's bungalow (new plot on LHS); the 3 properties to the north - note the 70s house next to the grade2 listed former blacksmith's forge; the grade 2 listed cottage opposite.

Good point. ATM I'm a sprightly 58 but hoping to live in the new home as long as poss!

Unfortunately the demolition is a condition of the PP. The new driveway will be to the left & although in theory there would be enough room to enter/exit the old garage would completely block the required visibility splays for vehicles & pedestrians. Budget permitting I would also use the reclaimed stone to build a new front boundary wall of maybe 600mm H, replacing the fencing you can see in the picture.

Coincidentally I've discovered a certain active long-standing member of this forum lives at the other end of the same road this plot is on (I won't name him for privacy reasons but he may respond to identify himself). I'm planning to visit his house next week for a socially distanced tour.

I'm still pondering the garage gable with 2 obvious options; a) keep the gable but turn it into living space while reducing the dimensions of the rectangular footprint. b) remove the gable & just build the remaining retangular footprint which would certainly assist the budget. There is an existing former garage (see pic below) right at the front of the plot which has to be demolished as it blocks the new drive entrance. I could use the reclaimed limestone to face a new blockwork shed built under PD. Any suggestions on size & location (obviously not forward of the front elevation) on the site plan posted above? Would need large enough to house bikes, golf stuff, lawnmower, workbench & tools etc., probably no windows needed but light & power.

East Midlands, in a large village where dormers are actually pretty uncommon except where new housing developments have included them in order to cram in an extra storey. I don't believe the planners would object to their removal (but who knows with planners...) but I'm trying to avoid having to make another full planning application. Interestingly, the neighbouring house to the north is a seventies montrosity (currently being remodelled) while opposite is a 17th century listed thatched cottage.

...the position of the garage isn't great but the planners rejected the 1st plans which had a forward facing garage door. I've never used a garage for cars but if I did remove it I would need a location for a very large shed for all the stuff it usually stores!

Thanks for this. Yes I agree about the WC as I don't like not having a WC window, I would rather move it all the way to the rear or the front. The stairs could have a quarter landing so at first floor they arrive in the space where I'm removing the superfluous bathroom at the rear left.

Hi, new to this forum but not to selfbuilding as I completed one 10 years ago. I now have an opportunity to purchase a plot which I viewed last November but couldn't offer on as our house was not on the market. Fast forward & we've just accepted a cash offer from a buy to let buyer who has given us first refusal to stay put as tenants. Obviously this would be ideal as wouldn't have to move to another rental property first while developing a plot. So I've arranged to view this plot again tomorrow, fortunately it's still available - the owner has turned down offers from spec builders as he lives next door & wants to control who his new neighbours will be. The plot has full PP & some quite detailed drawings done by the owner's friend who is an architect (although commercial design rather than residential). I've attached the most important drawings (cropped to remove the owner's & architect's contact details). I would appreciate any opinions on the current plans. The GIA of 2200 sq.ft is larger than we require (grown up kids) so I'm minded to shrink it by 10-15% to help with a fairly tight budget of £270k. One of the upstairs bathrooms would be removed. I dislike dormer windows so I would prefer to replace those with ordinary casements, ideally under non-material amendments. By shrinking the width I believe the eaves height would increase, assuming keeping the same roof pitch, which I hope would allow enough room for casements - do you think that's correct? Would also prefer to lose the non-functional chimneys! Structure would be closed panel timber frame or SIPS (used in my previous build), brick facing walls & concrete/clay roof tiles. I would project manage the build again (retired so no other major time commitments). Thanks for any feedback.