Omnibuswoman

Thanks Bassanclan. I take your point about privacy. I think as we are a couple living alone we haven't really given the need for privacy a great deal of thought! Yes, there is a nice view from the master bedroom (see photo taken from across the road) which will also be somewhat visible from the upstairs living area over the roof of the house in front (the one on the right of the picture below with the fancy roof).

I would love to hear your thoughts on my initial sketch for our two story house of around 160m2. I'm working on learning a CAD program, but managed to put these together with the much simpler Roomsketcher app. The PP agreed plan is also attached, and we are planning to keep the same footprint of that, broadly speaking, but to lose the garden room (swapping this for a large porch) and not have a woodburning stove and feature chimney. In the end, we will also own the land immediately to the east of our garden. Thanks M

We have just completed on the purchase of our plot ? which has detailed PP dating back to early 2018. This was prior to the CIL, and in response to a written enquiry the council have told us that provided what we build is no larger than the building that has PP, and provided we are only making a minor amendment to the PP, the lack of CIL will continue to apply (it is not CIL exempt so much as CIL simply did not exist at the time of this PP). We need to clear the land of arsenic (one of the PP conditions) and would like to commence that work straight away, but we have not yet submitted a minor variation application. I'm concerned that clearing the arsenic might constitute commencement of work, although as it is relation to the existing PP this should not cause us to become liable for CIL. I use the word should advisedly! Any advice? Cheers M

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Thank you Ferdinand!! I love a good pedant. And I’m delighted to say that I have a sizeable collection of gins ? As it happens I previously worked for an ombuds(wo)man which is how I came to choose the moniker. A complainant once wrote to me using the title omnibusman in error, and I decided to adopt it!

Thanks Moonshine. I will have a look @BotusBuild’s contributions.

Thank you Mike ... lovely to be here. I was just explaining to my husband the salutary effect of reading about other people’s self build experiences. I think I may need to take up meditation! However, from the sound of things, most people feel it was worth it in the end which is heartening.

Thanks Roz, I will have a look! Whereabouts in Cornwall are you?

Hello all ... I am a total novice to the world of self-build, and am already feeling rather overwhelmed by the number of acronyms that I need to get my head around. My OH and I are planning to build a 150m2 timber frame (planning to use MBC timber frame company) low energy house on the Devon/Cornwall border. Plot purchase is underway. Planning consent already exists on the site but we will need to apply for a variation on that. My blind optimism has just started to give way to abject terror as I review the posts and read up on all of the stumbling blocks that may come my way.... I look forward to reading more about your projects, and gaining from the benefit of your collective experiences. Morgan, aka Omnibuswoman PS any recommendations for an architect or architectural technician who is well versed in designing environmentally friendly/green homes?