iSelfBuild

The ones that rent out very well nearby are 75mm glulam with LPG boiler and radiators. That's not a bad shout to have LPG as well but don't particularly trust holiday makers with a gas hob lol. Log burner is a must! The site only has a pathetic 10mm armoured electric supply over 120m from my 100 amp fuse near the mast... so voltage drop etc and that size means we can't pull a massive amount from it. So I need to put in a much better supply if we go for ASHP (it actually needs and independent supply to both properties to qualify for comercial RHI I a told) cabin could keep the 10mm I guess if we worked it out properly, I'll drop you a PM

I'll post all the figures in here when I get them, nothing back today and I need them to make a decision now on the thickness of log. Most likely I will go for glulam 92mm logs. Rather than 200mm round or 70mm solid log - just worried on the suitability of the ASHP.

I will have to have a look at the un-rendered plinth! Makes sense. First thing I did was tapped it. It felt very sound.

One day Well my offer was not accepted. I did my sums and worked out the offer at £25k below the current asking price - I would have walked away with a £18-£13k net profit for maybe 4 weeks of work max. Much of the work inside is tidying up cat scratches, few walls re-skimmed, blown glazing replacement, new front door etc, redecoration. She asked for £15k more than I offered so I have walked away and said my offer will stand for 1 week before I tie the money up elsewhere. I might offer an assisted sale if nothing comes up on the horizon in the next week or two. Very interesting points raised in this thread and the small cill projection does look suspicious! Looks like it has been dashed over. There is a few drilled inspection holes in the render for me to get a cavity inspection camera through. I might have a look just for the fun of it. I can't see whats going on inside as all the kitchen units are around that area. I have a vertical crack in my current house which is due to dodgy pebble dashing and a tiny kitchen extensions not being tied into the original brickwork properly, it hasn't opened up for 3 years. I'll be testing my 'masking' skills shortly by injecting colour matched render into the crack (potentially beige fire cement as I got the idea from a tube of that I bought by mistake last week) I expect if I inject it with a fine nozzle and use a dry brush to feather it in it should be hard to notice... failing that it will all need painting!

I think I might have done my sums wrong for the RHI... I have the company looking at it all tomorrow. With regards to the cabin. I believed if I achieved a cabin that was BS3632 (better insulated) it would be 0% VAT rated - It would have to be 200mm round logs. Since I'm renting it out I will have to pay 5% VAT regardless whether it achieves BS3632 or not. This means I can go down to 70mm rectangular logs, I looked at one which rents out all year round and looks lovely! It's a business so ROI needs to rule rather than my emotional preference. Personally I love the look of 200mm round log but the 70mm unit I looked at also looked nice! In terms of U Values - 200mm round log Window U-values are less than 1.4 W/m²K. Single 200mm. round log wall U-value 0,58 W/m²K. Roof U-value with standard materials is 0,16 W/m²K. Suspended U-value for floor 0,18 W/m²K. (Could be beefed up with kingspan but doubt I would bother) OR Lowest spec option - 70mm rectangle log Window U-values are less than 1.4 W/m²K. Single 70mm. round log wall U-value 1.41 W/m²K. Roof U-value with standard materials is 0,24 W/m²K. Suspended U-value U-value for floor 0,23 W/m²K. I wouldn't bother building it this low spec but It's pretty much how low spec I could go, I doubt it would be a comfortable temperature and I doubt a ASHP would work well... Still interested to see the RHI calculations! The other property it's on the commercial RHI scheme with is near enough passive standards. She has suggested an 8.5KW unit for about 180m2 building.

I loved the idea of the wood gasification boiler, was looking at the eco angus but practically it seemed a burden and rope round our neck. Processing all those logs and being on site for the batch burning. Let me know about those loans if you have details?

Hi Jamie, Dropped you a PM to discuss a few things and for the benefit of @Crofter and everyone else I'll mention a little tip I have uncovered. Not sure on both of your energy situations but since you both have or will have 2 dwellings you are eligible for a commercial RHI. You can have a split phase supply put in that feeds two air source heat pumps in the properties and thus qualifies for the commercial RHI. It is set to cash flow us about £200k over the next 20 years.

Hello, Just looked at a property for investment and there is a large crack in the rear. I have highlighted it in Orange. There is a cellar at the property which is in great condition! What would people say is the culprit, could it be a leaking drain causing settlement? I spotted there has been two holes drilled in the crack so someones had a camera perhaps in there at some point. Think I might have to get one of those.

Thanks everyone! Mega useful I will compare prices with those companies ?

Can anyone recommend an oak staircase supplier? Just had one designed by a company I use in Estonia and my eyes are watering! Thought it might be better to source one in the UK due to transport costs. I'm sure I remember @JSHarris saying he had a contact for someone who uses CNC but I may have dreamt it!

I never plan to move the unit though and it will all be built on site so it seems an added expense unless it simplifies things for the manufacturers.

Have you managed to identify where the width is measured from? Internal walls, external walls, corners of log overlaps (in this case 200mm each side) or gutters etc? It's so ambiguous! I had a meeting with planning, they don't know or give a monkeys as long as the material finishes pass their approval. Also I'll probably have it made in one section with no up in down the centre line. This makes it techichally too wide for road transport or will that not matter?

Contact Jack @ https://www.albagreenoakframes.co.uk/ Top bloke! Did our trusses, best prices by far.

Oh dear, I already know what's going to happen and my misses isn't going to like it. Roll on building it myself lol.

Agreed, I could stick frame it all out on site but I have to value my time into this (and the moaning from my misses being away from home lol) and I wouldn't be going for it at £90k for 112m2 anyway, would be tempted with the low end of £70k by simplifying the spec. At £90k with the electrics, heating, bathrooms, kitchen and ground works etc it would push it way over budget. I'll be happy to bring it all in finished at £90k for about 120m2 (excluding drainage and the land purchase) - I might be dreaming at that though. Did you have a breakdown on costs for your place?

@Crofter Glad you have joined the party ! Here is what I have collated regarding VAT (extracted from HM Customs and Excise VAT Notice 701/20): If you supply a caravan - that is if you: sell it; or lease it under long term leasing agreement (in excess of one year) uner which the lessee is free to transport it to a park of their own choosing; or loan it; or divert it to your own personal use Your supply is zero rated if the caravan is either; more than 7 metre long; or more than 2.3 metre wide ...and it’s manufactured to BS3632:2005 I agree a log cabin is terrible for being portable but I never plan to move it. They build these cabin on simple raft foundations with their own insulated floor - not sure if they slightly raise it up as they must have some ventilation below. 3 week build time from landing on site, so we can get it weather tight and just play away at fitting the kitchen, bathrooms etc. P.S. @Crofter just checked your cabin out on Air BnB - Stunning! How'd you get away with the vaulted ceilings?

Dumfries and Galloway a place called Kippford

Top man, interesting that you say about the size being different. I thought that when he said it could be nion 7m wide from his experience - something to do with allowing existing caravans to be externally insulated! Shame that that's not the case in Scotland.

The time has come for me to kick off our second development site and I now need to make a decision and commitment in terms of whether I build to full regulations or push it through as 'portable' building like @Crofter has done. One bonus which I wasn't aware of is that they are able to 0 rate this for VAT. Does anyone have the regulation handbook for mobile homes in Scotland - I remember a copy floating around on Buildhub? I'm keen to here peoples thoughts on whether I'm making the right choice (vs full regs) here based on the following... The building plot was relatively cheap, so far stands me at £67,000.00 and it has a shared treatment plant installed ready to tap into so I haven't got that nasty stress and expense to come There is planning permission granted for a single story lodge with a 5m ridge height restriction. Most people have dealt with amending the plans by submitting a none material variation to alter the internal layout, size and agree the material finishes. No one has gone for mobile/portable regulations up there but a neighbouring site has got a few log cabins classified as portable homes on there I believe. The planning conditions stipulate that the lodges may be used all year round but may not be used as sole or principal permanent residences - this if a further reason why I think I don't think it's totally necessary or will alter the resale value if built to mobile regs. Someone has just tried to have this lifted with no success. I don't plan to sell this development, it's purely for rental and ROI purposes so I'm not bothered about it being classed as mobile and the impact on resale. There is a fair bit of competition in the local area for holiday rentals, log chalets are really popular with people but very few are round logs and I think people will agree a round log cabin looks so much better and authentic than the rectangular ones you see. Hoping to dress it so that it's very rustic and characterful. So, that along with a beautiful forest setting and a hot tub should act in our favour. If I go for full regulations you have to hide all the round logs in insulation... what would be the point! Few questions... spoke today with the log cabin supplier, he suggests a raft foundation. Would building control even come out and approve this if it was done to mobile regs? They were a pain in the arse making us dig down through solid granite on the other plot - this alone will save me 000's in excavation. I have already levelled the development site and made some low spots up with rock excavated from our other site. Mobile regs has a ceiling height restriction? Would have loved a vaulted space in the living area... do you reckon I can bend the rules here or is it very fixed in place? Fire treatment... I believe the internal logs have to be treated with fire retardant - does anyone know how often this is? I imagine this is pretty costly! Keen to hear peoples input, thanks.

This brings back memories of our retaining wall! Good luck with the first pour, I hope it goes better than ours did!!!

The snow picture looks idyllic! When I was building our lodge I often thought I would have been just as happy in a tiny house like this one after being so happy in the caravan. Have you started your build yet?

Over the years of owning our forest building plots in Scotland the boundaries marked by pieces of rebar and string have become questionable... someone has an offer on the adjacent plot now so I want to stake out the site using GPS this weekend and put in some proper posts. I have the following information: All of the Plot boundaries have been professionally surveyed by a Chartered Surveyor. All locations tied to the National Grid by RTK, GPS & OS Active OPS network and OPS Superplus Does anyone know the GPS or other sort of equipment I need to hire to be able to do this? I also assume I can get a copy of the boundaries from my solicitor? I really have no clue to be honest.

Bloody he'll just back from the site looks different! I'll post some videos tomorrow. Retaining wall is all filled in and still standing My groundworker has bought loads of twin wall straight perforated pipe for the sewage treatment plant soakaway... I thought it had to be the Marley type with slots in the bottom so I told him it was not correct. However when I reread online it says it cant be flexicoil perofrated... can someone please advise?

Mmmmm hmmm! They gave me discount though

SOLD