ZacP

But 4 hours from my daughters school! Thanks! I’ll keep my eyes peeled! Almost tempted to agree.... almost.... something will turn up, learnt lots already! Thanks!

They’re cash. Boo. Thanks tho. I’m researching off-market plots! Not round here! Some £1m+ houses have small gardens! Might retire to the boarders.

Agree, that’s however is not what ecology thought! Our original offer was asking price. Thanks! I’m keen. SWMBO less so. We had our offer on this one accepted 6months ago. 6 months of due diligence and a week off exchange it all goes Pete Tong! think this is why the plot value was reduced by ecology.

Couldn’t find the goodbye part of the forum but we’re bowing out of this game. Ecology valued the plot £100k less (£250k, not £350k) than it was on the open market so we were forced to reduce our offer. Despite absorbing £75k of this reduction and only reducing to £325k the vendor has sold to a different party within 48hours. We were due to exchange next week. FFS. Heaven knows where they got the £250k from. £350k is obv market value as there were 3ppl offering in that area! No plot. No build. No house. Thanks for your help and advice, this is an amazing resource and hopefully I’ll be back when we have found something else. Zac

Cabernet Aided Design?

@SuperJohnG tanners seem a bit expensive? How did they compare for you? also feel that a SE should visit site, guess they didn’t for you?

We were quoted about £18k for a passive standard foundation of about 130sqm from MBC but it was only as part of if we also bought their passive T/F kit and didn’t include prep work such as leveling and drainage etc. We’re not going down the T/F route, but still looking for alternative insulated slab options and prices so will follow this with interest! @Buzz & @SuperJohnG what size of slab are you laying?

Thanks all, appreciate every site is different, ours certainly so! Just thinking along the lines of ‘a good brickie can lay 8sqm of block per day’ comparison. Think we’re allowing 88 man days for walls gables etc.

As it says on the tin. Both as a contractor and as DIY? Trying to cost our labour for our build! We have 260sqm of wall to build.

Yes. Us. Nightmare doesn’t quite cover it. Move the goalposts as you go. In a good way at least we haven’t even bought the site yet! Ecology have got many many good reviews from people, and sure they’re good, but so far it’s been far from straightforward.

Can the surveyor change his mind once report was submitted? I always thought the report was final.

@SuperJohnG just looked in more detail. the ecology fees were £800 application fee and £650 valuation fee. I wasn’t there when they valued the plot, couldn’t have been - COVID. Do you think it’s worth a phone call? I have the surveyors number! @nod completely bizarre! Not even the most basic bit of research at all. So unfair. Did she challenge it?

we thought this originally and have had 3 separate standard mortgage valuations. All came back as insufficient security nil value.

@Bored Shopper it was Allied Surveyors for Ecology. If it doesn’t work out it’ll be a waste of £1700 in fees! @ProDave yes, it feels expensive to us too, but the location is perfect for us in a lovely village v close to the school were likely to be spending the next 15 years going to! Good to know about planning. We wanted to make a few changes to the window positions etc anyway so maybe not a bad idea.

@ProDave knock down, rebuild. https://www.rightmove.co.uk/new-homes-for-sale/property-74407401.html we we’re thinking about trying to negotiate £300k ish. Might take it? Plot will reduce in value as it gets closer to planning expiry anyway? @Mr Punter the estate agent values GDV as £850 and the valuer values as £750, we were thinking £800. @Tom the site is difficult so the valuer has put more contingency into it and less risk for the mortgage company.

I think this might be the case for us. They’ve also asked us to have 25% contingency. Think it’s an ar$e covering exercise. back to the drawing board!

We will be trying to renegotiate, yes using the report. The planning expires in May, so need to get a shifty on! The vendor bought the plot 18months ago for £315k... @Redoctober that’s v interesting. Or mb as a reaction to a bit of a housing market bubble?

Just had our mortgage valuation come back. It’s not good news. We have agreed a purchase price of £350k. Mortgage valuation (for Ecology) say value is £250k. The valuer also suggests build costs of £400k where as because we are self managing and doing as much DIY as feasible we have costings to show £280k. Looks like the project is dead in the water. Any suggestions?!?

What about a Willis heater connected UFH and to the solar panels somehow? If it’s only occasional heating, it might make more economical sense to have a lower initial outlay.

That looks epic! +1 on the hatred of cleaning rollers/brushes. Almost to the point where I consider them single use!

Due to a quirk of fate we will be buying our white goods before we exchange on our plot. Long story, but basically we will need them whilst in rented and we’d rather buy well once then badly twice. So we would love to hear what brands you have and if you love/hate them! Fully intergrated Dishwasher Fully intergrated Washing machine Fully intergrated Tumble dryer or Fully intergrated washer dryer TIA

Yes, I’m sure, but it’s an interesting comparison and relevant to consider in my opinion.

It’s obviously an approximation, and I have no idea what this means (but I’d be very interested to know!) in terms of carbon, but it might be a half way house between EPS ICF and timber frame. An average 3-bed semi-detached house built from Durisol will have 10 tonnes of recycled wood in the product. This wood is made up of old pallets and offcuts which would have been destined for landfill and consequently would have released carbon back into the atmosphere. Once the waste wood is mineralised and encased in cement, it won’t rot or burn. In effect, the embedded carbon is permanently captured and locked in.

Great minds @NickK!

Not wishing to throw another complication into the mix @AdamJ but have you discovered/considered woodcrete ICF? Products such as durisol, istotex etc? Rather then being made of eps they use recycled chipped timber. This might help sequester carbon in the fabric? I don’t know much about it, but the thought crossed my mind! Good luck!