Ferdinand

Welcome to the adventure! Where are you - law and planning policy varies hugely but geography and land designation. Yes there are all those barriers, and yes it is difficult and complex. Others will come up with ways and means, but can I be Murphy sounding a warning bell about rushing. Yes you may be able to do a self-build mortgage with the land as part or full deposit, but it will require a specialist provider. There are threads on here with links or search online for self-build mortgages, or in magazines or weekend newspapers. THat way you get a rain check on what your broker says and the experience to begin developing a 'knower', which will help you 'know' whether you are being played or not. I think the biggest hole in your setup is that requiring completion 7 days after PP is RIDICULOUS. It will take perhaps 10 times that amount of time to arrange a mortgage, never mind the 6-8 weeks a rapid solicitor will require to get things ready to exchange, never mind complete, on the purchase. DO they have a right to pull out if you fail to complete in 7 days? Can you do all that in advance. In my view you probably want an agreement that will give you 6 months to complete after getting PP and perhaps let out clauses in the purchase agreement too. In a just world you would also want some of your Expenditure back if he sells to someone else, since you will be increasing the value of the land for him. There are people here who will tell how long it actually took in their case. To my jaundiced eye that agreement for 7 days might say they saw you coming, and are setting you up to fail, and save themselves the cost and hassle of PP - since once PP is granted everyone can use it on that plot. (If I am wrong on the above I will be delighted.) GIven this, I think you need to review the agreement, and also make damn sure there is nothing else that will let the seller renege after you have PP or exploit your hard work and sunk costs. e.g. Is there anything that says that they have a right to use reports you have done. in standard contracts with e.g. a ground testing company you may have to pay several hundred £££ to reassign a report to your seller, and if you have agreed to do that and they pull out or it falls through, then you could be a couple of thousand down as well as gifting them PP on their plot. My strong suggestion is, if you have not done, is to pay somebody to audit all the arrangements you have in place, or call in a favour. You will need either a Specialist Solicitor from the property dept of a local / regional firm of solicitors, or some like a member of the RICS from a local independent estate agent who has oodles of experience (I call them HOGS - Hoary Old Gits). You perhaps want the well-lunched one from the back office with the greying hair and the cynical coffee mug. £250 to save £25000 or £250000. Do not be scared off, but please take care and perhaps read a book or two on plot buying if you have not. Ferdinand

Thanks. Will have a look ... I did not have them down as a good place for gates.

I am looking for a supplier for a 1.8-2m high side gate. Does anyone have any recommendations eg favoured ebay supplier. I really need a turnaround time of just a couple of days. I want 12-14mm boards rather than featheredge, and a ledged and braced gate. Width needs to be custom, since I am adjusting the gate to avoid having to meddle with fencing panels, which are slightly heavy 6' double sided palisade. Recently I have been using the Wickes kits, which are fine if put together well and come to about £70 plus time. Does anyone have any alternatives? Cheers Ferdinand

Or these people http://www.ecosure.co.uk/storage-tanks/index.html

Pond or bathing pond. As a pond you only need it to be half metre by 4m by 5m or similar. If you are worried about kids etc make it shallow or with a grid or raised at waist or chest level. Can you take inspiration from the Tank Court at Folly Farm, the r have a reflecting pool on your best facade? I love ponds which are high enough to sit on a wall top bench at the same height as the water. If you insist on underground then can you combine it with your rainwater storage in some way say under the drive, and even use it for watering the garden as well? Obviously 10 cubic m becomes your standing level. I think a 2m section of 2.5m concrete pipe sunk in the ground with a liner will hold just under your volume. So Large size drainage pipes and inspection chambers might be one place to look. Retailers like Buildbase Civil or the correct suppliers to utilities or a relevant bit of St Gobain may help. I guess that aqua-berms are not permanent enough. But us there anything else made of fabric? Anything along these lines: http://www.molatank.com/china-mola_tank_flexible_and_portable_pvc_plastic_scaffolding_water_tank_700l_10000l-7705981.html Ferdinand

That one would cost me a hundred or two to get from Rochdale, so it is off the list. We are limited to 1.5m as we think 1.8m might engage PC Plod when on a roof rack. F

Just reflecting. Yesterday I picked up a set of 1.2m x 2.1m Rosewood finish (I think) French Doors on Ebay for £130. They turn out to be 3 years old, replaced because the lady of the house wants white, and to be significantly good quality. But we brought them back on the car roof no problem. That is without the "french widow" or "pvc" mislisting mistake. That is approx an 85% saving on the cost of a new white one for a nearly new brown one which would be 40% more. I need another set for the other end of my leanto, but these could be a good option for self-build summerhouse as we tend to have access to some reasonable transport kit. There are lots of solid upvc front doors for next-to-nothing. Option for shed? These patio doors - 2.4m wide by 2.1m high in Mahogany with side panels sold for £9.50 at about the same time. I am guessing because it will need a high top van or big trailer to transport, and because the listing was "pvc". Would be good for a summerhouse or to save that 3-5k on bifolds. Ferdinand

Also, Spain is different to the UK wrt security of tenure etc, and just as you can lose a house or plot, or gain one here by doing xyz ... the same can happen there. You need someone who has been in and of the elephant traps and can explain it to you, as well as just Spanish professionals. I know little except horror stories and happy stories and the need to manage risk, so I will drop off now. Are there courses for aspiring expats? There are definitely expat forums like this. I guess we should also ask the awkward question as to whether you are better buying a new one, and if a self-build would be a money pit. Spanish house prices are still some way below their peak in 200x, and it is not clear the the economy is anything like reformed, and the euro is still a political plaything. http://www.globalpropertyguide.com/Europe/Spain/Price-History Is Mallorca different? Does it matter to you if it is not? THere's a Mallorca-booster here with a different angle https://mallorcapropertymarket.wordpress.com/tag/mallorca-property-prices-2016/ Best of luck. F

Suspect the key is to find a very experienced (10 years or more doing similar to what you want) Person from the UK who moved out there to be a Project Manager or other professional, and can recite explicit examples of the problems you wish to avoid, and how a later project avoided the problem. F

YOu have got me there. I meant hollow clad. Sorry. So that looks like horizontal planks. And the price for 300mm x 5m is 7.92 inc VAT, which is just over 6.00 per sqm. Is that a good price? My source is the local branch of Tru Plastics.

Can anyone suggest attractive types of cladding which will come in at £10 per sqm or thereabouts for the material and any trims etc It is cladding for an outbuilding attached to the house, and needs to be: 1 Reasonably attractive. 2 Essentially Maintenance free. 3 Available coloured. ideally terracotta, dark brown or blue, or grey etc. 4 My support posts are at 1.8m centres, so if it could span this it would be good, but I can put intermediate support in if needed. 5 Ideally able to be acceptable on the inside too - the space is an enclosed walkway and needs no insulation etc. Options I am aware of are A Plastisol coated corrugated. About £10 per sqm. B Decking boards - wood. About £8-10 per sqm. Hackneyed theme now. C White plastic ship lap. About £6 per sqm in 5m x 300mm sections. Coloured is at least double or treble the price. I would like to think about plastic decking boards etc, but none of those come near on price. Any comments welcome. Ferdinand

Corrugated is an obvious lightweight one. Some of us have corrugated roofs at less than 10 degrees. And I think some tiles can go down to 10-12.5 degrees or so. eg https://www.roofingsuperstore.co.uk/browse/pitched-roofing/low-pitch-solutions.html And polycarbonate. And shingles can go that low. Or roofing felt a la shed . Or EPDM. Ferdinand

5m x 7m section of Terram Geocell in Kings Lynn for Starting bid of £25. Local collect only. No bids so far. 2 days to go. https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_odkw=terram&_osacat=0&_from=R40&_trksid=p2045573.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0.H0.Xterram+geocell.TRS0&_nkw=terram+geocell&_sacat=0 F

Valspar paint mentioned in this thread turns out to smell of cat pee sometimes. Avoid until you know it is OK, or if you like cats A LOT. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-40655163

So not one to recommend to the person repainting their kitchen who has the dog !

Thanks ... Ipe was the one.

The most durable cladding will perhaps be woods used by coastal defence engineers. Or teak or iroko, or the one that @PeterStarck has on his balcony. Or if you are feeling very rich and resolute, the sapwood of Greenheart :-), which last a century in Groynes. Or I always fancied Coconut Palm.

I have spotted one firm offering a mini mix lorry and a towable pump. Which seems to be a good idea to reduce costs. PUmp was £350 extra including operator. https://www.coppard.co.uk/pages/concrete-services/concreting-services.php But this is not an area where I have experience.

Cheers @JSHarris. Will have a look if I have a chance.

The prices seem a little OTT. A single 600x900 panel to protect a single 90cm door and frame things to attach it to, plus the seal, comes to between £250 and £400. Given that they are basically plastic or steel, a couple of beads, a seal and a few screws, I would be wanting to pay about £75 max, though £50 feels nearer the mark to me. Have I missed something, or is this a business opportunity waiting for an entrepreneur? I can see big claims if it failed, but that should be insurance. Ultra-niche market and made by hand?

Having discovered no reference to a Three Little Pigs cocktail, it has to be a classic Harvey Wallbanger. (And I am slightly regretting my Big Bad Wolf quip on the other thread. ) Serious points: It sounds like a make haste after a pause situation, because is this not actually the good weather season? YOu do not perhaps want to be redoing this in October, for example. Can you use the blocks in the garden somewhere? Eg a raised sitting area or artificial badger set or something? Ferdinand

I was just pointing out a downside. I am not clear what I would do except that in a new build resilience steps such as tiles floors, high up electrics and one way doors in the drains are obvious steps at relatively little extra cost. i am a little familiar with towpath houses in Strand on the Green, in Kew. There they mainly have an up and down step and a Perspex flood board on top. Of course, if you have a system that requires YOU to take action, and is not very resilient, you ( and your house) are in a mess if it floods while you are not there. You can engage good neighbours and flood monitoring services etc, but at some point the system may hit its limit - neighbour may be rescuing granny or tibbles, for example. So .. a judgement call.

That would mean that people who came down for a nose and found you were away could then work in peace?

I can't say very much from here, except that we have all had setbacks, and usually probably keep quiet. Brief pause and a walk without a cocktail, then up and at 'em. F

I was addressing the point about protecting the shed floor from blown rain and water running in etc. Via the top surface of the concrete slab. Raising it 2 inches with slabs or 4 inches with fence posts and adding a 'skirt' would achieve that simply. F