flanagaj

After some consideration, we have decided to part company with the architect who did the initial sketches. My wife and I need to get this right, and we need an architect who specialises in modernist design, but who can also do some good 3d drawings of how the property will sit on the plot, and how it will look from the lane. These will hopefully enable the locals, the Parish Council and the planners to visualise that a modernist home will look good and actually enhance the lane.

😂

The stairs don’t even line up, so it’s complete garbage.

Another thing that made me question the architect is the floor plan option below that we were sent. Keen to see whether anyone else can spot the error.

Result!! We managed to sell the Cattery for 2.5k and I spent 5 days partly dismantling it, before the buyers dismantled the rest. They left it a bomb site and even changed the code on the combination lock so we couldn’t get onto our land! I then took three days off and fully cleared the site. So I’m well chuffed that what could have cost a large amount of money actually left us +£1200 in credit after I deduct two 10 yard skips and a 4 yard plasterboard skip.

Thanks Conor. Sometimes, it's just the name that I needed. I've never heard of spandrel panels.

I really like the metal fascia that sits below and above the windows, but I am unsure whether that would be done by the window supplier, or whether there is exterior cladding that is fitted using clips?

Thanks for that MR10. Given the location of the dwelling and the fact that it is at least 20 metres from the nearest neighbour, the only objections will simply be personal and opinionated.

The neighbours were the ones selling the land.

We've met the neighbours twice during the procurement of the land. They mandated to the agent, that they wanted to meet prospective buyers. We had coffee and cake, and got on really well. I obviously didn't let slip that we were going to put in for a revised planning permission before we'd completed on the purchase. I then sent her an email with some photos of modernist properties, and explained that we were looking to build something modernist. I didn't even get a reply to my email. Then today, I was just doing some clearing on the site, and I spot a figure hiding behind a tree in the adjacent crop field peaking over to me loading the skip. Cut a long story short, it was the husband of the couple who sold us the plot. Very weird, and I think they are going to be a right pain in the **** I agree re the Architect, but I'll be honest and say that she does not have the modernist vision. Her portfolio is just non descript Bellway style houses. She is super cheap, and her fees for drawings and planning submission is only £1800. I did look at the fees for a RIBA architect, and 14% of 300k is 42k. I just don't have that amount of money to spend on Architect fees. I am only looking for initial design ideas + sketches + planning + technical detail drawings, and didn't want to spend more than 10k.

No, because the owner of the plot designed the house themselves so it was similar to their current property. They then decided that they didn't want to build the house, and we purchased the plot. Below is the planning that was granted.

Good point. It is out of character, as the road is a mixed bag of single and two storey dwellings. I was just wondering whether getting some really good sketches might help sway the locals.

So my wife and I want to put in a revised planning application for a modernist style house. We showed the architect the image shown in the attachment and she came up with the below. I personally am worried that it doesn't do it justice and if that gets submitted, the locals will just say it's out of character. She is very reasonable and is charging a fixed fee which is probably 10% of what we'd pay if we went to a RIBA architect practice. Can anyone advise on how to proceed, or have any ideas?

Not sure I can burn the felt 😂

So we found someone who wanted the Cattery pen and they’ve now been taken away. We now have lots of roofing felt, plasterboard, loft insulation, old treated wood and am now not sure how to get rid of it, as it’s not accepted in a general skip. I don’t want to take it to my local recycling centre, as it’s too much of a ball ache.

Does anyone have any experience of adding an inset balcony like the below? Whilst I think this would be a nice addition, I am curious to understand whether this will be very expensive. I'd also like to understand the construction detail and how having the balcony affects the rest of the first floor structure detail.

As we are looking for a very shallow roof pitch to enable us to hopefully go two storey and be under 6.4 metres ridge height, we will most likely be under the pitch for solar panels. I'm actually not fussed about solar, but worried LPA may make it a condition of the planning grant. If so, is our only option to install the panels in the garden?

Was also thinking that collecting items advertised on Gumtree or eBay could potentially save money over the builders merchants

I have a 2008 Citroen Berlingo which has the drop front seats. Great van, but rubbish payload and you cannot get 8*4 sheets in it.

Thanks all. Hadn’t really considered a tipper trailer. Was thinking that it will save money when collecting aggregate or disposing of spoil / waste that cannot go in a skip. maybe I should just a tow bar attached to my wife’s Seat Ateca 4*4 and use that.

I was ear marked to purchase a Citroen Dispatch, but that fell through. I then thought a boxer size van, might be better, but now I'm considering getting a dropside tipper as they would seem super versatile?

So our proposed design that we want to submit to the planners will be something along the lines of the below, but with a back to front sloping seam sealed roof (minimum pitch for solar panels). What I really like is the way the cladding and the stonework are at the same level on the vertical. If you were to a traditional structure with brick / cavity / block and then counter batten the upper section for the cladding, the cladding would project ~ 70mm proud of the stone, so I am unsure what construction methodology you would need to use? If anyone has a cross section diagram explaining how you achieve this to meet/exceed current building regs, could you please post. Thanks

Thanks Garry.

So did Rachel Reeves announce today that Labour are reversing the changes implemented by the Conservatives in December 2023 and therefore making it more difficult for LPAs to just refuse an application without providing a valid reason? I am hoping this is the case as we are about to submit a revised planning application which is modernist in design. Am I getting ahead of myself, or have Labour committed to doing this, and do people think LPAs will be more cautious at refusing applications?

We were speaking with a planning consultant re putting in a new planning application to instead build a two storey modernist designed property instead of the traditional single barn style dwelling that was granted to the previous owners. The consultant mentioned that the Conservatives made getting that approved difficult with their planning reforms of Dec 2023 and that Labour have committed to reverting those changes within 100 days of being elected. He said that it will make the likelihood of getting our application through easier. I have no idea what he actually means though.