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Hello. What a wonderful fount of knowledge and genuine experience this forum is. I've been stalking for a while collecting ideas and information. After many many years of wanting to build our own home, including 3 failed sealed bids on plots, we have managed to secure a plot. It comes with a custom build planning passport to design and build a Potton SIPS home. We're both retired and enjoying life so we've secured the services of an experienced project manager. We are close to a design to go to planning but still struggling with the internal layout of the kitchen - dining - sitting room across the back. I'll be back for help with that shortly. I'll try not to ask too many stupid questions and I'll do my best to return with a post describing the outcome following any help I receive. I'll also contribute where I have something useful to others. Thanks Derek

Good Morning All, I am glad I found this forum ! ..and a big hello to you all I hope to get some learned guidance and in turn (perhaps) help others ! Me and my wife are about to submit a full Planning application for our small plot of land to build our house (it will be a Potton Design) We have had a favorable Pre-Application advice ...BUT of course with this application has come a slew of OTHER things we need to consider and submit ...Tree and Ecological Survey (Done) Soil Phase 1 Desktop Survery (Still looking for a low cost one, as the land has ALWAYS been pastureland ..it seems un-necessary ...but it has been asked for) Also on the advice letter it mentioned ...site levels and spot levels Now this site is SMALL ...and the bit we are building on is VERY flat ..the footprint of the house is 39x39 feet. As money is tight (isn't it always) ...I was reading up on doing my OWN site levels ..I am certainly NOT from the building trade ...but I could borrow a dumpy level/ staff..and have been reading about "temporary datums" etc ..would this suffice ? I mean we are not in the middle of nowhere and there are houses all around? If anyone has experience on this, I would be grateful for advice ...i think the words used in the letter were "site levels before and after" ..well I can of course get the necessary information on foundations ....as its a timber frame / SIPS construct and submit this with a grid of the land with readings from my borrowed dumpy ....but would this be enough?..from what I can see there cannot be more than several inches from the low to the high points ..If necessary i could take a shovel and make it as flat as a pancake for them LOL your advice is appreciated