Hi thanks for letting me join the group.

Me and my partner are looking for land to  build our dream home, i know its a while away yet but thought i would try get my knowledge up well in advance so joined this forum.

 

 

My biggest fear is the foundations as i have no clue about them and even how much of a rough cost they should be?? anyone got advice or thoughts on foundations?

Welcome! Whereabouts in Scotland are you looking? We’re relatively lucky in that there are quite a lot of building plots in Scotland compared to elsewhere in the UK. 

 

Depends what type of foundations you want, how far down you need to dig, and how much muck you need to remove, as paying for muckaway can be a significant cost. So a ground investigation should be something you potentially get during the purchase process to ensure that you understand as much about the ground conditions where you are looking at buying as possible to better assess the foundations needed and the likely cost. 

Hi and welcome.

 

There's not much you can do to predict foundation costs until you have found a plot.  There's not much you can do to even design the house apart from concepts until you know it's size, shape, slope or level, orientation, outlook, location of neighbours, services and so the list goes on.

You can start putting together a list of requirements for the house even if you haven't found the plot. That forms a useful basis for instructing an architect if you choose to use one and is a great way to evaluate a plot as well. 

Hi,

Thanks for the information, that is what i was thinking anyway until i get the land you dont know what you can build on it so you dont know what foundations you require.

@newhome - im looking in Angus - anywhere that we like about 20 miles around Dundee.

I take it you have looked in the obvious place https://www.tspc.co.uk/Search/Plot

7 minutes ago, ProDave said:

I take it you have looked in the obvious place https://www.tspc.co.uk/Search/Plot

Yes Dave, we have set up email alerts with all the advert websites and estate agents and also advertised it on gumtree etc.

Hi Mike, we’re currently near Blairgowrie and there are a few that are round here. Only half our or so from Dundee and a good commuting road. 

The local estate agents/solicitors tend to get them regularly, so maybe register with them. We looked around here  but couldn’t find anything suitable for our needs or budget, so decided on further North. Good luck though. Something will come.

 

As for the ground investigation, it’s fairly straightforward and worthwhile making any offer on a plot ‘subject to acceptable ground investigations.’ Our solicitor advised using this statement to allow us to make the decision as to what was ‘acceptable’. 

 

 

Edited June 12, 20197 yr by Longjock

Thanks Longjock - I will look into that. we are in a good position to the fact we have a large(ish) area were willing to stay in so hopefully find some lovely land:)


Mike

Hi Mike, 

 

We tried a number of things:

 

We contacted low volume builders and ask them if they knew of any plots that had been offered to them but were not right for them.

 

looked at the Buildings at Risk register for any suitable ruins or derelicts that we could convert. The names of the owners are often listed so no problem finding them but no one was really willing to sell at a reasonable price.

 

Contacted landowners, there are a lot of shooting estates and large farms around that would be happy to makes some cash off of unproductive land,  quite a few were up for selling but planning constraints torpedoed most of them.

 

Then it was Google maps, find a bit of land that fit the requirements, area planning etc and then knocked on the nearest farm door and asked. 

 

We got leads from all of the above but In the end it was a farmer that eventually said yes to selling an acre of lightly wooded ground a few miles from Brechin.

 

It was a lot of hassle but worth it for the plot. 

 

 

Thanks for the info Ralph, its something we are currently trying also getting a piece of land from a farmer.

Ditto Ralph’s info above, we studied the planning clauses for building in the countryside and went with a replacement dwelling, knocked on a few doors, phone farmer, solicitor negotiated and bobs ur uncle. 

also told anybody and everybody that would listen that we were looking for a plot to build on!

If I was you I’d keep a close eye on your local councils planning website, where we are they update it weekly with all the new applicants and I’d bet a lot of them are not actually going to build just trying to get planning to sell on.

Hi ,

ALL very good ideas - i am writing this down as we speak so we can try all avenues. My wife has a look on the planning website every other week with the plan of what your saying Triple07.

On 11/06/2019 at 18:09, Mike_scotland said:

Hi,

Thanks for the information, that is what i was thinking anyway until i get the land you dont know what you can build on it so you dont know what foundations you require.

@newhome - im looking in Angus - anywhere that we like about 20 miles around Dundee.

 

@Mike_scotland there is one on Plotsearch today. Aberlemno ..?? Full PP, I’ve pinged you the link on a PM

 

Thanks PeterW.