Mischiefsmum saying hello

[Ferdinand]

Welcome.

 

My comments:

On 27/10/2019 at 08:51, Mischiefsmum said:

Money is tight and I’m selling our home to fund a small rental and a place for me and Mischief.

Does that mean a small rental to rent out, or that you will be living in a rental?

 

As an LL, moving into rental takes a lot of skills and experience now as the regulation changes like a kaleidoscope, and in the press you are public enemy no 5 or 6 after drug dealers and people traffickers and a few others, and you also need to have a significant team to advise you. No longer simple, and a lot of smaller LLs are getting out. The govt set out to professionalise renting, and they are well on the way.

 

A far easier option to achieve a small extra income is to have a larger place for you and have a couple (not three - then it is an HMO) of lodgers - first 8k+ is tax free. Given correct configuration, you can largely isolate the parts if you wish.

 

On the self-build, my comments are:

 

1 - You are looking at a 3-5 year project, so take enough time to think about what you want to do. In addition to the type of build, also think about how you want to build yourself - you will not do all of it, so decide whether you want to gain the experience in Planning, Project Management, Construction Skills, a Regulated Trade, Product Selection, Interior Design etc, perhaps with a view to skills you can reuse or build on later.

 

2 - Just be observant, and do not be afraid to talk to people if you see something interesting. Who built your house? Where did you get *that*? Talk to the type of groups who build stuff in your style - perhaps voluntary groups etc.

 

3 - Put yourself on the self-build list and the housing list (if appropriate) at the Council. Self-build is being promoted, and Councils sometimes have a say in who gets to do what and that is where they look.

 

4 - For a Grand Designs favourite of mine where the builder had to review and make their planned house less expensive, the the episode called "The Modest House".

 

5 - For your wooden construction, there are log cabins, but also kits, and also wooden bungalows that qualify under caravan laws. There Walter Segal system is still doable. And a couple of interesting small wooden builds in the blogs here:

 

 

 

And somebody build an annex in their garden to live in, which might be your wooden thing ( @NSS?)

 

Ferdinand

 

 

[NSS]

6 hours ago, Ferdinand said:

And somebody build an annex in their garden to live in, which might be your wooden thing ( @NSS?)

 

Ferdinand

 

 

 

Sorry, not me. 

[ToughButterCup]

7 hours ago, NSS said:

[...]

I feel your strength, determination and positivity. They are traits that have got you through the last six years, and they'll serve you well as you (literally) build a new life with your daughter. Listen to advice, but trust your instincts - and try to keep a smile on your face 

 

Hear hear! 

@Mischiefsmum, you'll get lots of support on BH;   I would have sunk without the support I get -daily- here. 

[Gone West]

On 31/10/2019 at 10:04, joe90 said:

Have a look at this, makes me itch to try another build using straw!!!   https://www.homebuilding.co.uk/67k-straw-bale-low-cost-self-build/

Is there a problem these days with most straw bales being much larger than years ago when they could be picked up by hand. Do you have to ask the farmer to use old equipment for baling.

[joe90]

52 minutes ago, PeterStarck said:

Is there a problem these days with most straw bales being much larger than years ago when they could be picked up by hand. Do you have to ask the farmer to use old equipment for baling.

 

Yes, with mechanical handling bales are much larger, small ones can still be sourced if you find the right farmer, also the “tension” can be adjusted (with the builds I was involved in the farmer was asked to make them as dense as possible to reduce the “give”).

[SteamyTea]

Making the bails more compact will increase the thermal losses, do will need thicker walls. And more straw.

And more expense.

You can tell I am not a fan of straw bails for housing.

Glass or mineral wool us cheaper, quicker, better thermally, and in my case, itches a lot less.

[eandg]

On 28/10/2019 at 08:26, AnonymousBosch said:

 

Welcome.

Have you seen this? Probably in the wrong place for you but it's 5 minutes from the M6 (J32). If you are ever planning to go to the Lakes in Cumbria, it's well worth an hour or two.

They are a very welcoming lot - I understand they also offer advice to others considering co-housing  (but I haven't checked that recently). 

There's a cohousing group near Plymouth - website here: http://www.bowdenhouse.co.uk/

 

And others in the south-west which can be found along with useful information on cohousing here: https://cohousing.org.uk/

[eandg]

On 28/10/2019 at 08:26, AnonymousBosch said:

 

Welcome.

Have you seen this? Probably in the wrong place for you but it's 5 minutes from the M6 (J32). If you are ever planning to go to the Lakes in Cumbria, it's well worth an hour or two.

They are a very welcoming lot - I understand they also offer advice to others considering co-housing  (but I haven't checked that recently). 

There's a cohousing group near Plymouth - website here: http://www.bowdenhouse.co.uk/

 

And others in the south-west which can be found along with useful information on cohousing here: https://cohousing.org.uk/

[SteamyTea]

Bowden sounds awful.

 

"We enjoy a culture of singing, meditating, working, gardening, celebrating and learning together, as well as hosting eventsfor the wider community"

Edited November 1, 2019 by SteamyTea

[eandg]

8 hours ago, SteamyTea said:

Bowden sounds awful.

 

"We enjoy a culture of singing, meditating, working, gardening, celebrating and learning together, as well as hosting eventsfor the wider community"

It is definitely not for me! 

[Mischiefsmum]

Wow you guys, so much to take in already. Will def check out the recommendations. 

In no particular order and not to deliberately leave anyone out,

@TheMitchells I’ve come across Barbara Jones before, I’m not sure if she was involved in the straw bale visitor centre I ran, so long ago I can’t remember. Loving the look of the cassette system. Thanks for the link @Cambs

For me I just love the feel of straw, cob, wood etc. I’m not into more conventionally built homes. Straw bales are also really good for people with allergies as they are inert being just the hollow stem of wheat etc and not the seed heads found in hay. I know bales are more expensive and larger than they were when the building o was involved in was built but they can still be had. Q

@AnonymousBosch I hadn’t seen that one as hadn’t looked outside of the west county but would certainly be worth checking g out next time I’m up that way. Interesting to look at others, a few of us are in conversation about starting our own community. I love a bit of idea pinching and info sharing. 

Thank you so much  @NSS for the lovely kind words. The past year (its a year this week he finally entered the terminal stages) has been hard beyond belief, not least as I was also threatened with court action as unbeknownst to me a car rental co refused to pay out to third party after an accident two years ago and my dad also had a health scare. However, I finally feel like I am emerging from the fog. Don’t get me wrong it’s going to be years in the healing but I can feel my old positivity making an appearance. 

I know being a landlord is full of risks but I have an advisor I trust in the form of an excellent letting agent. I know I will lose some of the income to fees but I can trust them to do me right. I couldn’t face having lodgers in my house. If it doesn’t work it doesn’t work but I’m not earning anything with money in the bank. 

Sorry if I’ve missed anyone but I’m so grateful to all who have chipped in with advice, suggestions and kind words. I honestly can’t see which way this will pan out but we’ll see. 

Thanks all, Helen

 

[RichC]

Hi,

I'm going to add to this older thread in the hope that @Mischiefsmum is still considering her build.

Segal style self build was mentioned earlier by @Ferdinand, but I want to elaborate the point because it's where my interest lies and where I am pushing forward with my self-build plans.

I think the Segal method has got loads going for it, not least the fact that it is a tried and tested method throughout the country. Examples of Segal method houses can be found from Scotland to Ireland and all throughout England, although most appear to be in the south.

 

So, the precedence is there - You can build excellent, worthy houses that meet planning regulations and structural regulations using only relatively cheap timber sourced locally, and what's more, you can do it yourself, or at least with minimal help. That's why I think this approach is worthy of your consideration.

 

Segal houses can be built on plots of land that may otherwise be overlooked by developers for being too small or too sloping. Not much additional site room is needed for materials, and the weight bearing posts can be adjusted in height to accommodate slope.

 

What has stopped the Segal movement? Well I guess a combination of things. My guess is that wooden framed houses are not everyone's cup of tea. The modernist style may also put others off, but there's a lot that can be done change the 'look', although these may not be in keeping with Segal's vision. In addition, I suspect that these days getting planning approval for such a build may be a headache.

Other factors may be a relative difficulty in mortgaging an unconventional property. I guess that people are reluctant to build a property that could be difficult to sell on, and that is why most Segal self builds are council funded community projects.

 

I wanted to outline some of the benefits and drawbacks for @Mischiefsmum. If the interest is there it would be great to start a Segal thread?

 

All the best,

Richard.

[SteamyTea]

3 minutes ago, RichC said:

If the interest is there it would be great to start a Segal thread

Start one, I like the idea of building your house yourself, bit like @Ed Davies is doing.

 

[Ed Davies]

1 hour ago, RichC said:

Segal houses can be built on plots of land that may otherwise be overlooked by developers for being too small or too sloping

 

… or too wet. I was interested in Segal for the other reasons you mentioned but when I zeroed in on the north of Scotland for the build it became even more attractive and finding a site which just doesn't drain (solid rock about 500 mm down) was conclusive.

[RichC]

For fear of highjacking this thread, I have created a new topic concerning the Segal Method. It can be found here.