Traceygj Posted December 4, 2019 Posted December 4, 2019 (edited) Hello everyone Having spent time reading through the site I'm so pleased to have found such a helpful and encouraging bunch of people to share our self build journey with. A little about us: We purchased a 1960's built bungalow back in May which we intend to demolish and replace with a 4 bedroom, 2 storey house. Although there are only 2 of us as the kids have left home, we want plenty of space for them to come and stay. We sold our family home last December to fund the project and are currently renting. After spending the last few months jumping through planning hoops we expect a decision in the first week of January. Planning was complicated by something called H16, which meant that we could only extend the bungalow by half as much again. We've managed to get around that by obtaining a Certificate of Lawfulness to extend the bungalow using permitted development rights. We put in a pre app and the planners didn't have any objections to the design, they just advised us to get the CoL, so hopefully they will issue us with green light at the beginning of Jan! Very early on in the process we've found that nothing is straight forward! We have asbestos soffits (the bad stuff) and a pesky electric supply cable oversailing the front garden which needs to be relocated. The plan is that I will project manage the build while my better half continues working, although he's gradually easing into retirement with a 4 day week from Jan and then a 4 day fortnight from March. I'm not entirely convinced about his ability to take instruction though. I've already had insubordination from him on a couple of matters! We have some experience of internally gutting and refitting our last house, plus having a new garage and porch built but nothing on this scale. We decided on Potton for our timber frame, mainly on the basis of their good reputation and the hand holding they provide (we hope!) during the project. Dealings with them so far have been excellent. As mentioned above, we're renting so keen to crack on, and hope to be completed within a year! We're also keen to get the best possible value for money, so the benefit of other people's experience will be most welcome. I've posted photo's of the bungalow and what we plan to build below, and I'm sure I will be on this forum with numerous questions and calls for help as we progress. Edited December 5, 2019 by Traceygj
Declan52 Posted December 4, 2019 Posted December 4, 2019 Welcome Tracey. House looks good. Post the floor plans if you want and the many eyes here can have a look and see if there are any potential issues they can see or any improvements that can be made. It's a lot cheaper to change things now with a pencil than later on with a hammer and saw.
Traceygj Posted December 4, 2019 Author Posted December 4, 2019 Thanks Declan. Floor plans now pasted below
ToughButterCup Posted December 4, 2019 Posted December 4, 2019 43 minutes ago, Traceygj said: [...] We're also keen to get the best possible value for money, so the benefit of other people's experience will be most welcome. [...] Welcome, I stopped bothering to calculate how much the combined advice of this forum has saved us when I got to £22000 ... and as for saving my sanity, well some say that's a lost cause. But simply knowing that to every single self-build problem, there's probably answer on BH is very reassuring. Welcome indeed.
Traceygj Posted December 4, 2019 Author Posted December 4, 2019 Wow, 22k is a huge amount! Has it been numerous small savings or any biggies in there?
NSS Posted December 4, 2019 Posted December 4, 2019 Welcome Tracey. We're also in Hampshire (close to The Solent). Whereabouts in our fair county are you building such a fine looking house?
Traceygj Posted December 4, 2019 Author Posted December 4, 2019 Thank you for the welcome. We're building in East Hampshire, not far from Alton. Currently living just outside Basingstoke which is about 12 miles away.
NSS Posted December 4, 2019 Posted December 4, 2019 2 minutes ago, Traceygj said: Thank you for the welcome. We're building in East Hampshire, not far from Alton. Currently living just outside Basingstoke which is about 12 miles away. I used to work in Basingstoke, travelling up and down from Fareham via Alton every day. Love the A32/Meon Valley. Drove the same route recently for the first time in years and was amazed at all the houses being built where the deer farm used to be but still a lovely area.
Traceygj Posted December 4, 2019 Author Posted December 4, 2019 Yes, the area is lovely and we're very excited to be moving there. There is a meadow beyond our garden boundary, so we may need to take some measures to keep the deer in the meadow and not our garden! 1
jack Posted December 4, 2019 Posted December 4, 2019 2 hours ago, Traceygj said: Thank you for the welcome. We're building in East Hampshire, not far from Alton. Currently living just outside Basingstoke which is about 12 miles away. We're just up the road from you (south side of Farnborough). The scenery along the A31 is pleasant all the way from Guildford, but it really gets stunning once you get to Bentley and beyond...
recoveringbuilder Posted December 4, 2019 Posted December 4, 2019 an and then a 4 day fortnight from March. I'm not entirely convinced about his ability to take instruction though. I've already had insubordination from him on a couple of matters????? you need to get him in line!
Adrian Walker Posted December 4, 2019 Posted December 4, 2019 5 hours ago, Traceygj said: Thanks Declan. Floor plans now pasted below Which direction is South?
Traceygj Posted December 4, 2019 Author Posted December 4, 2019 2 hours ago, Christine Walker said: an and then a 4 day fortnight from March. I'm not entirely convinced about his ability to take instruction though. I've already had insubordination from him on a couple of matters????? you need to get him in line! I’m working hard on get him trained !? 1
Traceygj Posted December 4, 2019 Author Posted December 4, 2019 11 minutes ago, Adrian Walker said: Which direction is South? South is towards the bottom right. Garden is north east.
Onoff Posted December 4, 2019 Posted December 4, 2019 Welcome. Think you might be our first American member? 2
Traceygj Posted December 4, 2019 Author Posted December 4, 2019 2 hours ago, jack said: We're just up the road from you (south side of Farnborough). The scenery along the A31 is pleasant all the way from Guildford, but it really gets stunning once you get to Bentley and beyond... Oh, not far at all. The countryside is the main draw for us, although I expect there won’t be a lot of time for exploring next year ! 1
Traceygj Posted December 4, 2019 Author Posted December 4, 2019 1 minute ago, Onoff said: Welcome. Think you might be our first American member? 1 minute ago, Onoff said: Welcome. Think you might be our first American member? Nope, completely British ?
SteamyTea Posted December 5, 2019 Posted December 5, 2019 Welcome 10 hours ago, Onoff said: Think you might be our first American member? When I saw New Hampshire Home I had a vision of a shack with a huge woodpile next to it, as a status symbol. 10 hours ago, Traceygj said: Garden is north east. So is mine. When you find out what will grow nicely in it, let me know.
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