Low cost family home for now and years to come

[NickK]

Good afternoon,

 

Building my own house has been a dream of mine for about a year now so still very early on and sad to say it will be at least another 3 years before I can even consider buying a plot and get the ball rolling.

 

My wife reckons it will never happen but I won’t give up so easily.

 

I don’t plan on creating any ground breaking design but simple home where kitchen is truly the heart of the home, 3 bedrooms on the top floors with reasonably sized guest bed room on the ground floor, which would then convert to the master bedroom once I’ll get tired of walking up and down the stairs. I love Scottish longhouses so hopefully planning department will be kind once it comes to it. 

 

Passive House standard would be great to achieve but budget is unlikely to stretch to it so as close as possible is the aim to soften the blow on expenses in the future.

 

I am based in sunny Dorset where cost of land will be tricky. Personally, I’d be happy to relocate to Cumbria or Scottish Borders but my wife’s family are all here down here so probably a no go.

 

Hopefully I’ll be able to get lots of useful info here and get equipped for when the build does happen. Let’s watch the space.

 

 

[A_L]

19 minutes ago, NickK said:

Passive House standard would be great to achieve but budget is unlikely to stretch to it

 

Hello and welcome. PH build costs can be  upto +15% over building regs. So effect on total costs can be minimal.

[ProDave]

Hi and welcome.

 

I wanted to build my own house in my early 20's but was thwarted by lack of finance.  It was not until I was 40 I got to realise that dream.  Now on No 2.

 

I hope you don't have to wait too long.

[Ferdinand]

Welcome.

Suggest you start with a couple of blogs.

 

Try this one, which came in well and relatively cheaply (for a self-build - 200k buidl cost I think).

 

 

Though think @simplepimple just just done a build that is both smaller and less costly. 

[simplepimple]

Lots of time then @NickK for planning. There can never be enough planning. 

 

Self build was the only way I could afford mine but they are certainly addictive and I'd love to to another one in the next couple of years - partly to rectify some of the unplanned slip ups on this one. 

 

There was probably only 4 x in total that I wished I hadn't started a self build. Day 1 of the build was the first one for some strange reason. Pretty scary that day. 

 

I know I wouldn't be here at all without the build hubbers to help me on my way. You're in safe hands. ?

[SuperJohnG]

Welcome @NickK. 

 

I am basically you but at the end of that 3 years period. In good news...I've just completed purchase of my 4 acre plot and should break ground late this year and your wife come  round..mine is now very excited and cant see how we would ever do anything but build. 

 

Good luck...keep at it and it will eventually happen. 

[Thedreamer]

7 hours ago, NickK said:

Building my own house has been a dream of mine for about a year now so still very early on and sad to say it will be at least another 3 years before I can even consider buying a plot and get the ball rolling.

 

My wife reckons it will never happen but I won’t give up so easily.

 

Keep those dreams alive. For about eight years I would just stand on our plot and think this is going to happen one day.

 

Depending on your circumstances you could still build a passive house, but you will need to do the work or at least be very involved on site.  

 

For ideas on the longhouse design? https://www.dualchas.com/

[NickK]

Thank you all for warm welcome. I think house design will inevitably depend on the cost of land I’ll get hands on. I’m hoping to get somewhere sub £200k for land, but ideally around £150k just to save pennies on the stamp duty. 

 

I’d definitely have a go at most trades but no plumbing. Not sure why but I just can’t stand it. Carpentry, plastering, flooring, tiling, decorating anytime but just no plumbing please.

 

Getting stuck in would hopefully get me between £1200-£1500 per square meter all in (excluding land obviously).

[Temp]

2 hours ago, NickK said:

but ideally around £150k just to save pennies on the stamp duty.

 

Its 1% on land over £150k but if it's a garden plot I think it's 1% over £125k and a 3% surcharge?

[ProDave]

9 hours ago, NickK said:

Thank you all for warm welcome. I think house design will inevitably depend on the cost of land I’ll get hands on. I’m hoping to get somewhere sub £200k for land, but ideally around £150k just to save pennies on the stamp duty. 

 

 

If you end up in D&G you will get a plot for less than that.  Cheapest at the moment is £30K (though you probably don't want that one) https://www.bspc.co.uk/plots/

[NickK]

9 hours ago, Temp said:

Its 1% on land over £150k but if it's a garden plot I think it's 1% over £125k and a 3% surcharge?

 

I know in grand scheme of things it won’t be huge amount but I like a good bargain and every little will help I guess.