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Eco-friendly living in Bristol


Elle

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Hello everyone?,

 

I'm very early in my adventure into the world of self-build and am currently looking for a plot (proving easier said than done) around Clifton, and surrounding areas in Bristol. I'm just me, so not after a huge amount of space, but would like enough for a small garden-Ideally a random infill site or a garden plot. 

 

I've spoken to a few custom-build and community project owners, but am very focussed on the idea of a sustainable lifestyle with minimum environmental impact. I've a few architect friends, so really am looking for a nudge in the right direction plot-wise as well as some inspiration from the incredible projects people are posting about here too. 

 

Thanks!

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Hi and welcome! 
 

I regularly see garages at the bottom of gardens going up forsale in the wider ‘Clifton’ area... clearly not Clifton but advertised as so.

 

These are typically turned into small mews type houses. 


Hope you find what you are looking for. 

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1 hour ago, Gav_P said:

Hi and welcome! 
 

I regularly see garages at the bottom of gardens going up forsale in the wider ‘Clifton’ area... clearly not Clifton but advertised as so.

 

These are typically turned into small mews type houses. 


Hope you find what you are looking for. 

May I ask where you are seeing these listings!?

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3 hours ago, Elle said:

May I ask where you are seeing these listings!?

The best course of action is to actually visit the local estate agents (in normal times) and get to know them, more importantly get them to know you. As when something comes up then tend to sell fast, so you want to be the first person they call. 
 

Saying this, I have seen a few over the last year or so, appear on the likes of Rightmove, Zoopla and On The Market. But you do have to be looking regularly and ready to move fast. 

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15 hours ago, Gav_P said:

‘Lower’ Clifton any good for you? ?

 

PLOT WITH PLANNING & HARBOUR VIEWS
https://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-85931803.html

 

I've been trolling these websites for months now hoping something will come up, but as a tactic it doesn't seem very proactive to me aha! I enquired about this plot quite some time ago too, from what the auctioneer was saying it sounds like it would be an absolute nightmare of a task to build on despite it already having planning permission!  

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1 hour ago, Elle said:

I enquired about this plot quite some time ago too, from what the auctioneer was saying it sounds like it would be an absolute nightmare of a task to build on despite it already having planning permission!  

Sounds like the perfect self-builder plot then! ?? Some of the plots I saw on my long search were similar - nobody else wanted to touch them. However, it's always worth exploring these things as a self-builder as developers do tend to have a narrower view on the sites they buy and there may be hidden opportunities. Assuming it didn't sell, have you taken an architect and/or builder friend down to the plot the have a look?

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44 minutes ago, SimonD said:

Sounds like the perfect self-builder plot then! ?? Some of the plots I saw on my long search were similar - nobody else wanted to touch them. However, it's always worth exploring these things as a self-builder as developers do tend to have a narrower view on the sites they buy and there may be hidden opportunities. Assuming it didn't sell, have you taken an architect and/or builder friend down to the plot the have a look?

Yeah, luckily one of my closest friends is an architect. She took one look at it and said don't bother, it's unstable ground so the footings would cost a fortune + it's not that accessible for building materials etc. Other than that, It's a beautiful piece of land!

 

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2 minutes ago, Elle said:

Yeah, luckily one of my closest friends is an architect. She took one look at it and said don't bother, it's unstable ground so the footings would cost a fortune + it's not that accessible for building materials etc. Other than that, It's a beautiful piece of land!

 

Ah, what a shame, it did look amazing. We're located outside Bath and there was a development recently up on one of the hills just south of the city centre where they had the side of the hill collapse on them after digging iit out, lots of rain, and insufficient retaining wall (according to local heresay) ?

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3 hours ago, SimonD said:

Ah, what a shame, it did look amazing. We're located outside Bath and there was a development recently up on one of the hills just south of the city centre where they had the side of the hill collapse on them after digging iit out, lots of rain, and insufficient retaining wall (according to local heresay) ?

There's been a couple of plots in bath listed recently that I've considered too, but I'm not so familiar with that neck of the woods- is it a nice place to live (in your opinion?)

 

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3 minutes ago, SteamyTea said:

Kept out of this so far as it is about buying a plot, which I know nothing about.

But I am interested in the 'eco' and sustainable bit.

What are you actually trying to achieve here?

I looked into passivhaus standards and the lack of ventilation concerns me a little, I understand making it air tight is crucial for efficiency but to me a building needs a level of 'breathability' to be a healthy environment. I also want a lot of light, so passiv standards can prove a bit limiting when it comes to window sizes. I want to try to live off-grid, but still connected so that I can sell any excess back to the grid - looking at solar PV panels as they seem affordable but effective. Ideally heating the home through ground source heat pumps too, and trying to decide between timber frame or SIPS. A permaculture garden would be nice. 

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@Elle an airtight building (like mine) has MVHR, this is fresh air brought into the building, pre warmed with stale/damp air which is exhausted . It means you don’t have to have trickle vents. Many here say their air quality is better with MVHR than relying on open windows. Bristol is built in a bowl and the air quality is not good so an MVHR will also filter the air to an extent. Unlike some here I turn mine off in the summer as we like open doors and windows in good weather. Windows need not be small (unless they face North) it’s all about balance and good quality glazing. That plot in Hotwells slopes South so very good for capturing solar gain both fir PV and windows.

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@joe90 Ah, a good point. I'm moving from Gloucestershire and quite literally live in a field, I never even thought about the air quality - always considered 'outdoor' air as pretty pure (when the locals haven't been muck-spreading) Looks like i've got more reading to do on MVHR then... and researching the thinnest frames of triple glazed windows there are! I found a company recently that has solar panel technology IN the windows too, but a little out of my price league hah!

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With regard windows I am not a fan of triple glazing and I had my wooden windows made with double glazing but with clever soft coatings is within a gnats whisker of being like triple glazing and the frames are smaller and lighter.

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7 hours ago, Elle said:

I've been trolling these websites for months now hoping something will come up, but as a tactic it doesn't seem very proactive to me aha! I enquired about this plot quite some time ago too, from what the auctioneer was saying it sounds like it would be an absolute nightmare of a task to build on despite it already having planning permission!  

If it were easy a developer would have already done it... realistically it’s only the more difficult plots that every seem to be within self-builder reach unfortunately, unless you are very lucky. 

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