Steve Squires Posted November 21, 2020 Share Posted November 21, 2020 Morning all, This forum looks to be exactly what I need. I've reserved a plot at Graven Hill and have just received planning permission. The build will start as soon as I've sold my current house - realistically, next year. It's a Potton timber frame with render and wood cladding with two mono-pitched rooves which we want to make as near to passiv-haus as we can, without all of the certification stuff. I have a lot of questions... Cheers, Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProDave Posted November 21, 2020 Share Posted November 21, 2020 Hi and welcome I am loosing count now but I think you are now the 4th Buildhub member at graven Hill so you are in good company. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DevilDamo Posted November 21, 2020 Share Posted November 21, 2020 Just make sure all your pre-commence/development Planning conditions and CIL notices are dealt with prior to starting ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Punter Posted November 21, 2020 Share Posted November 21, 2020 Have a look at some of the posts from @Visti who knows what he is up to. His place would be worth a visit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newhome Posted November 21, 2020 Share Posted November 21, 2020 25 minutes ago, DevilDamo said: Just make sure all your pre-commence/development Planning conditions and CIL notices are dealt with prior to starting ? Wouldn’t that all be taken care of at Graven Hill? I think Graven Hill puts the foundations in (I don’t think you are allowed to do it yourself). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferdinand Posted November 21, 2020 Share Posted November 21, 2020 If you look around there are several at Gravenhill already here. @DarrenA and @Visti and @tommac86 are three. @Visti should have just moved in. Have a dig via Google or the site search. And try some PMs. Google on "buildhub gravenhill site:forum.buildhub.org.uk" Now you take a photo of your hair so you can look back and remember what it used to be like before it all turned grey and fell out ? , 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DevilDamo Posted November 22, 2020 Share Posted November 22, 2020 (edited) On 21/11/2020 at 10:10, newhome said: Wouldn’t that all be taken care of at Graven Hill? I think Graven Hill puts the foundations in (I don’t think you are allowed to do it yourself). Oh apologies. Not familiar with the name/site where the majority of others are. Just giving standard commencement advice following grant of Planning. Edited November 22, 2020 by DevilDamo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferdinand Posted November 22, 2020 Share Posted November 22, 2020 15 minutes ago, DevilDamo said: Oh apologies. Not familiar with the name/site where the majority of others are. Just giving standard commencement advice following grant of Planning. Big Council self-build site near Bicester. Nearly 2000 serviced plots in toto. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Jones Posted November 22, 2020 Share Posted November 22, 2020 just looked at the prices. what a rip off. double the price of a normal plot. someone is making a shedload of cash. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProDave Posted November 22, 2020 Share Posted November 22, 2020 23 minutes ago, Dave Jones said: just looked at the prices. what a rip off. double the price of a normal plot. someone is making a shedload of cash. Yes I am the first to agree they are over priced, but there is otherwise no such thing as a "Normal Plot" in Oxfordshire. the reason we never built there was we could never afford a "plot" as about the only way they ever came up was a knock down and rebuild, where you were paying not far off finished house price for a plot. It wasn't until we moved up here where plots are always for sale at plot price, that we got to self build. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newhome Posted November 22, 2020 Share Posted November 22, 2020 I think it's a great idea but someone is making a shedload of cash out of it. Plus there would be too many restrictions for me personally. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BartW Posted November 25, 2020 Share Posted November 25, 2020 On 21/11/2020 at 08:52, Steve Squires said: Morning all, This forum looks to be exactly what I need. I've reserved a plot at Graven Hill and have just received planning permission. The build will start as soon as I've sold my current house - realistically, next year. It's a Potton timber frame with render and wood cladding with two mono-pitched rooves which we want to make as near to passiv-haus as we can, without all of the certification stuff. I have a lot of questions... Cheers, Steve Hi Steve, We are (soon to be) going to be building at Graven Hill too congrats! Bart Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conor Posted November 25, 2020 Share Posted November 25, 2020 On 21/11/2020 at 08:52, Steve Squires said: I have a lot of questions... As a famous physicist once said, "we don't yet know, what we do not know" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saul Posted February 10, 2021 Share Posted February 10, 2021 On 22/11/2020 at 14:35, Dave Jones said: just looked at the prices. what a rip off. double the price of a normal plot. someone is making a shedload of cash. Where are the normal plots? I've been looking for a plot for a self-build for over a year! PlotFinder/PlotBrowser/RightToBuildRgister etc Anywhere in the South East South West is £200k+ which at Graven Hill gets you a full serviced plot and planning. I'm looking into GH right now and think it's not a bad option especially as you get creative freedom with the aesthetics of your home and don't have to do a pastiche of some hideous 1930s Semi.. Happy to hear where I should be looking to get something for £100k! Thanks 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteamyTea Posted February 11, 2021 Share Posted February 11, 2021 On 22/11/2020 at 18:34, newhome said: I think it's a great idea but someone is making a shedload of cash out of it. Plus there would be too many restrictions for me personally. The council will loose money on it, but that way no other council will have to try it out again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger440 Posted February 11, 2021 Share Posted February 11, 2021 On 22/11/2020 at 18:34, newhome said: I think it's a great idea but someone is making a shedload of cash out of it. Plus there would be too many restrictions for me personally. Too many people is my issue. And bicester is way over delevoped now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger440 Posted February 11, 2021 Share Posted February 11, 2021 On 10/02/2021 at 17:06, Saul said: Where are the normal plots? I've been looking for a plot for a self-build for over a year! PlotFinder/PlotBrowser/RightToBuildRgister etc Anywhere in the South East South West is £200k+ which at Graven Hill gets you a full serviced plot and planning. I'm looking into GH right now and think it's not a bad option especially as you get creative freedom with the aesthetics of your home and don't have to do a pastiche of some hideous 1930s Semi.. Happy to hear where I should be looking to get something for £100k! Thanks Agreed. There are simply no sensible priced plots in this part of the country. GH looks "sensible" in that regard. Especially as many of the "unknown" costs in a normal build are taken care of. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSB Posted February 11, 2021 Share Posted February 11, 2021 There are more Tesco's in Bicester than any other town in in the country, all ready for those Graven Hill residents/ When Grand Designs featured it I thought the plots were 100k, was that for publicity Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newhome Posted February 11, 2021 Share Posted February 11, 2021 4 minutes ago, LSB said: When Grand Designs featured it I thought the plots were 100k, was that for publicity Only for those few foundation plots. And yes most likely for publicity. The plot costs have sky rocketed since then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saul Posted April 4, 2021 Share Posted April 4, 2021 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saul Posted May 18, 2021 Share Posted May 18, 2021 On 21/11/2020 at 08:52, Steve Squires said: Morning all, This forum looks to be exactly what I need. I've reserved a plot at Graven Hill and have just received planning permission. The build will start as soon as I've sold my current house - realistically, next year. It's a Potton timber frame with render and wood cladding with two mono-pitched rooves which we want to make as near to passiv-haus as we can, without all of the certification stuff. I have a lot of questions... Cheers, Steve Hi Steve Wondered how long GH took to exchange contracts after accepting your offer on the plot. I am hearing that they are beyond slow to add to the list of other issues/idiosyncrasies that have to be overcome before you are allowed to start your build on their site. Thanks Saul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Squires Posted May 22, 2021 Author Share Posted May 22, 2021 On 18/05/2021 at 18:47, Saul said: Hi Steve Wondered how long GH took to exchange contracts after accepting your offer on the plot. I am hearing that they are beyond slow to add to the list of other issues/idiosyncrasies that have to be overcome before you are allowed to start your build on their site. Thanks Saul Not exchanged yet - it's taken an age to get the foundation drawings corrected... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tommac86 Posted May 30, 2021 Share Posted May 30, 2021 Hi @Saul I’m currently building at GH, while GH can be horrendously slow and just generally sloppy. If you set clear deadlines and chase (constantly) then it can be done with relative speed. We reserved our plot on the 31st July 2020 and exchanged in December, with Groundwork completed in early March. Happy to answer any other queries you have. Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saul Posted May 31, 2021 Share Posted May 31, 2021 10 hours ago, tommac86 said: Hi @Saul I’m currently building at GH, while GH can be horrendously slow and just generally sloppy. If you set clear deadlines and chase (constantly) then it can be done with relative speed. We reserved our plot on the 31st July 2020 and exchanged in December, with Groundwork completed in early March. Happy to answer any other queries you have. Tom Hi Tom I have plot 596 on hold with a view to reserving soon pending further research. I will be up at the site this Wednesday meeting Mark from Benchmarkdesign who have done 18 houses at GH. They're currently building on Plot 275. GH are clearly sticking to their price structure so have lost the battle there and it sounds like the review into Right to Build by Richard Bacon MP is nothing more than a PR exercise and won't be tackling pricing control of Council Owned Land Disposal but what can you expect from the Conservatives. Anyway, as mentioned timescale is now my biggest concern as I want to do this as fast as humanly possible <1 year. Have you got your Superstructure started yet? If you're working up there on Wednesday it would be nice if I could swing by say hello and ask a couple of questions? Thanks Saul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tommac86 Posted May 31, 2021 Share Posted May 31, 2021 @Saul I’ll be there on there Wednesday, so pop over. I’m next door at 276 so it’s pretty convenient. Yep, Sips kit is up. It’s possible to do it quickly, can chat through some thoughts on Wednesday. Guessing 596 is one of the phase 2 plots? No surprise on pricing, but there is room for negotiation so be sure to push them hard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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