Self Build newbie, saying hello

[Paul Leigh]

Hi,

 

I've been finding this forum in my search results for some time now. It's a great resource and has helped me make sense of the thousands of things to think about.

 

I'm about to have my Pre Planning meeting in a few days with Sevenoaks Council for a self build I want to do. It's in Green Belt but in a rural garden plot that I own. I've not got an architect involved at this stage but have done plenty of work designing in SketchUp. I have rough costings for the most part and feel reasonably confident at this stage (reserve the right to change my opinion on this).

 

It's a modest four bedroom, one and half story timber framed unit, built as close to Passive House standards as I can reasonably get. A second building which is a double garage and office with a self contained annex above is included in the plans. Both are designed to look like a pair of Kent Black Barns. Likely going to use Screw Pile and ring beam as I'm on clays and near trees. I'm a capable DIYer and I'll attempt to do as much of the work myself as I feel able to.

 

Paul

 

 

[Mr Punter]

Hi Paul and welcome.

 

Good luck with the planners.  I assume the meeting is online?

 

Make sure the warranty company, building control, lender and insurer are all on board with the screw piles and the timber cladding on timber frame.  Anything even slightly non-standard can make some of them a bit jumpy.

[Paul Leigh]

Thank you Mr Punter.

 

Yes, it's a zoom meeting, seem to spend a lot of time on that nowadays

 

That's great point about the warranty and insurance check. I'd planned to use a fire rated composite cladding. I'm sure you're right, insurers love the non standard approach because it gives them a good excuse to up the asking price. Screw Piles are the result of my own investigations as I really don't want to be digging 3 metre deep trenches and pumping load after load of concrete in unless I have to. When I get an architect involved, I can take the advice at that point and see the implications then.

 

Cheers.

[Ferdinand]

 

 

 

[nod]

48 minutes ago, Paul Leigh said:

Hi,

 

I've been finding this forum in my search results for some time now. It's a great resource and has helped me make sense of the thousands of things to think about.

 

I'm about to have my Pre Planning meeting in a few days with Sevenoaks Council for a self build I want to do. It's in Green Belt but in a rural garden plot that I own. I've not got an architect involved at this stage but have done plenty of work designing in SketchUp. I have rough costings for the most part and feel reasonably confident at this stage (reserve the right to change my opinion on this).

 

It's a modest four bedroom, one and half story timber framed unit, built as close to Passive House standards as I can reasonably get. A second building which is a double garage and office with a self contained annex above is included in the plans. Both are designed to look like a pair of Kent Black Barns. Likely going to use Screw Pile and ring beam as I'm on clays and near trees. I'm a capable DIYer and I'll attempt to do as much of the work myself as I feel able to.

 

Paul

 

 

Welcome

 

Why screw piles?

We are surrounded by trees 

and used strip foundations 

As above SE advised that some warranty companies don’t like screw piles 

[Paul Leigh]

Screw Piles just "seem" like a good choice. I need to have the house designed and loads calculated to make an informed choice.

 

I had surveyors around many moons for a large garage I was considering and they were talking 3m deep trenches for the foundations due to the clay and trees. So that's a lot of concrete I'd like to avoid. It's also not the easiest site for large concrete trucks to access.

 

Mind you, when I put a decking in a couple of years ago, whilst the first 30cm of ground was easy enough, the clay underneath was rock hard stuff. My Oast house has been on the same ground for 150 years and its foundations look about the same depth as rice paper. But you know, building regs....

Edited February 6, 2021 by Paul Leigh