memnoch Posted March 8, 2022 Share Posted March 8, 2022 Morning all, Just after your collective thoughts on the issues of awkward site access. I'm looking to purchase an site in a few years and am trying to come to a conclusion on whether plans are possible and options. The site currently is along a narrow single lane road, 500m of moderately steep shared driveway to a flat area which recycling lorries can get up. Then another 100 metres with a 35 degree ascent and a sharp off camber 90 degree corner which is really restricted to cars and small vans. The current building isn't very good condition and could potentially gut and insulate with EWI, and refit but looking simpler to knock down and rebuild using ICF and would be annoying but easier to handball all the foam up there and pump the concrete from the flat staging area. How much of a nightmare is it going to be to demolish and get rid of the waste and excess earth from redoing the foundations? while you'd get the recycling lorry up the hill I doubt you'd get a grab lorry up there. Any thoughts on how you may achieve this, only idea I've come up with is trying to rent a corner of a field nearby and use a dumper and get the grab lorry to pick it up from there. Ralph Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToughButterCup Posted March 8, 2022 Share Posted March 8, 2022 Hello, A map or a sketch drawing or a google maps or other online mapping reference - or a screen grab of the image produced by the mapping tool would help us help you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
memnoch Posted March 8, 2022 Author Share Posted March 8, 2022 Not easy to show but is built on the side of a lake district fellside so steep enough that I wouldn't want to have to push a barrow up that last bit. Red line is shared driveway up to a set of garages, green is private driveway up to the house. The house was build before so should be doable but guessing they just used lots of manpower. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeSharp01 Posted March 8, 2022 Share Posted March 8, 2022 Small 4x4 with trailer as your main mover sound possible? PS looks like a great plot... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
memnoch Posted March 8, 2022 Author Share Posted March 8, 2022 The plot is both gorgeous and a horrific nightmare at the same time. It's been in my family for 40 years when my grand parents converted it from an old pig stye. However, it's always been bloody freezing in there and damp I remember waking up there as a child wondering why it was so cold and realising the glass of water had frozen next to the bed. One storage heater for downstairs and one upstairs is all it has, electricity only. Come up with a few ideas from a portable gantry hoist at the top and bottom to load / unload from a trailer. To a small telehandler but that steep corner would make me nervous about the safety of it. Whatever options I come up with though are still going to be a serious pain in the derriere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToughButterCup Posted March 8, 2022 Share Posted March 8, 2022 (edited) Ahhha ! I used to fellrun past the end of your access. If I'm right, here's a footpath nearby isn't there? I now know what you mean. Its a bastard. The only thing I can think of is the traditional Lake district method. In all seriousness: horse drawn .... Yep, I know.... Quad bike, trailer ? Edited March 8, 2022 by ToughButterCup Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
memnoch Posted March 8, 2022 Author Share Posted March 8, 2022 Yeah quite a few paths from there up to the top of Loughrigg and waterfalls walk from the road. Goat power might be more useful especially when winter sets in I'd even consider helicopter lift to get all the ICF forms up there and stack it all up so could rely on pumped concrete pours and man power to do the rest. Biggest issue I can see doing that would be the disposal of site waste from the old house and foundations. In all likelihood it will be slow and steady process with lots of little trips. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redtop Posted March 8, 2022 Share Posted March 8, 2022 Access to my site is similar. Toyota hilux is biggest vehicle I have ever got up and just about to get sign off. Yes its akward, yes it takes longer. If properly self building its a pain, but also fun in a scary way. If paying someone to build then be prepared to pay a lot more for it being akward. Looking back maybe I should have bought a small 4wd tractor or quad bike with trailer but if you can get deliveries closeish then its surprising what you can get in the back of a hilux! Long lengths of timber and steel are the biggest pita, osb, plasterboard fits in the back just fine. When buying timber greater than 3m I combined it with bags of something heavy (cement etc) to counter balance the load. Or hire a heavy adult with scant regard for health and safety... We also spread all the muck around the site, not one skip. Lots of trips to the tip though. We also didn't have any scaffolding, as I was building it myself I just used small working platforms and took my time. If you love the site then its well worth it. If you are building to sell I would look elsewhere Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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