Found a plot

[Dev1]

Hi , I’ve just Found a plot I’d love to buy in Northern Ireland, I’m completely new to self building a house so have many questions but here’s a few to start-

Can I get planning permission before buying the land?

 

How much will this cost roughly?

 

Do I need to get a design drawn up by an architect before I can apply for planning permission ? 
 

what’s the first steps I should take to acquire this land for building a home.

A bit more info - I’m originally from NI but now live in Scotland with wife and kids we would live to move over to NI where it seems more financially doable to build our own home. I want to be 100% certain we can build here before buying the plot.  The plot is 0.7 acre and we want a 4 bedroom detached house with a garage.

 

Thanks 

[Conor]

Hi Dev.

 

Current build cost here is about £1500/m² for modest standard. We're coming in at £1250 but we did a lot ourselves and missed most of the recent price rises. For a full contractor build, more like £2000m². For a 4 bed and garage you'd be looking at at least £400k.

 

Yes, normally purchase of land contingent on planning permission.

 

You'll need representative drawings for outline planning. Architech can do this and the application for you.

 

Check services before you go any further; water, sewer electric and telephone. Check local planning website to see what had been applied for and passed in the area recently to get an idea of type of house you could have.

[Faz]

Buy the plot on a conditional contract  'subject to planning' - assuming it is priced for development - if it is agricultural value then you just have to take a punt and enjoy the release of the develelopment value upside if you suceed and, if you fail, then you sell on and wear the purchase and sales costs.

[nod]

Anyone selling a plot without planning 

Either knows that planning is unlikely or very expensive 

You can get planning in principle from a planning consultant in a matter of weeks for about £500-£1000

[ProDave]

Our plot has no planning.  So I made a formal offer to buy the plot subject to planning being granted.  The offer was accepted and there was an 8 week wait while I waited for planning in principle to be granted and the purchase proceeded.

 

Land might be cheaper in NI but is it really cheaper to build there?  Perhaps just moving to a cheaper bit of Scotland might be easier?

[ETC]

1 hour ago, Dev1 said:

Hi , I’ve just Found a plot I’d love to buy in Northern Ireland, I’m completely new to self building a house so have many questions but here’s a few to start-

Can I get planning permission before buying the land?
Yes - but be aware that the consent - if you get it - belongs to the site and the owner may increase his asking price if you apply and are successful in obtaining planing consent. It does happen.

 

How much will this cost roughly?

Google planning fees NI. Ball park figures attached. Might just have gone up. 

 

Do I need to get a design drawn up by an architect before I can apply for planning permission ? 

No. Not unless you are applying for Full Planning Permission in which case - yes. If you are applying for Outline Planning Permission all you should need is a Land Registry Map showing your proposed site including land for site lines, a fee and an application form.
 

what’s the first steps I should take to acquire this land for building a home.

Approach the owner.

A bit more info - I’m originally from NI but now live in Scotland with wife and kids we would live to move over to NI where it seems more financially doable to build our own home. I want to be 100% certain we can build here before buying the plot.  The plot is 0.7 acre and we want a 4 bedroom detached house with a garage.

 

Just make sure you have a signed agreement to buy the land with the owner - before you make the application - subject to planning permission being granted. Be aware that if you are proposing to build in the countryside you may have restrictions or “Reserved Matters” to comply with that you may not like and which may sway your opinion of the site and the price you are prepared to pay for it.

 

Thanks 

 

[ETC]

[Dev1]

5 hours ago, Conor said:

Hi Dev.

 

Current build cost here is about £1500/m² for modest standard. We're coming in at £1250 but we did a lot ourselves and missed most of the recent price rises. For a full contractor build, more like £2000m². For a 4 bed and garage you'd be looking at at least £400k.

 

Yes, normally purchase of land contingent on planning permission.

 

You'll need representative drawings for outline planning. Architech can do this and the application for you.

 

Check services before you go any further; water, sewer electric and telephone. Check local planning website to see what had been applied for and passed in the area recently to get an idea of type of house you could have.

Wow that’s crazy money the reason we wanted to do it was we thought it could workout cheaper than just buying a house, might need to reconsider lol there’s loads of 4 beds for sale with garages around the 250k - 300k mark in that area which is what we were hoping to pay with the land included 

[Conor]

4 hours ago, Dev1 said:

Wow that’s crazy money the reason we wanted to do it was we thought it could workout cheaper than just buying a house, might need to reconsider lol there’s loads of 4 beds for sale with garages around the 250k - 300k mark in that area which is what we were hoping to pay with the land included 

Yeah, but they'll be cold and drafty! And never exactly what you want...

 

The rises in material costs is hitting everywhere so it's levelling out build cost differences across the UK. Quarry products and concrete are still relatively cheap here but are catching up. Everything else has pretty much doubled in 2 years.

 

You could do it for less than this but you'll have to cut corners and build to minimum building control spec (do not so this).

Edited April 2, 2022 by Conor