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After a veeeeery long wait...

DevonKim

By DevonKim
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DevonKim Member

DevonKim

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I put an offer in on a plot well over 6 months ago, only to find it was subject to probate 🙄 however, after a long wait it is finally starting to look as though the purchase may go through. 

 

I have a design sorted I think, and a timber frame company lined up. I'm talking to builders, and will be starting to get quotes for groundworks & windows soon, but I'm still a bit nervous about whether it will all go ahead. 

 

My partner thinks I'm mad, and is very negative about the whole thing, so I'll probably be spending a lot of time on here looking for reassurance and support! 

 

The biggest problem for me is that I have been stalling for so long that I'm finding it a bit hard to get going again at the moment. 

 

I'll post some more specific questions on some of the other threads. 

 

Kim

 

Hopefully soon to be the proud owner of a 0.2 acre serviced green-field flat building plot in Devon

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Ferdinand Advanced Member

Ferdinand

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29 minutes ago, DevonKim said:

My partner thinks I'm mad, and is very negative about the whole thing, so I'll probably be spending a lot of time on here looking for reassurance and support! 

Potential red flag there.

 

It is not imo worth risking your relationship for - hope that it is not the case.

 

You may find it's a decent investment even if you do not build, mind. Though make sure to get things in the right order, so as to lock in PP whilst not torpedoing any of your self-build subsidies such as exemption from CIL.

 

Is the issue arguments amongst Executors - there's nothing stopping probate sales?

 

F

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Ferdinand Advanced Member

Ferdinand

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4 minutes ago, SteamyTea said:

I think it is a west country thing, took solicitors 5 months to sort it out for me.  An acquaintance has recently had a similar wait.

 

We'll I'm just under 3 years into my mum's estate and we are only now making *real* progress - beneficiaries paid etc.

 

That is solicitors.

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DevonKim Member

DevonKim

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I think that it has probably been as swift as it could be really, but I'm just fed up as it is the second time I have been caught on the wrong side of probate 😞 .  I originally put in an offer on a house (project) in Aug 2021, and after about 8 months it was clear that it wasn't actually going to happen because the vendor was better off sitting tight as there was a dispute over the estate.  With this, probate has been granted and we should exchange before end Nov if all goes well.  

 

@Ferdinand I quite agree, it wouldn't be worth risking my relationship, particularly since my partner is very nice 🙂 but it is more that he just doesn't understand why I want to do it.  I'm an engineer, and I badly need a project, whereas he has a legal background, and is very risk adverse!  We don't live together, and it isn't his money though, so we won't fall out over it; the main issue will be that he won't be able to resist going "I told you so" if it all goes wrong. 

 

I'm hoping to acquire plot 7 shown below

 

 

 

image.thumb.png.32fef874d19c3912175be777bc4de613.png

 

 

 

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Iceverge Advanced Member

Iceverge

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2 hours ago, DevonKim said:

I have a design sorted I think, and a timber frame company lined up. I'm talking to builders, and will be starting to get quotes for groundworks & windows soon, but I'm still a bit nervous about whether it will all go ahead.

 

Congratulations. 

 

Have you considered sharing your plans with the forum. So much great experience here. I wish we had, I'm sure someone would have improved our layout etc. 

 

Re your partner's hesitance. I would agree with Ferdinand. It is very consuming and thoroughly frustrating at times. If you attempt to do too much you'll burn out yourself and your relationship. Avoiding time pressure is key. Also not tolerating any sloppiness from the beginning as it tends to compound with contractors.

 

Best of luck. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Pocster Advanced Member

Pocster

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5 hours ago, DevonKim said:

My partner thinks I'm mad, and is very negative about the whole thing

You doing any of the work yourself ?

My wife was ‘sceptical’ until after 5 yrs I got planning and then dug a 1100 tonne hole . “ Now you have to do it !” , she said - so I did 👍👍👍

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DevonKim Member

DevonKim

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@pocster yes, I'm hoping to do some of it myself.  I'll be learning on the job a lot of the time, and I won't touch plumbing or electrics, but I reckon I can put the cladding on the single storey extension myself, for example.  I'll be attempting to project manage it too - I have managed a number of projects before, albeit a while ago, but this could be a bit more challenging.  

 

@Radian yes, the plot is lovely 🙂 and the scope for a lovely garden is the main reason that I put the offer in 🌺.  There are two big oak trees that I will need to be careful about, this is a general view of the plot, but I will also post the plans as @Iceverge suggested.  

 

image.thumb.png.e905be5e543965668c021e345c6b0c89.png

 

image.thumb.png.5409b84474c41b9b34a99b5744e1f5fe.png

 

 

Edited by DevonKim
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Pocster Advanced Member

Pocster

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2 hours ago, DevonKim said:

@pocster yes, I'm hoping to do some of it myself.  I'll be learning on the job a lot of the time, and I won't touch plumbing or electrics, but I reckon I can put the cladding on the single storey extension myself, for example.  I'll be attempting to project manage it too - I have managed a number of projects before, albeit a while ago, but this could be a bit more challenging.  

 

@Radian yes, the plot is lovely 🙂 and the scope for a lovely garden is the main reason that I put the offer in 🌺.  There are two big oak trees that I will need to be careful about, this is a general view of the plot, but I will also post the plans as @Iceverge suggested.  

 

image.thumb.png.e905be5e543965668c021e345c6b0c89.png

 

image.thumb.png.5409b84474c41b9b34a99b5744e1f5fe.png

 

 

You can do most the plumbing and electrics - save a fortune . I’ve written a book “ electrics & plumbing on a self build for numb nuts “ . It’s a great read - covers everything you need .its been endorsed and sponsored by this forum . PayPal me 100 quid and I’ll send you a copy .

Edited by pocster
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Thorfun Advanced Member

Thorfun

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29 minutes ago, pocster said:

You can do most the plumbing and electrics - save a fortune . I’ve written a book “ electrics & plumbing on a self build for numb nuts “ . It’s a great read - covers everything you need .its been endorsed and sponsored by this forum . PayPal me 100 quid and I’ll send you a copy .

free walk on glazing with every copy

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Radian Advanced Member

Radian

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2 hours ago, DevonKim said:

the scope for a lovely garden is the main reason that I put the offer in

 

You're going to need a ride-on mower. Our corner plot is about the same size as the one you're looking at and the whole area was turfed initially. Had to get a ride-on to avoid spending half a day pushing a mower. We've since done a couple of extensions and lots of hard landscaping so the lawn has shrunk enough to allow a push-along electric mower to take over since a drive belt broke on the petrol one. Must fix it and sell it on to make space in the garage.

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billt Regular Member

billt

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No you don't. .2 acres is 970 sq.m. By the time the house is built with drive etc there'll probably be less than half that, even less if you have an actual garden rather than just a lawn. Our back lawn is 700 sq.m. and I do it with a 43cm battery push mower.

 

We had a number of ride on mowers in our last house, the best was a Stiga out front all wheel drive mower, but we had 6 acres of grass there. Normal ride on mowers have very poor maneuverability, they tend to compact the soil, they're noisy and smelly and generally to be avoided.

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Radian Advanced Member

Radian

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9 minutes ago, billt said:

No you don't. .2 acres is 970 sq.m. By the time the house is built with drive etc there'll probably be less than half that, even less if you have an actual garden rather than just a lawn. Our back lawn is 700 sq.m. and I do it with a 43cm battery push mower.

 

We had a number of ride on mowers in our last house, the best was a Stiga out front all wheel drive mower, but we had 6 acres of grass there. Normal ride on mowers have very poor maneuverability, they tend to compact the soil, they're noisy and smelly and generally to be avoided.

Oi! I'm trying to sell a mower here 🤣

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Ferdinand Advanced Member

Ferdinand

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17 hours ago, billt said:

No you don't. .2 acres is 970 sq.m. By the time the house is built with drive etc there'll probably be less than half that, even less if you have an actual garden rather than just a lawn. Our back lawn is 700 sq.m. and I do it with a 43cm battery push mower.

 

We had a number of ride on mowers in our last house, the best was a Stiga out front all wheel drive mower, but we had 6 acres of grass there. Normal ride on mowers have very poor maneuverability, they tend to compact the soil, they're noisy and smelly and generally to be avoided.

 

There's a gremlin in the Maths somewhere - the plan say 826sqm.

 

On mowers, we used to have a Brott, which was a fearsome flail mower thing that was quite capable of throwing half bricks and shredded squirrels out of the back.

 

medium_2004_0289.jpg 

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jack Advanced Member

jack

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You've hit the ground running with having a design ready to go if/when the sale goes through. Was the plan off-the-peg, or was it designed for the plot? I only ask because off-the-peg designs often fail to take into account the plot, including things like orientation (sun), views, access points etc.

 

I imagine being on a corner plot raises extra concerns/possibilities when it comes to design.

 

Also, you're talking about lining up builders, groundworks, etc, but has planning been granted for what you hope to build? 

 

And have you worked through issues re: CIL? It takes very little onsite activity to accidentally trigger formal building commencement, which can't be undone, and might leave you paying thousands in CIL you might have avoided. That said, I don't know much about CIL. Perhaps the fact the plots are serviced means that's all been sorted already? 

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DevonKim Member

DevonKim

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@jack

 

Thank you for your comments 🙂 

 

The design was specifically for the plot, and tailored to suit the orientation.  I have posted it on here, and I shall be interested to see what the comments are - it may all change, particularly if there is something that I haven't thought of!  

 

It is a serviced plot with Planning Permission, but I will clearly have to make sure that I get the Conditions approved.  As soon as contracts are exchanged on the plot I will put in the assumption of liability, before I submit the application to clear conditions.  Hopefully I have got that in the correct order?  

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