Solutions Posted July 4, 2017 Share Posted July 4, 2017 Hi everyone, Not so short introduction. Builder by trade, self-builder by family nature and Passive House and Off-grid maniac just because i hate paying bills. I was lucky enough to work and learn with some of the best and biggest names in german building technology, that kind of sorts out the design and build part. The problem is the land. For various reasons, I am limited to North London area. After one year i still was not able to find a decent piece of land that would not require me to rob a bank to pay for it So ... If anyone has any ideas about how and where to find a plot i would be grateful for the advice. In exchange I promise to answer any questions in regards to: design, build, passive house or off grid. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferdinand Posted July 4, 2017 Share Posted July 4, 2017 Welcome. It is good to have pros and trades on board. Not sure about land in London. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Solutions Posted July 4, 2017 Author Share Posted July 4, 2017 One year down the line and couple of council meetings ... Nothing, nada, zero ... To make things worse, as soon as you find some suitable brown land that was forgotten, and ask the councils about it ... Either some well connected developer will grab it from under your nose ... or the council realises that they have an asset and puts it to action ... With the same result. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ragg987 Posted July 4, 2017 Share Posted July 4, 2017 Hi and welcome. That is the hardest part and set to frustrate - definitely rigged in favour of the builder who seems to have a long-term relationship with sellers with cash in hand. After 2 years of this we extended our search to include old and low-cost houses. Purchased a 1950s 3-bed bungalow on 0.25 acres that was ripe for demolition and took it from there. We saw it as an investment, if planning got refused we would sell it off and lose little money (but a lot of time), in the end our plans got approved wish and moved in end of 2016 with the bungalow a dim and distant memory. In our case we were able to purchase the bungalow mortgage free so no issues with demolition. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bitpipe Posted July 4, 2017 Share Posted July 4, 2017 Many on here (including me) have done the demolish and build option. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Solutions Posted July 4, 2017 Author Share Posted July 4, 2017 Hi Ragg, Congratulations on the new home and thank you for the advice. Your route make sense if I manage to spare the extra money implied, because it will theoretically allow me to find a plot easier. Unfortunately I am on a tight budget , paying for an existing house that i have to take down to make room for the new one, is not that cost effective unless i plan to sell, not to live in it. But there is an extra risk... One of my clients has tried a similar approach in Barnet, old run down house, 2 floors. The council denied the demolition on the grounds that it will ruin the character of the area ... Lol. But they did approve a back extension and a side extension ... The complexity of the extension works was so bad that it cost him more then what it would have a cost a demolition and new build. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeremy Harris Posted July 4, 2017 Share Posted July 4, 2017 I agree that plot hunting is far and away the hardest part. We looked around for about 2 years, with me working pretty much full time every day just looking for plots and driving out to see them. It was pretty soul destroying, as there seem to be so few plots available for self builders. I even tried hunting around looking for potential plots (overgrown large gardens, etc) and searching through local planning applications every week to see if there might be anything in the pipe line. We were at the point of giving up when we found our plot, but it took a heck of a lot of effort to actually buy it - it was a year from having our offer accepted to completing the purchase. The London area presents an especially large challenge, I think, because of the very high demand and the associated high prices. Demolition and rebuild seems to be one of the only reasonable ways to get a decent plot in many areas now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Solutions Posted July 4, 2017 Author Share Posted July 4, 2017 True, unfortunately so true. A couple of months ago i was talking with an architect. He mentioned something i did not new ... In 2012 or 2014 (cant remember exactly) the government encouraged the councils to give the plots to developers under a BNPL scheme. Basically they got the land but they only have to pay for it AFTER they build and sell the new properties. The result, tons of land stuck in to land banks that cost developers literary nothing to keep but brings them huge profits if they postpone building. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Temp Posted July 4, 2017 Share Posted July 4, 2017 (edited) Perhaps see "How to find and buy a Building Plot" by Roy Speer and others. Keep an eye on the weekly list of planning applications as some might be a planning application prior to selling the plot. I found some plots just by driving around. At least twice I found plot for sale signs from agents that we were registered with but which hadn't sent us details. Edited July 4, 2017 by Temp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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