Hello, I'm a bit new to all of this.

[Fogg]

My story:

 

I had a few hours to kill and went to a property auction in which I somehow managed to buy a plot with outline planning permission for what seemed like an insanely cheap price.  It later transpired that it was blighted with services that didn't run where the utilities companies stated where they did, and it looked undevelopable for a while.  Thanks to a bit of leeway from the local authority we got through Reserved Matters with a contemporary design that sits with in the useable footprint, and I'm now at the stage where I need to decide whether I'm going to see it through or sell it to someone who knows what they're doing.

 

I've got to to decide fairly sharpish whether I'm going to progress to the next stage and get building control drawings done.  I'm leaning towards taking the SIPs route and getting someone like Potton erect and make watertight, but am mindful that I'm out of my comfort zone, so am very open to any advice that's forthcoming.  I will need a property to move into within a few years, so if the numbers stack up getting it built does make a lot of sense.

[Post and beam]

I am having a Potton House built soon. Have planning permission and a design from their older style range. A couple of others on here as well. Your design is very modern looking.

[Kelvin]

Not entirely clear what you’re asking. I can assure you most of us on here were (or still are) out of our comfort zone so you’re in good company. First time self-building is not for the faint-hearted especially if you have zero experience of building. However, it is exciting and rewarding so if you have the right mindset, are relatively organised,  and can solve problems then it’s doable. It can be  a bit of a roller coaster though. 
 

The first question you need to ask yourself is can you afford it. You know what your budget is and being a Potton home they should be able to give you an estimated cost. Keep in mind that there are lots of hidden costs along the way so you need a healthy contingency. Doing it on a tight budget is more likely to need a lot more if your input. What I did was cost it as if it was going to be turnkey (the most expensive way to do it) and worked backwards from there. 
 

Be prepared for sleepless nights like I’m having right now as I have three current problems with my self-build I’m trying to sort out so can’t sleep! 

Edited April 6, 2023 by Kelvin

[Marvin]

Hi @Fogg

It's common to speak of the build cost as the average amount of pounds spent per square meter of floor space constructed. I have heard of figures between £1000 and £2000 per square meter for a build cost. Find the internal floor area and this would be a starting point in my opinion.

 

Other people I'm sure will add about which necessary items are not included in this figure.

 

Watch every episode of grand designs, and learn some of the mistakes to avoid and where the big costs are.

 

Good luck

 

Marvin.

 

Edited April 6, 2023 by Marvin

[SteamyTea]

11 hours ago, Fogg said:

Thanks to a bit of leeway from the local authority we got through Reserved Matters with a contemporary design that sits with in the useable footprint, and I'm now at the stage where I need to decide whether I'm going to see it through or sell it to someone who knows what they're doing

Has that increased the value considerably?

 

[Gone West]

11 hours ago, Fogg said:

I'm now at the stage where I need to decide whether I'm going to see it through or sell it to someone who knows what they're doing.

Welcome to the forum. I wouldn't worry too much about feeling like a fish out of water, most self builders do to start with. It's a steep learning curve but we managed to design and build our own Passivhaus without any previous experience. If it's what you want to do, stick with it.

[Post and beam]

Fogg

What i can say about my Potton experience is that the planning permission submission that they talk about is not part of their house design service. It is a referral to agents of theirs and  cost me £2.5k. Then £6.5k for trial pits/foundations design. 

 

[Dave Jones]

unless its your forever home, take advantage of your good fortune and sell it.

 

 

[Fogg]

14 minutes ago, SteamyTea said:

Has that increased the value considerably?

 

 

It's obvious with hindsight that the canny developers in that auction room were aware of the difficulty getting a viable build on the plot and figured it wasn't worth the risk, and that's why I ended up getting what I thought was a bargain.

 

I've subsequently been lucky insofar that I had a planning officer sympathetic to the problems I faced, the Town Council had been recommending refusal.  I also had a neighbour who set a helpful precedent by putting up a bungalow way closer to the neighbouring pumping station which the water company didn't want any development within 15m of.  So, in terms of increased value, I think it's safe to say I'm sitting fairly pretty.

 

The path of least resistance is to offload and bank a tidy profit for once in my life, but where's the fun in that? 

[saveasteading]

It is not "fun". It is a huge commitment  with all your eggs in the basket.

If you are comfortably off, with time on your hands then that reduces the economic risk. 

 

If you manage it yourself you might make some money. If you diy a lot then that saves more as you are effectively earning a tax free wage....if you are good at it and fast.

 

Do not underestimate the risk. The unkwown unknowns apply even to experts. 

 

We mostly  do this for quality and personalisation (is that a proper word?)  rather than gain. 

 

But from your report we can see that you are a risk taker, and have skilfully/ determinedly overcome obstacles. 

Is this the time to bank on the success, or to hope that you master construction management equally well?

Edited April 6, 2023 by saveasteading
Added some praise

[ToughButterCup]

13 hours ago, Fogg said:

I had a few hours to kill and went to a property auction in which I somehow managed to buy a plot with outline planning permission for what seemed like an insanely cheap price.  It later transpired that it was blighted....

...

I've got to to decide fairly sharpish whether I'm going to progress to the next stage ....

 

Finger-tip '... feel... ' : sell and move on.

 

Why?

It is much more common for ab initio  self builders to have had a good hard look at the issue of self-building in its entirety - Self Due Diligence as it were, BEFORE they post here. 

 

Self-building challenges everyone who  commits to the process: spend a few minutes reading and tales of woe that abound here. Never mind Sleepless in Seattle, sleeplessness is very common  (see  @Kelvin above).

 

But then so is Optimism Bias. Supporting and following through on that optimism is *king hard work.

[Mr Punter]

Sell it.  It will be an expensive pain to build and the area does not look great.

[joe90]

Well to be devils advocate…. I really enjoyed my build and didn’t find it stressful, I was fortunate that I was recently retired, lots of DIY and small builder experience had a great main contractor and had the funds in place. It is however a gamble and many are not as lucky as me.

Edited April 6, 2023 by joe90

[Fogg]

2 hours ago, saveasteading said:

But from your report we can see that you are a risk taker, and have skilfully/ determinedly overcome obstacles. 

Is this the time to bank on the success, or to hope that you master construction management equally well?

 

I figured that if I took the watertight SIPs route then that covers the rump of the project that I feel out of my depth with.  Regarding the rest, I know enough electricians, tilers, chippies, groundworkers, plumbers etc to muddle through it and hopefully not get too badly burnt.  I am pretty good at managing costs and getting things done affordably, that's a big part of keeping the business I run afloat.  My problem is I'm spinning enough plates with that, I won't have time to do too much hands on work myself, plus, in all honestly I'm a bit cackhanded.  I know my strengths, and accept building isn't one of them.

 

Thanks for your 2p.

[Fogg]

1 hour ago, ToughButterCup said:

 

Finger-tip '... feel... ' : sell and move on.

 

Why?

It is much more common for ab initio  self builders to have had a good hard look at the issue of self-building in its entirety - Self Due Diligence as it were, BEFORE they post here.

 

 

I understand why you'd say that, but personally I think it's a fairly shrewd thing to gauge for a general consensus here, as I have.

 

I readily admit that I perhaps introduced myself a bit on the early side.  Either way I'm aware that I have a lot to learn before I decide whether to commit.

[Thorfun]

3 minutes ago, Fogg said:

 

I figured that if I took the watertight SIPs route then that covers the rump of the project that I feel out of my depth with.  Regarding the rest, I know enough electricians, tilers, chippies, groundworkers, plumbers etc to muddle through it and hopefully not get too badly burnt.  I am pretty good at managing costs and getting things done affordably, that's a big part of keeping the business I run afloat.  My problem is I'm spinning enough plates with that, I won't have time to do too much hands on work myself, plus, in all honestly I'm a bit cackhanded.  I know my strengths, and accept building isn't one of them.

 

Thanks for your 2p.

you don't have to worry about being hands on if you have the budget to get subcontractors to do the work. even project managing (although that in itself takes a lot of time!) will save substantial amounts of money. so it's possible to do a self-build with no hands-on 'building' work.

[SteamyTea]

2 hours ago, saveasteading said:

personalisation (is that a proper word?)

More so than 

 

2 hours ago, saveasteading said:

unkwown

 

Which I think is a type of onion.

[saveasteading]

Big finders, smoll screan. I hearbuy alogopise for this anf past and fewchur occcurunces.

[saveasteading]

On a positive note.

 

If you have the funds and time, then you have the huge advantage of being able to stop and think, ornto sack a contractor or cancel an order while you shop around again.

 

The basic shape is good. Rectangular is good. 

 

Pointers to reduce cost and maintenance:

No gutters or rwp shown. Please keep them external.

Valley gutter...design the building around this...substantial with spare outlets and overflow, and assume you will have to clear it twice a year.

(I'm really saying can you design it out?)

Eaves detail needed.

 

Thats a lot of wood, shown newly cut or treated. Allow for treatment if you want that colour, not grey.

Dont assume sips. Shop around.

 

 

 

 

[SteamyTea]

18 minutes ago, saveasteading said:

Big finders, smoll screan. I hearbuy alogopise for this anf past and fewchur occcurunces.

Is that Scotch

[saveasteading]

Yes, I'll have a Glenlivet,  thanks.

[JohnMo]

Two ways to self built, pay someone else to it or do it yourself.

 

I started in the first camp, pay someone else, then I got the prices, picked myself up and moved into the later camp, not fully but mostly. Some jobs like the roof, the plasterboard and second fix woodwork were to big for me, so got someone else to do it. Just managed that process, got the quotes, made the 101 decisions required to cover things not on drawings etc.

 

I had done DIY beforehand, the process developed through the planning stage, how do you do this, how do you do that etc. The process from site clearance to completion certificate was almost 3 years to the day. Ended loosing 2 stone in weight, tired, unstressed and learnt lots, but most all I enjoyed it. I can also say I built that, not many people can say that truthfully - but plenty on here can.