First Time Self Builder - Buckinghamshire

[RBran]

Hi Everyone!

 

I have a small patch of land (possibly 0.5 acres after site clearance) that I am hoping to build on, it is effectively in the middle of nowhere as the connecting road is very quiet and rarely used. I am currently talking to a couple of mortgage advisers to assess what our budget might be.

 

The land is located in Buckinghamshire and is an Area of Outstanding Natural beauty and agricultural land but has a static caravan on it. This has been in place for at least 23 years (shown on google maps satellite view) and has had council tax paid for at least the last 13 years. The land has been owned by my family for many years and they always intended to develop it but never got around to it.

The caravan is now very dilapidated and is not liveable

It has direct access to the road via its own driveway, this is about 200m long though

There is no mains electricity, gas, water or sewage but the location is idyllic and completely secluded, the nearest neigh is over 300m away 

 

We plan to build a medium size family home in a single-storey barn style, we plan to build as big as planning and budget allows. I like the idea of going for almost passive house standards but only if the budget allows.

 

We hope to make the site self-sufficient by installing a borehole, septic tank, solar plus battery system and possibly an LPG tank for cooking. Heating is likely to be taken care of using an ASHP and UFH plus we want a small log burner in the living space. I am thinking of getting a StarLink satellite dish for the internet - I particularly like the idea of the only evidence we live there being the smoke from a wood burner during the winter. I have no idea of what the energy requirements are going to be yet though so it is hard to decide on the size of the solar array and battery.

 

This will be our first self-build so any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[Discoeye]

Welcome , I like the sound of nobody knows you're there apart from the smoke from a chimney. Not me personally but lots of experienced guys and girls on here for you to pick their brains for ideas.

Good luck with the build and keep us all updated.

[ProDave]

Planning is the crux here.  Others may know the local policies in this area.  But I would quietly patch up the existing static caravan so it is habitable, if not very pretty or desirable,  and make it look lived in, even move in for a period over the summer?  then apply for a certificate of lawful development.

 

That gives you a fallback to rebuild anything that complies with the legal definition of a "caravan" which can in fact be a very well insulated bungalow of about 100 square metres.

 

With that secured as a fallback you can then investigate planning for something different.

[Big Jimbo]

+1 to @ProDave The council, or the locals won't be keen on you building anything in Bucks. So very important to get the fall-back in place before you rattle the cage.

[SteamyTea]

4 hours ago, Big Jimbo said:

The council, or the locals won't be keen on you building anything in Bucks

Strange that, as they listed this building.

Was up in Bucks last Sunday.

[Jilly]

The caravan being there is a great start. If all else fails, you could end up with something interesting:

 

There was a Grand Designs (I think) which was built to be caravan compliant. Also Charlie Luxton was doing one but it doesn't say what the outcome was.

 

https://charlieluxtondesign.com/mobile-home/

[RBran]

Thanks for the replies and help so far - I think our current plan is to get permission to replace the mobile home with a new model, then once this is granted we can push for a change to a permanent residence. Potentially apply multiple times with incrementally larger properties to test where the limit is but ensure we have backstops.

 

Does anyone have any good resources/tips for research around planning?

[Big Jimbo]

I wouldn't seek permission to swap out the existing mobile home for a newer one. It is very easy to trip yourself up when it comes to planning. I would get a lawful certificate for the existing mobile home before anything else. Better still speak to a good planning consultant, spend a couple of grand doing that before anything else.

[Big Jimbo]

@SteamyTea Ilike that.

[ProDave]

Yes tread carefully.  They will argue the existing one is derelict and likely refuse.  That's why I say do whatever it takes to get the existing one habitable and move in, then get a certificate of lawful development.  That certificate basically acknowledges that the existing use has been ongoing for so long that the council cannot enforce any change.  Applying for that certificate once the caravan is habitable and occupied, should be your first contact with the council.

 

Only when you have that, should you start discussing a permanent dwelling or replacing it with a new caravan.

 

You can self build a caravan compliant well insulated building as pointed out already done on Grand Designs.  To be a "caravan" it has to be within certain size limits which is just a little over 100 square metres if you go to the maximum size, and single storey.  And it must be moveable.  But it does not need to be on wheels, built in sections which can be separated and then lifted by a crane onto a low loader is sufficient to comply.  You can get lots more advice on the details if that is how you proceed.

 

But keep quiet and get that existing van patched up and occupied.

[SteamyTea]

16 hours ago, RBran said:

but has a static caravan on it

Can you replace that with a habitable one?

Old static vans goes for scrap value quite often, especially down here.  Anything that gets caravans out of Cornwall is a good move.

[joe90]

+1 to make it habitable or replace in the short term, anything you do will be spotted by locals.

[SteamyTea]

21 minutes ago, joe90 said:

anything you do will be spotted by locals

From the driver's seat of their Rangerovers and Model Xs.

I thought a new car had the number 58 on the plate, till I started to go to Bucks again.

[RBran]

24 minutes ago, joe90 said:

+1 to make it habitable or replace in the short term, anything you do will be spotted by locals.

 

The property is not easily visible from the road or nearby footpaths, you would have to be deliberately looking for it. Plus, we know the locals very well so hopefully they wouldn't be too concerned, you never know though!

 

We have a site meeting with an architect in a couple of weeks so hopefully, get more clarification on exactly how we can proceed both planning-wise and financially.

 

Does anyone have experience with self-build lending? I am currently reading a lot of the guides on the Build Store website. Are there any ways to borrow if we did replace the mobile home? Currently, a lot of our funds are tied up in our flat.

 

[Jilly]

Architects can vary with their experience and ability with planning, but some work with a planning consultant. Mine didn't like each other, so beware. Local knowledge/ relationships with the council is valuable.

 

I would go easy on yourself financially and move into the caravan to live cheaply (it's arguably the best way to self build anyway) and sell the flat to free up cash. You will be in this for the long haul so pace yourself and maybe learn a trade?

 

 

[ProDave]

The reason I say patch up the old one, it is will be easier to prove it has been there and in use for a long time.  A new one arriving on a low loader and the old one taken away, would be easy for someone to say it's use is new.

 

Post some pictures of how bad the old one is (without anything in the photo to give away the location)

[SteamyTea]

8 minutes ago, ProDave said:

Post some pictures of how bad the old one is (without anything in the photo to give away the location

Turn of geolocation.

 

[RBran]

9 minutes ago, ProDave said:

The reason I say patch up the old one, it is will be easier to prove it has been there and in use for a long time.  A new one arriving on a low loader and the old one taken away, would be easy for someone to say it's use is new.

 

Post some pictures of how bad the old one is (without anything in the photo to give away the location)

 

Just now, SteamyTea said:

Turn of geolocation.

 

 

Will try to get some pictures when we are next over there

[ProDave]

2 minutes ago, SteamyTea said:

Turn of geolocation.

 

I would use my quite old digital camera that does not know about such things, rather than a phone camera.

[SteamyTea]

18 hours ago, RBran said:

has direct access to the road via its own driveway, this is about 200m long though

There is no mains electricity, gas, water or sewage but the location is idyllic and completely secluded, the nearest neigh is over 300m away 

Just a couple of things before you start spending money on an architect (wasting money really).

Will your access comply with the highways agency rules?

Can you discharge waste water affordably?

 

Get the basics sorted before thinking about anything else.

 

And any environmental conditions.

Bats, newts and some flowers can (expletive deleted) a project at the start.

Edited May 5, 2023 by SteamyTea

[Furnace]

1 hour ago, RBran said:

We have a site meeting with an architect in a couple of weeks

Clearly it depends on the architect, but I'd start with a planning consultant. The rules are hard (not impossible) for a layman to navigate, and local knowledge is valuable. As others have said, there are numerous traps than can trip you up (nice mixed metaphor) and completely mess up any plans. Keep it as simple as possible and de-risk the exercise as much as possible. Get that certificate of lawful development first and without taking risk. Without it, your plans could be a non-starter.
Bonne chance

[Bozza]

Welcome.

 

Self build loan - see Ecology BS and search this site for previous posts re them. Owning the plot has a value.

 

single storey barn style -  makes sense not at least budget but think about 1.5 building with accommodation upstairs.  Means less foundations / footprint / roof for same space.  0.5 acre plenty of space.

 

lack of services.  With current technology you don’t need a phone line, mains gas, mains waste, even mains power.  There are solutions.  Water is the biggy. Lots of solutions for off grid but some pricey if modest budget.    
 

As others have said planning is going to be your biggest hurdle.

 

agree don’t spend a penny on anything until you are certain you could actually build there under planning rules.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 5, 2023 by Bozza

[Alan Ambrose]

You can also do a bunch of desk research without triggering any nosiness. Anything remotely similar in the area on your local planning portal? Is it in the village envelope? If not, near a cluster of other dwellings?

[Temp]

22 hours ago, RBran said:

The land is located in Buckinghamshire and is an Area of Outstanding Natural beauty and agricultural land but has a static caravan on it. This has been in place for at least 23 years (shown on google maps satellite view) and has had council tax paid for at least the last 13 years. The land has been owned by my family for many years and they always intended to develop it but never got around to it.

The caravan is now very dilapidated and is not liveable.

 

Because its been there more than 10 years it's too late for the planners to take enforcement action against the static caravan.

 

To legalise the situation you could apply for a Certificate of Lawfulnes. However I would strongly recommend hiring a planning consultant to advise you on the best way forward before you do anything.

 

Planners are aware of the tricks people use. For example if you applied for a CoL to change the site to Residential Use and a static caravan they might visit the site and decide that what you actually have is still agricultural land and you only have acquired a right to store a caravan on it. 

 

The fact that council tax has been paid doesn't necessarily effect its planning status.

 

A planning consultant might advise you to do (or not do) things to the site and static caravan before going anywhere near the planners. 

Edited May 5, 2023 by Temp