Edslem Posted March 7 Share Posted March 7 Good morning all I'm excited to have found this forum, I'm an Engineer(Water) so love getting into the detail. Seems like there's plenty of fellow technically minded souls in here! We're in the early stages of this project. Not found our plot yet (though this project has been bubbling in the mind for many years). We are looking to be fairly rural, so it is likely to be a conversion project i guess. I am looking to do the majority of the self build myself, partly to keep costs down, partly as I am practically minded and have accumulated many of the skills needed(by no means all...yet), and mostly i am just a glutton for punishment! I look forward to learning (and hopefully sharing) as much knowledge and experience as possible with you all. I know I am going to need it~! Cheers Ed 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonshine Posted March 7 Share Posted March 7 Welcome, have you considered a full demolition as you will be able claim the full VAT back on a self build, but only 5% on a conversion. I don't know what your job is like, but physically doing your build yourself is a huge ask and very time consuming. From personal experience my plan was to PM and only do limited work on site. This ballooned out and i took on more site work that i planned to, and even the PM stuff took a huge amount of input. Just a bit of a warning to go in eyes open What are you looking to build? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Ambrose Posted March 7 Share Posted March 7 Welcome, I don’t know of any other water engineers on here so your skills will be valuable. What’t the plot availability like in yorkshire? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markc Posted March 7 Share Posted March 7 Good morning and welcome, finding the plot is the biggest hurdle, I have been looking for a rural/semi rural plot/knock down etc. around south and West Yorkshire for over 5 years now. I have seen a few come up but I wanted more land - at least an acre so quite a bit more difficult. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edslem Posted March 7 Author Share Posted March 7 3 minutes ago, Moonshine said: Welcome, have you considered a full demolition as you will be able claim the full VAT back on a self build, but only 5% on a conversion. I don't know what your job is like, but physically doing your build yourself is a huge ask and very time consuming. From personal experience my plan was to PM and only do limited work on site. This ballooned out and i took on more site work that i planned to, and even the PM stuff took a huge amount of input. Just a bit of a warning to go in eyes open What are you looking to build? Hi, Yes, we're certainly open to demolition, but really depends on what we find/allowed to do. Our search area straddles West Yorkshire - North Yorkshire, so likely depends where we find a suitable plot. Been told that N Yorks are less in favour of demo (and if it is anywhere near Dales, obviously gets super restrictive) I completely get your comment about the physical side, and will likely regret it many times over, but it is part of the appeal for me. I am hoping to take a sabbatical from the day job, so this would be my full time hair loss campaign We're pretty open minded to the build, design will be largely dictated by the plot requirements. Not looking to win any awards with the build, just a family home < 200 m2. As sustainable/self sufficient as possible, but i guess that is the norm on here. If we find a site with a mill race, I will be over the moon! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe90 Posted March 7 Share Posted March 7 Welcome to THE build forum. 46 minutes ago, Edslem said: i am just a glutton for punishment! Join the club, but saying that I thoroughly enjoyed my build, the design, working with good contractors the sense of achievement. Yes finding a “plot” is the most difficult bit but it will give you time to mull over “what you want”. I started with straw bale build but ended up brick and block. You will get lots of different advise here from those that have “been there done that”. There is no one right way to build as they all bring benefits. Just remember that you only buy insulation once and it just keeps giving. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edslem Posted March 7 Author Share Posted March 7 29 minutes ago, Alan Ambrose said: Welcome, I don’t know of any other water engineers on here so your skills will be valuable. What’t the plot availability like in yorkshire? Hi, yeah not great. I refer you to... 26 minutes ago, markc said: Good morning and welcome, finding the plot is the biggest hurdle, I have been looking for a rural/semi rural plot/knock down etc. around south and West Yorkshire for over 5 years now. I have seen a few come up but I wanted more land - at least an acre so quite a bit more difficult. Sounds like we are doing much the same thing (for a similar time, we're on 3 years and counting) probably just opposite sides of Leeds. We have had few come up that have got us excited, basically just enough to keep you on the hook. Yes, the plots/barns etc seem to come up with very meagre amounts of land, that does seem to be the crux. We're nearly at the stage of knocking on random farmers doors, but more likely to get shot at than sold to 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonshine Posted March 7 Share Posted March 7 9 minutes ago, Edslem said: I am hoping to take a sabbatical from the day job, so this would be my full time hair loss campaign If you are going to take on the build yourself, have a good think of the structural construction, Masonry, Timber frame (kit or self stick build), SIP, ICF (a number of forum members have done this self build) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonshine Posted March 7 Share Posted March 7 2 minutes ago, Edslem said: We're nearly at the stage of knocking on random farmers doors, but more likely to get shot at than sold to depends on how much £££'s you take 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edslem Posted March 7 Author Share Posted March 7 2 minutes ago, joe90 said: Welcome to THE build forum. Join the club, but saying that I thoroughly enjoyed my build, the design, working with good contractors the sense of achievement. Yes finding a “plot” is the most difficult bit but it will give you time to mull over “what you want”. I started with straw bale build but ended up brick and block. You will get lots of different advise here from those that have “been there done that”. There is no one right way to build as they all bring benefits. Just remember that you only buy insulation once and it just keeps giving. Thank you, sounds like very solid advice! I think self building is probably pretty similar to childbirth in some ways. Painful, messy, and amazing. Then, after time, you forget just how terrible it was and convince yourself you want to do it again. (I rebuilt our previous house after a fire a few years ago during lockdown, and now like to tell myself i enjoyed it 😂) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonshine Posted March 7 Share Posted March 7 4 minutes ago, Edslem said: I think self building is probably pretty similar to childbirth in some ways. Painful, messy, and amazing. Then, after time, you forget just how terrible it was and convince yourself you want to do it again. i don't know about that, afterwards you are stuck with a money and time sapping creation, that if you are lucky isn't a financial burden to you after 25 years! 🤣 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edslem Posted March 7 Author Share Posted March 7 Just now, Moonshine said: i don't know about that, afterwards you are stuck with a money and time sapping creation, that if you are lucky isn't a financial burden to you after 25 years! 🤣 Which one are you talking about? 😂 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conor Posted March 7 Share Posted March 7 55 minutes ago, Alan Ambrose said: Welcome, I don’t know of any other water engineers on here so your skills will be valuable. Oi!!!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NailBiter Posted March 9 Share Posted March 9 Finding a plot is incredibly difficult. There may be some hope on the horizon if planning rules change significantly. There is also always the possibility of a paragraph 84 (previously paragraph 80) house although that is likely to be a big undertaking. https://studiobark.co.uk/resources/paragraph-84 Good luck with your build! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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