Still only at potential stage...

[adamW]

Hi all, quick introduction, we're looking at one of two plots of land from a developer, with the potential option to get a shell built as well, but may need to look into that side ourselves. Still trying to sort out the finance, and are hoping to get shell built by them, as the prospect of doing that ourselves is a bit daunting. Have our own house, we can remortgage, but also looking into self build mortgages. Briefly spoke to Ecology today, and hope to speak to Mayflower later this week.

Any tips appreciated, but realise there's not much unique in there, so going through the forum to see what I can find. 🙂

[G and J]

Welcome to the forum. 
 

I think my comments in this post more or less fit.  Take no prisoners guys!

 

 

[Nickfromwales]

  On 17/03/2025 at 21:29, adamW said:

Still trying to sort out the finance, and are hoping to get shell built by them

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Hi and welcome, but buyer beware! Most in this situation will build as quickly and cheaply as possible to maximise profitability, leaving you with a big hole in your wallet and a less-than-admirable build, perhaps.  

 

Look into turnkey build contractors, ones that do foundation and structure in one contract; MBC timber frame are one such supplier but do your research, and ask a gazillion questions here, before signing on any dotted lines  

[Russell griffiths]

Why do you want to build your own house ?

thers thousands out there for sale, if you want to do it because you want something better then don’t even consider getting the developer to build the shell, buy the plot if that’s what you want then go your own way, if you get them to build the shell you might as well just buy a finished one from him. 

[adamW]

Thanks for the responses, I didn't explain it very well. They won't build and sell a finished house, but are basically acting like a contractor to build the shell of the house, which you then fit out internally, to your own design.  The shells are high spec, and the plots of land are available. There's also the location, which we like, a lot. I think they're looking at a model of making it easier for people to do this sort of thing, by acting as a single point of contact.

 

But once we've worked out if/how we can finance it, we can start to look into the options more closely.

 

We could buy the plot and build it ourselves, but I don't hold a monopoly on the decisions, here. 🙂

 

[torre]

So is it an off their shelf shell design or could you get planning to your own design and they'd still work as main contractor for the shell?

 

How many units is the developer working on? If you're self building you really want a contractor that'll give you more attention to detail than the typical new estate box shifter, regardless of any spec on paper - it's all about the quality of work.

 

Is the plot being sold with services already connected? That's one part they should be able to do reasonably cheaply and save hassle versus having to arrange yourselves, and maybe it'd work to have them do the groundworks as well - basically the stuff they're well placed to do at a competitive price, then find another contractor better suited for the main build.

 

The trades they'll get on site if they're building say 10+ units will be much more vested in future work from the contractor than they will be carrying about your single unit.

 

Another factor is how they prioritise your job once you're signed up, versus all the units they're developing to sell themselves - which do you think they'll be wanting to finish first?

 

It's exciting to find a good plot, good location, but don't let that influence what you build or your choice of builder too much

[adamW]

Thanks. Fewer than 10 plots in total on this site, they've done a few nearby, so we know the general standards. Planning permission has been given for the whole site, but we could apply for changes it if we wanted. The ones currently in process are being done as this model (developer might not be a totally accurate term here, tbh).

I need to check on services - whether we can come in as part of the overall site connection, or would need to do separately - didn't occur to me until after our discussion. 

 

I think the trade-offs you mention are why they're deciding how they want to sell the plots - I've spent a couple of hours talking to the main architect, on site and seen the current in process builds, and think they're genuine that if they go with the option of helping us construct the shell, they'll properly commit. If they decide to not do that, it will be plot only. Obviously we could go in plot only up front, but that would be committing to building it all ourselves. We're not ruling it out, but there are other things that could impact on the time we could dedicate.

 

I think I understand the potential problems people are raising, and they're definitely worth considering.

[SteamyTea]

  On 18/03/2025 at 19:13, adamW said:

The shells are high spec

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What does that even mean?

Falls into the category of eco or green to my mind.

[adamW]

 Sorry, yes that. One issue is I'm not up to speed on how to talk about this yet - terms, jargon, etc.  Hopefully getting there.

[TheMitchells]

One recommendation from me is to visit the National Self Build and Renovation centre in Swindon.  Particularly when they have an Open Day as loads of information and seminars.  Free too. I did their 3 day course when i planned to self build, and even though we were planning to use a cmpany, i still learnt so much.  All good stuff which helps when dealing with companies and tradesfolk. Good luck with the project.😀