Checking in from Norfolk

[Danielhowden]

Hi, my name is Daniel. Recently through a divorce and the amount of money I receive from the sale of the house is not enough to buy anywhere I would be happy living. 

 

I'm a cabinet maker by trade and my plan is to buy a piece of land and build my own home from timber. 

 

Hoping I can gain a path through the building regulations and get tips on problems I'm sure I will have during this process. I also hope my house build adventure will give back good information for anyone else who finds themselves in my shoes. 

 

Daniel 

[Redoctober]

@Danielhowden  Good luck - especailly with regards to securing a plot, that can sometimes be the biggest hurdle.

[Nickfromwales]

Good luck. 
 

If you’re literally self building and have good mates for plumbing and sparking, then you may choose to spend more on the plot and then just finish the house to the very bare minimum to get signed off. Then slowly go at it room by room to cross the T’s and dot the I’s, after you’ve moved in.

 

Stick building is a plenty good enough option, but you may want to consider I beams to get you to a superstructure a bit quicker, depends on where you’ll be living during the build of course.

 

A cheap static (for welfare only  ) may be a good option, which you defo wouldn’t then hide in. 

[SteamyTea]

Welcome.

 

I used to work with cabinet and model makers back in the 80s and 90s.

Buildings have a totally different idea if tolerances.

 

Generally, it is cheaper to buy an existing house/ bungalow in a place you like, then knockdown and rebuild.

There are an awful lot of rules and regulations about building on a Greenfield site that can catch the unwary out.

Read as much as you can imagine here and get relevant information about service connection charges, ecology surveys, road visibility, Community Infrastructure Levy, Nitrate Neutrality, Net Biodiversity, bats and newts, trees (not that you have any where you are), flood zones (you have them), national planning framework, local policies (will be red wavey tiles on a bungalow in Norfolk) and many  many other things.

Don't get led astray by an architect.

Edited August 4 by SteamyTea