Hello

[eandg]

Hi

 

We have recently purchased a serviced plot, with outline planning, in the west of Scotland and hoping to be on site this year. Having scanned the forum over the past couple of days it looks like a great resource to draw on, with some very knowledgeable members... so apologies in advance for the silly questions! 

 

Our plans are currently for:

 

• Two storey build, approx. 180-200 sq.m depending on budget - hoping to self-manage and deliver for £1100-1200/m, drawing on 'homers' from friends in the trades where possible - but unsure of the implications on warranties etc. - though we could push the boat out a wee bit further
• Timber kit - have read some of the debates on here but 1) we just like them, 2) the cost certainty de-risks it for us and 3) timber kit is the norm in this part of the world so shouldn't be any issue with trades
• Functional, affordable family home - we can't afford and probably wouldn't want the blingy double height spaces or structural glazing but would like some nice sliding or bi-fold doors out from open plan living area to the south-facing garden and maybe some big window seat-type windows 
• As highly insulated as we can afford - ideally hoping underfloor heating downstairs with a log burner (and possibly a second on an upstairs landing-cum-second living room) and towel rails in the bathrooms will do us for heating
• Air source heat pump as an energy source - which it seems like we could buy outright with an Energy Savings Trust loan, with RHI paying the loan back so it'd be cost-neutral
• Flat roof - have read this is cheaper and we could make it a bit more eco-friendly by doing a bit of sedum planting ourselves on top of Sarnafil or similar and could potentially use part of a larger ground floor for a small roof terrace too
• Swithering on whether an architect is necessary or not - particularly as we have fairly strong ideas, it'll likely be a fair chunk of the budget, and some of the kit manufacturers' designs (with a bit of tweaking) won't be far off what we want. Some of them seem to offer structural engineer services too
• First thoughts are that Fleming Homes and Scotframe should be the first two kit manufacturers on our list to contact but not sure a half-decent website (which some of the smaller companies don't have) is any indication of quality and service - any recommendations would be appreciated
• Keen to design in value from the outset - I've seen things like installing ufh in the concrete slab rather than getting a screed laid later on referenced elsewhere on this forum - and use better value alternative products where they are available (thinking, for example, of substitutes for porcelain inside-outside tiles - sure there must be some)
• Unsure on cladding as yet, we'd like to do full timber (Scottish larch) but the broker we've spoken to says their panel of lenders will only lend on self-builds where up to 40% is timber clad (also unsure about how you install timber on timber - have seen somewhere that you'd put blockwork up and then hang on that, which sounds a bit odd but might be right)
• On mortgages, would prefer to go with Ecology than through a broker but they appear only to do arrears stage and that would probably rely on the kit manufacturer delivering 'on tick' which we doubt would fly
• Not quite got our heads around the finances yet but obviously keen to cut unnecessary costs, though fearing 4 grand in arrangement fees for a mortgage might be something we'll just need to take the hit on - and that site insurance/warranty won't be cheap either.

 

Any advice here or on the numerous posts to come will be much appreciated - thanks!

[TheMitchells]

Good luck!  sounds very excited and dont worry - we all ask 'silly questions' and no one minds in the least!  Its how we all learn.

Maybe a blog cou0ld be started so we can follow the build as it progresses - please. and lots of photo's.?

[Thedreamer]

Welcome.

 

I'm half way through building a three bedroom family home on Skye.

 

In regards to your larch cladding question. The usual way is that battens are attached to the kit which the cladding is then fixed to. I have a mixture of blockwork and cladding on our self build, but both outer skins are separate. 

 

I went direct to the Scottish Building Society for my self mortgage build. No broker fees and just an arrangement fee and valuation fee for the plot. No need for an expensive structural warranty. 

 

 

 

 

[eandg]

Thanks for the replies. 

 

I've had a wee look at SBS but they require a main contractor registered with the NHBC or an architect to be involved, which we'd rather avoid, and they pay in arrears only, which would be tight. I had a week look at The Hanley last night, whose website states they offer an advance stage mortgage in Scotland (although all their paperwork states England and Wales only) as long as you have a structural warranty in place (or an architects' certificate). On that, can you remortgage at the end with a mainstream lender using just an architects' certificate or do you need to have a structural warranty? 

[Thedreamer]

Yes ours is in arrears, but we already had the land so it was fine for us. We are using a RICS quantity surveyor for inspections, should be about £1,800.

 

Our house is on family croft land so don't have any intention of selling, so structural warranty isn't necessary for us.

 

 

Edited January 14, 2019 by Thedreamer

[newhome]

You should be able to remortgage once the property is complete but most mortgage lenders will require a structural warranty. The structural warranty information is here.

 

 

https://www.cml.org.uk/lenders-handbook/englandandwales/question-list/1913/