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  • HPH330 : What is a planning consultant? – with Andy Moger

    HPH330 : What is a planning consultant? – with Andy Moger

    Andy Moger, from Tetlow King Planning, explains the role of a planning consultant and the benefits they can bring to a project.

    Interview with Andy Moger

    Andy is a planning consultant for Tetlow King Planning: a planning and development company based in Bristol that operates nationwide.

    A number of years ago he worked on the government’s first pilot scheme for self and custom build – the Heartlands project in Cornwall. Following that, he became more involved in the self and custom build sector, primarily doing work for the Right to Build taskforce. Nowadays, this sector is all he works on, dealing with applications, appeals and site promotions, ranging from single dwellings to larger developments and appeal work for some of the big house builders and strategic land promoters.

    Not all building projects will require planning approval

    It is possible to use ‘permitted development’ rights for work like small extensions and loft conversions, depending on the extent of the area you’re adding to your property.

    The ‘prior approval’ process typically applies to larger extensions. You inform the council who will notify your neighbours. If there haven’t been any objections after a period of time then you’re deemed to have consent.

    Local plans control development in each area

    Each council has to have a local plan; sometimes called a district plan or core strategy. These set out a strategic approach for that area for the next 15-20 years, and contain the policies that control development. If you’re looking to get planning permission on a particular piece of land you will need to check your local plan to see how you fit with those policies, or how you might overcome any potential issues.

    All of these plans will work on the basis of concentrating the development in the most sustainable locations, which will tend to be the largest settlements within an authority area. The settlement hierarchy is:

    • Towns and cities
    • Larger villages with a broad range of services
    • Smaller villages that have some facilities but still place a degree of reliance on higher-order settlements
    • Hamlets and open countryside where the presumption generally is against development happening unless there are specific circumstances, such as for essential agriculture

    Start with a site appraisal

    A planning consultant can carry out a site appraisal before you get to the application submission stage. This looks at a number of areas that might be a barrier to getting planning approval:

    • What the local policy position is
    • What the chances of adhering to those policies is
    • Site constraints, such as flood zones, ecological designations, conservation areas, nearby heritage assets, etc

    This would be followed by a number of surveys and reports

    Providing that the planning consultant thinks they can demonstrate that the project complies with the local plan, a number of surveys need to be carried out to support the planning application. These will depend on the scale of the development but it is likely that some will be requested.

    An ecological report will typically be required to identify whether there are any protected species on the site and sometimes these can only be carried out at a specific time of year. If you miss a survey calendar window, you may need to wait until the following year before trying again.

    Additionally, a transport statement will look at visibility splays and traffic generation from your scheme. Depending on where your site is, there could also be heritage reports, ground contamination reports and archaeological investigations.

    Local validation requirements will tell you what you need to submit

    Local validation requirements supplement the national validation list, with what the local authority considers as appropriate for their area. It tells you what information you need to provide with your application when you submit it. Once you have submitted all the required information on the Planning Portal, and paid your fee, you wait for the council to validate it.

    There are two routes to a planning decision

    If there haven’t been objections to the scheme, or if they’ve been addressed and the case officer is satisfied, then there are two routes to planning approval that might be taken. The first is their delegated decision, which tends to be on smaller, non-contentious schemes. This is where the officer has been given the power to grant or refuse planning consent.

    The other route is where it is put forward to a committee. This might be because it has been called in by a local councillor, or because it is more contentious with a number of objections.

    You have six months to appeal a decision

    If the case officer or committee refuse the application, you have six months in which to appeal. There are three routes for this.

    The first is called written representations, which is the easiest and cheapest. In your statement you would set out your case and submit it to the planning inspectorate. The council does the same. The planning inspectorate reviews both statements and makes a decision as to whether the appeal should be allowed or dismissed.

    The second route is a hearing. Both sides set out their case as above, but then attend a hearing together in person. The planning inspectorate will listen to both parties before making their decision.

    And thirdly, it can go to a public inquiry. This is the most expensive and time-consuming and is run very much like a trial. There are barristers and witnesses, and the inspector will sit as judge. They make their decision based on the written evidence and what they’ve heard in the cross-examinations.

    Choose a planning consultant based on their relevant experience

    If you’re looking for a planning consultant to work on your case with you, it is sensible to choose one with relevant experience of the appeals process that you are using. They should be a member of the Royal Town Planning Institute (MRTPI) and have a good track record locally. Don’t be afraid to ask for examples of cases they’ve won, so that you know you’re going with someone who is familiar with local policy and has relationships with councillors and officers in the area.

    Councils have a statutory duty to make self build land available

    Putting your name on the Right to Build register means that the council has a legal duty under the Self-build and Custom Housebuilding Act to issue the same number of permissions as there are names on the register.

    Andy has been involved in appeals where they have been able to argue that because the council have failed in their legal duty to issue enough consents for self and custom building, then land which might be outside of settlement limits should be permitted for development.

    Andy has also found that although some councils claim to have met their obligations by granting the same number of single dwelling permissions as there are people on their register looking for a plot, further investigation shows that actually, the majority of them aren’t for self or custom build at all. Some of these can be planning permissions for up to 9 dwellings, where they’re clearly developer-led models with no ability for customisation.

    Self Build and Custom Housebuilding Supply in Braintree

    8 out of 10 people aren’t aware of the Right to Build Register

    In one appeal that Andy worked on, although the council had met its obligations, they were able to argue that secondary data sources showed the register was actually a massive underestimation of the numbers of people in the area that wanted to self-build. Many of these were people that weren’t even aware of the self-build register. The inspector in that case allowed the appeal, even though the council had met its statutory duty.

    Andy would encourage anyone to add their details to this register though, as this will increase the number of self build plots the council legally has to make available.

    Outline planning permission is less risky

    A full planning permission provides all the details about your scheme, including layouts, landscaping, scale and massing. If you were to then get planning consent, all you would have to do is discharge the conditions against it, such as material samples, working hours on site etc.

    What a lot of people do is seek an outline consent with access only. This is an illustrative plan showing what you intend to put on the site. With outline approval you have to get subsequent reserved matters approvals for all the elements that you haven’t included at that stage. Outline permission is cheaper, so is therefore considered less of a risk.

    Andy stresses the importance of discharging any pre-commencement conditions, prior to starting work on site.

    Self builders can apply for CIL exemption

    CIL is the Community Infrastructure Levy that some councils have implemented. It is a per square metre charge on development and is intended to pay for strategic infrastructure. Self builders can apply for an exemption, but it is incredibly important to follow the process correctly, and within the timeframes, as failure to do so could lead to a bill running into thousands of pounds.

    Find out more

    Visit the website of Tetlow King Planning

    Follow Tetlow King Planning on Twitter

    Transcript

    Download a transcript of the interview with Andy Moger
  • HPH224 : What due diligence should you carry out before buying land? – with Rob Wiggans

    HPH224 : What due diligence should you carry out before buying land? – with Rob Wiggans

    Rob Wiggans from RMP Property explains how you can minimise risks when buying land for development.

     

    Interview with Rob Wiggans

    Previously we spoke with Rob about what self-builders can learn from commercial land-buyers when looking for a plot of land. Rob used to work in the land buying department of Taylor Wimpey, and now works in property investment for RMP Property (now the Property Hub), so he knows a thing or two about what checks to carry out before buying a building plot.

     

    More due diligence means there’s less risk

    “Due diligence is the vital, critical research that any person buying land has to conduct in order to provide security to their purchase and ensure that whatever they’re buying is right for their objective for that particular site.”

    Even with due diligence carried out, things still can go wrong. But the more you do, the less risk there is likely to be.

     

    Create your network first

    Establish your team of key people before you get started. By first making contact with a recommended architect, they will be able to provide access to the relevant consultants to conduct your due diligence.

     

    Carry out initial brief checks

    On finding a piece of land, the key people Rob would first contact would be:

    • Solicitor – to provide a quick red flag check on whether anything may crop up from a legal perspective;
    • Ground consultant – they would do a quick check of local maps in the area;
    • Architect – usually the sites Rob would be interested in have planning permission, so the architect would assess the quality of the planning permission and any conditions that are attached to it.

    If further information was needed following that, options might be to go to an ecologist, services consultant or traffic consultant.

     

    Understand the ground conditions

    In terms of the site, the key piece of due diligence to explore is understanding the ground below the site to determine what foundations and ground works will be required. While virtually all pieces of land can be built on, the costs could be high if the ground conditions aren’t favourable.

    A ground investigation should comprise a phase one and a phase two. Phase one would be engaging a ground consultant to carry out a desktop study, using historical mapping and records to show how the land has been used in the past. This would cost in the region of £500-£1,000.

    The ground consultant would then be able to advise to what extent you need to do a phase two, ie a physical investigation of the site where boreholes and trenches would be dug. If phase one has revealed any doubt that there could have been mining or contamination on the site previously, then there would need to be a more rigorous phase two investigation. This could be around £5,000-£10,000 for a small site.

    A ground investigation can also provide some information on how good the drainage would be, but there is the option to carry out further drainage and flood surveys. Drainage design for foul and surface water will need to be submitted as part of the planning application or as a condition of the planning approval before works commence.

    The extent to which archaeology and ecology surveys are needed would be dictated by the local authority.

     

    Check how you can connect utilities

    One option is to employ a services consultant to look at and assess what services are in the immediate locality. Alternatively you can go through the local authority and contact local service providers who can give you this information and advise how much it is likely to cost to connect to your house.

     

    Ensure there is adequate site access

    Access fundamentally covers whether you can get emergency services, waste trucks and other vehicles in and out of the site.

    The first thing to bear in mind, is ‘visibility splay’: whether you can reverse out of your drive and adequately see traffic, and whether you can be seen by that traffic. Planning applications will need provision for adequate access, and a traffic consultant would be able to provide that information.

     

    Explore legal considerations

    Ensuring you have a legal right of way onto your land is crucial. A solicitor would check if you are legally able to access the land from a title perspective and covenant perspective, whether there are ransom strips, and if you’re crossing unregistered land to get to the site. Taking out an insurance policy of generally a few hundred pounds would cover costs if an applicable unregistered piece of land was later claimed for example.

     

    Go with your gut instinct

    “If you’ve always had an element of doubt about a particular site or ‘there’s something not right here,’ there probably is.”

    Rob advises that if you don’t have confidence in the site, then don’t go ahead with it.

    “Don’t develop a bias in terms of eagerness to pursue a site, just because you want to or you’re desperate to get on to a self-build project. Take your time.”

     

    Do a trial run

    If you find a piece of land that is out of your price range, or not in the area that you want, Rob suggests doing a dry run and practice the due diligence process. Consider it from access and legal perspectives, chat to a local architect about it and try and find out why it hasn’t sold or what the positives and negatives of the site are.

    By doing this practice, when you do find the site you want you’ll have that experience and a sharper eye to know what to be looking out for.

     

    Find out more

    Visit the website of the Property Hub

    Follow The Property Hub on Twitter

    Listen to our previous podcast with Rob about what self-builders can learn from commercial land buyers.

     

    Transcript

    Download a transcript of the interview with Rob Wiggans.

     

    Please connect with me

  • HPH192 : How ‘Right to Build’ can help custom and self-builders find land – with Michael Holmes from NaCSBA

    HPH192 : How ‘Right to Build’ can help custom and self-builders find land – with Michael Holmes from NaCSBA

    Michael Holmes from NaCSBA explains the Right to Build initiative and how it will impact on the future of custom and self-builds.

    Interview with Michael Holmes

    Michael Holmes’ work in the housing sector began in 1990 when he was responsible for the PR and marketing campaign for the first ever Self-build Home Show. He is now Chairman of The National Custom and Self-build Association (NaCSBA), has presented television property shows and is a director of Centaur Media, responsible for property magazines (Homebuilding & Renovating and others) as well as the Plotfinder website and the Homebuilding & Renovating Shows.

    “It is utterly empowering, building your own home”

    Having completed his own self-builds and renovation projects, Michael fully advocates self-building. The best people to design a house are the ones who will live in it and a bespoke property can even save money. Yet the UK has fewer than average self-builds despite the clear advantages.

    Only 8% of UK homes are commissioned by the owners, compared with about 39% across the rest of the developed world. Michael thinks this is partly because people underestimate their abilities, but the main problem is limited land ownership – 90% of the land in the UK is owned by 10% of the people.

    Owner-commissioned housing leads to individuality and variety

    Popular home ownership is a relatively new concept in this country, although a century or two ago, almost every house was built by the owners. Over time we lost owner-commissioned housing and Michael thinks we may have lost a lot more besides.

    Many of our towns and villages were built on an individual basis, which he says led to “that variety that makes up the character of our towns and villages that we so value, rather than the characterless homogenous housing that is mass-built at the moment.”

    Custom and self-builds can help solve our housing crisis

    Our house-building culture has evolved in response to historic needs. Large-scale public house building started by the state after WW1 was gradually taken over by the private sector.

    Today, it remains easier for local authorities to meet housing demand by granting planning permission for the development of large, strategic sites, than on thousands of individual plots. However this approach hasn’t solved the UK’s housing crisis.

    Michael comments, “It’s quite remarkable that as one of the wealthiest and most advanced countries in the world, we can’t build enough houses to meet demand.” He believes custom and self-builds are part of the solution and wants aspiring self-builders to know how the Right to Build initiative can help.

    Right to Build obliges local authorities to meet demand for plots

    The Right to Build, which was launched on 1st April 2016, is a legal duty on every local authority in England to maintain a register of people who are looking for a serviced plot to build their own home and to grant sufficient development permissions to meet that demand within three years.

    Michael says the scheme is aimed at a broad spectrum, not just one-off “Grand Designs” houses. Group self-builders, community-led housing, and people looking to rent or share ownership could all benefit.

    Though authorities will have to match demand, it doesn’t mean permission will be granted on a plot that perfectly suits your particular needs.

    Serviced plots can help meet the demand for self-build

    Between the 80s and the early noughties, 15-17,000 self-builds, mostly in-fill sites and replacement dwellings, were constructed each year in the UK. Following the credit crunch, that number dropped to about 10-11,000. But the self-build market is now growing, at just over 6% per year, and the government aims to double the sector by 2020. This looks unachievable if the houses are built on individual plots.

    Serviced plots, popular abroad, could offer new opportunities, not only for self-build but for custom build projects where people are willing to pay for a bespoke home but don’t have the time to self-build. They are also less risky and easier to access for the majority of people, as two difficult elements of any self-build – foundations and services – have been dealt with.

    The market already exists for serviced plots

    One-off plots with amazing views are appealing but will always be expensive, whereas serviced plots can facilitate bespoke homes at affordable prices.

    Evidence suggests that many self-builders would like to be part of a community and would happily live alongside other house builders or “spec built houses” on a multi-plot site.

    Graven Hill at Cherwell aims to provide 1,900 serviced custom and self-build plots. Describing it as a “fantastic, ambitious project”, Michael admires their objective of building a custom and self-build community.

    Demand for self-build opportunities is growing

    In 2016 there was a 24% increase in planning applications for individual new dwellings. And 18,000 people signed up to the Right to Build scheme in the seven months following its launch. NaCSBA’s Right to Build Portal links to every local authority’s demand register so you can see the demand for each of those authorities. Michael is seeing a response to demand with an increasing number of plots coming to market.

    Registering interest does not commit you to anything

    Local authorities have the right to charge for entry on the register although Michael discourages this, believing it will impact on the numbers of people signing up.

    Other than paying a fee, you’re not actually making any commitment. You’re just signing up to be counted in the local authority’s demand assessment.

    Your data is not available in the public domain and you can ask for your name to be removed from the register at any time.

    Local authorities have to take your interest into account

    Each local authority decides the particulars of their register. One part, open to everybody in the EU, assesses the demand. A second part can ask further questions such as a financial affordability test or a local connection test that may grant priority.

    Michael stresses that neither of these prevents you going on part one of the register and having your demand counted.

    Registering is a win-win situation

    If local authorities fail to meet a demonstrated demand within three years, Michael thinks planning permission could be granted on pieces of land that might not ordinarily have received it, such as plots just outside settlement boundaries.

    Although it remains to be seen how inspectors interpret the Self-Build and Custom House Building Act, Michael says, “We expect it to have weight in those planning decisions.”

    Local authorities are being given support to meet demand

    Michael says there’s a great deal of understanding and interest in custom and self-builds on the part of local authorities, but what they lack is expertise.

    The Right to Build Taskforce will play an important role through the Right to Build Toolkit, sharing ideas and policies that will help individual authorities bring forward land. Solutions include working with developers or housing associations to make custom and self-build part of their housing mix or even local authorities creating serviced plots themselves.

    NaCSBA are working to ensure serviced plots, builders, custom build providers and finance products are all in place. In addition, Michael explains they are working with the UK government and those in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to boost house building.

    “It’s about democratising house building,” says Michael. “It’s about putting people in charge of house building to meet their own needs.”

    Find out more

    Visit the website of NaCSBA

    Visit the Right To Build portal

    Follow NaCSBA on Twitter

    Transcript

    Download a transcript of the interview with Michael Holmes

    Please connect with me

  • HPH184 : Balancing a self build with work and family life – with Donal O’Leary

    HPH184 : Balancing a self build with work and family life – with Donal O’Leary

    Donal O’Leary tells us about his self-build in Ireland and shares advice for a successful project.

    Interview with Donal O’Leary

    We catch up with Donal O’Leary, the first House Planning Help Hub member to complete a self-build project! The decision to self-build came about by accident, as Donal and his wife were originally looking for a run-down property to renovate or rebuild. The properties they viewed didn’t quite meet their needs or budget, and suddenly the right site came along.

    An unorthodox approach helped them secure their plot

    Donal explains, “We didn’t really need the full site as it was. It was actually too big and therefore it was outside of our price range.” After making enquiries and seeking legal advice, they came to an agreement with a neighbouring landowner to join forces and put in a high enough offer to outbid another interested party. The site would then be split into two, for their own developments.

    It took a year of planning before construction started

    After acquiring and sorting out the site, the second year was the planning phase, split into obtaining formal planning permission and working with architects and quantity surveyors.

    In Ireland, you have a pre-planning meeting with the local authority. This is an opportunity to run through plans and get approval to apply for formal planning permission (or find out what needs to be done differently). Donal explains you don’t have to have final drawings, but you do need to provide plans showing where the house will sit, access, and services like sewage and water.

    Cost dictated the final design of the house

    The site was large enough to accommodate a big house. But for Donal and family, the priority was a comfortable, clean and healthy home that would take advantage of the light and aspect, as well as modern insulation and air-tightness standards. Cost ultimately decided the final design, and the overall size was dictated by that design and how the spaces were arranged.

    The budget was based on some funds left over from the sale of their previous property, plus the mortgage amount they would be able to secure. Donal adds, “The rainy-day fund and the piggy bank were all broken at this stage. So, we worked out roughly what we could afford…and worked back from that primarily.”

    The planning phase included very detailed specifications

    Their architect and quantity surveyor filled in most of the tender document template, detailing the build specifications. Donal and his wife provided additional information (such as doorknobs, stove handles, bathroom finishes) to complete the document.

    It took five or six iterations of 20-30 page documents to figure out exactly what was needed. Donal says in hindsight it was definitely worth it, but at the time it was difficult. “You’re at the stage where you can’t even visualise what the house looks like, and you’re expected to say, ‘well, I want a Belfast sink with a tap that goes a certain way’.”

    Time-wise, their biggest challenge was appointing a builder

    Christmas time was the deadline for receiving responses to their tender. Donal says, “I’m sure the builders were delighted to be filling out a huge tender document on Christmas Eve!” They narrowed it down from four builders to two, met both and then picked one. Availability was a very important factor, as well as previous experience and price. The tender process took a couple of months and the actual build lasted just over 12 months from start to finish.

    A precise calculation helped them stick to their budget

    The quantity surveyor broke the build down to a very detailed level, so they knew exactly how much it would cost. Donal says they were reasonable estimates with a bit of wriggle room to alter the spec if needed, when it came to actually buying fixtures and fittings.

    There were only a few minor changes during the build stage. Donal attributes this to the time spent upfront with their architect and quantity surveyor on the spec. It gave them a baseline to go back to, which helped them manage their finances. And they had monthly budget reviews with the builder.

    They tried to attend site as often as possible

    The building contractor was effectively the project manager. So for Donal, the biggest challenge was not a technical one, it was just keeping on top of everything and being available. He admits it’s difficult when you have to take calls and send emails while at work, but says you just have to find a way.

    Donal advises others to take any chance they get – before or after work, or at lunchtime if you’re nearby – to go to site and give an opinion so things can move on. His wife spent any spare time during the day onsite, involved in the daily decision-making. Donal recalls a few times where just being there averted a disaster, explaining, “So, if we weren’t there, they would’ve done x, but because we were there, they did y.”

    Keeping their architect engaged in the entire build process was worthwhile

    Laws have changed in Ireland and you have to have an Assigned Certifier; an engineer or architect signs off the various certification and documentation across each phase of the build and can be held accountable by the local authority.

    Donal and his wife chose to involve their architect (who they found through word of mouth) for the whole project. So she had a vested interest not just from a design perspective, but also legally and financially. As the client, they had the reassurance of a professional overseeing the builder.

    They leaned on their architect quite a lot. As Donal explains, “It’s not just somebody who draws nice designs, prints them off and you go, ‘move a wall here, move a wall there.’ It’s far more than that. It’s a design eye, it’s finishing, it’s the construction knowledge that the average client doesn’t have.” She was a good sounding board when they had to make decisions, offering suggestions and steering them in the right direction.

    Sustainability had to be balanced with budget

    There were times where a sustainable option wasn’t the most economical or expedient, for example they considered rainwater harvesting but the cost involved would have pushed the build over budget.

    However, they tried to reduce the carbon footprint of their new build where possible:

    • Orienting the house for solar gain, with canopy-style shading to reduce overheating.
    • Avoiding the need for oil due to high-spec insulation.
    • Using an air source heat pump.
    • Leaving some of the garden as a nature area for wildlife, planting some clover there instead of grass so as to have a low maintenance meadow.

    Transcript

    Download a transcript of the interview with Donal O’Leary

    How stupid is our obsession with lawns?

    If you’re planning a vast lawn for your new house, is it actually the most sustainable thing to do?

    Donal recommends listening to a Freakonomics episode which ponders how natural lawns are and looks at alternatives.

    And if you enjoy that, check out last year’s interview with Lisa Kerslake on creating a biodiverse garden.

    Please connect with me

  • HPH176 : A self build case study of ‘The Den’ Passivhaus – with Dennis and Nicola Merrigan

    HPH176 : A self build case study of ‘The Den’ Passivhaus – with Dennis and Nicola Merrigan

    Interview with Dennis and Nicola Merrigan

    Dennis and Nicola Merrigan talk about the highs and lows of their Passivhaus self-build project, sharing lessons learned.

     

     

    A ‘challenging’ plot at auction was affordable

    Dennis Merrigan had always wanted to build his own home and he loved the county of Dorset. He says they got lucky when their plot came up at auction, as they didn’t have to exceed their agreed budget. The neighbouring pub car park and pig farm may have put others off, but Dennis and Nicola are fond of the rare breed pigs and see the benefit of being close to the pub.

     

    The project inspired Nicola to become a Passivhaus advocate

    Nicola was initially overwhelmed by the build process and didn’t know what a Passivhaus was. The eco houses she had seen were on early episodes of Grand Designs, which normally showed “a sad looking woman putting sawdust down her composting toilet”! She was happy for Dennis to take the lead on the build but was adamant that she needed a flushing loo!

    As the build progressed she worked more closely with Dennis and fell in love with the story of Passivhaus. Becoming increasingly interested, she looked on Twitter for other self-builders. “Even though it’s something I’d never heard of before, I just thought it was really interesting and I wanted to learn more.”

    Planning permission informed the final design choices

    Dennis tweaked the existing planning consent to slightly increase the size of the house, but the planners turned down their initial red brick and stone design, saying they wanted something more modern.

    Dennis felt that “passive was the way to go” anyway, and had architect Paul Mallion of Conker Conservation in mind. Keeping Nicola in the loop, they tweaked the design as they went, deciding on timber frame for the construction. The second planning application imposed a height restriction but Dennis actually thinks the house looks better for it.

    Good neighbours can help to overcome challenges

    Dennis says they are lucky to get on very well with their neighbour. Together they solved some drainage problems for all concerned by using the neighbour’s suggestion of putting a sump on his land and building a drainage channel right through the Merrigan’s property.

    Manage the build with teamwork and communication

    During the build Nicola and Dennis were mostly away working, which Nicola wouldn’t recommend, saying that being near to the site is really important. However, with many phone calls to discuss details, client, builder and architect managed a lot of the project remotely. It was the builder’s first Passivhaus but being quite technical, he could understand the premise behind it. While Dennis’ architect only visited the site once during the build, he was very helpful on the phone.

    Dennis advises getting the building team onside for the air test. He says, “We played a little game on site that if they got it first time, there’d be a little bonus. And they did get it first time.” He adds that the air test is also a great way of testing that they’ve built it properly.

    Problems can become learning experiences

    The biggest challenge on the project came when the timber frame company went into liquidation. They had paid 50% upfront to have the timber frame made to their specifications.

    The contractor tried to minimise the damage by letting them take some of the materials and recommending another timber frame company. Good relations with the builder helped too, as he juggled his schedule.

    However, there was still a £20,000 deficit. Dennis’ tip to protect yourself against similar situations is to use a personal credit card for hefty deposits as that offers insurance.

    He remains philosophical, saying, “I think once you do get around things and overcome problems, then other problems that come up are very minor and you sort of get hardened to it.”

    Recycling can help solve budget issues

    They ended up with a lovely, finished house but no money left for a kitchen. However, Nicola says, “The gods of building take away and then give back.” Dennis works as an independent surveyor with loss adjusters on fire and flood claims. A very high-end kitchen shop had had a flood in the basement, but had a kitchen upstairs which had been written off. They were able to buy it at a manageable price and, though not the kitchen they would have designed, are really pleased with it.

    Nicola’s memories of the build process

    1. July 22nd 2012, first digger came to clear site

    2. Concrete was poured for foundations

    3. Timber frame went up – it looked like a house

    4. Siberian larch cladding went on – it looked even more like a house

    5. Fermacell boarding

    6. Kitchen went in – it was finally a home

    The little details make the difference

    Dennis says that finishing a property is all about detail. They have a good ventilation system but avoided ‘toys’, keeping things simple with timber floors upstairs and polished concrete floors downstairs. Details like aluminium guttering add refinement but nothing stands out on the roof. The solar PV panels are black and were built in. The solar thermal panels also ‘melt into the roof’, as they match the Fakro roof lights. (They also get the money back on the PV so they have a warm house and no bills.) Although told they wouldn’t need a log burner they put one in for looks. However, they are glad to have it to use occasionally when they haven’t been in the house for a while.

    The budget was difficult to manage

    Initial budgeting is hard and even Dennis’ builder wouldn’t work to a price having never done Passivhaus. Dennis agreed to pay the labour on a daily basis, so it was hard to stick to the budget. For example, the Fermacell is very heavy so took a lot longer and cost a lot more than plasterboard would have.

    Dennis admits that he made mistakes but they did have enough resources to finish the project. For example, they had to wait a little time but they did manage to get the kitchen.

    Nicola advises to not only budget for the house but also the surrounding area, something they didn’t do. Their neighbour came to their rescue again, doing the landscaping with his digger.

    5 tips for people wanting to build their own home

    Dennis and Nicola share some great advice for self-builders:

    • Be prepared: finding land is really hard
    • You need a good architect that you get on with
    • Get your finances in place – they used the Ecology Building Society and couldn’t fault them; furthermore, have a contingency; money can be a big worry, so don’t start without the project fully resourced.
    • Consider the form of contract; are you going to get somebody to do the whole thing or part-manage it yourself?
    • Especially with a Passivhaus, decide all the detail before you start because you can’t change things easily; even moving the structure inside is very hard because of the ventilation system.

    Dennis notes everybody will have different challenges with the build itself. However, once you’re in the house and benefitting from it, you forget all the problems. He concludes, “It’s worth doing. I’d recommend it, but you need to know what you’re taking on.”

     

    Find out more

    Conker Conservation

    Follow Nicola on Twitter

    Transcript

    Download a transcript of the interview with Dennis and Nicola Merrigan

    Please connect with me

  • HPH170 : The process of buying land – with Michael Campbell from Spratt Endicott Solicitors

    HPH170 : The process of buying land – with Michael Campbell from Spratt Endicott Solicitors

    Michael Campbell from Spratt Endicott Solicitors explains the key stages that need to take place in order to buy a piece of land for a self build project. Ben also chats through some of the challenges he faced during his plot search and subsequent land purchase.

    Interview with Michael Campbell

    Michael Campbell is an associate solicitor at Spratt Endicott and he specialises in residential development.

    Previously he spent nearly twenty years at a national house builder, as their in-house lawyer, dealing with acquisitions, sales, affordable housing sales, infrastructure agreements, planning agreements, and anything that is required to get a site from a piece of land to a finished housing development.

     

    There are four important aspects to a land purchase

    At a basic level there are four areas that must be clarified:

    1. Title
    2. Access
    3. Services and drainage
    4. Planning

     

    Specific searches help gather information about the plot

    There are numerous searches that help establish if there are any issues relating to the land.

    These include things like a local search, drainage search, chancel repair, highways search, etc.

    If any problems are flagged up from these searches, then you could investigate potential measures to reduce risk (such as taking out insurance against that issue) or simply halt the purchase.

     

    The title must allow access to the adopted highway

    When buying a piece of backland (behind a house, for example), be certain that the title deeds allow access from the adopted highway.

    If a covenant exists on the title that restricts access to one dwelling and there is already a dwelling there, then the new dwelling would be in breach of the covenant.

    Michael says this covenant is fairly common.

     

    An ‘absolute’ title is the best title

    There are two classes of title: absolute and possessory.

    With possessory title, there is always the risk that someone with a better title than you will be able to come along and claim the title to the land.

    Michael continues: “You would normally back-up your possessory title with an insurance policy so that, in that scenario, insurance would either cover compensation to the person who’s been ‘dispossessed’ of their land or alternatively would be paying you back the costs that you’ve incurred in purchasing and whatever development you may have carried out at that point on the land.”

     

    Some parcels of land are yet to be registered

    In England, it only became compulsory to register land in 1987.

    So if land hasn’t changed hands since that point then it will still be unregistered.

    Michael comments: “If title deeds get lost but somebody believes they own a parcel of land, they will submit their statutory declaration to say ‘I’ve always used this piece of land’ and at that point, it becomes registered with possessory title.”

    After 12 years, you can apply for it to be then upgraded to ‘absolute’ title on the basis that nobody has made any claim better than your claim to be the owner of that parcel of land.

     

    Insurance is usually available, but at a cost!

    Generally speaking Michael says insurance is available to cover various circumstances that may arise.

    “Like all insurance, it’s based on a value. A Ferrari is more expensive than a Mini to insure. It’s the same principle with a house. The bigger the house, the greater the risk, the greater the insurance.”

     

    An overage means a previous owner will benefit from future development

    Overage occurs where somebody selling a piece of land realises there could be potential for development in the future. As such, they would require an uplift in the value of that land once it has gained planning permission (as agricultural land is worth far less than land with planning permission for dwellings).

    There’s no limit on how long an overage can last for, so if decades have passed then this uplift could even go to the successor in title.

     

    Another common covenant might require approval from previous or current owners

    Michael says that if someone is selling a piece of land they may put in place a covenant which requires the plans and drawings to be approved.

    This is common when someone is selling a garden plot but they intend to continue living in their existing house. It gives them a degree of control over the new scheme.

     

    A solicitor should bring clarity to the process

    While most people could pick up a title and understand the basics, a solicitor would still be needed to confirm their interpretation is correct.

    The clarity gained from hiring a solicitor should provide sufficient information either to continue or halt the land purchase.

     

    There could be additional costs during the planning process

    Michael says that while build costs are relatively straightforward to work out, sometimes people don’t appreciate the costs associated with planning.

    “You often will need supporting documentations. For example, an ecology survey, perhaps a survey for contamination, ground investigations, all sorts of different surveys, depending on the nature of the site. And those are not cheap.”

     

    Generally a deposit is paid when contracts are exchanged

    As part of the documentation, your solicitor will put together a contract which states the seller’s name, your name, the details of the property, the purchase price, and whether there’s anything else included within the sale.

    Once signed and a completion date is added, the contract is exchanged. And in most cases this is the point where the deposit is due.

     

    Completion is when the balance is paid and the land changes hands

    Completion is the official date when the land becomes yours.

    At that point, the seller will ensure that the land has got vacant possession. Your solicitor will hand over the purchase monies for the balance of your purchase price and completion then takes place at that point.

     

    Once contracts have been exchanged there’s no going back without a penalty

    Once you exchange contracts, you are contractually bound. So, if you wish to withdraw, unless the other party is agreeable to you withdrawing then compensation would be payable.

     

    An ‘average’ land purchase transaction might take three months

    There’s no set rule to how long a purchase will take to go through. Every transaction is different. However, Michael says three months is typical.

    “You might think it’s a nice, straightforward transaction but, for example, if something arises on title where you have to think about an insurance policy, that may take a bit of time to sort out to everybody’s satisfaction.”

     

     

    Factor in the additional costs

    Although the land purchase will be the major cost, don’t forget:

    • Stamp duty land tax (which will be based on the value of the parcel of land)
    • Solicitors’ fees
    • Land Registry fee (which will be based on the value of the parcel of land)
    • Search fees (the cost of these may vary slightly between local authorities)

     

    Hire a solicitor who carries out land transactions every day

    While a general practitioner can probably handle this work it is a good idea to engage a solicitor who does this as a matter of course.

     

    Find out more

    Visit the website of Spratt Endicott Solicitors

    Follow Spratt Endicott Solicitors on Twitter

    Transcript

    Download a transcript of the interview with Michael Campbell.

    Please connect with me

  • HPH154 : The challenges of building a new home in a rural community – with Jeremy Harris

    HPH154 : The challenges of building a new home in a rural community – with Jeremy Harris

    Jeremy Harris, a scientist by background, wanted a low energy house for his retirement. He talks about the initial stages of his self-build project: finding a plot of land and obtaining planning approval.

    Jeremy Harris

    Interview with Jeremy Harris

    Jeremy Harris, a scientist by background, wanted a low energy house for his retirement. He first came up with the idea that he might like to build a house around ten years ago.

    It’s important to fully understand the beginning of the self-build process

    Jeremy found television programmes and magazines rarely touch on finding a plot, designing a house to fit that plot, and the people you have to employ to do all of that work. It can be very expensive, costing thousands of pounds for planning consultants, architects, building control, etc.

    Plots can seem very nice on websites but look nothing like the photographs in reality

    Finding a plot of land was extremely hard. The Harrises drove several thousand miles, visiting disappointing plots. They began by looking at what they wanted to build, but Jeremy concluded this was the wrong way round: first find a plot, then determine what type of house will fit on it.

    Having walked away from one likely prospect, by chance they found their plot of land 16 miles from where they were living. It was too overgrown to see properly and fenced so they couldn’t get into it, but looked like it might be exactly what they wanted: facing south (i.e. good solar access) and in a sheltered valley.

    There's a plot in there somewhere!
    There’s a plot in there somewhere!

    Buying a plot is not the same as buying a house – ensure services will be available

    When buying a plot of land a solicitor can tell you if there’s a public footpath on it but won’t find out if you’ve got water, mains electricity, mains sewage or even if the boundaries are in the right place.

    Services in rural areas are often stretched to the limit. Jeremy had to ask the relevant utility companies if they could supply:

    1. Electricity? Fortunately there was plenty of power on their doorstep.
    2. Water? Companies have a statutory duty to supply water but the issue is cost. They’d have to dig up a lane for 140 metres and although Jeremy shopped around (anybody with a licence can do the digging), the minimum cost was still £24,500.
    3. Mains sewerage? There’s no statutory requirement to supply this and the cheapest the water company could provide it was £14,800.
    4. A new phone connection? Telecoms companies see self-builders as developers. If there isn’t enough capacity, they can charge whatever they want to lay a new multi-cable.

    As services would cost so much, Jeremy renegotiated the price accepted. The land hadn’t sold for eight years so he persuaded the vendor to knock off a substantial amount.

    Many building plots have boundaries in the wrong place where the Land Registry is concerned

    Plots of land don’t have registered boundaries as a rule. There was a boundary error affecting the Harrises’ plot meaning the house approved to go on it wouldn’t fit.

    The process for resolving boundary errors is complex and time consuming. It’s up to the vendor to do it, so you have to persuade them to spend money with Land Registry to get title plans amended. This often affects adjacent houses, as well as your plot, involving lenders as they have a right on the title.

    A stumbling block can sometimes turn out to be an opportunity

    It took them a year to get their boundary error resolved, but this allowed time to plan the project properly.

    Jeremy wrote a brief with eight key design points but the architects he approached didn’t seem to understand the role of design with low energy houses. Looking further afield for a Passivhaus specialist was an option, but thinking the distance might make communication difficult Jeremy decided he’d design their house himself.

    So the year was productively spent:

    • Evolving designs for the house
    • Tracking down the local Openreach engineer who offered help at no cost, as Jeremy planned to dig trenches on the plot and an underground network would solve local problems with overhead cables and trees
    • Discovering a borehole was possible, at half the cost of mains water
    • Planning a sewage treatment plant, costing around £3,500; much cheaper than digging up the lane

    This avoided inflaming an existing situation with the neighbours, as the plot had a chequered planning history, and saved money too!

    The borehole
    The borehole

    Once the principle of development is established by an approval, it’s extremely difficult for planners to remove it

    The Harrises’ plot had planning permission for a little stone bungalow that they didn’t want. As the local authority had approved the principle of putting a house on the plot, their plan was to submit a new application.

    Areas of outstanding natural beauty, conservation areas and proximity to listed buildings put constraints on what you can build. For example, needing to have all the external materials approved, as was the case with Jeremy’s house.

    Good communication paves the way for a smoother planning application process

    In Jeremy’s area, seven objection letters result in the application being referred to a planning committee, where emotions come into play far more than planning law.

    A previous application for the plot resulted in 14 objections at Parish Council level and dozens of letters. To mitigate objections for their application, Jeremy spoke to every neighbour, sent them regular update newsletters and even Christmas cards.

    He also made scale models, enabling all interested parties to understand the design before the planning application went in. His wife could look inside the rooms to see whether they were big enough, and the neighbours could see what the house might look like in the landscape. And the scale model played an important part at the Parish Council planning meeting, where applicants aren’t allowed to talk.

    model-sw-view-small

    “We had several cases where objectors turned to supporters”

    Jeremy eliminated concerns by talking them through with neighbours:

    Genuine concernsWhat Jeremy did
    New house would overload the sewage systemExplained they were putting in a sewage treatment plant instead
    Height of the house might block views or cast shadowsUsed the 3D scale model to show that the house would be set into the hillside (3m down)
    Being overlooked in their back gardenUsed the model to show that the garage blocked the view (neighbour was also happy the garage protected their vegetable patch from the wind)

    Engaging with local people is important but Jeremy adds a caveat: be cautious and put your foot down if neighbours ask for too much; at the end of the day it’s your plot and your house.

    The Harrises got through the planning stage with no letters of objection at all, so the decision was down to a Planning Officer purely based on the law and planning policies for the area, and approval was granted.

    Transcript

    Download a transcript of the interview with Jeremy Harris

    Find out more

    Check out Jeremy’s blog on the project

     

    Please connect with me

     

  • HPH122 : Can local knowledge help you uncover a plot of land? – with Ben Adam-Smith

    HPH122 : Can local knowledge help you uncover a plot of land? – with Ben Adam-Smith

    Ben Adam-Smith spends a full day trying to use local knowledge to progress his search for a building plot.

     

    The challenge

    Listeners of the podcast will know the challenges that Ben has been having with finding a plot of land to get his self build underway.

    While lots of new houses are being built in Ben’s town of Hertford, they all seem to be going to developers and not available to people who want to self build high quality homes.

    In this episode we hear how Ben got proactive, dedicating a full day trying to tap in to local knowledge about possible opportunities, to decide whether it’s worth investing the effort in this approach.

     

    Step 1: Calling local architects and builders

    After spending 45 minutes calling around local architects and builders, there was no insider information gleaned from any about potential plots!

     

    Step 2: On foot – shop owners, pub landlords, and people that might be well connected

    Ben’s tip for if you’re planning on this approach – make sure it’s at a time of day and week when everything’s open!

    One interviewee that had lived in the town all her life was only aware of people in the town self building if they were doing it in the back garden of the house of their parents in some of the larger properties. Her suggestion was to approach the local churches, where they attract an elderly congregation in an area of the town which has some of the larger properties.

    Useful information was provided by Peter Ruffles, a local County Councillor. His first suggestion was to speak to the developer of a local project where planning permission for eco-homes was granted some time ago but has been slow in getting started, to see whether there might be any opportunities there.

    Peter recommended speaking to an individual who has had plans for some years to build his own eco-home, with planning permission, but which hasn’t materialised so could be worth investigating further.

    Another suggestion from Peter was to look at previously refused planning applications to see whether there might be any opportunities to work with the land owners on an eco-build, where building within towns might now be easier than it once was, and where a planning permission may eventually be inevitable.

    Peter also recommended that Ben approach senior planning officers, who are likely to be sympathetic towards building sustainably.

    Peter Ruffles, by nature of his work as a County Councillor, is very well connected in the area, and speaking to him reminded Ben of Malcolm Gladwell’s book ‘Tipping Point‘. The book talks about people who are ‘connectors’. These are particularly useful people to know as they are the kind of people who know everyone.

    Lisa, at Ben’s local hairdressing salon, recommended talking to everyone and spreading the word as much as possible that you are looking for land, which is actually how her partner found a plot. Another suggestion from her was to put respectful letters through doors seeing whether they would be interested in selling land.

     

    Step 3: By car – following up on leads

    Ben spoke with Ian who has done a self build project in Hertford. He was lucky enough to find his plot in 2008 being advertised in the local newspaper. He credits having the money available and ready to go as being the reason that his bid was successful against one other interested party.

    One thing Ben was told a number of times off microphone, was about estate agents favouring certain clients and doing deals before the land even makes it on the market.

     

    Conclusions

    Can local knowledge help you find a plot? Well, it hasn’t really helped Ben so far, but then it hasn’t done any harm either. And if anything else, he met some interesting people! Other approaches he suggests might even be just chatting when ordering a coffee in a cafe, or when having a haircut, in a more casual way than he himself went about it.

     

    Contact us

    Has local knowledge worked for you? Or do you know someone that it has worked for?

    And what do you think of this style of episode and seeing Ben as the human guinea pig?

    We’d love to hear from you.

     

    Find out more

    Follow Ben Adam-Smith on Twitter

    Follow House Planning Help on Twitter

    Check out Michelle Nelson’s ‘Build Your House Yourself University‘ podcast

     

    The Hub

    For further information, check out our free module on finding land in The Hub.

     

    Please connect with me

  • HPH120 : What is a self build mortgage? – with Thomas Honour of BuildStore

    HPH120 : What is a self build mortgage? – with Thomas Honour of BuildStore

    Thomas Honour, mortgage adviser at BuildStore, explains the self build mortgage process.

    Tom Honour (2)

     

    Interview with Thomas Honour

    In this interview we’ve returned to the National Self Build and Renovation Centre (NSBRC), this time to chat with Thomas Honour who works as an adviser with BuildStore mortgage services. BuildStore specialise in finance for projects, so self builds, custom builds, renovations etc. They have had a presence at the NSBRC since it opened, with a permanent base there for mortgage advisers who also contribute to the seminars on finance.

    IMG_4285

     

    Consult a mortgage adviser at an early stage

    This will help you to ascertain your borrowing capacity and determine whether your budget for the plot and build is is likely to be realistic.

    Salary is the single most important factor in determining available finance, but other considerations will include things like ongoing credit commitments, childcare costs and any other significant outgoings.

    Each lender is very different but typically they will apply an income multiplier of between 4 and 4.25 times the joint household income, with some treating bonus and overtime payments differently.

     

    There are two different types of self build mortgage product

    The main difference between a self build mortgage and a conventional mortgage is the way in which the funds are released. With a conventional mortgage you receive the funds in a lump sum, which together with your deposit, you use to purchase the property.

    With self build mortgages the money is released typically in four or five stages, over two phases. The first phase is releasing money to purchase the plot and the second phase releases money to finance the build.

    The traditional self build product provides money in arrears of the stage being completed. This works well for people that have larger deposits or who own the land, as they are putting in their own money upfront with the lender giving the money in arrears on completion.

    Construction types such as insulated concrete formwork (ICF), structurally insulated panels (SIPs) and timber frame however often require a much larger payment to the manufacturer early in the project. BuildStore have designed their “Accelerator” product to mitigate these cash flow difficulties by giving the money in advance of each stage.

     

    Your mortgage broker has a duty of care to ensure your mortgage is affordable to you

    The mortgage broker and lender will work together to ensure that your build costs are reasonable and that they’re going to be plausible for the type of project that you are doing. This aims to prevent the need for anyone to return mid-project requesting more funds, with no guarantee they will be provided, and will likely cause delays.

    On rare occasions people do return requesting additional funds. An additional loan known as a “further advance” or “additional advance” can be applied for to make sure that the build can be completed, subject to underwriting from the lender.

    It’s important that budgets are broken down in detail. Sometimes people may not have considered contingencies and additional expenses such as architect fees, stamp duty on land, site insurance and structural warranties. A mortgage broker would rather decline an application upfront than put them in a position where they have a project they can’t complete because they don’t have enough money.

    It is worth bearing in mind that most lenders will have some sort of caveat that the build must be completed within two years.

    Since the mortgage market review by the regulator a couple of years ago there is a greater burden on the lender to ensure they are lending responsibly. While Thomas believes that this is right and should be the case, some of their affordability criteria does limit the amount that people can borrow which means they may need to put more down as a deposit.

    Buildstore015

     

    There are costs to setting up a self build mortgage

    This will vary from lender to lender but as with standard mortgages there will be costs to get it set up. These may include:

    • An arrangement fee – most lenders will charge this as standard on any type of mortgage
    • Valuation fee – this will value the plot based on its value at the time and what you’re paying for it. They will also give an end value based on what you’re planning to build and what they think it will be worth when completed. There is also a reinstatement value for site insurance purposes.
    • Additional fees – some lenders may charge booking fees which are all quite similar but may be named differently.

    The job of your broker is to ensure you’re aware of all the fees upfront to know what they are, what they cover, what they’re costing you and when they’re due.

     

    A bridging facility may be suitable for people that have assets but a low income

    Thomas uses the example of someone with a house worth £500,000 but a pension income of £10,000, but wanting to borrow more than a typical mortgage would allow them on that income.

    Potentially there can be bridging finance secured against the existing home which would enable them to build their house. Money from the sale of their old home can then pay off the bridging facility.

     

    Not all lenders will lend on all construction types

    Non-standard constructions can be funded, however “non-standard” means different things to different lenders, so your mortgage broker will find a lender that is suitable for your project. Even timber frame, steel frame, SIPs and ICF constructions are considered non-standard by some lenders.

    The reason why some lenders won’t lend on less traditional buildings is largely down to re-saleability. The lender is always thinking about if they had to take possession of the property how easy it would be to sell. For properties that might be an acquired taste they will be worried they may not get their money back.

     

    The larger the deposit, the more favourable the interest rates

    Typically the minimum deposit required will be around 10% of the overall project costs. The project cost is the combined land and build costs.

    For someone that already owns the land outright, the value of the plot can be used as the deposit contribution, i.e. owning a plot with a value of £50,000 will provide £50,000 towards the deposit.

    A larger deposit will give more favourable interest rates and may make more lenders available to you.

    BuildStore

     

    Find out more

    Visit the BuildStore website

    Follow BuildStore on Twitter

     

    Transcript

    Download a transcript of the interview with Thomas Honour.

     

    The Hub update

    We’d like to tell you a little bit about The Hub – what it is and why we’re doing it.

    Support: A self build project can be a long journey so the community side of The Hub is a place to learn from others and be inspired by them.

    Information: We’re already providing lots of information with our podcasts and videos on YouTube, but this is going a step further by trying to refine and organise it, making a step by step and easy to understand guide of what’s involved in a self build.

    Videos: There’s huge potential for learning by video and here at Regen Media it’s what we specialise in.

    As content creators and communicators, we can do much more, not only in The Hub, but also by adding free content and perhaps help other people to achieve more and spread their messages further. If we can save you time and money by making The Hub work, then hopefully you’re paying for a resource that you’re happy with and which is giving us more funds that we can use to create in other areas.

     

    Please connect with me

  • Google+ Hangout Schedule for 2014

    Our debate sessions are back for 2014 and we want YOU to be part of them.

    google plus hangout

    We experimented with Google+ Hangouts last year and it turned out to be a great way to discuss some of the issues surrounding building a house or renovating an existing property. It was also an opportunity to see how approaches vary around the world and to share the best information.

    Here’s an example of what it looks like (in case you’re not familiar with the concept of Google+ Hangouts): 

     

    Topics for 2014

    1. What makes an aesthetically beautiful house? (Saturday, February 22 at 12.30pm GMT)

    2. Why are more people not retrofitting (or weatherizing) their homes? (Friday, March 14 at 8.00pm GMT)

    3. Getting value for money when buying land (Wednesday, April 2 at 8.00pm GMT+1)

    4. Should my house be off-grid? (Saturday, April 26 at 5.00pm GMT+1)

    5. Passivhaus principles or Passivhaus standard? (Friday, May 23 at 8.00pm GMT+1)

    6. Getting a house through planning (Monday, June 30 at 8.00pm GMT+1)

    7. Is the cohousing movement significant to self-builders? (Saturday, July 26 at 1.00pm GMT+1)

    8. How is the internet changing house building? (Wednesday, August 20 at 8.00pm GMT+1)

    9. How can you stick to your budget? (Sunday, September 28 at 7.00pm GMT+1)

    10. Uniting the team on your build (Monday, October 20 at 8.30pm GMT+1)

    11. Do I need renewables on my project? (Saturday, November 15 at 12.30pm GMT)

    12. Self build advice from those that have been there done it (Friday, December 5 at 8.00pm GMT)

     

    Although we’re booking some of the guests for each Google+ Hangout, we will leave the other half open to any of the House Planning Help community. On the whole we’ll also aim to have an even mix of a couple of self-builders and a couple of construction industry professionals.

     

    You Need

    • A computer with a webcam and access to the internet (preferably a high speed or fibre connection).
    • To have a Google+ account (but this only takes a few minutes to set up if you don’t have one).
    • Opinions! You don’t have to be an expert but you do have to be passionate about building a house (even if you are just beginning your journey).

    Ideally you will also have an external mic to plug into your computer so the sound quality is as good as possible. We recommend the ATR2100 but the price does really vary according to which country you’re in.

     

    Get Involved

    If you would like to take part, please email us stating which event you would like to attend.

    While we can’t guarantee that we can include you on a specific hangout, hopefully we can accommodate you in a future event.