HPH302 : A contemporary Passivhaus home in a rural context – with Martin McCrae and Mhairi Grant

May 5, 2021 by Lucy Cowell Leave a Comment

Mhairi Grant and Martin McCrae share their self build journey. Their contemporary home seems to have it all, from striking design and great ecological credentials to high quality finish and value for money… but Martin and Mhairi had to work hard for it!

Interview with Martin McCrae and Mhairi Grant

Mhairi and Martin met back in 1997 when they both studied at the Mackintosh School of Architecture. Together they co-founded Paper Igloo, the architectural practice that they run from their home in Kippen, Scotland.

They increased their land budget to find a suitable plot

As speclialists in low energy design, and having lived in a beautiful but thermally uncomfortable flat in Glasgow, they made the decision to look for land and build a Passivhaus.

After a couple of years of searching they realised that the £100,000 budget they had originally set aside for land wasn't going to get them the plot they wanted: they were either too small, too remote, or not a suitable orientation for a Passivhaus. By upping their budget to £135,000 they were able to find their picturesque, slightly sloping, semi-rural plot that afforded them views onto open fields.

The plot already had planning consent for a traditional house, but they submitted new plans for their contemporary cube which were approved following a little bit of resistance.

With a budget of £250,000, they knew sweat equity would be needed!

Mhairi admits that they probably weren't aware quite how much sweat equity would be involved, but she considers the learning from it to be all part of the journey and not something they regret!

“Building a Passivhaus isn't as daunting as some people make it out to be. I think it's just a matter of doing things correctly in the correct order and rigorously looking at the detailing.”
– Martin

Initially, Martin took 12 weeks off from their business in order to get the build underway, working with two joiners to erect the timber frame. As it's just the two of them in their practice, this did mean a drop in income for a time, and one of the reasons the project took so long was because they had to balance their finances by earning money as they went in order to finance the build.

What they originally thought might take two or three years, actually took six! And this was at the expense of their social life over that period as much of their free time was spent working on the house.

They had strategies for managing the challenge

At the halfway point they were thinking it was starting to drag, so keeping their energy up was challenging. Taking the cladding as an example of one particularly wearing period, they did it themselves over the space of four years, with each elevation taking an entire summer to complete.

Mhairi says it was important to keep reminding themselves of what it was they were trying to achieve, and that it would be worth it in the end. In the same way they would approach any dauntingly large task, they broke it down into smaller tasks, tackling each one before moving on to the next.

Martin adds that it is a technique they use for coping with stress at work too, and it helped get them through the long build process. He also says that being in it together made a difference.

Supplier issues and design decisions were interlinked

Their plan was to create a simple and clean design that would allow them to easily meet the Passivhaus standard, but also sustainability gold and technical standards in Scotland. That incorporated a further set of criteria to do with water-saving and acoustic performance.

They knew that they wanted to use a timber frame, but struggled to find a supplier who could provide a Passivhaus-ready or kit solution. That was why they ended up stick building the frame, and why Martin says that decisions like that can lead you to design decisions.

The pace of building slowed once the frame had been completed

They employed someone to do the groundworks but installed the Isoquick EPS raft foundations themselves, with the help of friends over a weekend.

After the concrete was poured they were able to start on the stick frame.

Once the joiners had finished the frame, Mhairi and Martin took over the workload. They spent the next four months taking as many days off work as they could, plus evenings and weekends, working on the wall installation, hand-cutting, and fitting the wood fibre batts.

They tried to be resourceful, not wasteful

Martin and Mhairi were careful to minimise the amount of waste that left the site. They were able to relocate the excavated earth to other areas of the garden, and in doing so were able to create a flatter garden with drop-down terrace towards the barn.

They were also very diligent about buying materials with as little packaging as possible. Plastic was recycled where possible, pallets were broken up into firewood for Mhairi's dad, and off-cuts of wood fibre insulation were stacked rather than having to use new pieces. They were rigorous too about how to cut and use the plasterboard in order to minimise waste, and were left with only four A3 sized off-cuts from the whole build. With such little waste, they were able to just take it to the tip, rather than needing a skip. This also had cost savings, though they do agree that it did mean it all took a bit longer.

Living in a caravan was incentive to keep the project moving!

Having sold their flat, they rented a couple of different places in the village before finally moving into a caravan for the final nine months. Living in a two-berth van, with the water freezing over the winter and an electric bar heater on permanently to try and stay warm and dry, in what was also their office, did focus their minds to crack on and get moved in as soon as possible! They managed to get one room ready first where they could sleep and work while they finished the rest of the house. At the point when they moved in, they had their electrical completion and were plaster boarded in most of the house, but were using a sheet of OSB as a kitchen worktop. They didn't have their linoleum or timber flooring down upstairs either and were just at the acoustic flooring stage.

The double-height space adds impact

Right from the beginning, they wanted to incorporate a large, double-height space into the design, and this meant a change to the wall construction at the double-height area compared to the single-height area. With Passivhaus, most things are ratified against the floor area, so the decision to have a double-height space can impact on your insulation and window specification for example.

Rainwater has a visual journey through the garden

Part of the sustainability gold section in the technical standards in Scotland is about water-saving measures. To meet this criteria, they have used low-flow fixtures and fittings on all their taps and showers. They attenuate about 40% of the rainwater from their sedum roof, and only have one rainwater pipe for the whole of the flat roof area.

That takes the water on a journey down off the building and into a catch-pit of stones, along a trough and into a rain garden – an elevated planter in the garden with plants that are suited to being saturated or very dry. The overflow from that goes to the barn at the bottom of the garden.

Renewables have been incorporated

The 1.5kW array of PVs on the roof is enough to run the dishwasher and washing machine, and pays for itself. A solar thermal array makes a massive contribution to their hot water needs, and almost more than they need in the summer.

Infrared panels are on the ceilings of the living room, kitchen and one bedroom, and also at the top of the double-height void. They radiate heat down onto surfaces like the concrete slab, which then themselves release heat.

Passivhaus comfort levels have exceeded their expectations

In fact, Mhairi and Martin say it is so amazing to live in that they have spoiled themselves, because they really don't want to live in anything else now that they have done this!

They also find it very easy to live with too, with very little interaction with the technology.

Being a Passivhaus they had been very careful about how much window they designed on each elevation. They knew they had a higher risk of overheating in their bedroom, which has a fixed, large, west-facing window and then a smaller opening window. As they were going to be the end users they decided they were happy to interact with the building in order to keep the design they wanted and prevent overheating. During the summer they do purge heating at night by opening the shower-room roof light, open the bedroom window on tilt and leave the en-suite door open. They also have opening windows in the upstairs and downstairs halls for cross-ventilation during the day.

Their experience of building and living in their own Passivhaus has led to them making a commitment in 2020 that Paper Igloo will only design their new builds to the Passivhaus Classic standard as a minimum.

Make sensible decisions at every turn

Maintaining a spreadsheet was helpful for Mhairi to keep control of the budget. Every week she would take the bank statement and rigorously check what things had cost against what they had predicted they would cost, and then adjusting how much they had left to spend.

Martin's tip for anyone doing some of the building themselves, or if the budget is limited, is to get someone else to make the shell wind and watertight as quickly as possible. This will mean the building won't start to deteriorate from the weather, and you're free to take your time with the rest.

And finally, do as much research as you can. This applies in terms of funding, materials, construction options, etc. There are generally lots of options out there so there is no need to go for the first thing you come across. Then make sensible decisions at every turn, as even the small amounts add up.

Find out more

Visit the website of Paper Igloo

Follow Paper Igloo on Twitter

Transcript

Download a transcript of the interview with Martin McCrae and Mhairi Grant

Please connect with me

Subscribe, rate and review the podcast in iTunes

Rate and review the podcast on Stitcher

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HPH278 : A beginner’s guide to self build – with Geoff Stow

February 19, 2020 by Lucy Cowell Leave a Comment

Having worked on his own hands-on group self build project, and site managed others, Geoff Stow shares his experience on where to start when it comes to self build.

Interview with Geoff Stow

Geoff's involvement with self build started years ago when he worked with a community arts project in south London, making a video with a group of self builders who were promoting their scheme in Lewisham. So when Lewisham decided to do another scheme he put his name down, chairing and being part of a group of 13 that built their own houses on a Walter Segal project. From there, his involvement continued with working as a site manager for other group self build schemes, including the Hedgehog project in Brighton.

“My background isn’t as a builder really but I think in some ways that’s quite interesting because it’s actually coming at it as a novice. I’m sympathetic with people who are trying to get a scheme off the ground.”

Geoff also runs courses on timber frame self build, and self build project management at the Centre for Alternative Technology in Wales.

It's likely to be harder than you're expecting!

Geoff says he's never met anyone who said they wished they hadn't done it, but does stress that you should be prepared for a lot of hard work. He thinks there is actually very little in place to make things easier, with the majority of things at the beginning like planning and finding out how to connect services, being geared up to failing.

Whereas most people spend their time at the beginning sketching designs for a plot they don't yet have, he recommends instead taking that time to research and understand the issues involved. That could be around planning, environmental issues, insulation, ventilation etc.

Take the opportunity to go to the exhibitions to grow your understanding and help you talk the same language as the experts, but bear in mind that a lot of it is sales focused.

Understand the issues around claiming back the VAT, and get yourself organised with a good accounting system so you can keep track of staying within budget.

Build your knowledge by checking out some of the self-build books around, like Mark Brinkley's Homebuilder's Bible. They're worth reading for finding out about things like health and safety requirements, working out how you're going to organise your project, whether you might be able to site manage it yourself, and understanding what the relevant issues around that might be.

Use your suppliers by asking for detailed information, and if they can't provide it then don't use them. Geoff gives the example of a window supplier, where you should be providing wall designs and asking what's the best way of fitting them.

Have a sensible budget

Keep in mind that things rarely come in under budget or ahead of schedule, so have a sensible budget that is based on real costings, not just how much you'd like to spend or how much other people have spent. Be wary of the figures that people quote when they say their house cost X amount per square metre, as you never quite know what has been included and what has been omitted.

Budget high for all of the initial stages. Things like the foundations, services and access roads can have plenty of unknowns and it's much easier to price up more accurately for the above ground works. Add on a good contingency once you get quotes in as this should free up money later on.

In addition to budgeting for the overall cost of the build, if you're using a self build mortgage you will need to consider your cash flow. They work by releasing money once a stage is finished, so although you might have enough money in total, you might find the project grinding to a halt if you do not have it available at the right times.

Finding land will probably mean making compromises

Geoff's key piece of advice for finding land is to be flexible, as there's not that much of it around. He thinks it best to spend time in the area where you're looking as quite often word of mouth can be helpful.

Take the time to understand your site

Geoff estimates that, depending on your skill base and level of organisation, around a year is a good length of time to spend on your research. As part of this he recommends spending time on your site and understanding how to place the house so you can get the best out of it. This will include things like orientation, window placement and learning how the sun falls on the site at different times. During this period you can also be going to exhibitions and talks, doing courses, going on Passivhaus open days and speaking to other people that have built their own homes.

Focus on getting the fabric of the building right

Geoff says you're never likely to hear someone say that they wish they'd put in cheaper windows or used less insulation! So concentrate on getting the insulation, windows, detailing of doors, heating systems etc right, and getting it to the best quality that you can afford. It doesn't necessarily have to be the perfect house straight away, and you can always retrofit your dream kitchen or build a second stage later when finances allow.

Speak to other people for advice

Get as much information as you can from suppliers and manufacturers about their products and their detailing. Also speak to builders' merchants who might be able to suggest alternative products that you might not have come across.

Geoff follows a couple of Facebook groups which he says, if you filter through a lot of the rubbish and sales pitches, can actually have really good information and experience that people are willing to share.

“There's no right way of doing it…what there are is a lot of wrong ways!”

Geoff stresses that there is no right build system to use, and the method that you choose will be based on a lot of criteria. Whatever method you do choose, just make sure that it's of the highest quality you can afford.

A lot of it will be down to personal preference, and whether you like timber, stone, brick etc.

Geoff's preference is for timber frame, partly for the accuracy and speed which it affords. He personally would also avoid very innovative systems by very small companies as there can be a question of whether or not they can actually deliver.

Also consider what kind of products you want to be using. Some people might want high performance foam insulation, whereas others will want to go as natural as possible and use sheep's wool or Warmcel type insulation.

“Whatever building method you go with, you just need to really understand what the issues and the criteria are. The good points and the bad points. And ignore what people say about their method being the best, it’s modern or it’s developed by NASA or something ridiculous. Just understand what the issues are with all of them and base it on real costs.”

Decide how much involvement you're going to have

As a client there are options as to how involved you will be on the project, ranging from paying huge sums of money to a building company who will do everything for you, to getting hands-on and doing practically everything yourself.

Probably the biggest deciding factor is thinking about what skills you have, but not necessarily assuming that because you can do something yourself it will necessarily be quicker or cheaper.

“So, if a job that a skilled person can do quickly and well and you can do fairly well and take a long time over, that might mean that it’s longer before you move in and you’ve got more mortgage repayments, more insurance, if you’re renting a house then there’s the rent that you’re paying while you’re doing it. So, you might think you’re saving some money but actually, are you really?”

You might also find that by doing a job yourself and taking longer about it, you might be holding up the next trade that can't come in and do their job until you've finished. Instead there might be jobs that you can do which won't involve holding anyone else up, like prepping and putting up cladding for example.

When it comes to managing the project, you have the choice of paying someone else to do it, or doing it yourself. Obviously doing it yourself in theory should save you money, if done well, but consider whether you have the expertise to: keep things on track and on budget, get prices and employ subcontractors, nudge people when needed, make sure the work is being done to a high standard, check health and safety standards are being adhered to, keep neighbours on side etc.

Do it on the terms of what you can afford, what skills you have and what you want your level of involvement to be.

Being too fixated can be a common pitfall

Geoff sees people that might become completely fixated on building a straw house for example, when actually the site they have might not actually be ideally suited.

“It’s just understanding the issues around those sorts of things and not necessarily getting very fixated on one thing where you end up making your build really complicated because you’ve got this one fixed idea that you saw somewhere on television that you want.”

He also says that no matter what you do there will be people saying that you shouldn't have done it that way. And maybe even you yourself will look back and think you might have done it differently, but just try to get as much right as you can based on the knowledge and research at the time.

People always say they want to be in by Christmas!

Geoff suggests when it comes to how long a project will take, that if you're planning to do a lot of the work yourself then try and avoid it going over two winters, as the second is always particularly tough (especially so if you're living in a caravan!) Realistically you could be looking at 12 to 18 months on site, but less than that if you have builders.

He also recommends trying to get as much finished as possible before moving in, even if that means throwing money at some good contractors to speed things up. Finishing off works once you're living there is much harder to do and becomes less likely to ever get done.

To help keep on track with the budget and schedule, try not to make changes as you go along. You can make minor changes but you don't want to be deciding to change window placement or move walls once work is on site.

Work with an architect who is on your wavelength

Keep a scrapbook of ideas and images that you like and can show to a designer or architect, and make sure you work with someone who is going to design the sort of thing you want.

Although it's not necessary to employ an architect, having a good one on board that is sympathetic to your ideas can elevate your plans and give you a wow factor, rather than simply being a series of rooms joined by a corridor.

Having an architect involved could just be paying someone for a simple check over your plans and offering advice, to a full package of designing the house, getting it through planning and building control, and seeing the whole project through to completion and sign-off at the end.

A key consideration in choosing who to work with is finding someone who is on your wavelength that you feel you can work with. Ask for proof that they really understand the issues that matter to you, as some might claim to be providing a sustainable and energy efficient building just because it complies with current building regulations.

Find out more

Visit the website of the Centre for Alternative Technology

Join House Planning Help's Facebook group

Transcript

Download a transcript of the interview with Geoff Stow.

Please connect with me

Subscribe, rate and review the podcast in iTunes

Rate and review the podcast on Stitcher

Like our Facebook page

HPH200 : 20 Self build tips (learned from 200 podcasts) – with Ben Adam-Smith

December 26, 2017 by Ben Leave a Comment

Ben Adam-Smith shares 20 insights about self-building that he has learned while making 200 podcasts and also tackling his own project.

1. There's always something you can do to move your project forwards

The road to building a house is a long one. There are also times when it can feel like it is never going to happen.

Key challenges include finding land, securing finance, gaining planning consent and hiring a team.

Just remember, where there's a will there is a way. You can use your time to increase your knowledge or supplement funds, etc!

2. Visit as many self build homes as possible

There are many forms of research but by far the most effective is getting out and about, and visiting real eco homes.

Get inspiration. Chat to self-builders who have made it through the process and discover what they'd do differently next time.

Watch out for events like the International Passive House Open Days or Brighton Eco Open Houses, etc.

Sometimes there will be opportunities to get onto construction sites too.

3. Being flexible where you live should ensure you find land

You might be lucky and have a garden plot to develop. Or perhaps you will buy the first piece of land you see!

For most, though, this is one of the greatest challenges to overcome. And it goes without saying that urban plots can come with a hefty price tag, which is why relocating to where land is cheaper and more easy to come by is a smart move.

Yes, it may mean leaving an area you love or moving further away from work, etc. If you are prepared to make this sacrifice then it may save a lot of time.

4. Don’t dismiss custom build sites

Custom build aims to make it simpler to build your own house. This video explains how it works (with an example in the Midlands).

The benefits are that the land is much more affordable and, with initiatives like Right to Build, the local authority has a duty to make land available to potential self or custom builders.

One of the downsides is that you are unlikely to get a plot in open countryside (which is perhaps what we all have in our minds!). The point here is to get over it! Even if you can only build on the edge of a developer site it is surely better than nothing? And quite often self or custom build streets have a great identity.

5. Hire a good solicitor

Buying land is much like buying a house: legally, there's a lot to get your head around. Sometimes it can be even more complicated than buying a house!

So, make sure you know what you're getting yourself into. There's a lot of money to be made in buying and selling land, and that means there are a few sharks out there. Hiring an experienced solicitor, whose daily business is land sales and acquisitions, should give you confidence going into this transaction.

6. Don’t get too ambitious with your build route

There are various procurement routes for building a house.

At one end of the spectrum are package builds and hiring a main contractor, while at the other end is self-managing or even building with your own fair hands.

If it's your first time building a house, be careful not to take on too much (and perhaps underestimate what's involved and how it will impact on your enjoyment of the project).

Even just being the client can be a time-consuming and draining process.

7. Embrace constraints

Constraints are not always bad. Yes, you have to be careful of building on slopes and make sure you understand the extra cost that it will incur.

In some projects, the constraints are not necessarily financial. For example, on my own project the majority of land is green belt and only a small section falls within the village boundary. That actually makes the decision of where to put the house quite simple!

Constraints can also add character to a building.

At Lime Tree Passivhaus the house had to arc around the root structure of a dominating lime tree (with a Tree Preservation Order on it). However, the constraints have led to a unique home, full of character.

8. Design a house where you use all the space every day

Architect Sarah Susanka taught me this one.

It's a great tip because it's so easy to grasp.

And it lets you have the things you want . . . so long as you use them!

9. Try not to recreate old styles

Building new is a huge opportunity to build for what's best today.

This includes making the most of light, energy efficiency, comfort, etc.

While Victorian and Georgian housing stock is treasured in the UK, recreating these styles doesn't make much sense. For example, fireplaces and chimneys are pretty much redundant when buildings can be airtight (and meet Passivhaus standard).

10. Don’t be dissuaded from building a Passivhaus

If you like the idea of building a house to Passivhaus standard, be wary of being dissuaded by those who haven't done it or people who don't sell products that can help achieve it.

Take advice from people who have been there and done it. Once you've built a Passivhaus, very few people turn back.

11. Like the people you’re hiring

The process of building a house can take years, so when it comes to putting together your team it's important they are people you can get on with. Yes, they need the skills but everything will feel a lot more enjoyable if there is harmony on all sides.

12. Exercise restraint with your budget

Unless you are experienced with managing budgets or you have a finite sum to play with, it is easy to spend more money than you planned!

A few things run through your mind. You're only doing this once and it's your only opportunity to get the things you want. You can pay for it later!

Of course nobody can stop you doing this, but it will have repercussions. If you're struggling to find land it can be easy to assume more money will solve the problem. A splurge in one area will therefore mean reducing the budget in other areas or spending more overall. Fixtures and fittings is another area where people can get carried away.

Remember, if possible, it's better to build a slightly smaller house of higher quality than stretching to something bigger and then not being able to finish it properly.

13. Focus on the big decisions

Not all decisions carry the same weight. The land you buy, the build route you select and the team you assemble will have a major impact on your project.

Yes, the devil is in the detail but making the right ‘big' decisions will in turn make it easier to concentrate on the small stuff.

Check out our podcast with Lloyd Alter from TreeHugger.

14. Hiring consultants can be money well spent

Nobody likes spending money when they don't have to.

However, consultants can add value (and even pay for themselves!).

For example, on my own project I hired an interior designer. Some people might see this as an extravagance but she has helped us create a low cost kitchen that feels like something much more bespoke (and high end).

15. Keep things simple

It is all too easy to complicate our designs but the most ecological buildings tend to have something in common: simplicity.

If the designs are simplified in the early part of the process they can often end up functioning much better.

Check out our episodes with Nick Grant and Jonathan Hines.

16. Engage in the planning process

The UK system is often baffling. You will find huge variation in how it works, depending on where you are.

One thing is for sure – it really helps if you engage with your local authority. Get feedback on initial designs and also, before any decision is made, check in with the planning officer to make sure everything is in order (from their perspective).

Find out more about my own planning application.

17. Install solar PV

Assuming you have invested in the fabric of the building (and therefore have a high performance home), it makes sense to consider whether there is any potential for generating on your project.

Often the most logical choice is to opt for solar PV because it's not that expensive, will look better if installed on a new build home, and can pay back in a fairly short space of time.

18. Being 100% ecological is virtually impossible

Having a blank canvas is a huge opportunity to get as eco as possible.

The problem is that there are always trade-offs. And sometimes with more money you just end up increasing the size of the building.

So really this is about doing the best you can . . . and not beating yourself up. Remember, your house will be awesome!

19. Don’t underestimate the time needed

Building a house is a big project. Even if you're choosing the main contractor or package route, don't expect it to be a walk in the park!

You will need time. A lot of time.

20. Enjoy the journey

For most people, building a home is a once-in-a-lifetime event!

Of course the end product is important, but there is a lot to gain from the journey too.

You will no doubt grow as a person. You'll also learn a lot. And you'll probably face your fair share of challenges.

To get the most out of it, find an outlet for the highs as well as the lows. I've really enjoyed podcasting about my adventure. So, perhaps start a blog, keep a diary or just chat it out with friends.

Please connect with me

Subscribe, rate and review the podcast in iTunes
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HPH192 : How ‘Right to Build’ can help custom and self-builders find land – with Michael Holmes from NaCSBA

September 29, 2017 by Robin Goldberg Leave a Comment

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 1^st 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

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

March 29, 2017 by Ben Leave a Comment

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:

Title
Access
Services and drainage
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

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HPH169 : Embracing contemporary vernacular design – with Clare Nash

March 22, 2017 by Robin Goldberg Leave a Comment

Clare Nash from Clare Nash Architecture talks about various responses by small developers in the UK and abroad to the challenges of creating modern communities through better design.

Interview with Clare Nash

Clare Nash set up Clare Nash Architecture six years ago. The team operate differently to other architects, working remotely or in co-working spaces and meeting up once a week. Her book, Contemporary Vernacular Design, How British Housing can Rediscover its Soul, naturally followed on from her Masters thesis where she researched the uses of vernacular materials and technologies in modern, sustainable housing in the UK and abroad.

In the past, houses were inherently green

Clare says, “Vernacular [design], I think, doesn’t really exist anymore, apart from in developing countries where people are literally just self-building.” Buildings used to be sustainable and varied in their design, using local materials and low energy out of necessity. She adds, “We seem to have lost all these really good ideas in modern housing design.”

In the UK, there are a few exceptions including Ashley Vale where a group of self-builders actually got hands-on and developed such a strong community that others really want to live there.

Contemporary vernacular design is a hybrid of old and new

Clare likens contemporary vernacular design to being a mixture of the best of the old and the best of the new. She cites an architectural ‘taste test’ that was carried out in Holland, where members of the public, architects and design professionals all found this ‘third way’ preferable to super modern or a pastiche of the old.

The residents Clare interviewed in Europe abroad unanimously liked modern homes, whereas she found people in this country quite suspicious of them. She believes this is because they tend to think of the poor quality housing stock built in the post-war period.

Incorporating good landscaping encourages people to talk to each other

Clare talks about contemporary vernacular design as a way to have mass produced housing that retains a sense of identity through the varied design of the homes and getting the landscaping right.

She cites an example in Holland where a group of architects took inspiration from a Mondrian painting to create different types of good-quality houses dotted around bisecting canals and green spaces. Clare compares how this development felt like home, whereas the new build houses local to her in the UK feel like a toy town, soulless, hence the subtitle of her book.

Faro Architekten project in Biesland, Holland

Another case study in Wales had open-ended gardens that led to a lake at the back where residents got to know each other because they often walked there. The design further encouraged interaction by incorporating a shared garage rather than individual drives.

Great House Farm project in Wales

Only residents really know whether housing design works

As well as interviewing architects, designers, housing associations and property developers, Clare made sure to speak to a good selection of the residents at each housing scheme to find out what actually worked.

While she often heard about teething problems, these resolved themselves and some of the small developers even had the foresight to anticipate and make provision for them. Resident feedback was summarised into four categories:

1) Comfort – is it warm enough and is it light enough?

Clare found the levels of insulation and daylighting were better than building regulations dictate. She comments that it’s really important to have bigger windows because seasonal affected disorder could be caused by being inside so much of the time.

2) Appropriateness – how appropriate is the scheme for the area?

Good design takes into account culture and context (i.e. the surrounding buildings and landscape, local materials and craftspeople). Therefore you need different types of housing for different types of area. Clare gives the example of a Norfolk development where they rejected the aesthetic of individual suburban plots; the site meant the front gardens were south facing and the architects chose to only separate them minimally with green wire fencing. The result was like a barn in a landscape.

3) Sustainability – does the design consider the embodied energy as well as the cost of running the home?

The focus in the UK is to save on energy bills but materials should matter too. Clare found examples such as Sieben Linden in Germany where they built everything out of straw bales and timber frame.

Sieben Linden eco village in Germany

4) Improvement – is the housing an improvement on what is currently built locally?

Clare deliberately sought out developments that she felt did better than the status quo, and found that on the whole residents were really happy with the quality of life afforded by the housing and sense of community. “They were just very happy to live where they lived and they didn’t want to move. Which I think says it all really.”

The current dominant building culture in the UK restricts progress

Clare was really excited to meet some progressive and interesting developers who are trying to do things differently with their residents and the planet in mind, but notes that the existing culture prevents widespread expansion of such practices.

She observes that in the UK six big housebuilders are dominating the landscape and what the edges of our towns and cities look like, adding that everyone she talks to seems equally frustrated with what she calls ‘the standard redbrick box plonked everywhere’. Clare compares this with Europe where individual developments respond to local demand.

European governments regulate development differently

In Sweden, no more than 100 houses can be built by any one developer in any one area, which creates a diversity in housing. And in Vorarlberg in Austria, anyone who owns a piece of land can build on it as long as the design (which can be modern) is considered appropriate for the region.

There are cultural differences on the continent as well. In Germany, people often build together in ‘baugruppen’, and they think long-term so they build very good quality homes typically passed on to the next generation.

UK decision makers are beginning to value ‘community’

Historically, councils have gone with the highest bidder when selling land for housing development, and the big companies can outbid the smaller ones. However, councils are now starting to see that a slightly lower bidder can deliver much higher long-term benefits. For example, mixed-use schemes improve the sense of community, making people want to stay and resulting in less maintenance and increasing the scheme’s longevity.

Gavin Barwell, Minister of State for Housing & Planning, has said that the government is going to make it easier for smaller developers to get land and to start developing. Clare finds this encouraging and hopes it will become easier for self-builders too.

Self-builders need to register their interest

At the moment, planning authorities have to find out if there is a need for self-build land and then if there is, they have to provide it. In some cases it’s proving difficult to actually get councils to follow through, but Clare thinks the housing white paper will help to move things forward, saying: “I think it’s quite exciting times now. I’m really hopeful for the future of housing and house building in Britain.”

Find out more

Visit the website of Clare Nash Architecture

Follow Clare Nash on Twitter

Transcript

Download a transcript of the interview with Clare Nash

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HPH159 : What it took to find my plot of land – with Ben Adam-Smith

January 11, 2017 by Ben 4 Comments

Ben Adam-Smith comes clean with his project progress! After two and a half years of looking, he has finally managed to buy a plot of land upon which to build his eco home. However, the process of buying the land was perhaps not the joyous occasion he would have liked. In this solo episode he shares what he's learnt.

Ben Adam-Smith's plot-finding journey

The idea of building an energy-efficient home came about in 2012. The first two years I devoted to learning in the hope that I would avoid any major pitfalls. Then the real work began. This was, of course, when I realised that finding a suitable plot in the South East of England was exactly what everyone was trying to do!

A number of times I have updated you on my plot hunt, but each time I seemed to lose out. So much so, that I had very little to show when I reached my 40th birthday midway through 2016 (which was my original self-imposed deadline for completing the whole build!).

2016 was also a ‘make or break' year because my wife and I planned to expand our family, and so we'd need a bigger home one way or another. If we couldn't find a suitable plot we would have been buying a new house, and at that stage not wanting to move again for awhile.

Be careful with sliding budgets

When I started this journey I genuinely thought that the equity in my current house would be enough to cover a large amount of the land and new home I wanted to build.

However, there are few plots that come onto the market at the lower end and when they do, they are either snapped up or there is something so wrong with them that everyone avoids them like the plague!

This led to us spending far more on land than we ever planned. Hopefully this is not something we'll later regret.

Buying land seems a lot more complex than buying a house!

I have bought a number of houses over the years and don't remember any great difficulties that have arisen during the process.

On the other hand, the vast majority of the plots we looked at had all sorts of things going on behind the scenes. What's more, there was little transparency in bringing these to the buyer's attention. And of course you can't leave this work to the solicitor because at that stage you are already going through the motions.

Therefore you need to carry out your own investigation and assess any levels of risk.

Only one part of the plot is within the village boundary

Neighbours are a value source of information

I have said it before and I'll say it again – neighbours have an unrivalled grasp on the local area.

A number of times – whether over flooding risks, private roads with no owners, etc. – I've had a gut feeling that there's something the seller is not disclosing. While no single neighbour has the complete picture they can fill in parts of it. Even if there is a conflict of information, it gives you a focus.

I think, without exception, everybody I have spoken to has been helpful.

Assess the pros and cons of the site

Compared to a number of other sites we'd looked at, this plot scored highly on many counts.

It was central in a village and within walking distance of pubs, a shop and the local primary school.

At half an acre, it was actually bigger than many of the plots we'd looked at and would allow for a garden. Part of the reason for this is that the majority of the plot is on green belt land, which would not be of interest to developers, and therefore we did not perhaps face as much competition as with previous sites.

The site also benefits from having full planning permission for a sizeable dwelling.

On the downside it was expensive and was definitely right on the edge of what we could afford.

There is also a line of conifers to the south of the plot (which we do not own) and while good for privacy it blocks out a lot of the low winter sunshine.

And as the building plot is close to existing buildings there are constraints with the ridge height for part of the roof, and overlooking issues.

Expect a few sleepless nights

I had a lot of issues with fear. I was spending more money than I've ever spent in my life. You obviously do your best but it's so difficult to tell if there are still issues lurking somewhere!

There was also the big shift in my financial situation. I would be reducing my assets and income, and creating a liability. The reality of moving from a comfortable position to less comfortable one was and is scary!

A line of conifers cut out winter sunshine

Self-builders invariably become attached to the land they're bidding on

This is a huge disadvantage because you may make different decisions compared to buying an investment asset, for example.

If you can keep some distance in the process then you will be doing yourself a favour.

The land equation exists for a reason. Operating outside it will leave you losing money when you come to sell.

I'm not sure I did a great job on this point, particularly when I discovered that this plot was part of a farm one of my ancestors once owned.

Make sure your solicitor does not delegate to a junior member

We'd developed a relationship with our solicitor before we hired her, but what we didn't realise is we wouldn't be dealing with a different person! It was handed onto a junior member and this became apparent through the process.

As the transaction was time bound – which is something you should try to avoid if at all possible – the senior solicitor had to take over towards the end of the process.

Have cash available for exchange and completion

Don't use cheques! This was a lesson we learnt the hard way.

We technically had the money, but didn't have the money sitting and waiting in our account (as we'd previously been advised by people like Mark Brinkley!). So the process of transferring from one place to another would take 10 days to clear by cheque. Needless to say, this was too long. That meant having to cancel cheques and redirect funds via CHAPS, which is what we should have done in the first place.

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

December 7, 2016 by Robin Goldberg Leave a Comment

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.

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!

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:

Electricity? Fortunately there was plenty of power on their doorstep.
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.
Mains sewerage? There’s no statutory requirement to supply this and the cheapest the water company could provide it was £14,800.
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

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.

“We had several cases where objectors turned to supporters”

Jeremy eliminated concerns by talking them through with neighbours:

Genuine concerns	What Jeremy did
New house would overload the sewage system	Explained they were putting in a sewage treatment plant instead
Height of the house might block views or cast shadows	Used the 3D scale model to show that the house would be set into the hillside (3m down)
Being overlooked in their back garden	Used 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

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HPH127 : 5 ways to get proactive when looking for land – with Ben Adam-Smith

May 6, 2016 by Ben Leave a Comment

Ben Adam-Smith outlines 5 strategies for taking your land search into your own hands.

The plot search so far

I've spent the last 2 years looking for land and in this time have put in three offers. While I've missed out each time (to people who have bid over the value of the plot or property!) it does show that there are opportunities out there.

Being flexible is the best way to find land

My top tip – if like me you feel you're stuck in a game of Snakes & Ladders – is to be willing to relocate. The chances are that if you can't find land it's because you're close to a town or city. Therefore moving further away will give you a greater number of plots to consider and will probably get you more for your money.

While it's not for everyone – particularly if you want to be near family or you have a job keeping you in a specific area – it's a decision that can really impact on the ease of finding land.

5 ways to find land for a self build project

All of these strategies require time and probably a lot of dead-ends, but you only need one yes! Also if you manage to buy land privately – even at market value – you are likely to make significant savings.

Spread the word

Recently I recorded a podcast on whether local knowledge can help you find land but there are some other people you should be telling first.

If you've been in an area for some time, perhaps you already know a family member or friend who might sell you some land, so make sure you've told them (multiple times!). Even if they can't help directly they are more likely to keep their eyes open for opportunities for you.

You could also use social media to reach out. For example, I know a lot of local people in my area follow #Hertford. Obviously don't get too desperate but it's worth tapping into this stream.

Finally, developing a relationship with local builders and architects could be worth it. You may need their services later anyway so this could be a good way of sussing them out too.

Organise a leaflet drop

Who said direct mail was dead! This is a game of numbers but it could bear fruit.

Target areas that you know you like. Find a freelance designer on a website like Upwork or People Per Hour. We paid US$20 to get a simple leaflet created. If you've got the time you could distribute yourself. Ideally you want it to be the only thing coming through the door and not with a bunch of other flyers.

Keep it short and sweet, playing up your credentials of being great potential neighbours. Given a choice between a developer buying off them or a quiet retired couple it may be an easy choice.

Advertise locally

With a tweak of the copy you've used for your leaflet drop you could put an advert in the local newspaper, where the demographic may be the older generation with the juicy opportunities.

Other avenues to explore include TV screens in the Post Office or garage, and good old fashioned village notice boards.

Contact the big landowners in your region

Every area has some big landowners. You need to discover who they are and approach their estate departments. Perhaps technology or the market is forcing them to downsize or sell off some of their assets anyway.

One example I came across is the big brewery in my area selling off a triangular piece of land at the back of some houses to a self-builder.

Create the opportunity yourself

This is perhaps the most time intensive and potentially lucrative of the lot. It involves detective work and getting used to identifying opportunities. Start to notice changes in your town and village. Did a garage repair shop close down when a mechanic retired and then three houses were built on the old industrial units. Or is there a classic infill on a row of houses.

While Google Earth can be useful to assess an area, getting out on foot is most likely to give you a feel for the opportunities.

When you see something you think could work, knock on the door and speak to the owner. If it's scrub land or you're unsure of the owner you can pay a small fee to the Land Registry to find out.

*With all of these proactive methods, just make sure you have the necessary planning permission. A plot without planning permission is not a plot!

Resources mentioned

Rightmove

Plotfinder

Plotsearch

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HPH119 : Sourcing materials for your self build – with Harvey Fremlin from the National Self Build & Renovation Centre

March 9, 2016 by Lucy Cowell Leave a Comment

Harvey Fremlin, Managing Director of the National Self Build and Renovation Centre, explains how to go about sourcing sustainable materials for your self build.

Interview with Harvey Fremlin

In 2008, after working on a construction site, Harvey joined the team at the National Self Build and Renovation Centre (NSBRC). The centre is a permanent venue for independent advice and support and has exhibits, workshops and courses for people with an interest in self-building or renovating.

“Don't be afraid to big-up your project!”

It is likely that at some stage of your project you'll be buying materials from a builders merchant. They can be intimidating places if you're not in the trade.

Harvey says that some merchants are more self-builder friendly, so it's worth shopping around and not being afraid to talk about your budget and how much you'll likely be spending with them. That way you may be offered bigger discounts.

Manufacturers and suppliers are increasingly happy to deal with consumers directly

Harvey has found that suppliers and manufacturers are increasingly sending people with technical backgrounds to their shows, rather than sales people. This is because visitors are keen to know more than just what a system is and how it works. Instead they are asking questions about technical specifications, the advantages of one system over another, how to get maximum performance from the system and whether it is absolutely right for their project.

Fabric first – products later

The mantra at the centre is “fabric first” – invest in the envelope of the building to reduce the energy demand before considering “shiny technologies” and renewables.

Harvey stresses there is still a place for renewables and that the centre is a big advocate of them, but without thinking about the fabric and the building materials from the early stages of the project, they will be pointless.

Self-builders have a much longer term view on building their home, in comparison to a volume house builder:

“They’re not necessarily just looking at the immediate cost of using a particular system or a particular technology, they’re considering the payback periods and what the long term benefits are of investing the money up front in terms of choosing those potentially slightly more expensive materials. But in the long term lifespan of that home there should be huge savings there.”

Keep on top of availability of supplies

It is important to consider availability, because depending on the lead times of products you could end up impacting on your whole building programme if you're waiting for something to arrive.

As well as keeping on top of when things are going to be delivered, bear in mind the stage at which your build will be when the next batch of supplies are going to be delivered, and whether there will be sufficient access.

Cash flow will partly determine how much you can buy up front, but do consider storage of items – some are going to be bulky and need to be kept dry.

“So if you can actually arrange for the products to arrive almost in a just in time scenario, so a day or two before you actually need them, it takes away an awful lot of headaches.”

Keep your site and supplies secure

If you have a lot of products on site you will need to keep your site secure, with adequate fencing and probably an alarm system. Most people will purchase site insurance and this will stipulate the security arrangements that will need to be in place.

Do plenty of research before selecting your products

Ultimately your choice of product will come down to individual preference. Ensure however you do lots of research, talking to companies, reading brochures, and comparing one product with another.

Once you know the style you like, check that it will be permitted within your planning consent.

As well as choosing your product according to style, cost and performance, you will also need to consider availability and whether the products you want are actually going to be available when you need them.

Use your own judgement when selecting products according to their green credentials

Harvey suggests being honest and asking yourself what you really mean when you say that you want to be sustainable. Is it because you're genuinely concerned about climate change, or is it being worried about energy consumption and rising energy bills? Being clear about this can help shape your decisions about how you proceed to build.

Harvey says that any company will argue that the products it is supplying are “green” and “eco”. But while there are companies that only deal with sustainable products, it is really down to you to decide what you feel is right for you.

You can claim the VAT back on a self build

If you are doing a self build project in the UK you can claim the VAT back, but this can only be done once. For this reason most people would usually leave it until the very end and the owner has moved in. For some people it can be a way of freeing up cash earlier in the project if budgets are tight, however they will not be able to claim again for subsequent purchases. Harvey's tip is to ensure you keep every receipt carefully filed away throughout the build.

NSBRC course tutors are experienced self-builders

First time visitors to the centre generally arrive full of inspiration and at the early stages of a project. Often they will return a few months later with different mindsets, where they're focusing on the building systems and the materials that they might use. The courses the centre provides are generally aimed at first time self-builders, to give them plenty of information, advice and confidence.

Find out more

Visit the NSBRC website

Follow NSBRC on Twitter

Transcript

Download a transcript of the interview with Harvey Fremlin.

The Hub update

Our latest module covers insulation and airtightness, also touching on the Passivhaus standard. We're looking at how you achieve high quality installation and the factors that are going to make a difference.

There's also another video in the Long Barrow Passivhaus story. They have finished the foundations and are building up the basement with insulated concrete formwork.

By being a Hub member you can also join our closed Facebook group and network with fellow self-builders.

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