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Anyone Built Their Own House?

G

Gifter

William Gallas
My wife and I are thinking of buying some land, with the intent of building a house.

Is it as stressful as people say?

Have the land in mind, would like to build a straw-bail house, oak framed, lime walled etc. Not sure if that is attainable on our budget (especially the oak frame), but f**k it, doing the self build route is the only way we could end up with a decent size (3 Bed) detached place on a nice plot.

Would very much like an acre or so for growing high brix foods and other 'hippy' stuff!
 
Not built a house from scratch but have totally renovated and extended a 17th century house. Not stressful at all, hard work yes but I didn't find it stressful. get yourself a good builder and get them to build to a quote and you will be fine. As long as you don't move the goalposts halfway through.
 
HAve you bought the land Gifter and if your don't mind me asking, what sore of price?

I don't think I'd ever consider buying land in this country, well anywhere accessible to the working world that is.
 
Gifter said:
My wife and I are thinking of buying some land, with the intent of building a house.

Is it as stressful as people say?

Have the land in mind, would like to build a straw-bail house, oak framed, lime walled etc. Not sure if that is attainable on our budget (especially the oak frame), but f**k it, doing the self build route is the only way we could end up with a decent size (3 Bed) detached place on a nice plot.

Would very much like an acre or so for growing high brix foods and other 'hippy' stuff!
Click to expand...

Yes i did jointly with a friend in latvia.

Not stressful for me as i worked on building sites from the age of 14 and had a knowledge of everything from groundwork up, we had to get a sparks in but between us we did everything else ourselves. Oh we brought in a firm for the roof.

We just did a bog standard house and not an eco one although we did dig out a basement for a kids den so we could have some peace and mind. We also have some land outside for growing veg patch but neither of us is out in latvia enough to do it properly.

I would go into WH Smiths and get a selection of building magazines for some good advice. We did a 5 bed house(big enough for both families at the same time) in latvia for £60,000 where you will spend most of your money is on the professionals fees like an Architect and you will also have to get it signed off along the way by a local housing inspector.

My best tips do not add anything down the line because it will result in the trades that come in like jointers or plumbers etc having to come back in and do extra and this will push up costs also the amount of houses and flats i have worked on or owned down the years that have had problems with flat roofs, avoid them. We decorated quite plainly as we use it for holidays and no one lives in it.

Check with the local council how much it will cost for yout to be connected to the local services, water etc, also if you are in an isolated location you may have to pay for the upkeep of the road leading to your property. I think now i heard from a friend that self builds now have to do the same as a housebuilder like wimpey and pay a fee which goes to social housing, not 100% sure on that though.

I did not find it stressful at all, but in one way or the other i have been in construction all my life and did a few renovations on buy to lets as well, go for it mate you seem an intelligent sort you will be fine.
 
Gifter said:
My wife and I are thinking of buying some land, with the intent of building a house.

Is it as stressful as people say?

Have the land in mind, would like to build a straw-bail house, oak framed, lime walled etc. Not sure if that is attainable on our budget (especially the oak frame), but f**k it, doing the self build route is the only way we could end up with a decent size (3 Bed) detached place on a nice plot.

Would very much like an acre or so for growing high brix foods and other 'hippy' stuff!
Click to expand...

No but its my dream as well, there are some great books on straw bail buildings.
 
Papercut said:
HAve you bought the land Gifter and if your don't mind me asking, what sore of price?

I don't think I'd ever consider buying land in this country, well anywhere accessible to the working world that is.
Click to expand...

Naaa, not bought yet, to be honest we were thinking of waiting until we sell our current house, but there is some up for auction in a couple of weeks, 1.6 acres, guide 15K (think it will go for nearer 25K), no planning of course for that money but near an expanding town (just one field between it and the field), it had a 40% overage clause which put us off but they have removed it now (which means it will probably go out of our reach, but we might go along anyway).

The thinking was buying some with no planning in an area rife for future development, then giving it a go now (planning), if we don't get it no big deal - they arent making any more land as they say.

It all depends on my wife getting a job offer before the auction, she has two interviews she is confident of getting, if she does we will definitely go to the auction and give it a go.

Has a nice stream at one end. Nice area etc.

Thanks for the other replies, thought the 'most stressful thing ever' stuff you see on TV might be dramatisation, guess it depends on having enough dough how stressful it really is.

If we get land and can't get planning for a full eco style one, I like the look of these - http://www.borderoak.com/#/portfolio/pearmain/ but they will come in right at the top of our range if we get them to do most of the build.
 
billyiddo said:
gis a shout if you need an electrician ;)
Click to expand...

Won't be paying london prices pal!

Got mates in most trades and work for a housing association/charity which has a maintenance division so should be able to get some good deals in that respect I'd hope. Would do the plumbing mostly myself, plastering and fitting stuff. Also the straw bail element seems a doddle(!), would look to hire in someone who's done it before is my thinking to get me going.
 
japenesegardenlover said:
Yes i did jointly with a friend in latvia.

Not stressful for me as i worked on building sites from the age of 14 and had a knowledge of everything from groundwork up, we had to get a sparks in but between us we did everything else ourselves. Oh we brought in a firm for the roof.

We just did a bog standard house and not an eco one although we did dig out a basement for a kids den so we could have some peace and mind. We also have some land outside for growing veg patch but neither of us is out in latvia enough to do it properly.

I would go into WH Smiths and get a selection of building magazines for some good advice. We did a 5 bed house(big enough for both families at the same time) in latvia for £60,000 where you will spend most of your money is on the professionals fees like an Architect and you will also have to get it signed off along the way by a local housing inspector.

My best tips do not add anything down the line because it will result in the trades that come in like jointers or plumbers etc having to come back in and do extra and this will push up costs also the amount of houses and flats i have worked on or owned down the years that have had problems with flat roofs, avoid them. We decorated quite plainly as we use it for holidays and no one lives in it.

Check with the local council how much it will cost for yout to be connected to the local services, water etc, also if you are in an isolated location you may have to pay for the upkeep of the road leading to your property. I think now i heard from a friend that self builds now have to do the same as a housebuilder like wimpey and pay a fee which goes to social housing, not 100% sure on that though.

I did not find it stressful at all, but in one way or the other i have been in construction all my life and did a few renovations on buy to lets as well, go for it mate you seem an intelligent sort you will be fine.
Click to expand...

Cheers Chich, worked for a carpenter as a labourer when young, but he laid me off for not knowing enough about tools, which is a real pity it retrospect now.
 
My only advice is that if you've never done anything like this before get some profesional advice on the land purchase and more importantly the build process.

If you are newbie to the construction process then yes it will be stressful for you. If you have the money hire an architect to mange the build for you.
 
I did, it was absolutely beautiful.

4 bedroom house, an en-suite for every room, a lovely swimming pool in the garden, and my own patch for growing things.

Was not stressful at all, infact, i found the experience wholly enjoyable, the end result was a treat.





My sim fudging loved it
 
a friend of mine is in the middle of building his own house. had to pay an awful lot of extras in taxes, flood liability, general costs etc - don't know exact figures but thousands and thousands. it's looking good now though, not quite got the roof ready yet though. had to go back and forth with the architect quite a lot though for getting through planning (though admittedly it was a plot of land in a town). it's taken him quite awhile so far too, but then he's a builder, and obviously doesn't get paid to build his own house, so can only do it when he's got no other work on.
if you have any specific questions etc, i can forward them on.
 
My dad did it in Pakistan, built a villa from nothing with £25000 sterling in 1992, huge place with everything in it. It was very stressful but very rewarding at the same time.

P.S We already owned the land
 
GLENROYID said:
I did, it was absolutely beautiful.

4 bedroom house, an en-suite for every room, a lovely swimming pool in the garden, and my own patch for growing things.

Was not stressful at all, infact, i found the experience wholly enjoyable, the end result was a treat.





My sim fudging loved it
Click to expand...

Care to share any more details such as costs, time spent, year built and location etc.

Would love to do something like this
 
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