A New Build Diary by a novice self builder

I can't believe how time has gone by so quickly!

2007-08-09T16:17:00.000+01:00

I can't believe how time has gone by so quickly!

Well over a year since my last post....mad.

What is worst, we still do not have full planning permission, I have the overall size agreed in principle and I have the position agreed.

But because the majority of our extra floor area is coming from exchanging single story outbuildings, the council want's like for like meaning a massive downstairs and a tiny upstairs which would not then allow us our design.

I have taken yet more advise but we seem to be going round in circles, I will endevour to post at least a little more frequently!

Dave

A shock today

2006-05-23T22:21:00.000+01:00

Just as we were approaching the long awaited result of our planning permission we have had a strange request, the planning dept have asked for detailed external drawings of the existing property.

Why? We do not have a clue, our architect Roy has never been asked before in these circumstances and has been explaining to the council that we really do not want to go to the expense of a full set of drawings for a building that we will hopefully be knocking down.

Roy has asked if we can supply photos of the existing house and a sketch with all the dimensions instead of the full drawing, we await their answer.

Reading between the lines, I wonder if the planners or the Parish Council have an issue with the roof on the new house. It is very high, in fact it is huge and very dramatic but it is the style for the type of house we have dreamed of so really hope they do not ask for any revisions as I believe it would ruin the look.

We can only wait and see, in the meantime we hope to hear tomorrow whether or not they will accept the photos.

Perhaps they will shed some light on the reasons for the request, or maybe not!

Our Self Build Design

2006-04-12T10:03:00.000+01:00

Thought I would post some copies of our drawings, we really like the void above the sitting room (although I want this to be the dinning room)

Angela got her wish with the breakfast room, all in all John Welsh Oak managed to tick all the box's on our wish list.

We love the feel of the wealden Hall look and with john help managed to add some of our own ideas.

Looking forward to he Easter Weekend the Kubota is being delivered on Friday so I will have 4 days of playing with it!

All a bit quiet at the moment

2006-04-10T20:35:00.000+01:00

Things have been a little quiet over the last few days hence I have not had much to say here, the plans have been submitted and we are eagerly waiting for their approval. We can not wait to get stuck in to the self build proper.

In the meantime I have turned my attention to the garden and have decided that I really need to get the back field sorted, it is very overgrown with huge brambles, very uneven with lot's of tree stumps dotted all over the place and there is still two huge piles of trees, all in all much to much work to do by hand.

As my little John Deere ride on tractor cannot cope with the garden lawn let alone the field I have decided to take the plunge and get a tractor.

I have looked at loads and I have decided on a second hand Kubota st30 compact tractor, this particular Kubota comes with a front loader and backhoe so whilst I am not even contemplating tackling the main house footings there is masses of other work for it including the footings for the front wall, trenches for the drains and cables, dig out the drive and soak away etc etc.

I am also being reminded by the kids that a few jumps for their motocross bikes will make the back field area even more interesting.

Good to see plenty of regular visitors but it would be great to have some contributions for some of you!

Until next time!!

Planning

2006-03-29T22:32:00.000+01:00

Today we met with Roy; who because of his local knowledge we have instructed as a planning consultant. Although the plans welsh oak frame have drawn up are detailed enough to submit for planning Roy has already met with the planning officer on our behalf on a couple of occasions and we felt that relationship that he has already established is worth the extra expense we shall incur.

Roy is confident we are working within the council guide lines and with the type of build we are proposing, planning should be granted without to much objection, we should know by the end of June.

We also have being talking to brick suppliers; we are keen to keep the building looking as original as possible. With this in mind we have been looking at mixed colours and particularly like a farm house brick from www.hoskinsbrick.co.uk but they are not the cheapest I have seen so I have an open mind at the moment.

Still, all that is going on at the moment it really feels that we are moving forward. I am confident that we have some real professional’s around us for the first time in the last 3 years.

Only time will tell!

Drawings are here!!!!!!

2006-03-28T22:17:00.000+01:00

Today we received our revised design proposals from Welsh Oak Frame; they look superb. Working closely with John Edmunds their design director we have come up with a fantastic Wealden Hall home, the main feature is in the dinning hall which has a rafter’s high void with a galleried landing on 3 sides and a huge brick chimney rising through the centre of the roof.

The remainder of the downstairs comprises of a sitting room/play room, lounge, study and utility room; John has also come up with unusual octagonal Oak and glass breakfast room running of a good sized family kitchen. The breakfast room was high on Angela’s wish list and gives the roof some character sloping all the way down to the first floor on that side.

Upstairs there are 5 bedrooms, 4 are doubles and 2 have on suite bathrooms. The master bedroom has a walk in dressing room with built in wardrobes there is also a family bathroom.

The house will have the Oak frame exposed throughout with feature fireplaces oak and stone floors, oak windows. If anyone is thinking about an Oak frame build then so far I can thoroughly recommend John and his team, I just hope the finished product is as good!

It has been a boost for us to see the progress after the last very slooooooow three years!

Security

2006-03-27T21:55:00.000+01:00

Over the weekend we had a bit of a wake up call; our land borders a piece of common ground which has suffered recently with youths on motor bikes making a nuisance of them selves. While walking our dog we discovered that they had climbed into our land and “decorated” a fence and the container where we keep the kids motorbikes, with graffiti.

I am glad I put the container down there as I am sure we would have lost the the bikes otherwise. It has got me thinking now about security, we have several boundaries that are exposed with nothing to stop anyone with a mind to, coming over doing what ever they wish.

So I have been doing some research and the answer seems to be Berberis Ottawensis Superba or in other words a hedge, simple really this variety grows vigorously up to 6 foot high and a few feet deep they also have barbs that are over an inch long!

You can see them here along with other recommended varieties; also the BBC gardening website carries more information. Seems at 2 per meter I am going to need several hundred which will still work out cheaper than a fence and a lot more secure once they are fully grown.

It all started................

2006-03-21T13:58:00.000Z

I have been meaning to start this Blog for a year now, so I am very behind!!!

In an effort to play catch up here is our story in brief so far….

5 Years ago we were looking for a plot but had no luck through estate agents, newspapers etc, I do not think back then the likes of build store’s plot search were about.

We had come to the conclusion that if a plot was any good or reasonably priced then it would not even get into the window of an Estate Agent. We decided to drive around our chosen area in Kent and look for any signs of a potential plot, we did this most Sundays for weeks much the Kids dismay!

Funnily enough we found it right under our noses not 2 minutes from our home, it was just what we were looking for, a very run down old cottage that had plenty of land with all but one of the surrounding houses having already been developed.

We decided my wife should knock on the door, which she did several times over the next few weeks until finally she spoke to the very elderly owner who said that although it was not for sale at that time she would take our number and call us if she ever did want to move on.

We thought that was the end of that and continued our search, but to our suprise she called about six months later, she was considering selling as she was going into a home. We agreed a price with her solicitor and marketed our own house for a quick sale, only for the old lady to die before completion. The house was put into probate and to our horror the family wanted £80,000 on top of the agreed amount or it would go to auction.

We reluctantly paid them their asking price and 2 years after the first knock on the door we exchanged, the sellers allowed us access to the house prior to completion so we could make the house habitable as the old lady had not lived in any of the upstairs rooms for 25+ years.

As the old house was structurally sound we spent a few thousand pounds on a “referb” replacing carpets, kitchen and bathroom, giving the whole place a lick of paint as we would only be in here a “short while”! Famous last words…..

That was nearly 3 years ago, we have nearly cleared the over grown seven acres the house sit's in. We have also built an Oak framed triple garage and a further Oak framed play room which we are currently in the middle of finishing; I will post some pictures shortly!

I'm listening to: CORINNE BAILEY RAE - 'PUT YOUR RECORDS ON'