Blog posts

Blog: Confessions of a Self-builder

• UK Homes Aren't Fit for Purpose

  In the August 2011 issue of HB&R one home in particular caught my attention — a bungalow (‘Community Spirit’) built as part of a group self-build scheme. It had the redolence of the bygone era when group self-build reigned supreme and the individual self-built home was just a hope on the horizon for many.

• Planning Permission Just Got a Lot Easier

  It’s not often that I, or indeed the readers of this magazine, evince sympathy for the NIMBYs (‘not in my backyard’). But do spare a thought for these poor tortured souls in the depths of their despair. For they are in danger of losing one of their most treasured possessions: the planning system.

  People or groups of people can’t possess the planning system, you might say. Surely planning exists for the benefit of all?

• Behind the Scenes at the H&R Show

  I’m writing this in the aftermath of the National Homebuilding & Renovating Show held at Birmingham’s NEC in March, whilst, in all probability, you’re reading it in the fruitfulness of summer. I say ‘aftermath’ without rancour, but in recognition of the intensity of an occasion that left most of us absolutely exhausted. Don’t tell anyone but it took me nearly a full week to get over it.

• Are We Kids in a Sweet Shop?

  As the year changes so I come to the end of my fourth decade of involvement with self-build. In two years’ time I will have completed five decades in the world of property and building.

  But there was someone who came before — Murray Armor, who was acknowledged as the father of modern self-build. He wrote the first self-build book and he helped grow what was a fledgling and fairly marginal interest into a mainstream industry. He was quite prominent, appearing on television and writing for magazines and newspapers.

• Local Planning is a Cauldron of Self-Interest

  There’s a word I’m beginning to dread and that word is ‘localism’. It’s the coalition Government’s new buzzword and, taken at face value, it should be a positive one with its connotations of power to the people. So, why am I so sceptical?

  I first stumbled across localism when I crossed swords with my local MP Mark Harper (Conservative) over his support for Local Member Review Boards (LMRBs), which the then Labour Government was proposing to introduce. Other Conservatives, including Grant Shapps MP – now the Minister for Housing – were also in favour.

• Our parents' generation self-built without knowing it

  I was recently asked about my self-build history and, having been quizzed on this so many times, I trotted out the usual response: In 1970 my wife, Linda, and I self-built our first marital home — from that point onwards, we’ve gone on to self-build a total of 12 times. Cue gasps of amazement that turn to incredulity when I elaborate that within our 40 years of marriage, and encompassing those 12 self-builds, we’ve moved a total of 32 times.

• The New Planning Law

  There’s a word I’m beginning to dread and that word is ‘Localism’.

  It’s the new buzzword for the coalition government and, taken at face value, it should be a good word with its connotations of power to the people.  So why am I so sceptical of it?
  

• The land beneath your self-build has its own story to tell

  For me, the most exciting time in any self-build is the groundworks, when great machines tear open the earth, carving huge slots which will soon become the foundations. It’s exciting because, first and foremost, it’s the start of a new home after what is quite often a protracted period trying to convince planners and others of what you want to build. But it’s also novel because one’s pitting one’s wits against the very ground itself.

• When will there be a vote for self-build?

  Once again individual self-build is not on the agenda of either of the main political parties. But both have polices in their planning armoury that could impact:

  Labour

• She can have a stove. How much further can a man go?

  It’s always very nice when, at Homebuilding & Renovating Shows or elsewhere, people thank me for all my years of writing and speaking. You’d imagine it would make me bigheaded, but the strange thing is that it has quite the reverse effect — I feel quite humbled.

• We’ve self-built 12 times, but the excitement is still there

  We’ve recently moved home again — this time into our 12th self-build project. It’s easy to think that by now we’re getting blasé about our exploits. It’s also tempting to feel that those who chronicle their self-build exploits in H&R are nothing really special, and that we’ve seen and done it all before. But it’s not like that.

• Squatters' Rights apply to plotfinders too

  When I’m lecturing around the country at various self-build courses, and I get onto the subject of plot evaluation, I often ask the audience if they know what ‘Adverse Possession’ is. Invariably I’m confronted with blank faces.

  Then I ask the question, “Who knows what ‘Squatters’ Rights’ are?”

  And gradually hands start to go up and comprehension begins to grow on faces.

• The tide is turning

  A few weeks ago my builder sold his home within a few days of putting it on the market. When the purchaser's surveyor came around he complained that he was rushed off his feet. I saw it as a sign but didn't think that much of it. Then last week I sold my current home and yesterday my purchaser's surveyor came around. "How's business?" I asked. "Never better he replied. We chatted and he told me that in February 08 he was surveying 1 to 2 a day. Then By Christmas 08 it had dropped to 1 a week. Now it's averaging out at 9 a week.

• Moving again

  Poor Mrs Snell. She came home from pottery yesterday evening to be told that we're moving (the 30th) in 3 weeks time. We've been in this new self built bungalow since August and the speed of this turnaround is a record for even us.

• Appeals

  Apparently in 2007/8, 54% of planning appeals held on an inquiry basis were decided in favour of the appellants. In contrast only 34% of written appeals were successful. Yet from April 6th it will be the Planning Inspectorate that will decide which method of appeal is appropriate and it looks as if most appeals for single dwellings will have to go to written appeal. Additionally the time limits for an appeal are to come down to 12 weeks from the date of refusal instead of the current 6 months.

• Forward thinking

  So men’s brains are different to women’s. We’re good at reading maps and women are better at finding things. Self builders, like developers, must have different brains from ordinary folk as they see things as they’re going to be rather than as they are. I’ve tried to explain practically every house I’ve ever planned to build to estate agents but it’s only when it’s finished that they stand there and exclaim “Oh I never realised it was going to be this good/this big etc. etc”.

• Poor planners

  Spare a thought for the poor unfortunates of this world. Estate agents, car salesmen, bankers and planning officers. Planning Officers! Yes, with applications down by around 27% many of our dearest friends may well be facing redundancy.

• Speaking with one voice

  In all of their reports on housing, government have consistently remained ignorant of the existence of self builders. Yet we are the answer to so many of their problems. We build affordable houses. We build thermally efficient houses. We build good looking houses. We end up with a low loan to value mortgage. We trial new innovations.

• Planners

  Since 2005 most new planning consents have lasted for just 3 years. Now, in the crunch, with many developers putting projects on hold, it means that many permissions are having to be renewed. So there’s a clamour for LA’s to bring back the old 5 year consents; something that they already have to power to do.