Q&As

I’ve bought a 0.7 acre plot with planning permission. It has a 30° gradient across the central divide. I have looked for details of a single story house that fits into a cut out level on such a slope, but haven’t found anything I like. Do you have any ideas?

We want to build a traditional English country style property. Are there any parts of the country where the planners won’t allow this?

I am looking to purchase a part-finished new build that will be completed to the first fix plumbing and wiring stage. The builder that is selling the shell has advised me that the Council of Mortgage Lenders will insist that I take out a Zurich Building, NHBC warranty or produce an Architect’s certificate. Is this […]

I am sorting out my finances to build my own home. How should I plan for possible costs incurred? Will this affect the type of mortgage I can get?

I’ve been looking for land to build on for a long time, and have found a plot for sale with existing foundations. The owners started the project but ran out of money. Could I save some cash by building on what’s there already, or would I have to get rid of them and start again?

We live between Cambridge and Ely and the roof of our home is covered in the wonderful variegated, buff-coloured tiles that can sometimes be seen in this part of the country. Some of these need replacing, but we think the new tiles used on other buildings in the area provide a poor match to the […]

I own a one-acre former brownfield site in a Lincolnshire village. It’s a former scrapyard and once had two cottages on it. My eventual aim is to build a brick house for myself, but in the meantime would it be possible to use the site for hobby farming and construct something to store animal feeds […]

What costs are involved in hiring a firm to project manage our self build? Would it charge for insurance on top of its fee and would it charge for a site office, too