Scunnered Posted March 10, 2008 Share Posted March 10, 2008 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/south_...and/7275312.stm There's a guy who's built his own house in Galloway out of straw and turf. (l suspect the builder is in fact a hobbit). He says "The real cost of a house is fairly small. It is always the land that makes about 85% of the cost."Adding the compound interest to the final cost of a mortgage reduces the actual house price component of the total to as little as 2%." Ever get the feeling you're being ripped off? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Its time to buy Posted March 10, 2008 Share Posted March 10, 2008 It always goes back to the price of the land and planning regs :angry: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
@contradevian Posted March 10, 2008 Share Posted March 10, 2008 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/south_...and/7275312.stmThere's a guy who's built his own house in Galloway out of straw and turf. Hmm what happens when the Big Bad Wolf comes along? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marek Posted March 10, 2008 Share Posted March 10, 2008 (edited) http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/south_...and/7275312.stmThere's a guy who's built his own house in Galloway out of straw and turf. (l suspect the builder is in fact a hobbit). He says Ever get the feeling you're being ripped off? IF I COULD BUY CHEAP LAND IN SOUTH EAST I WOULDN'T MIND SPENDING 100K ON BUILDING A NEW HOUSE!!!!!!!!!!!! WHAT IS WRONG WITH BBC, ARE THEY ALL BOOMERS WHO CANNOT SEE THEIR END OF THEIR NOSE FOR THEIR STUPIDITY, GREED AND LIES? Few years back I've spent ages look for a plot of land which would be "hilly" or abandoned quarry to build a mole, basically an eco friendly house. Most of the local councils told me to get lost!!! Edited March 10, 2008 by Marek Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Sacks Posted March 10, 2008 Share Posted March 10, 2008 IF I COULD BUY CHEAP LAND IN SOUTH EAST I WOULDN'T MIND SPENDING 100K ON BUILDING A NEW HOUSE!!!!!!!!!!!! WHAT IS WRONG WITH BBC, ARE THEY ALL BOOMERS WHO CANNOT SEE THEIR END OF THEIR NOSE FOR THEIR STUPIDITY, GREED AND LIES?Few years back I've spent ages look for a plot of land which would be "hilly" or abandoned quarry to build a mole, basically an eco friendly house. Most of the local councils told me to get lost!!! You've just got to do it anyway, as we did, and hope they don't enforce. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marek Posted March 10, 2008 Share Posted March 10, 2008 You've just got to do it anyway, as we did, and hope they don't enforce. Problem is finding the land. You were lucky I guess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scunnered Posted March 10, 2008 Author Share Posted March 10, 2008 Problem is finding the land. You were lucky I guess. Good point. The BBC story doesn't tell you how he got hold of the land, or how much it cost him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Sacks Posted March 10, 2008 Share Posted March 10, 2008 This is the simplest answer to the governments claimed housing shortage. Change the planning law to allow homes of up to 50m2 made from environmentally friendly materials with restricted vehicle access. Of course the would never do this, how can you turn people into frightened, obedient little slaves without a massive debt millstone around their necks? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maggot_with_halitosis Posted March 10, 2008 Share Posted March 10, 2008 <sarcasm>Perhaps we should find out where this place is, examine the local planning documents, and shop him in for any discrepancies we find. That will wipe the smile off his face for not paying a ridiculous sum of money for a place to live like the rest of us plebs!</sarcasm> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marek Posted March 10, 2008 Share Posted March 10, 2008 <sarcasm>Perhaps we should find out where this place is, examine the local planning documents, and shop him in for any discrepancies we find. That will wipe the smile off his face for not paying a ridiculous sum of money for a place to live like the rest of us plebs!</sarcasm> Or send the link to Gordon along with something like "Pull your finger out! People want places to live and be happy! Stop waging wars with our money!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Skint Academic Posted March 10, 2008 Share Posted March 10, 2008 You've just got to do it anyway, as we did, and hope they don't enforce. I can't get away from the idea of buying several acres of dense woodland in the highlands of Scotland and building an underground dwelling in it without planning permission. Would the council even notice it? There's two options as far as I can tell. Build a house and turn it into an earth sheltered building so that it is above the water table. This means piling the earth up against the building, which would also mean that it is well insulated. Or just digging down and created a subterranean dwelling, which would be harder to insulate and build but would be easier to hide. If the woodland was a commercial development then it won't look odd to have a car drive into the woods, or if they came across the dwelling, people might assume it's just a place to store tools. You never know, it might be prove easier to get planning permission if you do get caught! You could probably afford to buy more land to surround your dwelling too as that land will help pay for itself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crash-and-burn Posted March 10, 2008 Share Posted March 10, 2008 I can't get away from the idea of buying several acres of dense woodland in the highlands of Scotland and building an underground dwelling in it without planning permission. Would the council even notice it? There's two options as far as I can tell. Build a house and turn it into an earth sheltered building so that it is above the water table. This means piling the earth up against the building, which would also mean that it is well insulated. Or just digging down and created a subterranean dwelling, which would be harder to insulate and build but would be easier to hide. If the woodland was a commercial development then it won't look odd to have a car drive into the woods, or if they came across the dwelling, people might assume it's just a place to store tools. You never know, it might be prove easier to get planning permission if you do get caught! You could probably afford to buy more land to surround your dwelling too as that land will help pay for itself. Or have the frontage as a tool shed above ground, but with a secret opening at the back, which leads down into a subterranean dwelling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Skint Academic Posted March 10, 2008 Share Posted March 10, 2008 Or have the frontage as a tool shed above ground, but with a secret opening at the back, which leads down into a subterranean dwelling. Aha! That's it! I was wondering how you would disguise the exit / entrance. Next question, how do you go about building something like this? My German grandmother's nephew was a mining engineer and borrowed suitable tools for the job when he built two floors under his allotment shed. I wouldn't want something falling on top of me. I wonder if I would have to hide the car as well in a subterranean garage At least it would be easy enough to distribute the soil around the lands ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scunnered Posted March 10, 2008 Author Share Posted March 10, 2008 I can't get away from the idea of buying several acres of dense woodland in the highlands of Scotland and building an underground dwelling in it without planning permission. Would the council even notice it? There was a thread (here) a little while ago about someone who (without planning permission) built a large house which was hidden inside a giant haystack. He kept it hidden for four years, and it appears that since there were no objections during that period, the local council can't require him to demolish it. Planning regulations might be different in Scotland, but you could always give it a try (as long as you promise not to drag me into any legal proceedings). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leonard Hatred Posted March 10, 2008 Share Posted March 10, 2008 Sorry, aren't living standards supposed to get better with time? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dubsie Posted March 10, 2008 Share Posted March 10, 2008 Believe it or not this has to be the future. You can build a home very cheaply and I just wish the planning authorites would give more power to people who wish to build low impact housing. If you generate you own electricity, deal with your own sewage and tap into natural water...what is the problem why shouldn't people be free to live the way they want without crippling tax and red tape. I travelled around europe and west Africa for about 2 years and stayed on a number of French communes hidden away in the Auvergne Region it was a great way of living. They occupied old derelict farm houses and in most cases they ended up being completely self suffucient. The local people turned a blind eye to the communes and those that lived in them were widely accepted and were often found in market towns on market day selling candles, lavender and goats cheese. I stayed with one commune for about 6 months and helped them build a solar water heating system. It consisted of a copper cylinder painted black and positioned on a flat roof in full view on the sun. It used gravity to provide hot water and was fed mainly by fresh water pumped into a cold water storage area about a meter above the cylinder but protected and kept cool by a brick structure and insulation. Broke most of the regulations but was safe and the water was boiling. One thing that is missing in Brtain is that we have lost the ability to be happy. The fact that our lives our controlled by the daily economic grind is partly to blame...we are not free. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AteMoose Posted March 10, 2008 Share Posted March 10, 2008 (edited) This guys appalling website, however it is full of step by step guides on how to build all the parts of the house for 4k http://envisioneer.net/ According to 52-year-old software engineer Steve James, who built the Galloway home, there was a dual motivation behind his "grand design". software engineer, urgh needs to update his skills and learn how to build a website. Edited March 10, 2008 by moosetea Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Sacks Posted March 10, 2008 Share Posted March 10, 2008 I can't get away from the idea of buying several acres of dense woodland in the highlands of Scotland and building an underground dwelling in it without planning permission. Would the council even notice it? There's two options as far as I can tell. Build a house and turn it into an earth sheltered building so that it is above the water table. This means piling the earth up against the building, which would also mean that it is well insulated. Or just digging down and created a subterranean dwelling, which would be harder to insulate and build but would be easier to hide. If the woodland was a commercial development then it won't look odd to have a car drive into the woods, or if they came across the dwelling, people might assume it's just a place to store tools. You never know, it might be prove easier to get planning permission if you do get caught! You could probably afford to buy more land to surround your dwelling too as that land will help pay for itself. There was a thread (here) a little while ago about someone who (without planning permission) built a large house which was hidden inside a giant haystack. He kept it hidden for four years, and it appears that since there were no objections during that period, the local council can't require him to demolish it. Planning regulations might be different in Scotland, but you could always give it a try (as long as you promise not to drag me into any legal proceedings). It's only four years on an existing building that has planning, OR ,does not have planning but was completed more that ten years ago. For agricultural land it's ten years before exemption. So even if you were living underground it's irrelevant because you are changing the use of the land from agricultural to residential. If you can get away with it for ten years and prove it to the council you've made it! In my experience the council only pester you if someone complains. If no one complains or if they stop complaining, the council will usually go away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bug16 Posted March 10, 2008 Share Posted March 10, 2008 "Inside, the £4,000 home boasts a stove, water supplied by rainfall and gets its electricity from a car battery" Gosh! Sign me up! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marek Posted March 10, 2008 Share Posted March 10, 2008 Sorry, aren't living standards supposed to get better with time? they get worse with time. anybody wants to start a tent city in london? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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