Beware the Sassenachs are coming!
1st July 2020
By Peter Body - an Englishman and owner of Thermohaus, the Caithness based company which will design and supply highly energy efficient timber frame kit homes, throughout the UK.
According to the National Custom & Self Build Association (NaCSBA) the Highlands is one of the most popular places to build your own home. For those of us who live here this should not come as a great surprise. And, if having a view is high on your list of priorities, it's a no brainer.
Add to this the ready availability of plots and their low prices, compared to the rest of the UK, the case for building in such a wonderful place is compelling.
One of the things the Corona virus has shown us is the ability of significant numbers of desk bound employees to work from home. For many this could become the ‘new normal'. And, providing you have good Internet connectivity, home could be anywhere.
The pandemic has also highlighted that the further you are away from urban areas the less chance you have of contracting such a virus. Consequently, a desire to ‘run for the hills' is to be expected.
This anticipated increase in demand for self-build plots in rural areas will inevitably lead to increased prices and a real concern that demand could outstrip supply. Made worse by the often intransigent position adopted by some planners towards building in the countryside.
If you are one of the alleged 60% of the population who aspire to build their own home, now maybe a good time to put your plans into action. And, if you want something a little out of the ordinary, the Thermohaus website is a good place to start.
For much more help on self building your own new house see the following articles -
Planning Advice and Building Warrant
House Design Advice From Thermohaus
Finding And Buying Land For Your Self Build Home
Building Your Own Home Is Easier Than You May Think
Can You Afford To Build Your Own Home
How to Finance Your Self-build New home]
Related Businesses
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One of the advantages of self-build is that it gives you a lot of flexibility over the method of construction. Some of the construction options are only open to the self-builder as no UK developers use them.
The latest article on building your own house from Thermohaus. See links below for all the earlier articles.
Thousands of first-time buyers assisted. Applications are open for a new national pilot scheme helping first-time buyers with the deposit for a new home.
What are the elements of a good design? Who is going to design your new house? Do you need an architect? There are number of constraints on design: Standard House Types Most self-build package providers offer standard house designs but you need to be sure they suit both your site and personal needs. This said, most providers will either modify their standard designs or create bespoke designs.
Finding a suitable plot to build your house in Caithness should be relatively simple! When you've found your plot then you can design the house to suit that plot. For more information on house design take a look at the Thermohaus Design Guide Most people will want to live in a specific part of the county due, perhaps, to work commitments / travel to work considerations, family ties or simply because it's somewhere they know and like.
If you need to raise finance for your project it is usual to seek a ‘self-build mortgage'. Mortgages for self-build houses are a specialist product and many lenders do not offer them.
Before you begin planning your new home it is imperative you set a budget. And, as your build progresses, you must monitor the spend to ensure you stay within budget.
Today we begin a series of articles written by Peter Body of Thermohaus Ltd , a Caithness based timber frame kit home company. Why Self-Build? For decades the British have bought new homes as standard speculatively built products from national and regional house builders.
Caithness based chartered surveyor Peter Body has been designing, manufacturing and project managing self-build homes for 35 years. And, according to him, this experience can be distilled into just two pieces of advice to self-builders - keep it simple and think fabric first.
