This page is designed to help answer questions you may have regarding your project and provide you with relevant information.
Finding a Plot and Planning Permission
There are several companies who offer small plots of agricultural land describing them as plots. These so called plots are generally for sale well below residential development value yet often more than ten times the true agricultural value. A number of these plots are in Green Belt Areas where housing would be contrary to all existing and imaginable planning policies.
Most of our clients find land through the following routes:
- Advertise/advertisements in the local paper.
- Local authorities sometimes sell serviced plots.
- Whilst driving around you may find a potential development plot adjacent to somebody's property. The owner of this property may well never have considered selling a strip of his land.
- Visit the local planning authority and inspect the planning register. Contact plot owners on the register who have been granted outline or even detailed planning permission
For details on the ownership of any piece of land contact: The Information Centre, HM Land Registry, 32 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London WC2A 3PH Telephone: 0171 917 8888 A plot of land with either outline (OPP) or detailed (DPP) planning permission will obviously cost more than a plot without any planning permission.
Another option is to buy a derelict or run down house which can then be demolished and a new house can be built in its place. This would still require planning permission but should be easier to obtain if there is an existing property already on the plot.
Insurance
There are many companies who offer various types of insurance which you will require for your project. We suggest Self Build Zone and further information can be found on their website: http://www.selfbuildzone.com
SIPS ECO Panels
Many of our clients are now opting for SIPS as their form of construction. Further information can be found on the KC SIPS Solutions Website: www.kcsipssolutions.com
Project Management FAQs
Why should I use a Project Manager?
To ensure that your project comes in on-time, within budget and is delivered to the highest standard. With the complexity and sophistication of current building methods, few homeowners have the knowledge or capability to commit to the management time and resources necessary for the successful day-to-day supervision of a building project. Project Management services offer a 15- 20% saving compared with traditional procurement routes.
Are Project Managers on-site full time?
No, we visit site when required. This varies through different stages of the project. To have a project manager on-site full time would be extremely expensive for the client and is also unnecessary. Here at KC Project Managers we have a team who will be dedicated to your project at every stage, whether that be on-site or behind the scenes.
What is the average timescale for a new build?
For a 4 bedroom house the usual time for completion is 6 months. This can vary though and we would need to discuss your exact specifications to provide you with an accurate timescale.
Do you use your own builders?
No, we have a list of preferred suppliers who have been vetted but we offer a total open book policy. This means we go to tender for each trade required and as a client you would have total visibility of this. This ensures you get skilled tradesmen who deliver excellent quality and provide good value for money.
Do you only Project Manage new builds?
No, we also offer our project management services for extensions and refurbishments.
Which areas do you cover?
We offer our project management services nationwide.
Health and Safety
Most of us are aware of the importance of health and safety on a construction site but few of us realise that The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007 (CDM Regulations) - which took effect on the 6th April 2007 have a legal implication for everyone involved in a project, especially so far as a self-builder is concerned! Every year many construction workers are killed or injured as a result of their work. The hazards are not, however, restricted to those working on sites. Children and other members of the public are also killed or injured because construction activities are not adequately controlled.
In an effort to improve the situation, new legislation has been introduced which makes health and safety something that has to be physically planned into a project by all the parties involved from its initial conception right through to completion.
Further information can be found on the Charter Health & Safety Solutions Website: www.chartersafety.co.uk
Do the New CDM 2007 Regulations Apply to All Construction Projects?
The CDM regulations (provide for health and safety on any construction site where construction work is being carried out and affect all parties involved. The regulations’ definition of “construction work” covers just about every type of project a self-builder could possibly consider undertaking - irrespective of whether or not they intend to physically get involved in the project. It doesn’t just cover the actual construction work but also the whole design and supervision process as well.
A project is notifiable to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) if the construction phase will be longer than 30 days or 500 person days of construction work. An F10 form can be used and is available on www.hse.gov.uk along with further information regarding this.