group of self builders

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thermalcrete

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I am looking to set up a group of self builders who want to build their own homes but in a private estate of 5 - 10 or maybe 20 houses. The idea is to purchase the land outright as a group and design our own houses which have certainty of cost, certainty of u-values, built to the highest specs and everyone ends up with a great home at a fraction of the cost of purchasing from a developer. You do not have to build your own home the DIY route as builder is on board already. If you are interested in something like this please come back to me with your ideas.
 
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Is this really about a builder with no jobs who intends to piggy back onto a ground of self-builders?

Have you had anyone do the background checks on the prospective site?

Come to think of it, have you had any private replies to this?

Please read "the Self Build FAQ" here:

http://www.askaboutmoney.com/showthread.php?t=126261

Please engage an architect to design the residential enclave and don't let's have another dog's dinner built on a roundabout and read this:

"What to ask the architect at our first meeting."

http://www.askaboutmoney.com/showthread.php?t=131450


FWIW

ONQ.

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All advice on AAM is remote from the situation and cannot be relied upon as a defence or support - in and of itself - should legal action be taken.
Competent legal and building professionals should be asked to advise in Real Life with rights to inspect and issue reports on the matters at hand.
 
On the face of it this sounds like a great idea. And it could be if things work out right. Seek professional advice - look at a similar Eco-group in Tipperary.

A commune is possible, once certain rules are applied regarding landownership, planning, design criteria etc. As a commune, consensus rules, so agreements are extremely important. Getting agreement can be difficult and slow - there's always one!

As ONQ says, Get professional legal & design advice. Do your homework. Good luck to all involved.
 
Thanks for the replies – ONG I have had this idea in mind for a couple of years now and have decided to put it out into the open. A bit of a negative first comment if you don’t mind me saying. I am in the building industry for 32 years now and know the in’s & out’s, the do’s & dont’s etc. And I have not had any private replies at all. Johndoe77ie – I am not choosing a site, this will be down to the amount of enquiries i receive and the areas the people want to live in. RKQ – Not looking to set up a commune. All legal agreements will be in place when we are further down the line. I intend to operate this on a professional basis and if one of the sites happens to be near a roundabout you definitely will not see any dogs eating their dinner there! I welcome more thoughts & ideas and interested in hearing from materials / systems suppliers etc.
 
I wasn't being negative thermalcrete but to my mind you are setting up a community that will share the cost of the land. This group will share design ideas in the hope the all might use the same materials so that group discounts can be achieved..... sounds like a commune to me.

The legal aspects of the purchase of the land and materials will be critical. If this is agreed at the start and all involved are committed to the idea, then I can see it being successful. Good luck.
 
Thermalcrete, I think it is a fantastic idea, and one I have considered myself on a number of occasions. It is particularly appropriate to the so-called 'key workers', those interested in self-build, and people who can actually see a home as a home and not an asset.
I have considered setting up a small scale group many times to seek out an urban infill site where clever design could maximize space & light and minimize construction costs.
I also think this type of co-operative living would work well for older people wishing to downsize, free up larger houses for families, and live amongst like-minded people. Admittedly, they may not want the self-build element, - but the same principal applies.

As a member of a self-build group there is the opportunity to design & build a house the way you want it, and to the specifications you want, rather than way a profit-driven developer would usually want it. You can also share resources during construction and on an ongoing basis.
Here are some links I found very interesting. They are all UK sites, but are very relevant and informative.

DBK100
www.mesh.ie


http://www.segalselfbuild.co.uk/book reviews/resourcepacksect.html

http://www.channel4.com/4homes/on-t...e-guides/brighton-the-co-op-08-05-19_p_1.html

http://www.cohousing.org.uk/
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http://self-help-housing.org/

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thermalcrete said:
Thanks for the replies – ONG I have had this idea in mind for a couple of years now and have decided to put it out into the open. A bit of a negative first comment if you don’t mind me saying. I am in the building industry for 32 years now and know the in’s & out’s, the do’s & dont’s etc. And I have not had any private replies at all. (snip)
Click to expand...

Welcome your critics Grasshoppah, for they have bothered their barney and read your question from beginning to end.
I repeat the question you appear to have avoided answering:

"Is this really about a builder with no jobs who intends to piggy back onto a ground of self-builders?"
[Actually "ground" should be "group" - don't ask me how "ground" got in there]

The point being that AAM is very strict on not allowing overt self-promotion.
As for the rest of it, there's too many dodgy permissions: I rest my case.

There seem to be ore than a few conflicts of interest though.
Apart from that, it'll be an interesting idea if it takes off.

ONQ.

[broken link removed]

All advice on AAM is remote from the situation and cannot be relied upon as a defence or support - in and of itself - should legal action be taken.
Competent legal and building professionals should be asked to advise in Real Life with rights to inspect and issue reports on the matters at hand.
 
ONQ - Can you explain what you mean by "dodgy permissions" for me please. I have plenty of work for myself so that rules out your piggy back scenario and as far as i know it is impossible to piggyback on something that as yet is not in place. As DBK100 said he has had this idea himself and i am sure that other people have been thinking along the same lines but never put it out in the open. I would like to help people who are thinking of building their own home and offer advice based on my own experience as i have seen far too many people end up with a house which has a lot of problems due to lack of experience on behalf of the home owner and dodgy tradesmen as i am sure you have as well. I believe it is a very interesting concept that has not been explored before and if reputable people offer their services and their ideas everyone can learn form other peoples experiences / failures. I believe this could be very successful and even become a template for others to follow.
 
I think your proposed concept is well explored unless I am missing your meaning totally.
The usual form it takes is for a co-op to form where people bring their time and skills together so that even members formerly unskilled in building matters may contribute, perhaps by doing the project adminstration or the less technically demanding building work.

Dodgy permissions are ones that Councillors rammed through in defiance of their own planning authorities, or where the development plan does not accord with the Greater Dublin Area Planning Guidelines.

Usually this results in


  • flooded estates
  • inadequate services
  • roads, public transport
  • emergency and utility vehicles
  • lack of scheduled amenities
  • no nearby schools
  • no shops, etc

and usually erodes a green belt or agricultural land.

ONQ.

[broken link removed]

All advice on AAM is remote from the situation and cannot be relied upon as a defence or support - in and of itself - should legal action be taken.
Competent legal and building professionals should be asked to advise in Real Life with rights to inspect and issue reports on the matters at hand.
 
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