General housing advice: building a house
Another option to consider if you want to become a home owner but can't find a property
you like or that satisfies your needs, is to build your own home.
Building your own home can be a very satisfying option however, it can also be a
stressful option. It is therefore important that you plan carefully in the beginning
to avoid any potential pitfalls.
Acquiring a site
The first step in building your own home is finding and purchasing a suitable site
to build on. These will be advertised in local newspapers, estate agents and property
solicitors offices, and possibly the Council itself.
Local knowledge is a considerable asset in finding and purchasing suitable sites
on which to build.
Some sites will have outline planning consent for housing, some will be serviced
with water, electricity and gas, however some will have neither planning consent
nor services.
Important: Do not purchase a site until you have, at the very least, outline
planning consent for housing.
Professional Advice
Anyone wanting to build a house has to overcome a number of official hurdles before
they are allowed to proceed to the bricks and mortar stage.
You should seek professional advice before a potential house site is identified,
or as soon afterwards as possible.
Building Standard
Officers will be more than happy to help anyone who is thinking of building a house,
with specific advice on the requirements of the planning system and on other more
general aspects of the building process.
They have much useful experience and would far rather share it as early as possible
to help the potential; house builder to avoid some of the pitfalls and delays that
can arise from ignorance of what is needed to get planning consent.
The Building Standard Officers will explain the council's policies on the siting,
design and location of any new house, which is to be built in the area. They will
advise on the requirements for drainage from the property site, road access and
water supplies.
They will also provide assistance with, as well as advice on, preparing applications
for outline and/or full planning permission and a building warrant.
Building Standard Officers from South Ayrshire council can be contacted at the following
address:
South Ayrshire Council
Planning Services
Burns House
Burns Statue Square
AYR
KA7 1UT
Tel: 01292 61 6100
Legal Advice
Good legal advice from a qualified solicitor should also be sought at an early stage,
particularly by those who have not yet acquired legal title to a house site.
Designing & building your house
Local solicitors can provide names and addresses of architects and building contractors.
The
Yellow Pages Directory also gives
names of manufacturers and suppliers of kit houses.
Some building contractors and all kit suppliers also provide a choice of house designs
which, if suitable, may avoid or reduce the requirement to employ an architect.
However, an experienced architect will also greatly reduce the amount of time and
effort that would otherwise be spent by the client on climbing the hurdles involved
in building a new house.
Community Self -- Build Scotland
Community Self Build Scotland is a voluntary membership organisation. CSBS came
about through the formation of a steering group interested in bringing about more
self - build projects in Scotland.
CSBS believe that self - build can meet a number of needs within the community including;
housing, training, employment and community regeneration.
Any organisation or individual interested in promoting or participating in a self
build scheme should contact:
Community Self Build Scotland
Queenslie Business Centre
19 Blairtumnock Road
GLASGOW
G33 4AN
Tel: 0141 766 1999
Fax: 0141 766 1888