Having a fabric-first approach; using a quantity surveyor to find cost-effective alternatives for materials and re-purposing a garden shed to provide necessary welfare facilities for builders are some of the down-to-earth solutions proposed by London Homebuilding & Renovating Show experts to overcome key property issues in the capital.
The show, sponsored by leading lift manufacturer Gartec, is marking its 30th anniversary at the ExCel Centre from 27-29 September. As councils and homeowners alike grapple with how to ‘build London better’, here are 10 more of the 30 property challenges the event specialists address.
Michael Holmes, property expert for the London Homebuilding & Renovating Show and Vice Chair of the National Custom and Self Build Association (NaCSBA), has a checklist:
1. Costly party wall settlements on home improvement projects
Inform your neighbours about your plans early to foster goodwill and potentially agree on informal terms, reducing the need for formal procedures. Appoint a single agreed surveyor for all parties involved to split the cost, rather than each party appointing their own surveyor. Provide detailed and clear plans to your neighbours to minimise misunderstandings and objections, which can lead to costly disputes. Ensure full compliance with the Party Wall Act 1996 to avoid legal complications and additional costs. This includes serving the correct notices and obtaining necessary agreements. Consider using mediation services to resolve disputes amicably and cost-effectively, rather than resorting to legal action.
Tom McSherry, self-build mortgage and financial specialist for the London Homebuilding & Renovating Show and National Business Development Manager, Buildstore, says:
2. Building a new home with only a small deposit when London plot process and building costs are so high
There are some self-build mortgage deals which will provide you with up to 95% of your land and building costs so you can build with as little as 5% of your costs, although most will offer around 80 – 85% of your costs.
If you only have the minimum deposit, then an advance stage payment mortgage could be a solution. Self-build mortgages release money to you as you progress your build and these deals will provide money up-front to cover the costs of each upcoming stage of work. There are no valuations during the build – each stage release is agreed as part of your mortgage application, so you know exactly what you’ll get at each part of your build.
3. Lack of building plots available
Sign up to the Right to Build Register with your local council. Under national legislation, councils have to make enough plots available to fulfil local demand over a rolling three-year period. Demand can only be identified by potential self-builders registering an interest, so sign up today!
Or, why not renovate and bring back into use a run-down or uninhabitable property and become part of an existing community? You can arrange a self-build mortgage to buy the property and fund the repair work. You’ll save a lot of money on architect and planning fees compared to building a new property and you can retro-fit energy efficient features into your new home.
Sally Tagg, planning expert for the Homebuilding & Renovating Show and Managing Director at Foxley Tagg Planning Limited, says:
4. A complex planning process
It is evident when talking to would be self-builders that many are not really prepared or understand what the planning process entails and the nature of its complexities, so that can be a bit of a shock. Additionally, very often they do not know where to start or the best ways to proceed. The planning consultant really is the person who is the go -to for everything in terms of bringing a site through the planning process. They will have tried and tested contacts with other experts such as ecologists, heritage consultants, highways engineers and flood risk experts with whom they regularly work and architects with the appropriate design skills to suit specific circumstances.
What I am trying to do as a planning consultant is to ensure that the right approach is taken from the get-go for a specific set of circumstances, looking at the fundamental issues first before considering detailed issues such as the house design and investing in drawings. For example, if you do not carry out a feasibility study or site assessment from the outset you could be proceeding with a site that is not going to be deliverable through the planning process. It’s vitally important to understand some of the basic parameters before investing too much time and money.
Tim Philips, Quantity Surveyor at Quantiv and London Homebuilding & Renovating Show expert, says:
5. Rising construction costs
As a quantity surveyor I’d advise clients to plan their projects meticulously and establish realistic budgets early in the process. This includes accounting for potential cost escalations and contingencies to avoid financial surprises. If you are using a quantity surveyor from the early design stage, then their advice will be invaluable in making sure you budget correctly.
The process of ‘Value Engineering’ by your quantity surveyor attempts to identify cost-effective alternatives without compromising on quality or safety. This could involve selecting more affordable materials or innovative construction techniques. A simple example would be by using Spanish roof slate rather than more expensive Welsh roof slate.
6. High land prices, including on brownfield sites
While challenging, redeveloping brownfield sites can be viable with careful planning. Try to establish connections to secure grants and subsidies specifically designed for brownfield remediation to offset some of the costs. Employ innovative remediation technologies to reduce expenses. Also consider emerging areas or zones with potential for future growth rather than competing for prime central locations. These areas often offer more affordable land and can provide substantial returns as they develop. Stratford was a prime example in 2004, when London was chosen as host of the 2012 Olympic Games.
Mark Stevenson, self-build expert for the London Homebuilding & Renovating Show, director at Elsworth Projects, says:
7. Meeting the energy efficiency and low carbon obligations while building with a tight budget
The first steps to managing the tension between these goals is to know the options and which are more cost effective. As the building regulations advance, the requirements are getting more stringent but designers with experience of achieving the targets will understand how to do this cost effectively due to raising construction costs. Loading a house full of renewables might sound great but the upfront cost is high and it will take many years to get the money back. A better option might be to opt for a fabric first approach such as timber frame or structural insulated panels (SIPs) which will be energy efficient and reduce the renewable tech needed. Also be wary of designers who have a personal agenda of building award winning zero carbon homes. There’s nothing wrong with the ambition, but if you let them hijack the project, you could find the design is much more expensive than you can afford.
8. Securing a consent for a house design that suits you and your family
In built up areas there are plenty of external influences such as minimising impact on neighbouring properties. About half of all self builds are replacement dwellings and therefore it’s highly likely that plots in urbanised areas such as Greater London will be a knockdown and replacements. In theory, these plots are low risk as they come with a guarantee of planning consent, but exactly what you’ll get will be down to some finer negotiation with the planners. Before putting pen to paper, it’s best to engage a planning professional who understands the planning policies and can navigate the planning maze without getting too drawn into design aspirations which might prove unachievable in an established street scene.
9. Provide the required minimum standards of welfare for workers
Whilst building on tight sites is an art, if you know what you’re doing it’s perfectly possible to build on even the tightest of sites. The key is planning and organisation and London builders will be very familiar with the problem and will know exactly how to deal with it. Building sites are places of work and the regulations are quite clear about what’s needed. Welfare facilities where workers can rest, get dry, heat food are essential as is a toilet with warm running water. The regulations don’t say how these should be provided so a suitably prepared shed at the back of the garden will be perfectly acceptable. Just make sure you can get the thing out at the end of the build, or better still, leave it in place and covert it to a summer house or garden office.
10. Health and safety obligations often get overlooked
Building sites in urban areas where the construction work is being undertaken next to occupied homes is a problem and one which must be addressed. The best way to do this is engage a professional such as a fire engineer who can assess the risks and identify what mitigations are needed to limit any spread of fire to the neighbours. The solutions are usually obvious: don’t let waste build up and make sure there are no sources of ignition such as smoking on site. If you’re building with a timber system such as timber frame or SIPs, use a member of the structural timber association (STA) as they’ll automatically follow the 16 steps of fire safety and will carry out a detailed fire risk assessment to make sure the building site is safe.
Showgoers will be able to discuss their building projects with leading industry specialists as well as book 15-minute expert one-to-one consultations at the Advice Centre (sponsored by Internorm). The ExCel Centre will house thousands of products and services presented by over 250 exhibitors and visitors will be able to attend any of a series of around 80 seminars, including those at the Self Build Theatre (sponsored by Self Build Zone) and masterclasses at the Masterclass Theatre (sponsored by Kitchens 4 DIY).
Seminar and masterclass topics include:
- Designing and building homes in Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty/National Parks
- A guide to reclaiming VAT
- Futureproofing with a home lift
- Planning permission for home extensions
- Converting to heat pumps and underfloor heating
- Creating efficient low temperature heating for the home
- Choosing aluminium for home renovations
- Turning an old home into an eco-home.
To attend the London Homebuilding & Renovating Show 27-29 September 2024 for free, register for a pair of tickets for any of the show days.