Self building homes and estates, grand designs

I've also thought of a straw bale house, you have to plaster them with lime plaster so as it can expand and contract, they're supposed to be cheap and quick to build, sustainable and easy to extend.

I definately think we should encourage builders to use different materials and styles, rather than the little boxes made of ticky tacky that they usually seem to build. I think that a lot of people have problems with houses looking different, especially in an already established street. 

I definately think we should start moving towards the sort of off site factory construction they use in places like Germany, for every house we build in this country by "traditional" means, one goes in the bin from waste and left over materials, that cannot be the right way to build homes, especially in a housing crisis?

Iain said:

Just because we get old doesn't mean we can't have lots of fun. In fact we often have the time, the money and the experience to get a lot out of it. 

Excellent. This ought to be talked about more - Age Concern and Relate, for example. And sex toys are not just for those in couples or the young!

Marianne72 said:

Seriously, though, 'private furniture' would be very helpful to disabled or elderly people

I agree - I know quite a few people where I live who are in their 60s and 70s and still have an active sex life. They often talk about the annoyance of age related issues - a bad hip, stiff back, balance issues etc and having a piece of furniture that allows them to be supported and give their partner easier access to do whatever it is they want to do is a godsend, plus if it is suspended then you can make the suspended person move with your arms rather than have to move your back / hips a lot.

I've shown a few of them my creation and they ordered a similar thing from an online store (no links to share here but if you are interested try "love chair" and you will see the original more innocent versions and the less innocent ones too). I help with the installation but that is where I draw the line.

Just because we get old doesn't mean we can't have lots of fun. In fact we often have the time, the money and the experience to get a lot out of it. 

- ah yes, it would have to be like M&S knickers - no returns allowed. Seriously, though, 'private furniture' would be very helpful to disabled or elderly people. After all, these are natural urges and not everyone has the means to assuage..

Marianne72 said:

You could design your own range

I did create some hanging seats that you can just swap out with a conventional hanging chair but with a few appropriate modifications - thinks like hand grips, Velcro straps and, err, cup holders were all found to be worthwhile additions.

I think that market is quite well catered for now with international shipping however - Germany has quite a few suppliers of such recreational furniture from what I have seen.

The biggest issue I could see with making these commercially is dealing with customer returns...

. You could design your own range.

Marianne72 said:

Ian might like a special gym with specially designed equipment.

It is funny you should say that...

. said:

see Iain's acrobatic sex

Ian might like a special gym with specially designed equipment. I like my bedroom just for myself - nice, large comfortable bed and lots of pillows, where I can read, write, muse and look out on my garden.

I really can't imagine having that many clothes, I mean I know people do, but I've never had loads of clothes, when growing up I usually had one change of clothes, something would be worn for a week, then after bath night on saturday I'd wear the other set of clothes and the others were washed. Lots of childrens clothes were seen as a waste by my parents as I'd grow out of them to fast, everything was bought at least one size to big and taken in and up, then let out and down. I remember the first set of clothes I actually chose when I was about 11, a purple skirt with ric rac round the hem and a yellow blouse. Whn friends came to my house they ask me where all my clothes were? I guess I never picked up the habit of buying clothes, partly because of lack of money and partly because of getting things to fit.

ArchaeC said:

Did officials actually call the houses slum?

I don't know what was said at the time but I found out retrospectively that the demolition of our house (in the 1970s) was part of slum clearance in the city.

. said:

We were forced to leave as the houses were condemned as slum

Did officials actually call the houses slum?

I don’t like the word ‘slum’ being used to describe people’s homes or areas, whether or not they are fit for habitation.

. said:

I still say 'pull the chain' rather than 'flush'.

That’s terrific. I would probably say it too if there was someone in my house to say it to.

Sounds like you're descrbing a self build autistic community? I'm not sure how I'd feel about living in a comunity like that? I'd prefer to live in the middle of nowhere again, never having really felt part of a comunity I think I'd struggle.

I'd like a bungalow too, although small lifts are getting cheaper and smaller, so stairs might not have to be a problem, I'd rather have no stairs and a lift than a stair lift. One of the things about some kit homes, is that they're modular and if you decided at a later date that you wanted to extend, even add an extra floor they can be added so easily, you just take the roof off, add the extra modules and put the roof back on.

I'd like to have my home decorated with lime wash paint, it's got an interest soft, matt texture and comes in a range of colours. I do like colour in my home, people think neutral colours are all pastels, wishy washy and beige, but they're not, they're colours without intensity, so soft sage green would be neutral where as bright emerald green would be intense. I'd prefer to add more intense colours with soft furnishings, like cushions and rugs that can easily be changed. I do find a lot of people choosing black for home furnishing not to my taste, I can see black being a good choice for doors and windows, especially those Crital ones, but not with plumbing or kitchen sinks or ceilings for that matter. I get dark colours on high ceilinged rooms can bring them down a bit, but black marks as easily or even more easily than many other colours, water marks show just as much on black plumbing as they do on silver.

Interesting thread! Now I'm older my needs have changed. I'd like a bungalow, not overlarge, airy rooms, one each of bed, living, kitchen and bath room. Medical services and a good selection of shops with a mainstream supermarket in easy walking distance. Also a public park. I'd have triple glazing, self-cleaning glass and electric blinds on the windows. If there was such a thing, self-cleaning flooring, eye level appliances, solar panels and ground pump. Medium size enclosed gardens, not overlooked, curving gravel paths, small trees and shrubs. A shady veranda, small summerhouse for hobbies, potting shed, greenhouse, cold frame. I'd like fellow auties to be my neighbours and anyone who likes to be friendly but 'not in your face', and kids who don't disturb your daily life. There would be a community garden, plenty of adult day courses in a dedicated art and craft college.

I remember these high level cisterns. The WC was porcelain with a printed logo, 'leadless glaze.'  I frightened myself often as a child by imagining it read, 'eyeless gaze' .

ArchaeC said:

My childhood house was Victorian. It had a downstairs loo with a lovely pull chain from an overhead cistern. It was extremely practical and very satisfying to flush. 

Ditto.

We were forced to leave as the houses were condemned as slum.

It was at the end of the garden!

I also had one in my previous house.

I love high cisterns.

Even after so many years I still say 'pull the chain' rather than 'flush'.

Your idea of a Japanese toilet that does everything for you is a great idea for some people. I would have something like that if I became incapacitated because it could help me stay independent, but at present, I like control of my ablutions too much. 

A steampunk inspired kitchen and bathroom is a great idea. Steam powered machinery continues functioning forever and should something need repaired, it would be easily undertaken. I hate plastic piping and taps that aren’t robust and functional. Bits of plastic are breaking off my window locks at the moment. It seems ridiculous that they can’t last even 10 years.  

My childhood house was Victorian. It had a downstairs loo with a lovely pull chain from an overhead cistern. It was extremely practical and very satisfying to flush. 

I think I’ve been rather ambitious with the size of the home that could be built on the council land, and also too ambitious given my financial situation, but I’m imagining I’ll win the lottery to pay for it.

Unfortunately it's unlikely that I'd ever be able to afford to build my own home, but it's a dream I can continue playing with.

I'd love wool for insulation too, I think it could be such a clever move by government to support this as not only is it eco friendly, but it could help support sheep farmers many of whom are on small upland farms where it's hard to grow anything else.

I can see that having a large light bedroom would be good if it was your only space for yourself and an escape from family life. I can't see myself swinging from chandeliers anytime soon, or increasing my wardrobe to the sort of size that I'd need a walk in wardrobe.

I quite like the idea of cork flooring as again its eco friendly and soft underfoot as well as insulating and sound absorbing. Although I also quite fancy the sort of underfloor heating that can be turned to cooling in summer. I love the idea of thatch, but then I think of spiders, its the same with those huge double height spaces, I wonder how spidery they'd be and how you'd dust them? I wouldn't want to end up with long dangling cobwebs hanging from the ceilings.

I'd love a really massive bath, a really long, deep one for wallowing, but I do like my shower too. Has anyone heard of those Japanese toilets? They're a brilliant idea, they have a built in bidet and dry you too, someone I know has one and says its quite odd when it senses movement and the lid opens and a light comes on. I think they're such a no brainer for people with mobility problems as it could give more independence. But I'm not sure I'd like one though, I think I'm a bit to British, lol.

The estates I've seen that have some self build plots aren't all council or social housing, but the council appears to hold some plots back from developers for self builds.

Storage is a must, we have lots of storage upstairs with wardrobes and cupboards built into the eaves, but downstairs there only the cupboard under the stairs. 

I'd have to have some garden, even if it's not as much as I have now, which to be honest is getting a bit big for me to manage on my own.

I find architecture really interesting, I'd love to have somewhere with mullioned windows, rather than just squares and rectangles, I like those Arts and Crafts style "eyelid" windows. Cleristory windows are good too, the ones where you have long horizontal windows near the top of the wall so as you can have light and privacy..

Theres a part of me that would really like to have a steam punk inspired kitchen and bathroom, with lots of brass fittings and stuff. Now that cisterns are legally mandated to be more water efficient I think an over head, old fashioned cistern where you pull the chain, would be good as you'd have gravity to assist the pressure of the flush.

I think it’s a brilliant idea to have space allocated for self builds on council estates. It would add interest to the development as a whole and each development would be unique. 

I haven’t thought out the practicalities of my choice of a new home, but I don’t think my ideas are complicated.

I would like larger rooms in my house, even if it means the number of them would be reduced to fit on the space. 

Solid stone walls insulated by sheep’s wool. The hardest, hardwood window frames, doors, and other structures of wood. It feels healthier to be living in a home made of natural materials. It would be nice to have plenty of light without the windows allowing the world to see what I’m doing. I would like to borrow some of the character of older homes but make them work within a modern space. Air conditioning units might be advisable, on the other hand, the stone walls and shutters might be effective in keeping the heat out.

Solid wood flooring with nice thick wool rugs. 

Triple glazing with electric shutters between the panes of all the rooms. I like to sleep in a pitch black bedroom so the button for my bedroom shutters would be at my bedside so that I could open and close them from the bed.

A large master bedroom with ensuite bathroom: Large bath with overhead shower and jacuzzi style jets. Separate walk in shower, bidet, loo, large sink with surrounding unit and plenty of storage for spare towels, loo rolls etc.

A spare bedroom with ensuite.

A study.

A library.

A downstairs loo.

A large kitchen with sitting/dining area and plenty of drawers/cupboards

A dogs’ entrance beside the kitchen with a room for their own walk-in-shower and dryer, sink and storage space for their equipment. My dogs love swimming and playing in mud. It’s fine in the summer but not so good on a cold winter day. It would be sheer luxury to be able to clean them inside without having to worry about the walls getting splattered. 

If there would be any space left, I would like a separate sitting room, another bedroom and a conservatory. 

TheCatWoman said:

I've never understood why people want massive bedrooms with lots of natural light when what you do is sleep in them

I enjoy lying awake in my bedroom for around 30 minutes in the morning. Light and space is exactly what sets me up for the day ahead.

TheCatWoman said:

I've never understood why people want massive bedrooms with lots of natural light when what you do is sleep in them,

That may be all you do but they are multi functional - see Iain's acrobatic sex

Mine is my sanctuary and I spend more time in it than any other room in the house.

TheCatWoman said:

hard floors like stone or tiles make my feet sore

You can buy rubberised floor tiles or rolls of rubberised flooring to give the cushioned effect you mention here.

One downside is that it can affect the balance of elderly people so it could be a factor in your decision.

So long as you have a clean, dry and solid floor to lay it on top of, installation is fairly simple. With all your allergies I would just put some down as a rug to assess if you have any reaction to it first though.

TheCatWoman said:

I've never understood why people want massive bedrooms with lots of natural light when what you do is sleep in them,

I like to read in my bedroom so natural daylight is great - also awesome for afternoon naps in a hammock. The space is great for when you are having more acrobatic or involved intimate relations as you have a wide range of surfaces, places for support and space to move.

I have formal clothes, work clothes (for DIY), smart casual clothes, casual clothes, gym clothes and a few occasional use things like heavy winter coats (for when I visit the UK in winter) or my dress kilt outfit for formal occasions - I fill 2 double wardrobes with drawer units with this lot and do get to use everything at least once a year.

It is down to a different lifestyle I guess - you say you don't leave home a lot and don't have a lot of external social activities so it is natural that you need less variety.

For my living spaces I mostly like fairly minimalistic spaces - clean and bright with a few really nice pieces of furniture. I also like a space for my library (I have about 2,000 books now so probably need to start selling the ones I read) and a space for my IT stuff as well as storage for all my DIY tools and a workspace for restoring old furniture, but this can be in the garage I guess.

My hobbies include restoring old motorbikes so I would ideally like a triple garage - one space for the car, one for my bikes and one for whatever restoration project is underway at the time.

TheCatWoman said:

Would it offend your senses to live somewhere where every house was different and individual? 

It would not bother me so long as I could have the functionality I need and the interior design of my choice.