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Self building homes and estates, grand designs

TheCatWoman

Some councils have given over parts of planned estate housing developements over to self builders, they all seem to have the main services, water, sewers, power piped to the site, some have a concrete pad already laid out, some don't, but you're free to pretty much build what you want, from a glass and steel box to a cob built hobbit hole. I think this is a brilliant idea and would love to see more of them, in the areas where councils have done this its proved very popular, as people have a chance to build the house they want to live in that suits their lifestyle.

Would you do this and what would you build?

I'd like one of those kit homes that are designed off site to your spec, thats eco friendly and energy efficient, with floors that have some give in them as I have plantar fascitits and hard floors like stone or tiles make my feet sore. I'd like a larger kitchen living space, but with smaller darker bedrooms. I've never understood why people want massive bedrooms with lots of natural light when what you do is sleep in them, I wouldn't want a dressing room either as I don't have enough clothes to fill a small wardrobe let alone a room full. But I would like a hobby room, where I could do sewing, it wouldn't need to be big. But I would want a decent garden, so many new builds have such tiny gardens. 

I want neutral colours and lots of texture to create a calming sensory environment, I know a lot of people like really bright patterns and colours, personally I find them overwhelming. I'd love to have space for art, walls strong enough to hang pictures and textile art. I wouldn't want walls of glass as I'd feel exposed and unsafe.

What about you, what would you want, traditional or modern, how would you tailor a house to your needs and tastes in architecture and design?

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

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Parents

  • 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.

  • in reply to ArchaeC

    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.

  • in reply to TheCatWoman

    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.

Reply
  • in reply to TheCatWoman

    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.

Children