Thursday, 02 February 2012 22:03
15 Comments
By a Newsnet reporter
Glasgow's SNP Council Group is considering proposals for housing in the city after the election in May. One area of policy the group say has not been fully developed by the Council in the city is that of self-build. Self-build is where future owners take a direct role in the development of their future property - this can range from designing and building to commissioning construction of the home.
While self-build is a small part of the overall housing sector in this country it is more popular in other parts of Europe. Scotland itself is well placed as a popular part of the UK for self-build. Glasgow currently does not have a policy in support of self-build.
However the Highland Housing Alliance has a self-build policy, and has made building plots available in Invergordon and Golspie. In Bristol, over 41 homes have been self-built or self-finished under the auspices of the Ashley Vale Action Group, and a community of over one hundred residents is thriving. Outside the UK, there is a greater emphasis on self-build as a means of supplying low cost housing. In the Netherlands almost one in three new homes is constructed as part of a self-build scheme.
Commenting on the work to date, Councillor Thoms said: "As part of our plans for the 2012 election we are considering how best to stimulate and sustain Glasgow’s housing sector in the coming years. One area we are looking at is developing a policy on self build for the city. Self build projects are a very small part of the overall housing picture, but if applied carefully, could provide opportunities for local employment while offering a chance those who wish to build their own home.
"Glasgow has significant areas where land could be set aside for self-build, whether as pure self-build, with serviced plots or as part of wider developments.
"Examples from areas as diverse as Swindon, Bristol, The Netherlands and the Highlands of Scotland demonstrate that it can be a viable option.
"Self-build rates are significantly higher in many other European countries, so by providing some opportunity within Glasgow we can test the level of demand here in Scotland’s largest city.
"We in the SNP are prepared to think innovatively about how Glasgow's housing sector can be nurtured over the next few years – our proposal will enhance the range of options both for home buyers and builders and provide employment opportunities in the construction sector."
Comments
#
2012-02-03 11:03
This is an excellent proposal.
It has always seemed strange to me that the instances of self-build in this country are so low.
The houses we are asked to buy from developers are too small inside and no longer have decent proportions that you find in older houses.
Self build and kit houses would adress the issue and are far cheaper than the inflated prices we pay in this country.
The only problem is getting land and planning permission. If the SNP can tackle those issues then they will be onto a winner!
It has always seemed strange to me that the instances of self-build in this country are so low.
The houses we are asked to buy from developers are too small inside and no longer have decent proportions that you find in older houses.
Self build and kit houses would adress the issue and are far cheaper than the inflated prices we pay in this country.
The only problem is getting land and planning permission. If the SNP can tackle those issues then they will be onto a winner!
#
2012-02-03 16:33
Excellent news.
Let's wipe Labour out in Glasgow and then blitz the place with opportunities for jobs and homes.
This is just the start I suspect.
Let's wipe Labour out in Glasgow and then blitz the place with opportunities for jobs and homes.
This is just the start I suspect.
#
2012-02-03 16:36
"We in the SNP are prepared to think innovatively"
That, in a nutshell, is why I'm a member.
That, in a nutshell, is why I'm a member.
#
2012-02-03 16:37
What an incentive for Glasgow to vote SNP. When they are in power they should be able to overcome the problems of getting land and planning permission. I feel quite excited something positive being done in Glasgow. And just maybe these civic minded would vote yes in 2014. Roll on May.
#
2012-02-03 19:38
In my youth I worked with some guys who had been involved in a self build scheme in Edinburgh. All raved about the teamwork but grumped about the hours of toil. Still they built a significant number of houses and of the team, only one sold up early (to move to Morningside (sans knickers I presume but with suitable fur coat)), the rest stayed until they passed away or were too infirm to remain. So it can be a "young" mans game but does it make you feel you've done something - you bet!
PS what about kicking off the prefabs again?
PS what about kicking off the prefabs again?
#
2012-02-03 20:33
I was amazed when they demolished the prefabs near Hampden. Tidy wee houses. That land is still lying there untouched. Don't know whether it's been given to any "friends" ... sorry, I mean sold to any developers.
#
2012-02-04 00:28
Aye Redkite a few of my reli's lived in them and thought they were fine - and much improved by the later upgrades. So when do we start?
#
2012-02-03 21:24
I think it'd be a great idea if the GCC (or any other council) offered opportunities for self-build, I'm sure there would be brave enough people to take on the challenge - just as long as they know what they're getting into, and aren't forced into it. But I don't think Labour-led GCC would ever do it, they don't want to encourage independence in the(ir) people. But if the SNP got into power...
Most detached houses in Finland are self-build, the big building companies concentrate in the terraced house/apartment market. My grandpa build their house, my dad build our house, my brother built their house, several of my friends have built their houses, and I've helped in the projects (roofing, laying floors, tiling bathrooms, assembling fitted kitchens, painting, wallpapering...)
In Finland, there's a lot of free or affordable information available, some of it provided by the state/municipalities, some by independent expert bodies and some by associations/websites etc. with business links. A lot of it to do with our strict building regulations - our climate poses several challenges (it's -23 celcius outside as I type, we get those kinds of temperatures every winter... and +27 isn't unusual in summer!), so there are regulations about foundation frost protection, drainage, insulation, triple glazing, ventilation, waterproofing, windproofing, heating and heat recovery, indoor waterproofing, plumbing, electric wiring and a host of other things...
Few people actually build their houses from scratch themselves. They usually hire an expert to draw the plans for the building permission application, and then at least a part-time site manager who makes sure the house will pass all the various inspections along the way. Usually also specialists like plumbers and electricians for specific tasks.
There's a whole industry catering for self-builders and most self-build houses are now "packages". What's included in a package varies. You could get just a lot of building materials + instructions delivered to your site, or some materials + some prefabricated elements, or all prefabricated elements. Some packages include a team of workmen to put together the elements, some offer turnkey solutions... There's still a lot to do for the self-builder (and their friends & family!) if he/she so wishes, mostly after the outside walls and roof are up. Most of all the self-builder is a project manager, in charge of the budget, hiring workmen and doing whatever he/she can themselves.
There are dozens of companies offering dozens of different packages, and you can modify and "personilize" them so they're not all the same. This site has a couple of pictures of typical "package houses" www.talovertailu.fi/ It's actually a website designed to help potential self-builders to choose their package, you can set parameters like preferred size, no. of rooms, package manufacturer, how much of the work you'll actually do yourself etc. Just one of the many similar sites in Finland, so there really is a lot of info available for self-builders in Finland.
I wonder if self-builders in Scotland would be able to access so much info so easily as there isn't a similar culture of self-building. Building a house yourself can be a daunting task if help/info is not readily available, and mistakes can be very, very costly. That's why the state/municipalities in Finland provide so much help/info to self-builders, they see it as a way of "providing" housing risk-free (to the municipality, that is). Many municipalities also sell building plots to self-builders at a cheaper rate to encourage self-builders and diversity in housing. An area might have a mixture of self-built, council-built and developer-built housing.
And think what a sense of achievement when you've built a house for yourself and your family! What a great idea from the SNP!
Most detached houses in Finland are self-build, the big building companies concentrate in the terraced house/apartment market. My grandpa build their house, my dad build our house, my brother built their house, several of my friends have built their houses, and I've helped in the projects (roofing, laying floors, tiling bathrooms, assembling fitted kitchens, painting, wallpapering...)
In Finland, there's a lot of free or affordable information available, some of it provided by the state/municipalities, some by independent expert bodies and some by associations/websites etc. with business links. A lot of it to do with our strict building regulations - our climate poses several challenges (it's -23 celcius outside as I type, we get those kinds of temperatures every winter... and +27 isn't unusual in summer!), so there are regulations about foundation frost protection, drainage, insulation, triple glazing, ventilation, waterproofing, windproofing, heating and heat recovery, indoor waterproofing, plumbing, electric wiring and a host of other things...
Few people actually build their houses from scratch themselves. They usually hire an expert to draw the plans for the building permission application, and then at least a part-time site manager who makes sure the house will pass all the various inspections along the way. Usually also specialists like plumbers and electricians for specific tasks.
There's a whole industry catering for self-builders and most self-build houses are now "packages". What's included in a package varies. You could get just a lot of building materials + instructions delivered to your site, or some materials + some prefabricated elements, or all prefabricated elements. Some packages include a team of workmen to put together the elements, some offer turnkey solutions... There's still a lot to do for the self-builder (and their friends & family!) if he/she so wishes, mostly after the outside walls and roof are up. Most of all the self-builder is a project manager, in charge of the budget, hiring workmen and doing whatever he/she can themselves.
There are dozens of companies offering dozens of different packages, and you can modify and "personilize" them so they're not all the same. This site has a couple of pictures of typical "package houses" www.talovertailu.fi/ It's actually a website designed to help potential self-builders to choose their package, you can set parameters like preferred size, no. of rooms, package manufacturer, how much of the work you'll actually do yourself etc. Just one of the many similar sites in Finland, so there really is a lot of info available for self-builders in Finland.
I wonder if self-builders in Scotland would be able to access so much info so easily as there isn't a similar culture of self-building. Building a house yourself can be a daunting task if help/info is not readily available, and mistakes can be very, very costly. That's why the state/municipalities in Finland provide so much help/info to self-builders, they see it as a way of "providing" housing risk-free (to the municipality, that is). Many municipalities also sell building plots to self-builders at a cheaper rate to encourage self-builders and diversity in housing. An area might have a mixture of self-built, council-built and developer-built housing.
And think what a sense of achievement when you've built a house for yourself and your family! What a great idea from the SNP!
#
2012-02-03 21:46
Excellent information for Scottish people lumilumi....thank you.
Unfortunately,w e are still in a culture that is dictated by a country which has relatively limited land resources and a very large population with all the inflated prices that go with such a situation.
It will take an independent Scotland some time to wean itself away from the English model and closer to a Scandinavian one.
Land ownership and usage is also going to be an issue but I am sure we will get there eventually.
Unfortunately,w e are still in a culture that is dictated by a country which has relatively limited land resources and a very large population with all the inflated prices that go with such a situation.
It will take an independent Scotland some time to wean itself away from the English model and closer to a Scandinavian one.
Land ownership and usage is also going to be an issue but I am sure we will get there eventually.
#
2012-02-03 23:12
This thing about LAND.
I've briefly lived in England, and longer in Scotland, plus travelled in both countries, and Wales, pursuing my favourite hobby of hillwalking/trekking (though I usually do that in the Arctic, in Finnish Lapland).
What struck me was how Scotland has a very similar notion of "everyman's rights" as we have in Scandinavian countries. In England, you have to keep to well marked public footpaths, otherwise you're trespassing. In Scotland, you're allowed to go anywhere as long as you don't damage crops or worry livestock, or go too near people's homes. Wild camping is allowed in Scotland, with the understanding that you leave the site as you found it (pristine). That is a very Scandinavian concept.
Large estate owners (especially English and corporate and foreign) have tried to restrict access in Scotland but as I understand it, the Scottish Parliament have acted laws that preserve it. Makes sense in a sparsely populated country, where hillwalker tourists bring money to local economies.
But as to building land... It is always going to be expensive in the most populous areas of any country.
I've briefly lived in England, and longer in Scotland, plus travelled in both countries, and Wales, pursuing my favourite hobby of hillwalking/trekking (though I usually do that in the Arctic, in Finnish Lapland).
What struck me was how Scotland has a very similar notion of "everyman's rights" as we have in Scandinavian countries. In England, you have to keep to well marked public footpaths, otherwise you're trespassing. In Scotland, you're allowed to go anywhere as long as you don't damage crops or worry livestock, or go too near people's homes. Wild camping is allowed in Scotland, with the understanding that you leave the site as you found it (pristine). That is a very Scandinavian concept.
Large estate owners (especially English and corporate and foreign) have tried to restrict access in Scotland but as I understand it, the Scottish Parliament have acted laws that preserve it. Makes sense in a sparsely populated country, where hillwalker tourists bring money to local economies.
But as to building land... It is always going to be expensive in the most populous areas of any country.
#
2012-02-03 23:19
Add to that the fact that most of Scotland's rivers are accessible to the public for canoeing and so on, which is the complete opposite in England.
The downside is that Scotland has more miles of walls than just about any other country as landowners endeavour to keep the public out.
The downside is that Scotland has more miles of walls than just about any other country as landowners endeavour to keep the public out.
#
2012-02-03 23:31
Walls?
I've seen more walls and fences in England, Wales and Ireland. All the land there seems to be fenced off. And I don't mind people fencing off their immediate home, that's what we do in Finland as well. But it's OK to walk anywhere on agricultural land, forests and the wilderness, regardless of who owns it, provided that you don't damage anything. I think it's also allowed in Scotland by tradition, and now by law. Or maybe I've been mistaken and trespassed freely :-D
Oh, and the waterways thing. All Finnish waterways are open for any (recreational) traffic, and angling with simple tackle (worm on hook, no reels) is free and allowed in all Finnish waters. For reels and anything more complicated, you need to buy a local or regional fishing license.
I've seen more walls and fences in England, Wales and Ireland. All the land there seems to be fenced off. And I don't mind people fencing off their immediate home, that's what we do in Finland as well. But it's OK to walk anywhere on agricultural land, forests and the wilderness, regardless of who owns it, provided that you don't damage anything. I think it's also allowed in Scotland by tradition, and now by law. Or maybe I've been mistaken and trespassed freely :-D
Oh, and the waterways thing. All Finnish waterways are open for any (recreational) traffic, and angling with simple tackle (worm on hook, no reels) is free and allowed in all Finnish waters. For reels and anything more complicated, you need to buy a local or regional fishing license.
#
2012-02-03 21:29
Strikes me the biggest problem will be getting mortgage funding for this. Not just the usual present bank aversion to lending locally, but they won't know how to value an incomplete asset.
#
2012-02-03 21:50
This could indeed be a problem in a country, such as Scotland, which does not have a long-established tradition and culture of self-building. The banks in Finland have developed special mortgage "products" for self-builders, as it is so common here.
Typically, you approach a bank with a budget (basically your assets & income vs. potential plot price + house(building) price), negotiate with the bank, then look for a plot in your price range and usually a "house package" in your price range. The mortgage isn't taken out all at one go but piecemeal, first some for the plot, then some for the foundation work, then some for whatever comes next, all through the building project. This has two benefits: the self-builder doesn't need to pay interest & repayments for the whole sum from the beginning, and secondly, the bank hasn't tied too much capital in an unfinished project. I would think that big developers and banks in Scotland operate in a similar fashion.
Oh, and I forgot to say, Finnish banks are actually quite keen on self-build customers because they tend to be hard-working, target-oriented and well-versed in their own finances. Mostly earning at least the average income, often slightly above or more, so good customers for the bank in years to come.
Typically, you approach a bank with a budget (basically your assets & income vs. potential plot price + house(building) price), negotiate with the bank, then look for a plot in your price range and usually a "house package" in your price range. The mortgage isn't taken out all at one go but piecemeal, first some for the plot, then some for the foundation work, then some for whatever comes next, all through the building project. This has two benefits: the self-builder doesn't need to pay interest & repayments for the whole sum from the beginning, and secondly, the bank hasn't tied too much capital in an unfinished project. I would think that big developers and banks in Scotland operate in a similar fashion.
Oh, and I forgot to say, Finnish banks are actually quite keen on self-build customers because they tend to be hard-working, target-oriented and well-versed in their own finances. Mostly earning at least the average income, often slightly above or more, so good customers for the bank in years to come.
#
2012-02-23 22:21
Quoting Jiggsbro:
We in the SNP (and SDA) are able to think
"We in the SNP are prepared to think
We in the SNP (and SDA) are able to think
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