speaker-0: hello. Welcome back to the Self podcast brought to you by Mayflower Mortgage and Finance. ⁓ This podcast is where we of meet our self and talk through their projects. went well, what didn't. ⁓ And I'm very to be joined today. by Lindsay and yeah, we'll get to know her project and where she's up to. So Lindsay, welcome. Thank you for joining us. Pleasure. So yeah, can we start right at beginning? So can you introduce yourself, tell everyone a bit about where you were up to when you sort of the idea of doing self building and when it first came about?

speaker-1: Thank you for coming. Okay, so I am 51. In 2020, we sold our house that had been our family home for 15 years. We brought three kids up. The last one left in March. We sold the house in September, much to disgust that the minute they left, we sold. But it was always our plan to do a self-build after all the children left home. So We've been planning it and designing the house for years ⁓ prior to us ⁓ doing our first self build, because this, in fact, where I am now is our second one in four years. So, ⁓ absolutely. So, yeah, so that that's how it came about, really. ⁓ And a plot came up not five miles away from where we lived. So it was like meant to be kind of thing.

speaker-0: Life, Yeah, you go for it. know, tell us, tell us.

speaker-1: So the September we moved out and moved into temporary accommodation and we built a house. ⁓ gosh, I'm trying to think of the technique, ever, polystyrene in the concrete. ICF. ICF. So we built a house at ICF. We had big lumps from selling our house, but we were going to need a mortgage, blah, blah. So we started think we broke ground April 21, right in Covid.

speaker-0: Yeah, perfect timing.

speaker-1: Perfect timing, right in COVID and it was an excellent build. It was a disastrous time and everything for us. everything went through the roof materials wise. So an example of that was we were having silicone render on three quarters of the house.

speaker-0: don't know if you went absolutely mental.

speaker-1: We got our quote in December and it was £8,000. We had it done in April and it was £12,000. So that then three quarters of the way through the build, we needed to sort out our mortgage and, you know, funds were getting low. Couldn't get a mortgage. ICF, nobody would touch us for ICF because nobody would accept our architects warranty for it. They wanted an external warranty, which I had no idea that that was a thing. ⁓ So spent, I think that cost us, I don't know if I'm going to do too many here, but that cost us 10,000 pounds for a piece of paper that nobody came and checked, nobody did anything for, but we had that done. And then we got our mortgage. And by the time we had added everything up, the idea was my husband works away. And the idea was, We built this house, he'd come home, have to earn less and we were gonna have, not semi-retirement, but life was gonna be a bit easier. It didn't work out that way. We had a mortgage and we had debts on top of our mortgage that he would have to work away forevermore to sustain that living. So I am sat in this beautiful house on my own, three weeks. It's a time for him to come home for a weekend. And I'm like, you know, I'm nearing 50 here. This is not the plan. So with great and a heavy, heavy heart, I said, let's let's flip in. Let's go again. And so we spent years designing this house and said, it's a house. It is a house. What is the point in having this nice house if we're always apart?

speaker-0: Yeah, the last star doesn't go with it.

speaker-1: Yeah, let's just see if we will put it on the market and we'll see. We put it on the market six weeks we'd sold it. It was finished, but not finished. It was signed off and everything like that. It just the grounds needed doing it was all. The grounds needs to and a couple wanted a project that wasn't a mammoth project, but they could put their own.

speaker-0: Thank you.

speaker-1: personality on it. So a couple bought it and off we went again. And this time we moved 50 miles away. the meantime, got another job and we found another plot just, just, and this plot is in the middle of nowhere. That it is in the bottom of a valley. There are seven other houses in the Hamlet. and the tarmac road finishes when you come into it. And I just stumbled across it online and...

speaker-0: luckiest person finding plots that we've had.

speaker-1: So I come up, try and find it and I found it. came up here and I went, oh my God, I love this. It is rolling hills. There's lakes, there's woodlands, there's fields. It is beautiful. I went, this is us. This is it. I said to my husband, we're buying it. We're buying it. And he's like, well, I haven't seen it yet. I said, I'm telling you, you'll love it. Anyway, long story short, we bought it. I have to. say that this plot comes with its very own cave. We have a massive cave that I would love to do cave weddings and that in, but planning and all that kind of stuff. But anyway, so yeah, so we then built, so this time learning from us, deep learning curve from the last house, we got a mortgage in place before we even started.

speaker-0: back to planet.

speaker-1: and had it approved. had found out from the mortgage company, do you need a, what certification do you need before?

speaker-0: You lined up previously, yep.

speaker-1: Well, our architect, Sainath Sooth, yes, sent all his details. Yes, that's fine. Brilliant. So we took a steep learning curve, but we came in under budget. We started, we started, broke ground on the end of April. No, before that, beginning of April. And we moved in onto site in a caravan, a touring caravan, may I add, on the first of May and we put a timber frame up clad with all black corrugated zinc on a timber frame. My husband took 12 months off work and wanted to do the build himself as much as he could. And September we were sleeping in the house and I'd been promised for Christmas a flushing toilet and I got one.

speaker-0: Amazing. didn't go for the ICF. go for the ICF this time, which people don't know, insulated concrete form. It is now easy to get a mortgage on ICF, but appreciating at the time it wasn't. So we've gone from timber frame and cladding zinc.

speaker-1: mainly because of speed. The couple that bought it offers have said because we had a polished concrete floor in there and the underfloor heating and stuff, it took a good 12 months for it to be like the big storage heater of a floor that we always had but we'd left before that and the house is I think they're running on 33 pound a month bills because of the installation and the solar panels and stuff. I mean, this is the house we're in now, the timber frame one is so economic. And my husband went berserk on sell attacks. There's much sex in this house. Unbelievable. And Tyvek tape. I honestly, I have Tyvek tape every single gap. Yeah, absolutely.

speaker-0: as as possible.

speaker-1: I think I've got shares in Tyvek Tate.

speaker-0: Yeah, it's a good eco building now, we'll sort of move on to that sort of eco style. It seems to more and more popular. Was that kind of an active decision for you or was it? So take back the planning. Did you sort of apply planning for yourself and that was your dream and that you're going to build or did you buy the plot with planning?

speaker-1: Right, so this plot already had planning and had already been started. The foundations were in. So we were stuck with a quandary. We either stuck with the footprint that they had and sticking with old planning regs, which meant we didn't need to spend £15,000 on a sprinkler system because every house of Wales has to have a sprinkler system. that comes in at about £15,000. If we stayed with the old planning, we had to keep the original footings footprint, but we could change the style of the house. So we went with that option. So we've got the same footprint, but they had a little tweed cottage, four bedrooms, and we've gone for something far more modern. We've only got two bedrooms and office and a big landing with glass and all that kind of stuff that plenty big enough for us, know, and the kids come home to visit and whatever, but for us on, you know, and we wanted, we wanted to future proof that we haven't got to work at socks off to maintain heating and electric. And, you know, we can't afford to slow down because the running costs of the build.

speaker-0: Yep, just keep getting away from you. So running costs wise, has it achieved everything that you wanted from it? it? Yeah. Economical, bills lower, freeing up the money there for lifestyle.

speaker-1: Absolutely, I mean, well this winter we haven't, I think the underfloor kicked in twice. There was no need for it to be in because the house was so warm anyway. We have got a wood burner that we light and let go out of an evening just for the coziness rather than the heat, you know. But yeah, mean, running costs are minimal. had solar and a battery put in and it's all ticking along. I highly recommend it. We went with the pretense that I'd rather spend money now while we're earning it to insulate and do that extra bit so that we don't have to worry about keeping warm when we're old.

speaker-0: feature-proof it. And budget-wise, again, money's wherever everyone gets sort of nervous. No. Do you on budget? Yeah. Okay.

speaker-1: Yeah, think we did all right. Our plot was 90,000 and we didn't have to pay for the electric to be connected because there had been electric here previously. The water had to be connected and phone or broadband. So we only had to pay for the water, which was a ridiculous amount, about five grams. go two foot, you know, it's a ridiculous amount but hey, and yeah, I think we came in and we've ended up with what, 170,000 pound mortgage, you know, apart from I've got architrave to go around the doors, skirting boards and flooring upstairs to go on and then we're done.

speaker-0: Thank

speaker-1: And I've still got enough money left over to finish it. It's just now that we've gone back to my husband took 12 months off and now he's gone back to work part time. Although he says he's not working part time because he's when he's not at home working. My list just got bigger because he's not only finishing the house now, it's like garden and things.

speaker-0: The nice bits though, the facing touches. mean you two got experience from the first build but is there anything that sort of took you by surprise costing wise? Anything that sort of popped out you weren't expecting apart from the water and stuff like that or because you've done one before?

speaker-1: Yeah, the services are a big expense that I didn't account for. And the whole sprinkler system, I never knew it was that much money. mean, when my husband said, we've got to have a sprinkler system, I was like, all right, whatever. And then when we priced it up, it was ridiculous. And we had to have this thousand litre tank of water in our garage that took up a massive section of our garage that And there's no way around it. can't not have one. That is building wrecks in Wales, is sprinkler system.

speaker-0: you've got to put it in. So I think that's tops it for anyone who's looking to buy a plot or building Wales.

speaker-1: Wales, if you're in Wales, you need pricing your sprinkler system because it is a big part of the budget.

speaker-0: And then mortgage wise this time, do remember how you sort of felt getting into the mortgage, getting it all up front, that process? Stressful this time.

speaker-1: Yes, I felt so much less this time. working because we got the stage payment ⁓ mortgage this time, it was so much less stressful and I knew where we were at each point and we could budget for how much we were drawing down and no, it was far easier and the whole experience. They wanted the architect to sign it off say that we'd reached where we said and send photos and then within a week the money was there. It was so much easier, so much less stressful. was, yeah, no. That is my biggest lesson learned from self-build is sort your money out first. Allow for at least 25 % over. Because everyone's all 10%, 10 % is rubbish. That is not that you are kidding yourself. If you think only 10%, I would allow 25%. And if you've got many left over, you're quid-syn.

speaker-0: We always say get your finance sorted out first of all, don't kick off and then try and sort of clear it back afterwards. But yeah, you are right. Always draw the contingency into your project because often it's needed. And if it's not, that's money in your project, in your pocket, sorry.

speaker-1: Absolutely. Our mortgage was approved for 180,000. I haven't drawn it all down and I don't need to. ⁓ I would rather that than worrying about I can't sign it. We had it signed off three weeks ago and I would rather have it sat in the pot than worrying how we're going to pay to sign it off because we've got a limited time. We've only got two years to sign it off. And you think at the time, two years is... loads of time

speaker-0: Thumbs up quick.

speaker-1: Yeah, absolutely. We've got till August this year for our two years. And, you know, since Christmas we've been pushing to get the last. was three things left to do. We had to install our stairs because we just had temporary stairs in, install our proper stairs. We had a balcony outside on the landing and the disabled access. So we've done that since Christmas so that we are done, you know.

speaker-0: Yep, perfect. It is a misconception. Some people think that you have to apply to the penny, you don't have to draw down everything that you get your lending facility for. can leave it there, don't draw it, whatever you want to do with it. And the build itself, how did you approach it? Did you use a main contractor? Did you self-manage it? Mix of both? What was your kind of attack?

speaker-1: build, my husband completely managed it. We had a crew in to we bought the timber frame kit as a whole as a package. They all arrived, put it up for days. was that. Yeah, and so they came and then we had builders that were here and a crew that were here for several weeks at a time and then they'd go away again and my husband would get on with jobs.

speaker-0: It's amazing.

speaker-1: and then prepare and order stuff and then they would come back for another few weeks because they were sleeping in the camper van. So they would come and stay for a few weeks and then disappear again. And yeah, no, it worked quite well. My husband was on site because we were living in the caravan on site. We were here all the time, which made a massive difference compared to the previous build. was working basically he worked away to pay somebody to be there where he this time he wanted to be here. He gave up his wages to be at home basically. So, you he was that man's wages he would have been earning away. So.

speaker-0: that so we often hear that as well that project management if you can't be on site get someone in but if you can be then you can you sort of do it yourself. anything surprise you whilst you were actually on site with anything that sort of popped up from the project management side or did it all go you know pretty well?

speaker-1: It's actually because we, he does the ordering, I do the paying and the paperwork, you know, so because there's only me, there's been the two of us, I've kept to like all the receipts and invoices ready to claim the backpack. I've kept a complete control over that. I could see that would be a problem if you weren't ⁓ doing, you know, control of that yourself because you would potentially lose loads of money by not claiming it back by not having any paperwork in order, but I'm a paperwork person. that that side came easy to me. yeah, so between us, ⁓ it was definitely a good, we had a good sister project managing and my husband took the time to ring round and find out quotes. And because we we left our old house in the November and we didn't start till the April. He spent his time researching and I mean really researching, researching material. That's key. Reach and because we moved to a new area, he went around all the builders merchants, getting to know the builders merchants, who was doing what deals and stuff like that. And I think that paid dividends in the end for the four, five, six months before we started, he went and found people in the area because we didn't know anybody up here. So research, definitely spend the time researching materials and people in your area of what is available.

speaker-0: Yeah, good, good top tip. If someone sort of listening to mid build and feeling so stressed, what would you tell them? What are your top tips? Is it just that be organized, take the time to keep everything ordered? Yeah.

speaker-1: Yeah, take breath. There's better days to come. It's all that say. Take a breath. Just think where you are. Think where you've come from and make a list of what actually has to be done and concentrate on those bits rather than the things that you want to be done. It's very easy to get drawn into what colour your walls are going to be when you ⁓ put a petition wall up yet, or you haven't done your cellotexing or your soundproofing and stuff like that. Just think what you need, what really needs to be done to be able to get to the next stage and not, it's easy to say don't rush, but because the minute you start, you want it finished. Literally, the minute you start, you want it done. Yeah, absolutely. And, you know, just, just

speaker-0: Trust the process.

speaker-1: take a moment, it'll get there. It's just, just think about what definitely needs doing first and then make your list and just go through your tick list.

speaker-0: And did you make any sort of mistakes? I know it's a good platform to sort of omit it out loud, any mistakes that caused problems or delays and things like that? Or did you, again, you're a little bit more experienced than most, but...

speaker-1: Yeah, the biggest mistake I made in the last house was the men not sorting the money out and not I assumed, assume assumption is the biggest word here. Don't assume anything is what I can say about building. Don't assume people are going to turn up when they say they're going to do. Don't assume that the price is what you think it is and don't assume that you can get the funds to do it. just like that because it doesn't quite happen like that. Just because you're earning and whatever and it isn't that straightforward, especially if you start before you've sorted your money out.

speaker-0: I'd to if you could buy one from Rightmove.

speaker-1: Absolutely and because the high street so when we sold our old house obviously I had a lot of money in my current account because it was just sat there and my bank manager rang me I've never had a phone call from my bank manager in my life and he rang me and he said don't you help you ⁓ yeah you want to know

speaker-0: very helpful now, yeah, yeah, really.

speaker-1: I said, well, actually, yes, you could. said, how can we help you? I said, well, I'm looking for a mortgage. You could help me with the mortgage for my house. I said, all right, OK. He says, what are you doing? I said, well, we're doing a self-build. Yes, leave it with me. I'll get back to you. Right. OK. He ran me back a week later. And he said, oh, I'm very sorry. We can't offer you a mortgage. I said, why can't you offer me a mortgage? Oh, well, we don't do self-build mortgages. I said, well, I'm going to get myself. I said, can assure you it's not me throwing the blocks up. And he's so no, no. Because you're self-funding it, you can't have a mortgage. I said, all right, so if I was buying this house brand new off the builder that was building it, I could get a mortgage. Oh, yes, you could get a mortgage for that. But I can't get a mortgage for paying for it. He said, no. I said, all right, OK, then you can't help me then, can you?

speaker-0: It does seem illogical in that you can get one off the shelf from a major house builder which is a plot of land exactly the same and you can get the mortgage on the end product. However when you're doing it yourself you have to stage it as we go through.

speaker-1: Mayflower, I have to say, which is why I came straight to Mayflower when we did this, because they helped out so much on the last build that I came straight to Mayflower when we were starting this second build, because they were really, really helpful.

speaker-0: Thank you. And I bring it back to the positives side of things. So now that you are in nearly finished, I suppose, what was the biggest win with the project? What's favourite part?

speaker-1: where is the location location can't can't dispute the location and my bedroom window i have a massive three meter by about five meter window in my bedroom and i had a continual argument with my husband about this window because i wanted a triangle topped window and he'll take it as a win Planning turned it down. Planning turned it down. It said it had to be a square. Couldn't have a... Anyway, because I wanted it to shape the... Anyway, my husband said, oh no, it's going to look fine anyway. If you have it cut off, it'll spoil the view. So anyway, it hasn't spoiled... It's phenomenal. And my big one is my bedroom window. I love my bedroom window.

speaker-0: think that's

speaker-1: The location is phenomenal and the overall look of the house is stunning and I'm really pleased with it.

speaker-0: ⁓ amazing. And is there anything you still like to change or improve in it or is it just finishing touches? It's there, it's dream, it's done.

speaker-1: No, yeah, I mean, we changed some of the designs if we weren't in a way. So our bedroom, you go into from the hall into our bedroom and on the left is our ensuite bathroom, our bedroom, and then on the right is our like walk-in wardrobe. And there was always going to be a door on our bathroom. And I'm like, why do we need a door? Why do we need to put a door there? And he's like, It's a bathroom. Yeah, but why do we need a door? There's a door that comes into our room and when that door's closed, nobody can see in our bathroom other than us when we're in there. Oh, yeah. So, I mean, we changed main little tweaks like that along the way. But no, as it stands, it's everything I hoped it would be.

speaker-0: Amazing

speaker-1: That's the only thing I would have changed, but it was a compromise. Downstairs we've got two glass doors that come and they're sliders. And I think I would have liked bifolds, but then you have the excess of the glass. So there we compromised and it's quite windy up here to be honest. So perhaps the bifolds weren't the best idea, but I did have to give into that one.

speaker-0: That's the only thing that I think you've done pretty well.

speaker-1: He reminds me we don't live in the south of France and it's not that warm in West-Goth.

speaker-0: ⁓ Right, let's go for a little quick fire round if that's alright. Just a couple of questions, first answer that comes to mind. So, best money spent on the project.

speaker-1: The brick slips downstairs. brick slips. There are three walls downstairs and it makes it lovely down there.

speaker-0: in worst money spent. Thank you.

speaker-1: Yeah, sprinklers. Well, no, actually, because we didn't have to put sprinklers in. that would have been worse money spent. ⁓ gosh. ⁓ Let me think. Let me think. I know really. ⁓ probably on the disabled access because it ruins, it does not, it was a legal requirement, but it doesn't, it will be changed at some point, but yeah, probably that.

speaker-0: Fair enough. And one thing you'd never skip next time.

speaker-1: the money out.

speaker-0: It's like we paid you to say it. Best advice for someone still at punting stage?

speaker-1: The planning stage or hold your nerve. My daughter is in the planning stage now of that. Don't ex ex don't think it's going to think how long it's going. You think it's going to take and double it because my daughter has been in the planning stage of her plot for six months now and it was a straightforward thing and it's still this backlog with land registry. the backlogs with land registry have been horrendous. yeah. Double the time you think it's going to take and hold your nerve.

speaker-0: Hold on. mean, there are changes in the planning now to sort of ease it, but the bottleneck's still there and coming through.

speaker-1: The Land Registry, they've got a two year backlog. Yeah. that's got nothing to do with the planning people. Yeah. Yeah. So the planning is a slow process and allow extra time. If you think it's going to take six months, allow six months and if it in early, your quids in.

speaker-0: horrendous. just hold on. Best advice for someone halfway through.

speaker-1: Halfway through, take stock of what you've stock of what you've spent. Compromise is not a bad thing. Sometimes you have to compromise to meet timeframes or meet your financial obligations. Use your compromise to a positive. There's always a positive. And if you have to compromise, make it a positive. Don't make it a negative. Because there are compromises along the way that, you know, yeah, well, that was more expensive than I thought. So I can't have the marble work top that I wanted, but I could have a nice bath. know, it's compromise doesn't have to be a positive.

speaker-0: That's a great bit advice. and then sort of finally would you do it again?

speaker-1: Yes. Yes. Yes.

speaker-0: Ha ha!

speaker-1: There is a big but. I'm not a caravaner. I'm not. And I'm not very good at roughing it as far as not having the space. But literally the house at the top of the hill and derelict farmhouse has literally come on the market. And since we've been here, we've said if ever that comes at sale, we're going to the view is phenomenal. And now it's kind of such. We haven't quite finished here, I'm like, ⁓ do we go again? know, third time lucky. And I'm like, ⁓ I don't know. I don't know. So yeah.

speaker-0: It feels like an addiction more than a...

speaker-1: My kids are like, ⁓ mom, not again. We left this house. We left this house. Why can't it just stay in this house? But yeah, no.

speaker-0: I'm biased obviously from our side but I think you should go for it.

speaker-1: I'm Yeah, no, ⁓ I would do it again. Yeah, but it would have to be something special to make me move from here.

speaker-0: Well, I think that's a great place to leave it. So thank you so much for coming on, sharing a bit about your project and yeah, hopefully it'll help other people to navigate their own journey.

speaker-1: ⁓ well thank you for having me, really enjoyed it.