We have a floor (Now with walls and nearly a roof too)

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We have a floor (Now with walls and nearly a roof too)
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Downsizer Forum Index -> Energy Efficiency and Construction/Major Projects

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tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45669
Location: Essex

Posted: Mon Jun 06, 05 4:29 pm Post subject:
Blimey Hils that looks stunning, how bigs the plot?

hils

Joined: 08 Mar 2005
Posts: 568
Location: Nottingham

Posted: Mon Jun 06, 05 6:03 pm Post subject:

In total its 11 acres!
Its not all mine though - my sister and I have the buildings which stand on and acre. My father and his brother were left my grandmothers estate in her will and my father got the mill which as I said before is valued as a liability for probate. Because its valued as nil he has handed it down to my sister and I avoiding inheritance tax.

The other 10 acres are my fathers and he is renting most of this to his brother for grazing.

My sister isn't really interested in it unless she gets a hot tub!
I was learning to weld this week end ready for some serious repair work.

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45669
Location: Essex

Posted: Mon Jun 06, 05 6:04 pm Post subject:
Bloomin good luck with it, are you going to restore the existing or start again?

hils

Joined: 08 Mar 2005
Posts: 568
Location: Nottingham

Posted: Mon Jun 06, 05 6:11 pm Post subject:
I've got this crazy dream about getting the mill working and generating my own electricity There's no way on earth I'd knock it down, my nan would haunt the hell out of me! Theres barn owls in the mill, kingfishers, bats etc etc all living in and around. Its also grade 2 listed. I'd eventually like to live in the cottage and get out of Nottingham. The soil is amazing too!

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45669
Location: Essex

Posted: Mon Jun 06, 05 6:13 pm Post subject:
Looks too good to knock down. Going to be a hard slog though, maybe Gervase could give you some handy tips

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Mon Jun 06, 05 6:14 pm Post subject:
Hi hils, looks very nice. Do you get Country Smallholding at all as last month there were some comments about grants they help restoring mills. If you didn't get it I can try and dig up the details for you.

hils

Joined: 08 Mar 2005
Posts: 568
Location: Nottingham

Posted: Mon Jun 06, 05 6:20 pm Post subject:
No I don't get that but would love to know any details. I'm trawling through heaps of paperwork finding out what I am eligable for. Seems like a mine field to me! I am getting a bit nervous about the grant thing. Lots of hidden clauses etc

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Mon Jun 06, 05 7:51 pm Post subject:

Looking at Alan Beat's article in Country Smallholding June 2005 he mentions the Countryside Stewardship gave him a grant of 50% of the costs to renovate his mill, plus an annual payment towards educational access. He does refer to Country Smallholding March and April 2001 for more details of his mill renovation but I don't have those copies.

The link for is www.defra.gov.uk/erdp/schemes/es/default.htm

Jonnyboy

Joined: 29 Oct 2004
Posts: 23956
Location: under some rain.

Posted: Mon Jun 06, 05 9:55 pm Post subject:
Aled, what sort of feedback do you get from the planners?

Behemoth

Joined: 01 Dec 2004
Posts: 19023
Location: Leeds

Posted: Tue Jun 07, 05 8:06 am Post subject:

Hils - it's worth paying for some professional advice about developing and renovating - from a planning consultant or architect with renovation knowledge. A friend of the family insisted on doing everything themselves but found they could have claimed a significant wedge of grants etc for renovating their place as it was listed. The Planning dept wasn't not helpful and said it wasn't their job to provide a professional consultancty service - charming.

hils

Joined: 08 Mar 2005
Posts: 568
Location: Nottingham

Posted: Tue Jun 07, 05 9:13 am Post subject:

Thats why I'm a bit nervous about grants!
A huge oak beam needs replacing or bracing for the time being until we can afford a new oak one. In the short term alot of temporary work needs to be done to prevent further water damage from the holes in the roof - luckily not the river. These grants and planning people don't seem to 'get' that stuff can only be temporary until the real deal arrives!

This project will be a life time project with no completion date or budget - sounds silly I know but it will be more of a case of-ok we've got �800 in the kitty we'll fix the roof. As there isn't a mortgage going out and no savings this is the only way we can do it.

I do agree that we should get in a consultant to help initially.

jema
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 28234
Location: escaped from Swindon

Posted: Tue Jun 07, 05 9:35 am Post subject:

Jonnyboy wrote:

Well, here's the latest pics, they start on the tiling next week.

Belatedly catches up

It's looking great m8

Nanny

Joined: 17 Feb 2005
Posts: 4520
Location: carms in wales

Posted: Tue Jun 07, 05 10:18 am Post subject: we have a floor
late in but can i say i envy you both? jb, yours is going top be just lovely and it sounds like you have found the builders of every one's dreams... hils, i just admire you for what you are taking on wish i had some relatives to leave me something to be getting on with...that's the only way we would ever get something like that congrats to you both!!!

Aled

Joined: 08 Dec 2004
Posts: 123
Location: Anglesey

Posted: Tue Jun 07, 05 10:36 am Post subject:

Jonnyboy wrote:

Aled, what sort of feedback do you get from the planners?

The plot is outside the village boundary. The village boundary is actually about 10m away, and there is a farmhouse in the next field. The planners say that because it's outside the boundary they have no option but to turn it down.

I have agents on the case who got a rejection from the Head of Planning a few weeks ago, but we got notification last week completely out of the blue that they were going to visit the site this morning. Not sure why they have decided to do this, but it's apparently a good sign.

Visit was at 10.30, so I'm on tenderhooks waiting for a phone call. No work done at all this morning.

Jonnyboy

Joined: 29 Oct 2004
Posts: 23956
Location: under some rain.

Posted: Tue Jun 07, 05 10:59 am Post subject:
Fingers crossed for you, If it gets turned down ask to make an appointment to discuss why it was, you might be able to agree on a way forward or get some helpful feedback

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