try out selfbuild / low carbon house for weekend!

I don’t know why no one has thought of this before, but it’s taken an innovative Hereford-based green oak builder, TJ Crump Oakwrights, to pioneer the concept in the UK. Not only have they constructed a showhouse, but they offer it for weekend lets to prospective customers as well. Now you can get to live the dream, even if it’s only for a couple of nights.

Ever wondered what Lutron Homeworks is like to use? Or whether you can get to grips with MVHR? Or underfloor heating? Or a body shower? Or how a boiling water tap works? Or a whole house audio system? What are these big glazed gables like at night time when the stars are out? Or in the morning when the sun shines through? Or just what it’s like to pad about barefoot in a huge hallway, with cathedral ceilings? Seeing this stuff on tele and in magazines is one thing. Staying in a top of the range show house puts a whole new perspective on it.

OK, I admit it, I was a guest. It was a favour in return for a speaking engagement at their open day. But I learned a lot and really enjoyed the weekend. Not surprisingly, the house is booked up months in advance. And also I am not surprised to find that here is a housebuilding business with a full order book.

To-Do...

Check mortgage amounts

new job

rent somewhere to get to know area

building land or house probably looking at tail end of 2009 - and will be able to judge whether it's sensible, or even leave uk.

house prices - prediction dec 2009

using futures, halifax average house price down from

168K oct 2008
to
130k (ish) dec 2009

ie 23% fall.

so
250k => 182.5
300 => 231

i also reckon on another 10% 2010.

MUCH more for building land

HousePriceDisgrace

auction results/available

http://www.drivers.co.uk/auction/080701.htm - Sold £150,000
Freehold Commercial Premises
23 High Street, Wheathampstead, Herts Al4 8BB

A mid terrace two storey double fronted Grade 11 listed commercial premises previously retail A1 use. Situated in the heart of Wheathampstead High Street. The village is within approximately five miles of St Albans city centre with excellent transport links, the M25 and main line station affording easy access for commuting to London.

Details as follows: (approximate dimensions)
Retail Ground Floor
484 sq ft (45 sq m) 344 sq ft (Zone A 32 sq m)
First Floor
Office 377 sq ft (35 sq m)

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http://www.drivers.co.uk/auction/080746.htm - Available £850,000 - 5 houses + 5 flats ie 85k each for land
FREEHOLD DEVELOPMENT SITE

HESTA ANNEXE, REAR OF 291-301 WHITE HART LANE, TOTTENHAM N17 7BT

A freehold development site with planning consent granted on the 9th November 2007 for the construction of 3 x 4 bedroom houses, 2 x 3 bedroom houses, 4 x 2 bedroom flats and 4 x 1 bedroom flats with eleven car parking spaces. Ideally situated within a quarter of a mile of the A10 trunk road together with bus routes and local shopping parade. Full plans are available for inspection at the auctioneers office. The vendor informs us that there is a section 106 agreed with the London Borough of Haringey for a total amount of £141,838.55.

OFFERED FREEHOLD WITH FULL VACANT POSSESSION UPON COMPLETION

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http://www.drivers.co.uk/auction/080722.htm - SOLD £67,500
Freehold Vacant Site
Auburnville, Carthagena Estate, Broxbourne
EN10 6TA

A freehold level site extending to a quarter of an acre which was previously occupied by a detached residence which was partially burnt down some years ago. It is understood that there is electricity and water connected to the site. Ideally situated within ten meters of the Lea Valley Navigation and Wildlife nature reserve. This site offers the opportunity for potential reinstatement of the previous building subject to the necessary consents or for leisure purposes. The site lies within approximately one mile of Broxbourne main line station (Liverpool Street - 35minutes).

Details as follows: (approximate dimensions)
Approximate site area 1,210 sq yards (1,331 sq m)
Some parts of the previous dwelling remain on the
site

Offered Freehold And With Full Vacant Possession

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Auction prices down 18.5% may 2008 - Lib Dems

http://ukpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5jgCEvtq03JkYVhBa7uj1J4T2F3gg

and this is excluding june/start july

Homes at auction take a hammering

20 hours ago

The average cost of a home being sold at auction has slumped by 17% during the past year, figures show.

Homes that went under the hammer between March and May fetched an average of £140,500 - £28,700 less than they sold for during the same period of 2007, according to research by the Liberal Democrats.

The study, based on the sale price of 4,748 properties around the country, found the rate of price falls accelerated to 18.5% in May.

There has also been a drop in the proportion of homes that are successfully sold at auction, with just 57% of all properties going under the hammer sold between March and May, down from 74% a year earlier.

The Liberal Democrats claimed the figures showed that annual house price falls were currently much steeper than the drop of around 6% currently being reported by house price indexes.

The party's Treasury spokesman, Lord Oakeshott, said: "Auctions are the sharp end of the housing market where real deals show the prices paid by real buyers. The published house price indices are well behind the game."

He said property professionals expected house prices to fall by 16.5% as measured by the Halifax house price index during the coming year and by 26.5% during the coming three years.

He said: "Ministers must wake up now and let housing associations and councils buy empty homes for social housing to rent.

"The feeble Government response to the housing crash so far has been like throwing pennies down a drain."

Abandoned Real Estate Bus Tours - Long Island Foreclosure Tours (VIDEO)

A unique bus tours company is capitalizing on the hard hit American real estate market. The Long Island Foreclosure Tours take patrons on excursions to homes which have been abandoned, and often vandalized by former owners, to show potential investors the unique opportunities in the New York district.

Ray Wilson is in an unfavorable career position at this point—he’s a New York real estate agent. On Long Island alone, generally a desirable living area with beautiful beach front, single family homes has experienced horrible slumps in the market, with people destroying their own homes before they’re evicted. Out of misplaced anger and frustration, former owners break down doors, demolish walls or break water pipes.

Wilson guides groups of around a dozen potential buyers at a time on the the aforementioned bus tours. Housing costs haven’t been this low in years and Wilson is helping those interested in taking advantage of the opportunity. The bus tours cost $50, but tour members get a $500 discount on any piece of real estate purchase as a result.

True, most of them are fixer-uppers, but Wilson doesn’t try to hide that fact, and most people are able to see the potential beyond the rubble. The prices are just too good to let go. For example, one house in Hyde Park sold for $595,000 in 2006 and is now listed at $270,000. It would probably only take $3,000 - $5,000 to bring it up to most people’s dream home standards.

http://www.lifttours.com/
http://www.foreclosuretoursinternational.com/

house / land prices down

now... prices down. dev sites abandoned / locked up.

1) Leave UK - will wait until lose job. Then off for a few years. maybe buy abroad

2) Buy dev plot 5-7 houses. redo as 2 less, but bigger. own house, slowly build others and rent out?

3) Buy near coast / west country. places where no jobs, so market crashes as people need to sell 2nd homes. but eventually londoners return in 12 years.

4) find out how to buy mooring / river rights etc. luxury show off which have low utility but high volatility

5) buy moorings in LONDON, docklands, southampton, chichester, rivers, canals.

Background

In March 2007, Baufritz began the construction of its very first carbon positive* house in the UK in the beautiful coastal village of Trevone Bay near Padstow in Cornwall. Despite the adverse weather conditions on site, (35 mile per hour winds, sleet and hail storms!) the German construction team still made excellent progress, completing the shell of the timber-frame house in just two and a half days.

House Nicholls is a bespoke timber-frame house with stunning coastal views. The house comprises a self contained basement, sun lounge and a beautiful terrace overlooking the sea. The building encompasses around 305 sq metres of living space on a 0.6 ha plot. Owners, Andrew and Alison Nicholls, first demolished their holiday home they had owned for years to make way for the new house which has been designed and built to their own individual requirements. The house is highly energy efficient as it is built using environmentally friendly manufacturing methods and products. The combination of wood stove, Aga, solar panels and bore-hole providing fresh spring water from beneath the house means that the Nicholls expect that their utility bills will be only a few hundred pounds per year.

This house won 'Best Timber House' in the UK in the national Homebuildnig & Renovating Awards in 2007.

Make a unique statement

People's dreams don't fit neatly into boxes. So we let your vision guide us. Just tell us what you want from your dream home, and we’ll turn it into reality in ways you probably hadn't thought possible.

Every Baufritz home starts with you telling us exactly what you want, exactly how you want it – safe in the knowledge that it’s backed up by unrivalled experience and ongoing, innovative technology development. Baufritz is one of the most modern and innovative timber house construction firms in Europe, combining over 100 years of experience in the traditional craft of timber building with state-of-the-art systems and construction methods. Tried and tested solutions blend with the very latest materials and design options to make your personal dream a reality. And with an ongoing programme of research and more than 40 patents to our name, you can be certain of a home that exceeds even the most exacting standards, where security, retention of value and an unparalleled standard of comfort are assured.

For those who need a little extra help our team of friendly and experienced architects and designers are on hand to help. For added inspiration why not visit our new 'House of Ideas' located at our German HQ in Erkeheim. This building is packed with innovative ideas to stimulate ideas for your new home. Click here for further information about the 'House of Ideas'.

Additional features available to enhance the luxury for your home include:

• Sliding roof windows that can be opened at the push of a button
• Wellbeing area with luxurious finishes, steam room, sauna, heat loungers and whirlpool
• Outdoor living area, secluded private roof gardens and terraces
• State-of-the-art jacuzzis
• Stunning conservatories