http://www.homebuildingshow.co.uk/en/find-a-plot-of-land-for-self-build.aspx
David Snell, contributing editor and expert for Homebuilding & Renovating Magazine and author of 'Building Your Own Home', provides us with his expert advice.
Jason Orme:
One of the most remarkable things for me about the whole thing is that youve built so many houses and youve found so many plots. From my point of view finding one plot is difficult enough, finding 12..
David Snell:
If I wanted a plot by this afternoon, Id get one by this afternoon.
Jason Orme:
If you wanted a plot by this afternoon you could go out and find one? I know sometimes people would find that incredible to believe.
David Snell:
For nine and a half years I wrote an article for you called Plot Finder Challenge, which I wrote monthly and I found plots for other people. Ive never found a problem finding land.
Jason Orme:
So why do you think that people do have a problem finding land, that you dont.
David Snell:
I think its there attitude of mind. I think if you go in an estate agents with a hang dog attitude, expecting to be booted out the door with your tail between your legs, youll get booted out the door with your tail between your legs. I think its an attitude of mind. I think first of all in an estate agents never describe yourself as a self builder. Always describe yourself as a private house builder. Always put yourself in the camp for them, that builders and developers are, who are bringing them repeat business. Thats what youre in there offering these people. Youre offering business.
Jason Orme:
How else do you find plots. It cant be as simple as going into and estate agents surely?
David Snell:
I find plots by generally keeping my eyes open; by looking for plots as I drive. If I drive through any town or any village in the country, I will be able to point to you potential plots as we drive through. I come out the other end of a linear village, possibly, with 6 or 7 plots pointed out as possible potential plots. Theyre all over the place. Plots dont suddenly materialise, theres not some sort of cataclysmic thing from heaven that says plot and it comes down as a thunder bolt. Its somebody actually thinking hang on my gardens too big, Im going to chop half of it off. So if you think ahead of that person and go and knock on their door and say can I chop half your plot off?
Youre looking sceptical, but Ive actually done that. The house before, the house before last was actually that, where I said to a guy if I got planning permission on your garden could I buy it from you and build a house, and thats what I did.
Jason Orme:
Thats a great example of the vision that self builders tend to have that other people dont and one of the things you always said in your pieces for the magazine is that its all about envisioning the house as it is when its finished, rather than ..
David Snell:
And the plot, and looking at the plot, not as it is, but as youre going to make it, because most plots are absolutely horrid. Nobody, when theyve got a plot for sale, nobody does anything to make it attractive. If youve got a house for sale, youll dust, hoover the carpet, bake bread, put coffee pots on and put lilies the hall, everything like that to make your house attractive. If youve got a plot of land youll bung all the old grass cuttings on there, hedge cuttings, and youll leave a rusting car on there. Oh the builder will get rid of that. They do nothing to make their plot attractive and the self builder needs to look past all that, to see the plot and the house hes going to build.
Find out more at http://www.homebuildingshow.co.uk
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