Planning to take a punt of a small patch of land with a view to developing it as a workshop.

Its a brownfield site with potential for a single story shed/workshop of about 3000 sq/ft.

I’ve run checks on mining and subsidence (its a coalfield area), theres been no previous planning apps and no bars to development like an SSSI, future infrastructure plans, conservation area etc and no red flags in terms of environmental issues. A quick check with the duty planning officer suggest the kind of thing I want to build and the use it would be put to would be looked upon favourably in terms of their broader local plan.

So before I fire in a cheeky bid I just want to make sure theres not any important cost I’ve not considered beyond the actual bricks and mortar (or steel and timber)

So…. things like the physical build costs in terms of labour and materials I can gauge pretty readily as I plan an build similar size structures quite often.

What are the non build costs to think of:

Planning and building control
Power – a cable needs to be run approx 50m across private ground to it – would require a way leave. But the ground its got to travel across is rough muddy track – theres not tarmac to reinstate
Water – theres mains water adjacent
Sewerage – it’d need a tank

What costs am I missing in my finger in the wind budgeting exercise?

Although theres not any red flags environmentally is there a cost in getting that checked and confirmed by the powers that be before clearing the site to build?

Have you got access from the highway? No ransom strips? Planning and building control fees should be on the council website. Whatever you work out you’ll need a contingency.

Good luck with a cheeky bid. You never know, but round here those sites are getting snapped up by the developers. There’s a massive demand for building sites and that’s reflected in the prices.

sofa, beer fridge, coffee machine, woodburner, new tools and storage… 😉

Any landscaping or shelter planting?

The site’s just too small to be of interest to developers for housing – you’d end up with a house in the country without a garden – its right by a road too which helps in regards of access – but too tight to the road to make a nice house.

The biggest potential development in the area is a hoped-for new bypass (although its been kicked into the long grass as it seems it can’t readily be funded) – theres lots of land earmarked for larger housing schemes locally but this plot would sit on the wrong side of the bypass to be attractive to house developers and from a planning point of view while that bypass is in limbo they might look more favourably on a commercial property thats not going to complain about a bypass cutting through ‘their view’.

Another potential plus is the site is loomed over a bit by telephone masts which would be an off-put for housing

Any landscaping or shelter planting?

Very little – the workshop would pretty much fill the plot. But there’s potential for some quite exciting demolition – I know a man who’s handy with shaped charges 🙂

Legal and land registry fees when you buy the land.

Legal and land registry fees when you buy the land.

Good point well made – the land is available right, right now. What I do with its is a longer term plan and I’ll just sit on it for a few years, build up some funds and work out some plans. I might ultimately do nothing (or be prevented from planning anything) but obviously the purchase price (paid cash) and the cost of the transaction and contracts will be money to pay now rather than later.

EDIT – ha! – when I say cheeky low bid…. looking at the scale of registration fees against land value…. I’ve probably got enough money in my pocket to cover that 😆

Mildly disappointed at the lack of tool porn content 🙂

Power connection sounds like the biggest unknown or the potential to cost more than anticipated. Check with power company and add 50%