Well?

A bit different to the norm…

Bloody hippies, that’s why! Why can’t they just buy loads of shit like normal people?

(My brother is one and a smashing chap too before I get flamed)

Being a jumbly looks shit, I thought it’d be all smoking dope and shagging. Bollocks to that.

Surely those yellow bags will break down and then his retaining wall is just a saturated pile of dirt

could just be that he hasnt washed/shaved when the cameras come round sometimes, but anyone else think hes visibly ageing over the course of this build?

His teeth have gone manky

I reckon he’ll be clean shaven and wearing his best Hilfiger and Burberry threads now

They look absolutely knackered and slightly haunted by it all. Poor buggers.

seems to be a lack of proper names amongst that group

The bits that are done are nice…….

Cracking stuff albeit not a lifestyle for me.

The lack of teeth cleaning makes me tick a little.

Yeh, medium hobberty

Double denim, Kev? Have a word.

his mrs isn’t happy she clearly wants her 3 bed semi in the suburbs and his kids will clear off at 18 !

nice idea but a bit more amazing spaces…

“self sufficient” seems to be a euphemism for “unproductive” 🙂

We thought that their lifestyle would bring about a premature death, probably from tooth decay, also.

The poor guy looked absolutely knackered.

I’m not sure what mechanism they have to ignore building regs. I did like what they built though.

Jeez out come the haters!

Jeez out come the haters!

May I join them? 4 years to build 2 bedrooms seemed a bit pedestrian. And given that the funds for most of the materials seemed to come from jobs in the rat race I am not convinced by the off grid status of the build. Not for me.

What they’d finished looked remarkably polished (though very Hobbity). Would love to know how the rest of the community were doing as this couple seemed a long way ahead of them – did they all get to stay too?

I’m not sure what mechanism they have to ignore building regs.

There are some real grey areas. That building obviously wasn’t finished so they wouldn’t be able to get a completion certificate. Getting approval is very much left to the homebuilder – the LA won’t chase it – and in theory any ‘remedial works’ they want done have to be notified within 12 months of ‘completion’ (https://www.planningportal.co.uk/info/200128/building_control/38/building_regulations/3) but what constitutes completion is obviously vague – for most other purposes your building control sign off *is* the point of completion.

Biggest issue seem to be –
– difficult to sell without a completion cert. (but you can take indemnity insurance to cover this).
– living in a place without a building regs sign off almost certainly invalidates your insurance.

Biggest issue seem to be –
– difficult to sell without a completion cert. (but you can take indemnity insurance to cover this).
– living in a place without a building regs sign off almost certainly invalidates your insurance.

Would they do/have either of those things?

A bit like the bloke who lived in a shed in the woods. He was the only person who was allowed to do that.

Would they do/have either of those things?

No – that was sort of my point. In theory they intend to stay there and may well not bother with insurance.

Even the ‘can’t sell’ thing is fairly notional. Can’t sell to anyone who needs a mortgage – you can buy what you want with your own cash.

Building Regs are *supposed* to be minimum standards and LA’s are *supposed* to ensure that buildings meet them

I drove past the Egerton Bolton one yesterday (Channel 4 went to extreme lengths to not mention or show Egerton, odd). It looks, it looks, well, it looks, let’s say it looks odd. That’s about the best I can come up with. I t doesn’t seem to take full advantage of the views, it doesn’t seem to be an envelope pushing design.
It’s big though. I think I’d rather live in the current house as it does have a bit of character.

I drove past the Egerton Bolton one yesterday

Where abouts is it?

Opposite Ciao Baby (restaurant) Egerton, nr Bolton on the A666 heading towards Darwen.

I liked tonight’s programme.
At first it seemed a bit daft but it turned out really well at the end.

Yes, liked them, liked the house.
Shows what you can do if you’re on a budget.