Haven’t blogged for a while, I’ve even deleted my Facebook account (for a short time only) just so I could concentrate on the house and my business, outside of the children and the summer holidays of course.
This is the last but one blog on this particular subject (for the time being), will need a break to rest and recoup from the stresses of delays and being let down completely. I wish I could say that we never had to worry about the money, but that would be a lie.
I can TASTE the finish (my husband just tastes dust!), but mistakes can still be made, so a high degree of concentration mixed with strong negotiation skills and style is paramount.
To be a Self Builder you require a variety of skills, for example:
The rest of the skills needed are in no particular order:
The list goes on but above all you need a great sense of humour, nerves of steel and some knowledge of the Polish language for a good site morale and the banter, of course.
Before I upload the pictures I would like to mention the lighting, WOW haven’t we moved on from the equally spaced ceiling halogen lights. All LEDs now darling and low energy fluorescent strip lights in light boxes with wall/ceiling washes. We’ve taken the sophisticated lighting designs from the likes of Harvey Nichols and Selfridges to create seamless illumination to curves, coves and subtle light washes in the corridors and stair area. Hence the ceiling boxes in this photo.
For visualization: Except in our kitchen there will be a light box running above the full length and width of the 4m by 1.3m Island.
At the moment its all about the LIGHTS. Lights around the garden, down the walls in side and out and in the pool/spa. There are so many great examples to pump you full of inspiration.
Just a few pics of where we’re at! Busy Bees and the Plasterers doing (having t0!) a fine job.
This is the utility room and the tech hub of the house with all the wires which incorporate the wired and wireless light and alarm system operated by Rako’s funky switches, PIRs and now by your iPad/iPhone, love it.
Whilst the sun is shining…Just 3 weeks until the balconies arrive.
I’d love to hear your story or very happy to help, we’re not selfish in that department.
If you don’t know already me and my husband have been building this 5000 sq ft (all singing all dancing) house in leafy Highgate. Hence the blood, sweat (hubby) and tears (moi). We did a ‘Grand Design’ and sacked everyone, including the architect as they were all treating it as their own personal ego trip, except our Quantity Surveyor, Mark, who comes down every month from Salford, my old town. Coincidence by the way.
So I’m now at the stage of choosing (in no particular order):
I’m more than happy to share my experiences of being a Self Builder, and I’d love to hear from you, we can share the frustrations, achievements and as we’re still building any advice.
Until next time…
Let me start by saying that my middle daughter is gorgeous, talented and extremely bright, but has a tendency to be more demanding than my other two. I asked of my 16 year old son, “Do you think that bla de bla is like that because she’s the middle child?” and without any hesitation he replies, “Of course. She’s not the oldest (which is me), who’s allowed to stay up late and has more freedom and she’s not the youngest, who we treat like the baby and is allowed to get away with more stuff”. Wow. Adolescent Sigmund Freud. How typical are we? Felt rather ordinary after that.
Which got me thinking about all things Middle. Middle class, Middle of the Road, Stuck in the Middle, Middle of Nowhere!
I’m not willing nor really equipped to explicate the above and also it’s too beautiful a day. But I like the idea of being in the Middle of Nowhere.
Savills £5500 pcm
Glen Andred forms the significant portion of this imposing Victorian manor house which was designed by the notable architect Norman Shaw in 1867. The property takes influence from the ‘Old English’ architectural style with some Gothic overtones.
Jackson-Stops and Staff £5000 pcm
A magnificent four storey house within one of the finest 18th century mansions in the country. Two-storey painted staircase hall, 6 reception rooms, 7 bedrooms, 6 bathrooms, 4 car garage. Spectacular views over Rutland Water. Use of 67 acres of gardens and parkland.
Sowerby’s £2,500 pcm
A substantial seven bedroom barn conversion offered fully furnished and equipped for a potential long let. Situated a short drive from the beautiful Georgian town of Holt and is convenient for access to the North Norfolk Coast.
Knight Frank £35000 pcm
Occupying an idyllic site of about 2.3 acres adjoining the 14th fairway of the famous Wentworth golf course in a peaceful secluded setting at the end of Shepley Drive. The Wentworth Estate extends to about 750 acres in addition to having the Wentworth Club providing a 30 metre heated outdoor swimming pool, restaurants, at least 13 tennis courts a health and leisure club.
Maybe you are a middle child or have a middle child or have dreams of moving out in the middle of nowhere, if so please comment. Obviously I expect properties in a more realistic rental band. ;o)
Mid way through the half term, and my two youngest have doubled into four, you got it, a BIG playdate. And where best to trip off to but the architecturally fabulous TateModern. I love it’s industrial strength, the straight lines (which feeds into my slight OCD) and the simplicity of it all. What a Powerhouse of Modern Architecture.
A little background on the building – The Tate Modern (formerly the Bankside Power Station) together with Battersea Power Station, were originally designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott and built in two stages between 1947 and 1963. The Bankside power station closed in 1981 and the building was transformed into the modern gallery it is now by architects Herzog & de Meuron. The Tate Modern first opened in 2000. The tallest part of the building stands at 99m (33 storeys)! The Turbine Hall, the largest part of the building, is five storeys tall with 3,400 square metres of floorspace.
The Tate is undergoing a £215 million major extension which is scheduled to open in 2012 hopefully ready for the Olympic Games. This will make the Tate Modern the No 1 most visited modern gallery in the world.
Watching the exhibition by Tacita Dean, a British born artist living in Berlin and best known for her use of film, was fantastic. This particular FILM is an 11-minute continuous silent 35mm piece projected onto the gigantic white 13 metre high column at the end of the very very dark hall. Superb.
The girls loved it. They played ‘It’ and ‘Hide and Seek’ for about 1.5 hours.
After which we popped up to the Interactive Area on Level 5 to play on a ‘touch pad ipad thingy megingy’ according to my middle one! This gave me the opportunity to stroll around the photographic exhibition on the same level. It’s amazing how much there is to do in one building.
We then ended up on the Millenium Bridge, much to my fright as I’m so not good with heights. I walked very quickly holding two little hands all the way to the other side. Phew. How sad am I!
No day will go by when I’m not working or thinking about property, it’s right up there with listening to LBC to send me to sleep at night and still needing that teeny weeny bit of sugar in my tea. All part of what makes me me.
Looking locally, the nearest obvious residential development is Neo Bankside SE1 which are four pavillion buildings going up at the back of the Tate (they can be seen on the main picture). It’s a £3oo million scheme in the Bankside ‘cultural quarter’. One bedroom apartments are being marketed from £700,000. They come equipped with Balthaup kitchen, comfort cooling, underfloor heating and far reaching views over Westminster.
Just down the road (100 yards) on Great Suffolk Street, a one bedroom apartment is on for £395,000 or a 2 bedroom at £525,000 in a RIBA award winning development with a lift and all the mod cons.
Further down the road towards London Bridge, a one bedroom apartment situated in a Victorian Warehouse Building close by to the famous Borough Market and Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, is priced at £325,000. A two bedroom on Weller Street, with balcony close to Borough station and priced at £439,950.
While I’m South of the river, I’d like to give a mention to the ongoing redevelopment of the area next to Battersea and Vauxhall known ‘as Nine Elms’ and a property ‘hotspot’. Last year Knight Frank predicted this area to grow by 140% by 2015! Situated on the 450-acre former industrial riverside wasteland around the glorious Battersea Power Station, which will include a new embassy complex for the US and a Northern Line Extension. A one bedroom ‘off plan’ apartment starts from £418,000, with balcony, 24 hour porter, clubhouse for residents to include a gym.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on the gallery or any other interesting spots to visit in London. Please suggest something similar for the Easter Break. I’ll need it.
Here we go again. I can’t believe I’m back trying to find a school for my eldest. This time it’s in the guise of Woodhouse College, a 6th form college in North Finchley which is getting very good A-level results (they got a little mention in my last post). Our smarty pants was asked to go in for an interview the other day! We were so proud when we found out. Apparently the college received 4000 applications, will interview approx 1500 15/16 year olds and will offer 850 conditional places. This is a third more places than they can accommodate. “Like airline seats”, I was expertly advised by the a college councillor, whilst waiting with other parents in the hall.
The whole situation was extremely organised and surprisingly quite calm, so not too many stressed parents, but by this stage of our parenting, I’m sure we’ve experienced more stress with our TEENAGERS and this is a ‘walk in the park’.
It went well, my son said, there was ‘a good flow’ between him and the teacher, so we’ll have to wait now until late April to found out his fate. Late April! Why so long, it’s only February. So watch this space…
Woodhouse is steeped in history. The former house of ornamental plasterer Thomas Collins (1735–1830) then reconstructed after WW1 in 1923 to become Woodhouse Grammer. Is now and has been been for some time a 6th form college. Michael McIntyre studied here; must have been a barrel of laughs with Mr McIntyre on ‘campus’!
North Finchley is situated in the London Borough of Barnet. 7 miles north west of Charing Cross, just north of the North Circular (A406). It borders onto East Finchley, West Finchley, Friern Barnet, Whetstone and Woodside Park, it doesn’t have its own underground station, but is serviced by a bus station. West Finchley Underground (Northern Line) is close by for links throughout the city.
The area is primarily residential and shopping with the cultural Artsdepot, a modern steel and glass designed centre, which includes 2 theatres, a gallery, courses, classes, studios and a cafe, very popular with children.
A well-established middle class suburb with lots of green space and a good supply of solid Victorian and Edwardian properties with good schools and colleges.
3/4 bedroom houses come on the market from 450k plus, whereby neighbouring Muswell Hill and East Finchley are more like £750k plus.
For my first blog (sorry but it’s a bit dusty dry at times) I thought I’d write a little piece on schools coupled with property, two of most parent’s top talked about subjects, well mine anyway. The unfathomable School Catchment areas.
Applications are in, so we just have to wait. You discuss it further with your friends, keep looking at the school’s website, and try to find out without any certainty how many siblings have applied to our chosen primary, secondary or 6th form college. Nail biting stuff.
A few Reasons that a place may slip through your fingers.
An obscene amount of siblings apply. Coleridge Primary school in Crouch End, N8 saw their catchment shrink to 0.291 of a mile for 2011/2012, even though they are a four form entry. This is due to 70 out of 120 places being offered to siblings. So if you moved to within 0.3 of a mile last year, for the much sought after, ‘Outstanding Ofsted Report’ Coleridge then you would have been disappointed, but from experience life has a way of turning out just fine.
Distance, measured in a straight line or as the crow flies (hoping it flies to our house first), can change from year to year, examples this year (only looking at outstanding Ofsted school, otherwise I’ll be here all day).
Coldfall Primary Haringey N10 – 0.380 mile.
Rhodes Avenue Primary, Haringey N22 – 0.415 (pretty good but probably due to the expansion to three form entry form last year),
Famous Tetherdown Haringey N10 – 0.221
Fortismere Secondary, Haringey N10 – 0.441
Alexandra Park Secondary, Haringey N22 – 0.845
Comption Secondary School, Barnet N12 – 0.691 (a feeder school into Woodhouse College which is an Outstanding 6th form college in North Finchley).
And if you are seeking out a faith school, you may find that you’re not religious enough! So get down to your local church, bake cakes and make teas…
All this leads me to property prices both inside and outside catchment areas of top performing schools. There’s no denying that these properties demand a higher premium and when they come onto the market are snapped up quickly. But this situation is self -perpetuating. The neighbourhoods close to decent transport and shops with smart Victorian houses become predominantly middle class with professional type families moving in, which in turn improves the schools, which grow and thrive with the help of parents whom support and nurture the state system (don’t get me started on Tutoring!). Parents who would once have used their money to get their children into private schools have now created property “hotspots”. A prime example of this being Tetherdown and Fortismere in Muswell Hill. These parents, whilst they subscribe to state education, are using their financial clout to secure their child a place at a top performing state school.
House prices will always remain steady and rising disproportionately in these areas; a large majority have surpassed the 1 million pound plus mark forcing aspirational parents to look elsewhere.
Let me touch on renting, albeit briefly. Read the following extract from ‘Camden School for Girls’ website, then decide for yourself. More and more over-subscribed schools and local authorities may adopt this admissions policy:
If the main address has changed temporarily, for example where a family is renting a property on a Short Term Tenancy Agreement (12 months or under), then the relevant address remains that at which the parent was resident before the period of temporary residence began, unless it can be shown that all ties to the previous address have been relinquished, or that the move is not easily reversible. The Governors may refuse to base an allocation on an address where they have reasonable grounds to believe that it is a temporary address only.
Bordering on areas to buy and what they have to offer:
Alexandra Park, N22 – Catchment for Rhodes Avenue Primary School, and APS – houses from 650k plus.
Borders on to Bounds Green, Hornsey, Muswell Hill and Wood Green. Alexandra Park itself is a Green Flag winnng park. Predominantly terraced Edwardian houses with a high concentration of families.
Bounds Green, N11 – Bowes Primary (Just in Enfield) with an Outstanding Ofsted Report- parts of the area in Alexandra Park School catchment – A decent 3 bedroom house 450k plus, with Bounds Green Underground Station close by.
Hornsey, N8 – Close by to Priory Park, a favourite for dog walkers and children as it has a playground, paddling pool and basketball courts. The High Street is full of independent shops and eateries. Campsbourne Primary School and Haringey Music Centre are in the area. Houses are similar in price to Alexandra Park. Hornsey Rail Wood Green Underground close by.
Back end of Wood Green, N22 near Alexandra Palace Rail overground – 3 bedroom houses 400k plus.
Harringay Ladder, N8 – still possible to find a 3 bedroom house with potential for adding an extra room in the loft – 380k plus. Convenient to Wood Green Shopping Centre.
East Finchley, on the west side of the High Road, but still in the catchment of Martins Primary School, N2, – 0.258 (has just been awarded an Outstanding Ofsted Report). 3 bedroom houses when on the market – £450k plus. East Finchley Underground.
Suburban residential areas close to the Northern Line between Highgate to Totteridge, for example Woodside Park.
Take a look at the House Price index (below) for the last 10 years in Barnet and Haringey. Prices continue to rise steadily, and if you were brave enough to buy during the last crash, then lucky you. Basically, over a period of time property will always rise.
I’m not going to comment on the various predictions from the likes of RICS and Knight Frank as they take a very broad view of areas. Property values are very subjective, and influenced by micro areas and even specific roads. Prices of properties in the catchment of a good state school are always going to hold up.
As families are priced out of areas like Crouch End and Muswell Hill, then the areas they can afford and feel is next best alternative, are areas where the schools will benefit from the new influx of young professional families.
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