The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Smallholding => Buildings & planning => Topic started by: smudger on August 13, 2013, 03:27:53 pm
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Hi
After looking at towable field shelters and convincing myself all over again that they are really bad value for money, I'm looking at the kit buildings. Farmplus is probably one of the better known but there are others out there. Thinking along lines of monopitch 3/4 bay type thing that we can get for the price of two field shelters.
Anyone had any experiences of them and are they easy enough for DIY build. Husband is a decent DIYer (and I can labour / navvy!) just wondered how easy to put up - especially roof / at upper sections of the build.
Also how you installed at foundation level - they suggested just building into ground and concreting around each column rather than a raft foundation.
Will we need to put in drainage if a fixed building?
If we need a builder / special equipment it may skew the costings.
thanks...
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See our blog on building your own
http://lizburton.co.uk/wordpress/work-on-the-smallholding/building-a-pole-barn-part-1/ (http://lizburton.co.uk/wordpress/work-on-the-smallholding/building-a-pole-barn-part-1/)
Still have the sides to do (waiting for the timber). Our foundation choice was because it was on filled ground that would settle over time and needed deep foundations but you could equally set posts in concrete.
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We bought a kit from MVF and had one of their suggested builders erect it. We were very happy with their advice and quality of the barn. Join first to get the discount (we didn't ::) ::) ). One of our best investments.
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Interesting bramblecot, just missed them as they closed at 12, no details on website. Did you build onto proper base/slab or build into ground - its the latter I feel uncomfortable with. Ballpark size / cost incl erection?
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Hi smudger,
Far too complicated for me. It has a steel frame, stock board sides to about 8' then Yorkshire boarding. The concrete base was put down after it was erected so I expect the uprights are in concrete pads but I'll look up the details and send you a pm. I do remember they were very helpful.
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Thx Bramblecot and got your pm.
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Farmplus buildings are reasonably priced and look good, my experience however is that they are a nightmare to deal with!
Good luck
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Farmplus buildings are reasonably priced and look good, my experience however is that they are a nightmare to deal with!
Good luck
They were at the Festival on Saturday. In what way are they a nightmare to deal with?
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Well,as you maybe aware to get grant aid for agri buildings in Scotland now the manufacturer has to provide an SER certificate. It's an industry standard. Farmplus were clueless about this messed about for four weeks told me it would cost me £1000 for the cert and it had to be a Scottish engineer that did the cert? (It doesn't)
In the end they admitted they didn't have a clue and refunded my deposit!
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Legally it's an option rather than required, enabling building regs process to be quicker. The alternative is the LA having to actually assess and inspect the calculations.
But I guess the grant awarding people add it in as a gold plating to make life simpler and easier for themselves.
I'm surprised Farmplus hadn't heard of it as even non grant funded people might go that route quite a lot, you would think, maybe they are used to doing mainly smaller buildings which are funded by the farms /smallholders wholly?
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Smugder I found this on MVF website dont know if it helps. http://www.molevalleyfarmers.com/mvf/info/farming/Buildings (http://www.molevalleyfarmers.com/mvf/info/farming/Buildings)