Hi John



Thanks for the advice. Yes, if we were to go ahead with an offer, then we
would certainly have the property fully surveyed and would insist perhaps on
a specialist report.



They have started extending into the loft and have room for two bedrooms,
but at the moment, the area is considered storage room, I’m wondering if
there is a reason for this and whether you should build upwards on a
Woolaway home.



I was just reading an alarming article about a lot of Woolaway bungalows
about to be destroyed in Stroud as the council don’t have the cash to repair
them, so it does seem that they definitely can be repaired, the article
stated that they have “shelf life”!!!!



We’ve looked at other properties, but this one is still the best we have
seen, not just a lovely house, but the position and village are just great.
Trying to tell myself that it’s not worth the effort, but I really like
it!!!



Will keep you posted and will probably post a million more questions :-)



Regards

Karen



_____

From: smallholding@... [mailto:smallholding@...]
On Behalf Of John C. Newsome
Sent: 12 January 2007 01:06
To: smallholding@...
Subject: RE: [SmallHolding] Re: Any opinions on prefab homes...???



Hi Karen,

I think given the age of the structure and the
material content I would seriously advice you have it
structurally tested by a Concrete engineer.

If you are having to remove the building from one site
to another? It might be a problem, as the sealants
used to bond the slabs is like concrete itself and you
could end up damaging some of the panels. Removal of
the builing (if needed) is defintiely a specialist job
and it might work out cheaper in the end to do a
"New-Build" in concrete prefabrication or better still
in Timber!.

Shop around first as the Timber might afford better
value in the long run and the Council might be more
sympathetic towards it.

Insurance companies are getting better all the time
towards Timber (Log) and pre-fabricated buildings.

cheers

John

--- KarenR <karence@btinternet. <mailto:karence%40btinternet.com> com>
wrote:

> Hi John
>
>
>
> Thank you for your info on prefabs, as you asked I
> thought I would let you
> know the property is in England in South Somerset.
> I have just been told
> today the following: “it is Woolaway block and the
> blocks measure 2ft wide
> by 4ft long and are two and half inches thick with
> reinforced steel rods
> through the blocks and there are 5 rods to a slab.
> The age of the property
> is, he thinks, about 1953”.
>
>
>
> My mortgage company says they have no problem
> providing extra cash for us to
> buy it. I wonder if we will have problems with
> buildings insurance on
> this???
>
>
>
> It’s all up in the air until we get an offer on ours
> and it’s only just on
> the market. I also found out that the garden backs
> onto a conservation area
> within which some chap tends ducks and chickens – so
> I can always pop my
> head over and ask sagely advice *LOL*
>
>
>
> I’ve been reading lots of concrete websites, never
> thought I would have to
> dip into such an array of interesting information –
> such as finding out that
> the reason the reinforcing rods in the concrete rot
> is because some of the
> slabs were finished using chlorine (it hardens it
> quickly) and over the
> years the chlorine reacts with the steel and causes
> it to rot;
> fascinating!!!
>
>
>
> Regards
>
> Karen
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> _____
>
> From: smallholding@ <mailto:smallholding%40yahoogroups.co.uk>
yahoogroups.co.uk
> [mailto:smallholding@ <mailto:smallholding%40yahoogroups.co.uk>
yahoogroups.co.uk]
> On Behalf Of John
> Sent: 07 January 2007 15:33
> To: smallholding@ <mailto:smallholding%40yahoogroups.co.uk>
yahoogroups.co.uk
> Subject: [SmallHolding] Re: Any opinions on prefab
> homes...???
>
>
>
>
>
> --- In smallholding@
> <mailto:smallholding%40yahoogroups.co.uk>
> yahoogroups.co.uk, "KarenR" <karence@...> wrote:
> >
> > Hi all,
> >
> >
> >
> > We have a seen a compromise property to a
> smallholding, has about ¾
> acre,
> > which is probably more than enough for us, a
> paddock to rent next
> door,
> > seemed perfect as we skipped around it delighted
> in the rain today,
> but then
> > the agent announced at the end that it was of
> concrete
> construction –
> > bums!!!! My husband is dead against it now and
> although I have
> found
> > favourable info from Professor Beeby, his worries
> can't be allayed,
> he says
> > it won't be an investment property and the
> mortgage company will
> probably be
> > set against it.
> >
> >
> >
> > Any comments on this, anybody living in a prefab
> with favourable or
> maybe
> > not comments?
> >
> >
> >
> > Thanks in advance
> >
> > Karen
> >
> >
> >
> What you don't say Karen is where you live.
>
> Some Countries or even Councils in the UK actually
> allow the
> construction of "Modern" pre-fabricated concrete
> buildings.
> When I lived in the UK for instance, I was
> surrounded by "pre-fabs"
> that were put up during and just after the war as
> emergency housing.
>
> I have to admit that some of them were constructed
> of Sheet Steel but
> most had a concrete facia with a steel or corrugated
> Cement roof and
> steel fixtures and fittings in the interior. Snug
> enough but still
> only what you would consider a temporary thing,
> although they
> survived for over 60yrs. or so.
>
> Modern day "Prefabs" are far superior by comparison.
> Slabs of
> concrete on the outside and generally fitted out
> with timber frame
> structures on the inside (plasterboard walls) and
> well insulated.
>
> In Ireland here they are coming in quite a lot in
> rural areas as they
> are cheaper than a conventional house for first time
> buyers. My own
> place is Mass Concrete as opposed to slabs and as
> warm as toast. It
> was built in this way back in 1929 and it still in
> good order. In
> fact most built from this material are generally the
> same.
>
> Where are you, visit your local council planning
> Dept. instead of
> listening to other people. See what the Council has
> to say on the
> matter before going down any road. In some cases
> here in Ireland, and
> the UK, the Council will often afford you a mortgage
> as well.
>
> cheers
> John...
>
>
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been
> removed]
>
>


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