Mortgages for wooden homes

[Pagan]

Wondering if anyone had any experience with this. We are toying with the idea of building our own home (at some point in our lives) and would like to go for an eco friendly wooden type home but was wondering if they are more difficult to get mortgages on. My DH suspects they will be but as they are becoming more common surely mortgages must be available for them. Any thoughts anyone?

Ta

[muddaofsuburbia]

Spookiness or what Pagan!!!
We have just bought a wooden home on the banks of Loch Lomond 4 weeks ago!!!!

We've got a mortgage from the Royal Bank of Scotland. They weren't phased at all by it being a wooden house, cos Scotland is full of ex-forestry commission houses (which is what ours is).

The Ecology Building society would be worth a try too. Their rates aren't as good as a high street lender, but I think they're more ethical. They also have better rates if you can demonstrate that you're doing all sorts of nice green energy saving type things around your property or actively conserving the surrounding area etc.

We didn't try the Co-Op, but they might be worth a go.

I've just inherited a Rayburn with the house - I noticed you hated it on the Aga thread. We'll have a conventional cooker too - the Rayburn is in the former kitchen, now a sitting room. Any tips?

[Fio2]

I dont know if they will help but Leeds and Holbeck Building Society usually give mortgages on properties that need COMPLETE renovation that most mortgage companie wouldnt touch with a bargepole. I dont know whather they would be doing the same with new or timber builds but it might be worth a try. They have excellent rates aswell!

[Pagan]

Ooooh Mudda - how exciting!!
I'm already with the Royal Bank so shall keep that in mind. We also inherited the Rayburn with this house. Wouldn't mind so much if it was a nicer colour than the sh*y brown it is

Anyway, Rayburn and Aga - same company but the difference between the two is

Aga - is a cooker only
Rayburn - is a cooker plus heats the water.

So our Rayburn heats all our water including that for the central heating.

Now that I'm a SAHM it's not so bad but when both DH & I were working, coming home after a hard day and having to wait an hour until the heat had built up to boil a pan of potatoes was a real pain.

Ours is gas fired and I think you are supposed to have it on all the time on a low setting but I fail to see how this is economical. I've noticed the new ones can have the option of a separate gas hob so that must tell a tale.

Anyway
Plus points

• lovely and cosy in winter
  
• good for drying clothes on
  
• does wonderful roasts (slowly is best)
  
• use the teflon stuff straight on the hotplate to dry fry stuff rather than a frying pan (unless you're doing something messy)
  
• does cook things well once it gets going
  
  Minus points
  
• kitchen like a furnace in summer
  
• I find it difficult to judge temperature especially when it needs to be exact (like for baking)
  
  I think if I was starting from scratch I would consider having a wood burning one just for cosiness but would also have a normal cooker. That way you can have it on if you want and it heats the place up.
  
  Whereabouts on Loch Lomond is your hoosey Mudda?

[muddaofsuburbia]

Hi Pagan

We'll be 3 miles from Balmaha at Sallochy - it's gorgeeeeous!

Our Rayburn was installed with the house so it's a 1950s mustard colour and is indeed woodburning. We're planning on using the cooker in the kitchen for everyday use, but I'd love to get the hang of the Rayburn for Christmas dinner or something similar.

It fires the bathroom radiator and the hot water (I think) and the fire in the lounge fires the radiators. The previous owners have left a woodpile with 5/6 years worth of wood for the fire - so free central heating for a while!

If you do a google on timber built houses, loads comes up on how energy efficient they are. The owners of our new house said that it's a really warm house all year round - even in Scottish winters.

Eventually we'd like to look into solar power and possibly wind power depending on what's out there and whether we'd get planning permission - it's in the National Park. There are loads of grants available from the gov atm, so we'd really like to give it a go if possible.

What eco thingymajiggers are you thinking about for the future - any tips?

[Pagan]

Had spent a weekend in an ecohouse up in Glenelg - a similar one was featured in the Herald recently - so it got us thinking.

Would also like solar panels or a wind generator, some sort of solid fuel stove or whatever, recycling facilities, good use of glass to let lots of light (and heat) in, possibly underfloor heating - the house we'd stayed in had a grass roof!! Supposed to be good thermal qualities.

Just toying with the idea but will definitely move to the country at some point and a new build is becoming a more viable option than the stampede for nice country property!

[Pagan]

Meant to ask - what is there by way of grants etc. for such things? And do they only apply in national parks?

[lars]

It sounds wonderful, good luck and hope all goes well for you. larsxx

[Libra]

We also have a wooden home in Scotland. Not sure about Leeds and Holbeck though, they were not keen on our wooden-ness! Try Abbey National or Halifax. Both completely unconcerned by wood.
Wooden houses are lovely but seem to take a lot more maintenance. We use linseed oil on our outside and Dh is always out there with a brush (or maybe he is just escaping from the rest of us). Mind you, we are right on the coast, so the salty air and high winds probably cause more damage than elsewhere. Also wooden floors do mean that, if like us, your bedroom is under one of the children's, you will hear every marble drop and every piece of lego clatter!

[sleeplessmum2be]

We got a self build mortgage with the Brittania for a timber frame house we built about 3 years ago and we've just remortgaged using the Cheshire. Neither were a problem in terms of wooden frame etc and both were quite competitive at the time.There is a magazine called Self Build which i think is also on the net and it will have up to date info for you. Good Luck

[muddaofsuburbia]

Pagan - just found this site Greenphase but it's difficult to read on my browser - all the text is yellow on white!

Will let you know if I come across anything else. There was an article in one of the papers last weekend, but i can't remember which. The Electricity companies are obliged to buy back your surplus electricity if you generate your own. so you can be quids in in the long run.

[Pagan]

Thanks Mudda - this is very interesting stuff

[Tinker]

Oh, I want to live in a wooden house by Loch Lomond with an aga now

[Pagan]

Libra - do all wooden houses require similar maintenance?? I thought that they came with some sort of protection so that you didn't need to be continually oiling/painting/varnishing whatever.

[Libra]

To be frank I have no idea. DH is obsessive Scandinavian type and disliked the horrid brown paint that the previous home owners had on the house. So he stripped that and put up natural organic linseed oil. I think the natural organic way is more labour intensive and I think that there is loads of modern, less organic stuff on the market. However, the linseed makes the house look nice because we can see the woodgrain through. To be frank, he hasn't done much to it this summer - that was mainly last summer and the stuff is supposed to be waterproof for about six years without reapplication. It's just that he can't leave it alone!