There have been reports which claim that a householder and drum property group intend to set up a home scheme for the coastal town of Stonehaven very soon. Stonehaven, a coastal town in Aberdeenshire with a population of close to 10,000 is set to get a 1,500 home scheme soon in addition to a large supermarket.

The drum property group called Barratt East Scotland have revealed their plans for a 1,500 home project in Stonehaven, Kincardineshire.

The housing scheme is likely to cost £250,000. It will include a phenomenal supermarket with an area of 59,000 square feet. It will have a hotel and a 25 acre business park as well. Reports have estimated that the area is likely to create close to 1,000 permanent jobs in the Stonehaven area at least. The ambitious housing project will take 15 years to complete.

The operations director for Barratt, David Scott said that the firm was in the process of launching a public consultation of sorts. The supermarket mentioned earlier will be Stonehaven’s first. It is alleged that it will be completed within 18 months of the work starting.

The scheme also incorporates infrastructure that is worth £30 million. This would undertake other improvements such as improvement of transport links etc.

The local authorities of Wakefield have been coerced to adapt more of a flexible approach as far as affordable homes are concerned. This was after a Wakefield council safeguarded its targets from a challenge that the high court posed.

The advocate for Barratt developments tried to topple the Wakefield councils 30 percent home core strategy target. The grounds for doing so were that it was too high. Barratt developments was represented by the ‘exceptional advocate’ Peter Village QC from 4 -5 Gray’s Inn Square.

Justice Pitchford however ruled that the strategy held the potential for bringing a change in the economic conditions by making the target open to negotiations. These negotiations could be carried out when applications are made. He further said that the policies have created justifiable and attainable targets. He was of the opinion that the target was reasonable, but only in certain economic conditions.

A spokesperson for Barratt developments expressed frustration on behalf of his organisation. He said that Barratt was highly disappointed with the ruling. He further added that the ruling will cause undeniable delays in the affordable housing schemes in Wakefield. He said that local authorities need to work in conjunction with his company in order to create more affordable housing options for the people of Wakefield.

Listed below are some of the most relevant benefits you stand to gain by choosing timber frame construction for your home.

Time: Timber frame homes can be constructed very fast. Homeowners have reported 30 percent less time required when building timber frame homes of two storeys. Timber frames can be erected and made watertight in adverse conditions of weather. Under ordinary circumstances, this would have stalled construction.

Maintenance: Using timber frame is a dry construction method. It helps to eliminate the cracking of the plaster board. You will see lower maintenance costs within the first year of construction of the home. 75 percent of timber frame home owners have reported lower costs on call backs within the first year of construction.

Design and manufacture: The design and manufacturing can be done with the aid of a computer. You can simulate the layout and appearance of the rooms and building as a whole.

Thermal efficiency: Timber frame more than meets current building regulation requirements. You will not feel the need to fill cavities in order to insulate your household.

Environment: If you buy from the right sources, you can be assured that the timber for your home comes from forests in Scandinavia, and North America. They are based on a renewable resource and for every tree cut down there are more trees grown. In addition to this, timber provides excellent insulation. This means lower energy bills which is good for the environment.

Choosing a timber frame home designer is a daunting task within itself. While timber frame homes have a very earthy feel, you have to be careful about who designs your home. Listed below are a few affirmative steps you can take in order to choose someone to design a timber frame home.

1) The internet: Log on to the internet and online business directories. Look for ‘timber frame homes and ‘timber frame house’. Once you have found an entry near your home, call the dealers and ask if they have a designer who can work with you.

2) Make a list: You can then proceed to make a list of designers who you think you can work with.

3) Previous work: You should look through the previous work of various designers. It is recommended that you see these places in reality if possible. If not, you can also check out any available pictures or videos of the timber homes.

4) Collaboration: Ask the designer if he would be willing to work in collaboration with a timber framing company of your choice in case the designer is independent. You should ask your designer to work with a timber framing company early in the project.

5) References: Ask the designer for references. You can then proceed to asking the references if the designer is timely on delivering service and deliver within the budget quoted. Ask them if the designer responds well to the clients needs.

Keep these 5 tips in mind to choose the right timber frame home designer.

If you want to build something an exclusive and extraordinary home, then you must consider timber frame construction. These homes last a very long time and are the ideal way to turn your imagination into reality, with the help of contemporary and natural designs.

Timber frame houses reflect a traditional way of living because their reliance on vast wooden beams is both luxurious and rustic. They bring a little nature into your home – both in terms of their aesthetic appeal and their practical durability.

You can plan your house flexibly with timber frame construction plans because all of the weight of your home will rest on the outer frame. This leaves you free to design the interiors as you wish which is ideal if you are planning on incorporating an open plan living space into your design.

Aside from aesthetics and flexibility, timber homes are also very economical as they help in reducing the costs of keeping your home warm in the winter and cool in the summer thanks to the superior insulation techniques that are integrated into the very structure of the house.

Design the house you really want by opting for a timber frame home.

A timber frame home will always give out a warm and rustic feel, no matter how old it is.
A proper timber frame home has large beams which are on display, with handcrafted interlocking joints without the use of any nails. This type of building technique is incredibly old, but was replaced by less advantageous methods in the 19th century.

This frame is created by using beams of strong wood. In order to construct this frame, the wood is connected together with a mortise and tenon joint and held in place with wooden pegs. The frame is then covered with insulation panels and 2 x 4 or 2 x 6 studded interior walls.

Timber frame homes are ideal for open concept designs as the outer frame offers all the support and there are no load-bearing interior walls. The sturdy beams allow for wide open rooms and high ceilings.

The bills with respect to the heating in a complete timer frame home are much lower. Owners of timber frame homes usually notice a reduction in utility bills because of the efficiency of the structure’s insulation.

If you are considering building your own home, then look into timber frame construction as a possible building technique.

It is quite common to find homeowners resorting to various methods to make their homes more unique. Many have found that changing the layout of the home completely can be a great way to make their homes different as well as elegant. It is for this reason that homeowners are now switching to timber frame homes instead of the traditional brick built ones.

Timber frames homes have a rustic and warm feeling. But the building technique of these homes is not new. In fact, it is very old. However, recent revelations of the benefits of timber frame homes have encouraged people to opt for this type of home today. Here are some of the many benefits timber frame homes offer.

• Timber frame homes offer open concept designs as all the support is obtained from the exterior frame which means interior walls are not load bearing

• The strong beams that are used by timber frame homes allow for the construction of open rooms and high vaulted ceilings

• This type of home may also see a reduction in electricity bills as they are extremely energy efficient

• In addition to this, timber frame homes can last for hundreds of years because the materials they are made from are strong and durable. This will even allow you to pass down your home to future generations.

Timber frame homes are also made from sustainable wood which makes it more appealing to have a timber frame homes built today.

It has been confirmed that the stamp duty holiday on homes that are worth £175,000 is to come to an end at the end of this year. But Barratt homes have extended this offer into the New Year on its homes. And will pay the Stamp Duty on all of its homes up to £250,000.

Across the nation, Barratt homes will be exempt from this stamp duty because Barratt has paid on behalf of the home owners.

The head of Sales and Marketing at Barratt homes expressed his enthusiasm about this move. He said that when people want to move, stamp duty is an additional cost that they often cannot deal with. He also quoted instances of when stamp duty becomes the decisive factor between being able to purchase a house or not.

He further said that 2010 was not good for people looking to purchase property that is worth £175,000 or above. But buying from Barratt however will mean that you are exempt from stamp duty, even on a home of up to £250,000.

Barratt and Persimmon have launched a tirade against the government’s unfair taxes in an attempt that looks to save the building trade. They will be backing a movement comprising of industry bodies called the ‘stop the unfair building tax campaign’. A number of industry bodies will be the vanguards of this campaign and it will be representing employers and subcontractors.

Sources in the industry claim that house builders and construction workers have started this campaign to repel a new tax on the building trade. This tax is seen to be detrimental to the progress of the building sector, preventing it from recovering. Furthermore, housing project targets will also suffer owing to this tax.

The campaign’s objective is to convince the government to retract this tax and rethink its proposal as a tax of this nature is likely to push more builders into the red.

The government’s take on this tax is that it intends to flush out instances of ‘false self employed statuses’ in the building industry. Apparently, such instances by government estimates cost the exchequer close to £350,000 annually. It intends to collect money from close to 300,000 workers in the form of tax and national insurance who claim to be self employed. In addition to this, it has also been proclaimed that workers will be considered employees unless they supply their own material and equipment.

There is no doubt that timber frames are an inspiring and beautiful means of construction which have withstood the test of time all over the world. It is for this reason that more and more people are deciding to build their new homes using timber frame construction techniques. Timber frame structures are unique because they reveal the support offered by the structure in a mixture of engineering and art.

Custom design specifications

One of the best things about timber frame homes is that they offer customers the ability to custom design their own homes. This means that you can come up with your own designs for your home and put them into action. So you can choose how large you want your living room to be or how high the ceiling should be as well. A professional architect can draw up your plans for the perfect home.

Suits all décor

In addition to being able to design the layout and structure of your timber frame home, you can also decorate it in any way you please. This is because timber frame homes can complement almost any type of décor. This feature in particular makes them ideal for everyone. Exposed beams give the home a warm and comfortable ambience and you can also use a wide variety of colours to make timber frames look more beautiful.