Survival UK Forums

Full Version: House building size insanity
You're currently viewing a stripped down version of our content. View the full version with proper formatting.
Pages: 1 2
Even with state listed minimum sizes for new homes builders are still building crappy little homes with tiny gardens, little or no storage and garages so small you cannot get a family car into it.

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/...architects
nothing new there, this has been going on for years.
Last time I was looking for a property was back in the 90's and I would not consider a new build then because of this it has only got worse since then.
Toddy, it was that half wit from Hull Prescott Labours former deputy PM who decided to add 4 more houses per acre with only 1.5 parking spaces and roads so narrow that cars can only park on one side and only with their wheels on the pavement. I saw him on I think it was Newsnight or QT saying stuff like Garages don't need to be big enough to take cars because they don't get used, Family homes don't need large gardens because the kids can go to sports and leisure centres to play,, and how modern houses don't need chimneys !!!!
Also most if not all of these new houses, as they have for years, have been built with no alternative way of heat or cooking except gas and/or electric. No more open fire places, no more chimneys.
Back gardens too small to even think of growing at least some of your own and many paved over.
So the dependence is more and more on gas and/or electric.
When that all fails the death toll, particularly if winter, will be horrendous.
One of my few posts to this site.
I note with interest that since the trend to swing away from bugging out to bugging in more good threads are appearing dealing with homes both urban and rural and how people are tweaking them to optimise them for prepping and self sufficiency. Now people are more focussed on bugging in I notice also increased threads on the E mail groups dealing with secondary issues like allotments, getting PP for micro wind turbines / PV / GSH pumps/ permission for keeping chooks, mini goats, mini pigs etc. I've had a few nice evenings chats in the last fortnight about putting double skinned Stainless steel chimneys into houses, sheds etc, keeping chooks in terraced back yards, opening up chimneys after years of being bricked up ( and the stuff that falls down chimneys Smile ) . Building coolers/ chillers/ Veg stores in the garden by basically digging a hole, water proof lining it, insulating it etc to keep home grown veg in over the winter. Other snippets like using Galv steel tin roofs as ground plains for radios ( way outside my comfort zone). Guerrilla gardening in built up areas, growing grub in bags on flat apartment block roofs, using bubble wrap as extra insulation around same grow bags to get early start on tomatoes. I thought the change to Bug In would see a 180 degree turn in peoples plans but the opposite has happened it appears to be revitalising discussion on prepping issues, that's good for all of us.
Well micro wind turbines / PV / GSH pumps are all well and good.
I assume that at some point the electric supply will crash.

OK these micro wind turbines / PV / GSH pumps may work and supply power for some while.
BUT, then what happens, maybe years down the road when the the parts fail or wear out and all replacements have been used, that is assuming you have the knowledge and tools to effect such replacements.

That in a nut shell, that I do appears to be able to crack, is why in the past I said time and again about 'what about the longer term'. But many appear to think that by that time, [we get to the longer term] it will all be 'back to normal' or something else will crop up. Oh we have our solar panels, wind or hydro turbines. We will still have electric even if less than today. We can still run our freezers, fridges, TV with DVD's, etc. Yes but what when the parts of these break down or wear out?

We appear to be unable to comprehend that what has never happened in the past might just happen and that we should at least try to give some thought to it.

Which is also why I no long post much on this or any other forum or site.

End of my contribution.
John
The best key to long term survival in the face of a decline of modern civilization back into a dark ages is the ability to continually adapt to whatever situations arise and to make best use of whatever resources are available for as long as possible and the foundation to be able to adapt is knowledge and skills, in as broad a spectrum of subjects as possible, whether that be building a solar pv system from scrounged parts to knapping a flint arrow head.
(3 December 2015, 21:58)T-oddity Wrote: [ -> ]knapping a flint arrow head.

We've been here before. If you want to learn a skill learn how to work metal, not flint. That's what our ancestors did, and why the stone age ended, it wasn't because they ran out of flint.
I was trying to emphasise the mind set, rather than any particular skill, though as far as I'm concerned I always welcome adding another string to my bow what ever it may be.
Pages: 1 2