Building a two stable yard and looking for advice/recommendations!

[Sara Shirvani]

Hello everyone,

And thank you in advance for any answers. (Apoligues if this is the wrong place for this but I'm new and confused ).

So I've a bit of a surprise in the form of an old horse returning home unexpectedly. We used to keep my horse at home but sold of alot of out land and I've been at livery since (can't lie not a fan , I'm set in my ways and hate having to drive out to them, I also have amazing hack from home and miss that). I cannot afford, justify and do no want to pay livery for two horses while I have some land left at home (circa 1.45 acers, but I've a fatty just now and mare on way back is too so plan to build them a track system). However, the stables sold with the rest of our land so I need to build something .

I've been thinking a double shelter type build, with a gate for partition so stables can be stables and/or shelter with a tack room and hay store flanking them and protuding around 5ft to give shelter to the yard area as we're in a very exposed spot.
So I'm looking for alive on 2 things

1) I've worked out we need around 100m2 of concrete slab to accomodate the build I'd like. Roughly how much should I expect to pay for this?
Is doing any of the prep work myself feasible to keep costs down?
I won't be putting in electrics or water this winter but would like to over the summer for next year. Can I do anything at this stage to make putting these in down the line easier?

2) Can anyone recommend a company that will deliver to the Inverness area and build quality blocks at a reasonable price? There's so much variation and so few companies deliver this far north.
So far if they've not said they won't deliver here they've been extortionate or said they're only currently doing standard build which this wouldn't be as I'd like the overhang to extend to the end of the protuding stores, 6ft gates instead of standard doors for safety when they can come and go together with the partition opened.

Apologies for the essay and thanks to anyone who stuck till the end and has any advice or tips.

 

[Sara Shirvani]

Hello everyone,

And thank you in advance for any answers. (Apoligues if this is the wrong place for this but I'm new and confused ).

So I've a bit of a surprise in the form of an old horse returning home unexpectedly. We used to keep my horse at home but sold of alot of out land and I've been at livery since (can't lie not a fan , I'm set in my ways and hate having to drive out to them, I also have amazing hack from home and miss that). I cannot afford, justify and do no want to pay livery for two horses while I have some land left at home (circa 1.45 acers, but I've a fatty just now and mare on way back is too so plan to build them a track system). However, the stables sold with the rest of our land so I need to build something .

I've been thinking a double shelter type build, with a gate for partition so stables can be stables and/or shelter with a tack room and hay store flanking them and protuding around 5ft to give shelter to the yard area as we're in a very exposed spot.
So I'm looking for alive on 2 things

1) I've worked out we need around 100m2 of concrete slab to accomodate the build I'd like. Roughly how much should I expect to pay for this?
Is doing any of the prep work myself feasible to keep costs down?
I won't be putting in electrics or water this winter but would like to over the summer for next year. Can I do anything at this stage to make putting these in down the line easier?

2) Can anyone recommend a company that will deliver to the Inverness area and build quality blocks at a reasonable price? There's so much variation and so few companies deliver this far north.
So far if they've not said they won't deliver here they've been extortionate or said they're only currently doing standard build which this wouldn't be as I'd like the overhang to extend to the end of the protuding stores, 6ft gates instead of standard doors for safety when they can come and go together with the partition opened.

Apologies for the essay and thanks to anyone who stuck till the end and has any advice or tips.

Just registered all my typos after typing this up on my phone .

 

[meesha]

I loved planning my yard. Take your time to get it right.

Hopefully yours will be substantially cheaper than mine....but brace yourself and expect eye watering quotes as everything has gone up soo much in last few years.

I got a local but in demand guy to do mine, which included extending entrance, running water from one end of field to the other and the groundworks for my L block of tack room, corner barn, double field shelter which was 28x12 and end hangover of 12 foot. I've got a large concrete area as well in front and it has drainage all round. without the stables it was 24k .. stables were around 13k on top.


No mains electricity by excellent solar lighting. I had the posts put in but use electric tape as they would just chew or break rails by rubbing on them.

Always go bigger than u need if u can is my advice.

 

[honetpot]

I have just sold my stables as I have barns that I subdivide with either electric fence or gates, so I would go for the open fied shelter and gates. I would used mud control mats instead of concrete just because concrete if you add in the time and labour concrete is expensive and you only get one go to get the levels right. If everything is 'temporary' depending on your planning authority it should be easier.

 

[meesha]

I would agree mud control mats, you can use them as a base for the shelter too. If you decide you want concrete later you can lift them and sell them for almost what u bought them for. They are not cheap but well worth it. I have them under my sand pit and as a walkway to the field . Had I known about them when doing the yard would have been tempted to do less concrete more mats

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

I second the mud control mats, we have them as the floor in our field shelter, as well as hard standing outside it and we use solar powered lighting in there and the stable block and as yard lighting.

 

[Sara Shirvani]

I loved planning my yard. Take your time to get it right.

Hopefully yours will be substantially cheaper than mine....but brace yourself and expect eye watering quotes as everything has gone up soo much in last few years.

I got a local but in demand guy to do mine, which included extending entrance, running water from one end of field to the other and the groundworks for my L block of tack room, corner barn, double field shelter which was 28x12 and end hangover of 12 foot. I've got a large concrete area as well in front and it has drainage all round. without the stables it was 24k .. stables were around 13k on top.


No mains electricity by excellent solar lighting. I had the posts put in but use electric tape as they would just chew or break rails by rubbing on them.

Always go bigger than u need if u can is my advice.

Oh my, that looks lush .
I know exactly what I like down to windows that double as hay feeding slots for late night . I groomed internationally and ran yards so efficient, tidy, sheltered and with my limited budget the space doubling as stable and shelter is important so it works best for my horses.
I was thinking about the solar route for lighting as really that's the only electric I would need regularly. My clippers etc can run off batteries just fine. Do you have any details on what route you went for this?
It is the cost of the concrete I'm most worried about as if/when I move I can always take or sell the building but the slab is alot of money for a couple years usage. I was going to discuss alternative options with groundworkers/stable builders but worried with being so exposed about the whole thing blowing away otherwise .

 

[Sara Shirvani]

I have just sold my stables as I have barns that I subdivide with either electric fence or gates, so I would go for the open fied shelter and gates. I would used mud control mats instead of concrete just because concrete if you add in the time and labour concrete is expensive and you only get one go to get the levels right. If everything is 'temporary' depending on your planning authority it should be easier.

Do you have any more information on the mud control mats?
My field gets quite wet and the entrance is at the bottom so building will have to be at the lower wetter end , I did think about hard standing and building it up past the ground level so everything stays dry as cheaper that concrete but wa unsure how best to secure the building in place then.
My concern is North Scotland half way up a hill winds as I've seen quite a few blocks blow down/away over the years .

 

[suestowford]

I had a barn put up in an exposed location and we didn't go for a full concrete floor. The guy who built it for me made concrete pads to bolt the uprights to. The rest is just hardcore.
We've had some tremendous gales since that went up and the barn is still there

 

[suestowford]

I have found a pic from when the barn was being built. This is one of the 'pads'. I say pads, but it's a deep hole filled with concrete and bolts set into the concrete before it set. The barn has metal beam uprights so is bolted in at those points only.
Having a mainly hardcore floor is great as any wee that goes on it will drain away...

 

[Sara Shirvani]

I have just sold my stables as I have barns that I subdivide with either electric fence or gates, so I would go for the open fied shelter and gates. I would used mud control mats instead of concrete just because concrete if you add in the time and labour concrete is expensive and you only get one go to get the levels right. If everything is 'temporary' depending on your planning authority it should be easier.

I'm definitely going down the 6ft gated opening with a gate between the two stables so I have options of shelte

I have found a pic from when the barn was being built. This is one of the 'pads'. I say pads, but it's a deep hole filled with concrete and bolts set into the concrete before it set. The barn has metal beam uprights so is bolted in at those points only.
Having a mainly hardcore floor is great as any wee that goes on it will drain away...
View attachment 147511

That's great thanks Sue.
This probaby makes more sense for me as I know it's likely less than two years before I have to up and move everything again and I don't want to be wasting money.
I likely be back with more questions for you .

 

[tda]

I have mud control mats, but it's a wet area, 36ftx36ft and they've had some hammer and are pretty unlevel now. I am probably going to have to take them up, 're level and 're lay, trying not to think about the tonnes of stone laid as a base which has disappeared into the ground
If I was doing it again i would dig some drains and have a concrete yard

Concrete used to be around £100 per cubic metre, so it will be significantly more than that now