Old vs New?

We are now trying to decide whether to go for land and new build or an old house complex and renovate. I had imagined that we would find some old set of buildings and turn them into something we want but having watched many renovation programmes over the years and knowing from experience how many unknowns there are, when one of our members found some land, we started to think of a new vision...

Walter Segal (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Segal), a visionary new eco-architecture, offers another very exciting way forward.

Here are my list of pros and cons for each possiblity. The list is not finshed!

Walter Segal Type New Build

Pros -

Cost easier to keep in control

We could do a lot ourselves

Could be quirky and ground breaking

Possiblity of being off grid or at least nearly off grid

Cons -

Land expensive

Planning difficult

Not as many houses possible as can't build up so smaller project

Regeneration:

Pros -

Part of the neighbourhood already

Making ecological buildings that are already there

Beauty

Cons -
Possibly more expensive

Unknown what we will find until we start renovating

Less ecological in the end

Planning difficult...

Planning is a problem with both projects but as we are innovative I think planners will be interested. Councils have a lot of pressure to eco build and for more resendential so I think we can get round objections.

I suppose it depends on which problems we want to take on.

Your thoughts would be greatly appreciated!