Cornelia recommends being prepared to put a lot of time into a self-build home
Photos MatchBox Architects
After some years in a small terraced house in West London, Cornelia and Rob Gregory wanted more space but realised that they would have to move outside the capital to find a bigger home they could afford.
They eventually bought a cottage in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in Surrey, but plans to renovate and extend the house were scuppered when they discovered that local planning regulations wouldn’t work in their favour. ‘It would have been so difficult to add the extra space we wanted that we felt it would be easier to demolish it and build a new home from scratch,’ says Cornelia. ‘Plus, we’d be able to save VAT on a self-build.’