Welcome

If soundbite specialists and the mainstream press are

Charming extension to period home

Designed by Stylus Architects, this unique ground-floor extension

Castle view

PROJECT OF THE MONTH This unique replacement dwelling,

House prices up 4.7% vs last year

Although prices were up only 0.3% on August,

What’s on?

DIY & HOME MAI NTE NANCE 27TH-28TH

Planning approvals hit 11-year low

The number of housing units granted planning permission

Government support for the self and custom build industry

Housing minister Matthew Pennycook has written to the

need to know

Improving retrofit standards

spend v save

FROM £3,260.37 With a 7kW nominal heat output,

product news

Great shopping ideas for your custom home project

3 of the best ALUMINIUM BIFOLDS

1 KustomFold door system, from £5,800 per system,

interiors notebook

Elevate your design with bold geometric shapes in rich, striking hues that command attention

FIND YOUR DREAM BUILDING PLOT

PlotBrowser.com is a 100% free-to-use plot and property finder, packed with 1,000s of home building opportunities. Here’s a taster of the fantastic self build plots, renovation properties and conversions currently for sale near you

SINGLE-STOREY LIVING IN RURAL SUFFOLK

LOCATION Steeple Bumpstead, Suffolk GUIDE PRICE £500,000 AREA

next month...

January issue on sale 27th November

Designing for privacy &security

Director of AR Design Studio Andy Ramus shares his expert design tips for building your bespoke home in busy or overlooked areas

7 INSPIRING ECO HOMES

Thinking about creating a comfortable, ultra low-energy home that prioritises sustainability? Sander Tel shares his top pick of seven shining examples

TEAM EFFORT

Serial self builders Jo and Mike Dowland rolled up their sleeves and took a hands-on role in the conversion and extension of a rural barn, recruiting help from their family to complete the job

A FAMILY AFFAIR

First-time self builders Chris and Juliana Beardsmore teamed up with their son Joe to build their own highperformance homes

QUALITY OVER QUANTITY

Jim and Connie Walker transformed a tiny, dark and disconnected Victorian annexe into a modern, light-filled, long-term home, making the most of its modest floorplan

DESIGNING YOUR TIMBER FRAME HOME

Building with structural timber could be the ideal route to a comfortable and st ylish home that balances excellent performance values with great aesthetics. Erika Chaffey shares the key considerations to specif y the right design

Underfloor heating the retrofit options

Georgina Crothers explores the different systems available that are suitable for installing this kind of emitter in a renovation project

LOW-PROFILE SCREEDED UFH

These surface-mounted systems are installed over the existing

NO-SCREED UFH BOARDS

These systems are laid over your existing subfloor,

FLOOR DECK UFH SYSTEMS

No-screed boarded systems can also be fitted onto

JOISTED UFH SYSTEMS

FastWarm offers two between-joist systems. FastPlate (above) fixes

FRONT DOOR INSPIRATION

Set the design tone from the get-go with an entrance door that perfectly complements your architectural choices while delivering on functionality and performance. Lindsay Blair rounds up some of the latest ideas

EXPERT VIEW WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN CHOOSING YOUR FRONT DOOR

MATT HIGGS, managing director at Kloeber, reveals the key factors you should investigate when specifying a door

Amazing internal doors

Sander Tel shares acollection of functional, stylish and versatile solutions that’ll be sure to elevate your home’s interior spaces

Bungalow renovations where to start?

Renovating a bungalow could seem like a no-brainer, giving you the chance to tailor a single-storey home and even double its footprint. Renovation expert Kate Sandhu takes a look at what you need to know

SMART HOME ESSENTIALS

If you are looking to add some automation to your self build or renovation project, then you need to know the basics and the popular tech options making waves in the UK

EXPE RT VI EW KEY CONSIDERATIONS

LUCY HAN, head of global product group, building and home automation at ABB Electrification’s Smart Buildings, answers our FAQs

TOP 10 SMART HOME FEATURES

Voice control integration. Voice assistants, such as

CLOSER LOOK QUEENSWOOD HOUSE

Queenswood, developed by HiiLife, is the epitome of

NEED TO KNOW SMART SECURITY

Everyone wants to feel safe and secure at

CLOSER LOOK SMART DOOR

When Elizabeth and Nabil Assaf, founders of Urban

PHILIPS HUE SECURITY

The Philips Hue Secure camera kit (from £299.99)

THE BASICS KITCHENS

Not only can this Miele oven be connected

CLOSER LOOK SMART COFFEE

Smart coffee machines are rapidly gaining popularity, offering

PRODUCT PICK AQ SENSE MONITOR

Franke’s AQ Sense Monitor cooker hood, £3,870, with

HEATING CONTROLS

Smart home heating systems offer a significant upgrade

EXPERT VIEW HEATING TECH TRENDS

NEIL DUGGAN, director at The Radiator Centre, explores the latest options

TOP TIP UNDERFLOOR HEATING

Wunda Rapid Response underfloor heating is connected to

PRODUCT PICK THE EVONIC CREATIVE

It’s not just central heating systems that pair

DESIGNING FOR COMPACT PLOTS

Architect Opinder Liddar shares his top tips and key considerations for making the most of a small site to build your ideal home

Is the planning system corrupt?

Obtaining planning permission for your project can feel like an uphill battle. Martin Gaine investigates if the system is truly working against self builders and how to ensure afair outcome

WHEN IS A HEAT PUMP THE BEST OPTION?

Sustainability expert Nigel Griffiths discusses whether switching from gas to this energy-efficient technology is the right choice for you and your project

extension insurance & warranties

Protecting yourself against the unexpected is essential when taking on a building project. Erika Chaffey investigates what you need to know about finding the right cover for your extension

WHAT SELF BULDERS WANT

... AND HOW GOVERNMENT CAN HELP

Self build & custom build mortgage table

Looking to fund your bespoke home project? Each month we round up the best deals from leading lenders and update you on what you need to know to secure the right finance

Ask the EXPERTS

Essential advice on your problems with building, budgeting, DIY &planning from the most experienced names in the self build industry

Build It Awards 2024

The presitigous Build It Awards is the only independent, expertjudged scheme celebrating the very best of self build and renovation. This month, we’re giving you a taster of some of the fantastic projects, products, ser vices and suppliers that have made this year’s shortlist