It took 18 years for Tracey and Stephen Stewart to find the ideal Oxfordshire plot for their self-build. Now, despite a few bumps in the road, they’ve created a unique home with real wow factor

WORDS SOPHIE VENING PHOTOS MATT CHISNALL

The decking was supplied by EcoDek, while Lamburn Geekie arranged the hard landscaping

Planning a self-build was the furthest thing from Tracey and Stephen Stewart’s minds when they bought a property in High Wycombe back in 1997. Soon after moving in, however, they realised that while the location was great, they really weren’t in love with the house itself. “We have always enjoyed inviting friends over for lunches and dinners, but the place wasn’t practical for socialising,” says Tracey. “We looked at extending or renovating, but it was a non-starter.”

The couple began to tentatively consider taking on a self-build, and occasionally searched for land to develop. “We would look online and, if we saw a site with potential, visit it. But it was a dream more than an imperative,” says Stephen. Describing their current house as an ill-fitting suit, Tracey adds: “There was no hurry as where we were living was habitable, it just wasn’t very comfortable.”

The next step

It was another 15 years before the couple started to become more serious about self-build – their interest piqued by a bungalow that came onto the market in Moulsford, Oxfordshire. they went to visit it on the same day it went on sale. “The owner had passed away and the property was being sold by her daughter and son-in-law, who happened to be on site when we called,” explains Tracey.

FACT FILE

NAMES Stephen & Tracey Stewart

OCCUPATIONS Manager & admin assistant

LOCATION Oxfordshire

TYPE OF PROJECT Self-build

STYLE Contemporary

PROJECT ROUTE Main contractor

CONSTRUCTION METHOD

Timber frame & steel

PLOT SIZE 600m2

LAND COST £297,000

BOUGHT October 2013

HOUSE SIZE 200m2

PROJECT COST £391,817

PROJECT COST PER M2 £1,959

TOTAL COST £688,817

VAT RECLAIM £2,300

BUILDING WORK COMMENCED

October 2014

BUILDING WORK TOOK 72 weeks

CURRENT VALUE £750,000

“The plot came with planning permission to replace the rundown bungalow with a standard two-storey, square-shaped house,” adds Stephen. “We knew worst-case that we could build something.”

Having the opportunity to speak with the vendor meant they could find out more about the previous owner and what village life was like. It helped that the plot was very reasonably priced for Oxfordshire and the perfect size. Tracey and Stephen soon realised this was the right site for them and made an off er that was accepted on the same day. “It just ticked all the right boxes,” says Stephen. Thankfully, as the couple weren’t in a chain and they didn’t need to sell their home to pay for the plot, the purchase was relatively quick. “We paid a 10% deposit for the land using savings and we already had an accelerator mortgage in principle with Darlington Building Society arranged through Buildstore,” he says.