project inspiration
IS 2024 YOUR YEAR TO SELF BUILD?
Whatever your motivation for creating a bespoke home, there’s no better time than the present, as Emily Batesmith outlines 10 ways that self build could be right for you and shares expert insight into what 2024 could mean for your project
ECO HOME BUILDERS
This home in Somerset was designed to meet the strongest environmental and sustainability standards whilst also having a beautiful aesthetic. Embodied carbon and environmental impact were very important to the homeowners, so overall energy demand was thoroughly considered and materials and suppliers were selected carefully. The Passivhaus Timber Frame and Foundation system from MBC Timber Frame (mbc timberframe.co.uk) ensured an airtight, cold bridge free thermal envelope. The new house includes an MVHR and air source heat pump installed by Total Home Environment (totalhome.co.uk) along with 16 solar panels.
YOUNG COUPLES ESCAPING THE CITY
When Gemma and James Hooker were looking to relocate from their one bedroom flat in London, they loved the idea of the offsite manufacture process, which is why they engaged the skills of package home supplier Dan-Wood (danwood.co.uk) to create their new home at Graven Hill (gravenhill.co.uk). The timber frame property was created in a factory, complete with insulation, windows, finishes, service channels and more preinstalled, ensuring the specified quality and performance is achieved on site. “Our new home was manufactured within 10 days of finalising the design and the structure was weathertight on site in under a week,” says the couple.
CAMILLA REYNOLDS
FIRST TIME BUYERS
With the goal of saving up enough to jump on the property ladder, Leanne Player (along with her then partner, Nick) started working all hours and saving as much money as they could, firstly by living with their parents, and then by cutting back on luxuries. She was keen to stay in the area where she’d grown up, but found local properties were out of reach. Their solution came when her parents offered a parcel of land that they owned on the edge of the village. The green field site didn’t have planning permission and looked like an unlikely candidate for a new build plot, but it had the advantage of being flat with existing access to the road. After gaining lots of local support, their planning application was approved and they went on to build a 150m2 home on a tight budget of just over £150,000, which included a timber frame from Frame Technologies (frametechnologies.co.uk).