All hands on deck
Sarah and John Stupart rolled up their sleeves and got involved with every aspect of their SIPs self build, tackling everything from project management to construction jobs on site
WORDS CAROLINE EDNIE
The exterior materials palette features a metal standing seam roof, natural stone, timber and white render
PHOTOS DAVID BARBOUR
FACT FILE
NAMES Sarah & John Stupart
OCCUPATIONS Massage therapist & helicopter pilot
LOCATION Aberdeenshire Self build Contemporary TYPE OF PROJECT STYLE
CONSTRUCTION METHOD Structural insulated panels
PROJECT ROUTE Architect designed, homeowner project managed
PLOT SIZE 0.3 acres £92,000 2015 LAND COST BOUGHT
HOUSE SIZE 251m2 (incl 47m garage)
PROJECT COST £294,000 PROJECT COST PER M2 £1,171 £386,000 TOTAL COST
BUILDING WORK COMMENCED June 2018
BUILDING WORK TOOK 52 weeks
Sarah and John Stupart’s new home sits seamlessly within its leafy setting on the edge of the Aberdeenshire countryside. The elegantly tailored house is highly energy efficient and is the result of quite the self build odyssey –a journey that involved some patience during planning, injury delays and plenty of hands-on hard work on-site. Yet, when they reflect on their project, Sarah and John wouldn’t have done anything differently.
The couple were living in Fife when they considered relocating to Aberdeenshire. They were keen to be close to the local airport where John works as a helicopter pilot. “We looked at various houses that were for sale, but they were older, needed work and were quite expensive. Plus, nothing seemed to float our boat,” says Sarah. “I’d renovated properties before and had been involved with capital building projects in my previous role as a facilities manager for Scottish Water. So, I was comfortable with the idea of a new build.”
Eventually, the couple found a plot online. “The land actually encompassed two plots with outline planning permission for a pair of dwellings. We made the decision to buy both so we could have a bigger house on the 0.3-acre site,” says Sarah.