The house that Jaques built

Joe and Becky Jaques drew on family heritage to create a Georgian-inspired home that boasts 21st-century style

WORDS JANET MCMEEKIN PHOTOS PHIL RABY

THE JAQUES FILE

NAMES Joe & Becky Jaques

OCCUPATIONS Eighth-generation games maker & housewife

LOCATION Surrey

TYPE OF BUILD Self build

STYLE Georgian

CONSTRUCTION METHOD Structural timber frame with a brick outer skin and a reinforced concrete basement

PLOT SIZE 1,214m²

LAND COST £460,000

BOUGHT 2012

HOUSE SIZE 445m²

PROJECT COST £764,877

PROJECT COST PER M2 £1,719

TOTAL COST £1,224,877

VAT RECLAIM £200,000

BUILDING WORK COMMENCED March 2014

BUILDING WORK TOOK 52 weeks

CURRENT VALUE £2,200,000

When an opportunity arose for Joe Jaques to create his own house, he was determined that the property would pay homage to the Georgian origins of his family’s successful home entertainment company, Jaques of London. Founded back in 1795, the firm is one of the oldest sports and games manufacturing businesses in the world and is responsible for popularising a range of pastimes including croquet and ping pong, as well as a plethora of card games.

The company, which has been passed down through eight generations, is now run by Joe and two of his cousins. “Right from the moment my wife Becky and I decided to create our own home, I knew I wanted it to reflect the era when Jaques of London was first established – a period that I’m absolutely passionate about,” says Joe.

Despite the fact that this was the couple’s first self build project, Joe was unfazed, as he knew exactly who would be able to help bring their vision to fruition. “I’m extremely fortunate since my brother David runs Jaques Construction,” says Joe. “I totally trusted him to deliver the dream house we wanted – and he did.”

“I’d always fancied building my own home. It was something my brother and I had discussed many times, and then suddenly the penny dropped”

The perfect plot

In 2011, the couple – who were living in a three-bed townhouse in Reigate – began thinking about starting a family. They soon decided that they’d need a larger home. “We both enjoy living in this area, which happens to have good schools,” says Joe. “However, when we began looking for a dwelling, nothing appealed.”