Surrounded by a tranquil garden, Colin and Chris Pilcher’s Passivhaus-standard Devon home is impressive in both looks and energy efficiency

WORDS EMILY BROOKS PHOTOS JAMES FRENCH

Colin and Chris Pilcher admit they had always been very fussy when it came to buying property. But in the case of their current home, their selectiveness was about location rather than the buildings themselves. A rural setting with the potential for a beautiful garden far outranked whatever the house itself off ered. That’s why, in 2012, they decided to buy a damp, falling-apart cottage on the edge of a Devon village, after just a 10-minute viewing and in the face of fierce competition.

At the time, the couple were semi-retired and looking for a property-related project, however not necessarily a self-build. In anticipation, the pair had sold their home and moved into rented accommodation, knowing that as cash buyers they could “get to the front of the queue,” as Colin puts it, when the right opportunity arose. The plan worked – they weren’t the highest bidders, but they were in the most favourable position for a quick sale.

“We bought the cottage with a view to renovating and extending, but it was in a dire state – there were windows held with tape, and the whole place was rotting,” says Colin. “Our architect told us to go round the house with a clipboard and write down all the interesting features. We soon saw where he was coming from – there weren’t any.”

Early rejection

It didn’t take the Pilchers long to decide to demolish and rebuild. They were charmed by the idea of an older-looking house with a contemporary extension, and their initial thoughts revolved around reconstructing the building in a similar, traditional style with a modern addition. “The planners didn’t take to it, though, and said they were going to decline our application,” says Colin. The couple decided the best way forward was to withdraw the plans before they could be turned down. They went back to the drawing board hoping to find something suitable.