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For Mark Kingston, self building his own home proved to be a thoroughly satisfying and enjoyable experience, but living in the result has turned out to be even more fulfilling
WORDS CAROLINE EDNIE PHOTOS NIGEL RIGDEN
THE KINGSTON FILE
NAMES Mark & Marjorie Kingston
OCCUPATIONS Retired
LOCATION Dornoch, Sutherland
TYPE OF BUILD Self build
STYLE Contemporary
CONSTRUCTION METHOD Timber frame
PLOT SIZE 1,781m2
LAND COST £152,500
BOUGHT 2012
HOUSE SIZE 239m²
PROJECT COST £416,750
PROJECT COST PER M2 £1,744
TOTAL COST £569,250
VAT RECLAIM £14,800
BUILDING WORK COMMENCED November 2013
BUILDING WORK TOOK 17 months
CURRENT VALUE £600,000
There are plenty of relaxing areas to sit back and take in the stunning view
Mark Kingston’s first foray into self building certainly wasn’t low-key in terms of ambition, but he looks back on the project with almost nostalgia-tinged fondness. For the retired GP, it was the high-octane job satisfaction and uplifting team spirit that made the process so enjoyable. “When you’ve done up a lot of houses you learn from your mistakes,” he says. “I’ve completed various DIY tasks over the years – necessity being the mother of invention – but I really liked that building your own house from scratch allows you to get your hands dirty. It was great stopping at the end of the day and looking back at what I’d done – the contentment was huge.”
Mark managed the whole thing himself and took part in a hefty amount of work. “I was involved every step of the way,” he says. “I gave up my two jobs, bought a static caravan to stay in on site and got going with the project. I’m in my 60s, so I didn’t do the heavy lifting, but I was the main contractor and established relationships with local trades early on. We all worked together and I was on-hand to help out and answer any questions; it was a great experience.”