Keen to self-build but eager to stay in the community, Dennis and Maureen Stephens came up with a clever contemporary design for a farmland plot that won over the planners

WORDS & PHOTOS KATY DONALDSON

THE STEPHENS FILE

NAMES Dennis & Maureen Stephens

OCCUPATIONS Retired

LOCATION Hampshire

TYPE OF PROJECT Self-build

STYLE Contemporary

CONSTRUCTION METHOD Timber frame

PLOT SIZE 0.25 acres

LAND COST £285,000

BOUGHT March 2015

HOUSE SIZE 184m²

PROJECT COST £295,000

PROJECT COST PER M2 £1,603

TOTAL COST £580,000

VAT RECLAIM £12,000

BUILDING WORK COMMENCED April 2015

BUILDING WORK TOOK 28 weeks

CURRENT VALUE £850,000

After 12 years living in a traditional cottage in the picturesque village of Houghton, Dennis and Maureen Stephens were ready for a change – so they decided that the time was right to take on the challenge of a self-build project. The couple are active members of the local community and were therefore keen to stay as close to home as possible, so they kept their search for a potential plot within the village boundaries.

Houghton lies in the beautiful Test Valley, just outside Stockbridge, and is largely made up of typical rural Hampshire properties – with a mix of thatched oak and brick-and-slate houses. There are nearly 50 listed buildings in the settlement, of which the oldest examples date back to the 15th century, and most of the village falls within a conservation area.

The pair wanted to create a contemporary home with low running costs that would be easy to maintain. The only stumbling block was that there had been no new construction in the immediate area for at least a decade – so the couple knew that they might face a struggle when it came to making a planning application.

Promised land

Dennis and Maureen had previously noticed an area of farmland located right in the centre of the village, lying between two existing properties. With its position directly alongside the road, access wasn’t an issue, so it seemed like a good candidate for a building plot.

Beams have been incorporated at the thresholds between the kitchen, living area and dining room to help delineate between the zones

While the site didn’t lie inside the current settlement boundary, they discovered that the Local Plan was in the process of being redrafted in order to include it. With that in mind, the couple approached the local farmer who owned the plot and discussed the possibility of taking an option on the land. The farmer agreed and a suitable contract was drawn up. This meant that Dennis and Maureen would have the sole right to buy the property for a set period of time, should they be able to gain planning consent for a design they were happy with. “This was crucial for us as it meant that nobody else could bid for the site,” says Dennis.