Karen and Ian Henderson’s fabric-first property in the Scottish Borders is ultra energy efficient – and choosing a hands-on approach, taking on some of the jobs and project managing, means they’ve achieved great value for money, too

WORDS HEATHER DIXON PHOTOS DAVE BURTON

FACT FILE

NAMES Karen & Ian Henderson

OCCUPATIONS Teacher & JCB contractor

LOCATION Melrose, Scottish Borders

TYPE OF PROJECT Self-build

STYLE Contemporary

CONSTRUCTION METHOD Blockwork

PROJECT ROUTE Self managed

PLOT SIZE 1 acre (with a further 6 acres of land)

LAND COST £200,000

HOUSE SIZE 143m²

PROJECT COST £199,300

PROJECT COST PER M2 £1,394

TOTAL COST £399,300

VAT RECLAIM £14,000

BUILDING WORK COMMENCED July 2014

BUILDING WORK TOOK 18 months

Karen and Ian Henderson had spent five years looking for land to self-build on when they finally heard about a prime village plot on the outskirts of Melrose in the Scottish Borders. “We constructed our last house as a project and during that time discovered I was expecting our son Jack,” says Karen. “As a result, we lived there for six years before we decided to sell it and build the family home we really wanted.”

The plot’s picturesque location was just what they were after. There was the added bonus of extra land for their horses, plus a small dwelling they nicknamed The Cave, the existence of which meant they could live on site while their new home was being built. The land came with existing planning consent for a property that was too big for their needs and oversized in relation to surrounding dwellings. “We wanted something smaller, less complicated and very eco-friendly,” says Karen. “Changing it meant we had to go to planning and effectively start again, but the fact that it was smaller and more in-keeping with local properties worked in our favour.” There were no objections, but the head of planning was adamant about one thing: the house had to be parallel with the boundary.