Room to build your dream
ARIGHT To Build Expert Task Force was launched in February by the National Custom & Self Build Association to help people who want to build their own homes following the passing of last year’s Right To Build legislation. Right To Build requires local authorities in England to grant planning permission for 18,000 serviced plots by November 2019.
But National Custom & Self Build Association chairman Michael Holmes believes this is the tip of the iceberg. “There is huge untapped potential in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland,” he says.
That will certainly be the hope at the Homebuilding & Renovating Show at the NEC in Birmingham from March 23 to 26.
As well as hundreds of exhibitors selling, literally, the building blocks for self-build homes there is an advice centre for free impartial guidance. Architects will cover topics including building regulations and structural engineer calculations and there’s also a planning clinic for advice about laws plus live DIY demonstrations.
BUILDING your own home or renovating an old one is no easy feat, even for professionals such as architects Lydia Robinson and Lawrence Grigg. The couple transformed two old miners’ cottages near Bristol after returning from Canada to set up design and architecture company Design Storey (0333 733 1373; design-storey.co.uk).
The 18th century cottages had been knocked into one in the 1950s but they wanted to return the listed building to its original two and retain period features while making it fit for 21st century living.
Describing it as “the classic ugliest house on the street”, they bought the property for £220,000 in November 2013.
They wanted to open up the rooms to bring in more natural light but because it was in a conservation area the planning regulations were very strict. “Being keen on changing the use of the property from one to two cottages and wanting to have two bedrooms in each, we had to look at how to add additional space to the rear,” explains Lydia, 38.
“In the green belt in this area, you’re not allowed to extend more than a third of the size of the original, so we calculated carefully the volume of the extensions until we could prove our case.”
From a building regulations point of view, one of the cottages was considered a new dwelling so there were implications in terms of energy performance. But because they were committed to restoring the façade of the house a certain amount of leeway was granted for the contemporary addition at the back.
After eight weeks they were awarded planning permission and moved into one of the cottages to discover that the house had original stone rear walls, ground-floor flagstones under a concrete floor, an inglenook fireplace behind a later coal one that gave the room more depth and elm floorboards upstairs under 10 layers of lino.
They also had to achieve a low energy consumption while balancing breathability – vital to old buildings – and air-tightness that can cut out draughts but cause damp.
In the end they sold both cottages for a total £600,000 and have now bought a Grade II Listed farmhouse to restore.
But even with their expertise as architects they have learnt important lessons. “Identify what’s interesting before giving it your own spin,” says Lawrence, 45. “Be inspired by what’s already there and don’t try to eradicate its character.”
There are more lessons to be learnt at the show. For information call 01527 834402 or go to national.homebuildingshow.co.uk