BACK TO NATURE

Justin and Linda Tyers’ new straw bale and timber frame home in Exmoor National Park was built for just £67k and has become a leading example of what can be achieved on a tight budget in this protected rural location

On occasion, we come across a project which throws up immediate headlines — Justin and Linda Tyers’ new home is case in point: built for £67k, in a national park and constructed from straw bale. What’s more, the house was designed and built almost entirely by the couple, and it’s completely off grid (“except for broadband and phone,” smiles Justin). Rightly so, this build and the pioneering self-builders behind it won the ‘Spirit of Self-build’ award in the Daily Telegraph Homebuilding & Renovating Awards during the closing months of 2017. Justin and Linda’s story begins, like many others, with a plot search. The couple, both keen sailors, had previously spent seven years living on a boat in the Outer Hebrides. Having decided to move back to Somerset, their first challenge was to find an affordable piece of land. “We knew we had £105,000 to spend on the plot and the build,” says Justin. Fortunately, the couple’s previous connections to the area meant they qualified under Exmoor National Park’s affordable housing policy. “The policy allows plots to be sold below market value to people with a local connection, but the resulting house has to remain affordable if ever sold,” explains Justin. The policy imposes a size restriction of 90m2 on single dwellings, too. The reality of finding a plot within their budget, even under the scheme, proved a challenge however. Fortune eventually brought them to a steep piece of land on the edge of a small village. Planning was in place for two houses on the 30m x 30m site, but the couple returned to the planners with their revised proposal for one home. Building a Home for £67,000 Taking on the challenge of designing their new home was one of the first steps Justin and Linda took when it came to keeping a tight rein on costs. “I never thought I would be able to design a house, but because this had to be affordable, we took this route,” says Justin. The couple had already decided on the construction – timber frame and straw bale (more on page 62) – and had strong ideas about the layout. “We lived in a rental property with a mezzanine level, which worked really well for us,” says Linda, “and because we didn’t anticipate living anywhere else again, we could make the house as quirky as we wanted and we didn’t need to cram in lots of bedrooms.” While the couple admit to feeling “sheepish” when first presenting their hand-drawn plans to the national park planning authority, the planners were supportive of their design. “The planning officer initially said: ‘I think you need to find an architect’; I think they were worried that we would set a precedent. But as soon as they could see that what we were trying to achieve was an affordable home that was in keeping with the area and something different to a square box, they really got behind the idea,” explains Justin. “The planning officer ended up saying: ‘I’d love to see this built’.” The couple followed up their planning approval by preparing plans for Building Regs’ purposes, and drawing up a thorough cost plan. “I downloaded the Building Reg- ulations; it was tedious reading through each part, but worthwhile,” says Justin. Material specification was another key ingredient to achieving their build cost. “Every time we bought something we had cost in mind because the budget was fairly lean; we had to consider every pound spent,” says Linda. “For instance, we bought the windows unpainted and unglazed and finished them ourselves, saving money.” “I did consider making the windows, but it would have taken three to four months. The biggest drivers were time and money,” says Justin, who, together with Linda, was keen to minimise their time living on a building site. “If we hadn’t been living in a tiny caravan, desperate to move into the house, I would have probably put more detail into some of the finishes.” Where they could, the couple sourced their materials ‘from source’ — from all the timber used to the straw bales. Timber for the frame, cladding and the roof was sourced from a local sawmill, while

“Every time we bought something we had cost in mind because the budget was fairly lean”

the wood for the floorboards and kitchen came directly from a forest in Scotland, where the Tyers were originally planning to build. “We got in touch with the Forestry Commission and bought our timber ‘in the round’; you pay them to fell the tree and then you hire a contractor with a mobile saw mill to cut the timber to your cutting list. Then you’ve got to get that pile of timber out of the forest. You’ve got to solve all the problems yourself, but you get what you want — and you get it at a good (wholesale) price,” explains Justin. The third factor which contributed to their low build cost was taking on as much of the work as they could manage. “My biggest challenge was the amount of physical work and having to keep driving on — I’d often do 90-day stretches, getting up at 5am and working until 6pm,” says Justin. Laying the concrete slab foundations (with the aid of a mini digger and driver), installing the timber frame, slating the roof, building the straw bale walls, plastering and the first and second fix plumbing were just a few tasks they took on. “A mistake I made however was thinking I could build the whole timber frame myself. When I saw the pile at the sawmill, I suddenly realised I couldn’t move all the timbers by myself on site. That unforeseen detail cost us £8,000,” adds Justin. Work on the large trusses was sourced out to a company in nearby Dartmoor. “It was worth it though; we’d still be chipping away now otherwise,” reflects Linda.

Off-grid Living

Not only do the Tyers live mortgage-free, thanks to their low build cost, but they’re virtually free of utility bills. “It was going to be very expensive to connect to electricity, so we decided to go off grid,” begins Justin. PV panels generate the couple’s electricity, with a “big bank of batteries” providing power at night and on duller days. There’s a generator too, which Justin bought early on in the project to supply electricity to the site, which now offers a back-up solution should they ever need it. An Esse wood-fired range is used for cooking but also supplies hot water and space heating when it’s running in the winter. heater In the supplies summer hot months, water and an immersion the couple use a LPG hob. (There’s also a woodburning stove which provides additional heat.) What’s more, when the PV panels charge the batteries to 100 per cent, the system automatically turns the immersion heater on — the surplus energy heats the water. The couple are off grid for water and sewerage (with a sewerage treatment plant), too. “We were going to dig a borehole for drinking water, but there is a small spring on site — it had a tiny flow, but the flow was

constant. We decided to try and pump it to a 2,000litre underground tank,” explains Justin. “It was a bit nerve-racking, as we didn’t know how much water there would be,” says Linda. This gamble paid off, however. “We’re never short of water and the kit (including filtration) cost £2,000 — the borehole alone would have cost that.” The couple admit that off-grid living does require some consideration. “Living on a sailing boat you’re off grid; it’s a lifestyle and we were used to it. The key really is to do those power-hungry things – running the washing machine, power tools, the immer- sion heater, and so on – on a sunny day and the panels will take care of the power needed in real time.” The Tyers’ project has not been without its challenges, but the result speaks for itself. The couple are now helping local groups to get affordable self-build schemes off the ground. “I would say to anyone of any age or ability, just have a go. Not only do you get a house from it, but you get skills,” says Justin (who is happy to pass his knowledge onto other self-builders: justin@justintyers.plus.com). “That change in attitude then floods into every aspect of your life.”