Modular package home
Having their new property manufactured off-site has delivered an energy efficient and contemporary home for Colin and Jeannie Lloyd to relocate from Spain and enjoy life back in the UK
Planning complications weren't going to stop Colin and Jeannie Lloyd from self building this new bungalow, which was pre-manufactured off-site by a turnkey supplier
Build It September 2020
Septuagenarians Colin and Jeannie Lloyd can recall the exact moment they decided to build their own home. After yet another hot day at their villa on the Costa Blanca, they stepped inside to shelter from the heat, swapping sun loungers for their comfy sofa in front the television. “Because of my background in building and joinery, I enjoy watching all the property programmes,” says Colin. “One we watched that day was particularly interesting. at’s when we started asking ourselves, ‘Why don’t we buy a timber frame modular home?’”
The Lloyds had lived in Spain for 15 years, even though the original intention was to stay for just two. ey moved to help Colin convalesce after a serious motoring accident. But the years slipped by and, gradually, they settled into their new life in the Spanish sun. By the time Colin and Jeannie reached their seventies, it seemed like
the right moment to return to their roots. e decision was prompted in part by an opportunity enabling them to build their dream home on a plot of land amid the grounds of Colin’s 90-yearold father’s home. “He had tried to get planning permission before, but to no avail. However, I was convinced we could get the green light for a single-story building,” says Colin.
Initially, permission was refused. “Because all the gardens in the area are large, the local council was trying to stop us creating a precedent by building. But a neighbour had already done so, which meant I wasn’t prepared to give up,” says Colin. e couple decided to recruit the help of specialist planning consultants, Stansgate
Planning, who were instrumental in finally securing consent. “My architect suggested the firm and they were extremely professional, contacting the local planning department on our behalf and resolving the issues,” he says. “My advice to those considering approaching their local authority is that, initially, you explore the local area and study nearby dwellings. en, make early contact with the planning officer and talk through your intentions; that way, you can identify potential pitfalls before you start.”
Modern bungalow
While planning issues were being resolved, Colin and Jeannie started thinking about what kind of bungalow they wanted. It wasn’t long before they decided on a modular property from Dan
Wood – experienced manufacturers of energy-efficient, timberframe turnkey homes. After careful consideration, they opted for the company’s Perfect 125DE model with a few alterations. “e good thing is that, within some degree, you can move and adjust internal walls how you like. So, for various reasons, we did that,” says Jeannie.
“From the original Dan-wood floorplans, we redesigned the front entrance and moved the partition wall between the bathroom and the utility, which gave us more space in the utility for units, washing machine and dryer,” adds Colin. “Plus, Jeannie wanted a walk-in wardrobe so we took around nine inches off the rather large ensuite. ese few adjustments made the bungalow just right for us.” “We made other alterations to the original spec, such as different carpets,” says Jeannie. “Also, Dan-wood are sensible enough to understand that choice of kitchen style is very personal. So, this wasn’t included in the package. Instead, the company did all the preparation work while we chose the units and arranged fitting.”
During the early stages of the project, the Lloyds were still living in Spain, so any discussions with Dan-wood or the architect were conducted via Skype. “I’d contact Tony Lunn at Dan-wood’s office in the Scottish Borders in the afternoons and he’d tell me about his snowy, frosty weather while I’d be inside because it was too hot,” recalls Colin, who reveals speed of build was another major factor in choosing a modular home. “A traditional build route would probably have taken four times as long. Plus, when we returned from Spain we rented initially, so didn’t want to be paying for that for too long.”
Colin and Jeannie admit they didn’t know anything about Dan-wood when they approached the company. “In fact, we didn’t even look at any of their designs in person because we were still abroad,” says Colin. “Some people are amazed when I tell them we chose everything off their website. I guess we were taking a chance but it’s worked out perfectly.”
Starting on site
e purchase was self-financed and their initial budget of £225,000 was only exceeded due to extra work involved in digging out and laying foundations, plus altering the spec of the bungalow to meet
A traditional build route would probably have t a ken four times as long
their needs. “ere were nowhere near the amount of problems I would have expected on a traditional build because we weren’t using bricks and so forth. Fitting the kitchen turned out to be a dream because on this kind of build the internal corners are absolutely square and all the walls in line,” says Colin.
Once the Lloyds were back in the UK, Colin used his knowledge of the building trade to play a hands-on role, particularly in the early stages. With the help of local labour, he cleared the site, laid foundations and completed brick and blockwork up to DPC level. Generally, things went smoothly, however, the foundations did cause a few headaches. e proximity of trees and roots together with the subsoil being red clay meant Colin was told that foundations had to be dug deeper than normal. “Because of this we used concrete trench fill, bringing it up to within 18 inches of the DPC, before finishing with brick and blockwork,” he says. “In normal ground conditions you wouldn’t go down as far or use so much material.”
Although frustrating, Colin understands why the building inspector requested deeper foundations. Recalling the heatwave of 1976, he says: “During that hot summer, there was much subsidence on new properties in the area because they were built on red clay using strip foundations. Clay shrinks and dries up so many properties were affected, hence building control changed dramatically.”
Taking shape
Once groundwork was complete, it wasn’t long before the Lloyds’ new modular bungalow arrived on site – a day Colin and Jeannie remember vividly. “e lorries from Poland were huge and getting the great big crane into position on day one of the actual build was very interesting!” says Colin. “In my father’s section of the garden, there are enormous 60-foot fir trees. So, the crane had to be wedged in at an angle in order to lift the panels off the trucks. Bearing in mind it was January, we were lucky there was no wind that day because the panels had to be heaved over these enormous trees. It worked out better than I anticipated, to be honest, and with the footprint of the property some 65 metres off the main road, it wasn’t causing too much of an inconvenience to my father and his visitors.”
e bungalow is a timber frame design with 350mm thick walls, packed with insulation, triple glazed windows and doors plus fully insulated internal partition walls. e walls and ceilings are totally sealed before dry lining, it’s an extremely economical, eco-friendly
building with an A rating on its Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). “All these energy efficient features were part of the basic Dan-wood package but the local planning department said we must also have 10% renewable energy, so we’ve added solar panels on the roof, which more than cover this. ey provide four kilowatts when the sun shines, which goes back to the grid,” says Colin, who opted for the standard package of a boiler (supplied by Vaillant), hot water tank and radiators to heat the property. “Underfloor heating would have been extra so we stuck to good old traditional central heating with radiators.”
Sustainable new home
Colin and Jeannie are more than happy with the results of their package home build. “e house’s energy efficiency is incredible, which is a big selling point in today’s times. Our utility bills – gas, electric and water – come in at less than £1,000 per annum. Plus, we get back about £150 a year for electricity generated from the solar panels that goes to the grid,” adds Jeannie.
In terms of workmanship, the couple couldn’t fault their main contractor, Dan-wood. “e quality of work in many instances was far beyond what I would have expected if built in the conventional way,” says Colin, who points out that the only Polish word he learnt during the build was ‘dobra’. “at means ‘good’ so I’d spend time wandering around the site saying this because it was!”
e Lloyds always felt involved in the project. “Michał Murzyn, who was Dan-wood’s site engineer on the build, was excellent,” says
Jeannie. “He’d turn up regularly to supervise his workforce, check on progress and to see if we had any problems which needed resolving.”
Outside space was also important to the Lloyds so they made sure it was considered during initial planning stages. “We had to allow sufficient turning space next to the property because part of the planning permission stipulated that cars must be able to drive out of the property forwards, rather than reversing,” says Colin, who also had to ensure the driveway was wide enough to accommodate emergency vehicles. “I’m a keen golfer and play bowls, so love lawns. at’s why we’ve laid to lawn a vast part of the garden along with some planting. We’re pleased with how it looks.”
Now the three-bedroom bungalow is complete and has been lived in for a while, the Lloyds are very proud of their home. “When you’ve experienced a few trials and tribulations, seeing the finished product for the first time has got to be the most rewarding moment of the project – that’s what we felt,” says Colin. “en, you forget about any hassles or the money you’ve spent because it’s just such a major achievement to know everything has come together.”