Self building with friends creates two dream homes

OWNERS Martin & Sharon Newman

PROJECT Self build

LOCATION East Sussex

SIZE 240m2 (for one house)

PROJECT COST £534,000 (for one house)

COST PER M2 £2,225

Having made the most of their weekend getaway close to the famous Camber Sands beach in East Sussex, when Londoners Sharon and Martin Newman saw a plot for sale a few doors down from their holiday home, it sparked the idea that they could create their dream home in their favourite spot. Discussing it with some friends, they decided to take on the project together to create semi-detached homes – a clever move that allowed them to split the cost of the plot and the main construction.

The popular location meant there was a lot of interest in the plot and the Newmans lost out on their bid. However, several months later they got a call saying the sale had fallen through and it was available to them – they jumped at the chance and secured the sale.

Both homeowners had different requirements for the layout of their floorplan, but the external appearance of the two properties needed to be harmonious. They worked through their ideas with Rob Pollard of RX Architects, who had experience with working with the local planners. The scheme developed into a contemporary, flat-roof design, with timber cladding and first floor balconies on both sides.

When work could begin on site, the Newmans and their soon-tobe neighbours were shocked to discover that initial pricings were coming in way higher than they wanted to spend. “Using more wood than steel meant we were able to go with a concrete raft rather than piled foundations,” says Martin. Other aesthetic changes helped to bring costs down, such as shopping around for flooring and dropping the plans for garden studios and lots of landscaping. “With careful planning and web-based research, it’s possible to vastly reduce your spend,” he says. All the hard work paid off, as the build was delivered virtually on schedule and only £1,000 over budget.

Martin and Sharon are delighted with their new beach-side home and spend the majority of their time there. “Soho was a fun place to live, but you cannot begin to understand just how much our lives have changed now for the better,” says Sharon. “Clean air, a beach on our doorstep and a local pub where we actually know people – being here is so wonderfully different to London living.”

Fortunately, the project didn’t cause any rifts in friendship with their neighbours. “This sort of undertaking could be tricky,” says Martin, “but it works as long as you have a solid friendship and accept that it’s inevitable to fall out every now and then.”

Full story online: www.self-build.co.uk/newman