Handcrafted Home

Philip Coe was just 23 when he built a contemporary home for £80,000 with his partner Flo

One young couple, armed with determination and willingness to learn on the job, self-build their first home for just £80,000

Phil Coe was just eight years old when he built his first house. “My parents built their own place when I was very young, and the builders gave me a pile of bricks and cement so I could have a go. I also remember passing up bricks to them when they were building the chimney and generally getting stuck in wherever I could,” he explains.

The experience gave Phil a taste for construction, which would eventually lead to his first major project at just 23. “It’s something I’ve always wanted to do for as long as I can remember; I loved the whole idea of building my own place from scratch.”

At 16, Phil got an apprenticeship as a joiner and by the time he was 22 he was looking for his first self-build opportunity, together with partner Flo. He found one close to home, too — an old agricultural shed in his parents’ garden which had stood derelict for years.

While much of the existing fabric (including the asbestos cladding) would need to be stripped away, the concrete portal frame would provide the starting point for their new home. Phil presented his design ideas to local architect Ric Blenkharn, who suggested some key changes to draw light into the house. “My idea was to cram in as much as possible into the space, whereas Ric showed me that by taking the main living area into the roof space, creating a mezzanine, and altering the size and shape of the windows, I could build something really contemporary,” says Phil.

Planning proved straightforward (more on page 66). “The chair of the local parish council is a neighbour and was incredibly helpful, not only in terms of planning advice but also on a practical level,” says Phil.

A DIY Build

The first major job on site was to demolish much of the old farm shed, including the asbestos panels which had to be taken off site for safe disposal.

Phil decided to start afresh with the foundations, digging out the old concrete slab floor and wheelbarrowing the rubble off site. He then laid the new 1m-deep strip foundations, the damp-proof course and subfloor, working around the original concrete structural posts which would become an internal feature of the new house.

“I didn’t have any building experience but that didn’t bother me,” reflects Phil. “I knew the basics from college and could find the rest online. I watched a Youtube video to make sure I was laying the foundations properly; it’s amazing how much you can learn on the internet.”

The timber frame was the next job; Phil built the timber panels on site before they were lifted into position with the help of friends and family. He also built the roof trusses on site. “I managed to hire scaffolding at a long-term fixed rate – another example of people’s support – so I could raise the trusses to roof height and fit them myself,” says Phil. “I then built and fitted 100mm ply panels on top and put OSB (oriented strand board) on the outside, during a week off work. I laid a waterproof membrane over the OSB myself which meant the building was almost watertight.” Phil proceeded to make his own bespoke window frames – which are all different specs and sizes – which he spray-painted and fitted with pre-cut glass made to order. “It took a couple of weekends to make the window frames,” Phil says. “The bifold doors took a lot longer because of the mechanisms involved. I fitted these in after work. I was really fortunate because a local company, Richard James Kitchens, allowed me to use their workshops and machinery at weekends and evenings, which was incredibly helpful.

“We were amazed by the generosity of people who helped out in various ways. I think they could see that I was just a young person working hard to a very tight budget.”

Once the windows and external doors were in place Phil focused on the larch cladding. This proved to be one of the most challenging and time-consuming tasks of

“I watched a Youtube video to make sure I was laying the foundations properly”

the entire build, involving endless ladder climbing and precise measuring. “Each panel was made on site and then fitted from the bottom up,” says Phil. “The panels were notched round the window frames and everything had to be in line. I would be up and down the ladder five or six times for each panel. It took several weekends to get all the cladding in place.”

Phil’s hands-on approach didn’t end with the main structure. Although he hired an electrician and plumber for the first and second fix work, and a plasterer, he fitted the plasterboard, laid the floorboards upstairs and made the kitchen cabinets, bathroom cabinets, hall furniture and the fitted wardrobes himself. He also took on the tiling and fitted the B&Q internal doors; Flo helped him decorate.

“Our first night here was surreal,” reflects Phil. “For two years, every spare minute, every weekend and every holiday was spent on the house, starting early in the morning and often working late into the evening. I still see things that could be better but overall it’s been an amazing experience — loads of fun and a huge learning curve.

“Would I do it again? Yes, like a shot. It’s a big thing to take on board but if you approach it with the right mindset it’s really not that difficult,” he concludes.