LOW POINT:
“I was quite shocked to realise that the excavation was a much bigger project than we anticipated. Instead of 300 tons
of soil we had to move nearly five times that and it cost £20,000 just for that part of the build, so it wasn’t a particularly good start”
THE GARDEN FEATURES A DECKED TERRACE, HOT TUB AND BOUNDARY PLANTING
THE TILES USED IN THE BATHROOM COUPLED WITH UNDERFLOOR HEATING CREATED A HIGH-END, LUXURIOUS SPACE
But the foundations and timber frame were
both built with such laser-levelled accuracy that they slotted perfectly together. The 2,000 sq ft house started to take shape so quickly once the timber frame was up that the remainder of the build was relatively trouble-free. The exterior walls were built in stone and block render, the slate roof built and tied into the blockwork, then the doors and mock sash windows installed. Underfloor heating was laid in the basement and ground floors with conventional radiators on the top floor. First and second fixes included all the kitchen and bathroom fittings, along with tiled walls and floors, and Merbau flooring in the key living areas. “I designed the kitchen in my mind two years before I ever decided to build this house, so I
24 selfbuilder & homemaker
www.sbhonline.co.uk
knew exactly what I wanted,” says Charlie. “I designed everything from start to finish – including the décor. I managed and sourced everything and my regular team of builders and craftsmen built the property. I am very demand- ing but I lead from the front. I love the whole process of creating something from nothing, but I know how I want things done and I won’t cut corners. I suppose that can make me difficult to work for but I think I am firm, but fair. I don’t expect anything from others that I wouldn’t expect from myself.” Which is why Charlie landscaped the site
himself, levelling the soil to create a seamless link between the ground floor and the garden, and installing 440 retaining posts – each 8ft – using a rubber mallet. A local farmer supplied
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