CONTACTS/ SUPPLIERS


DRIVEWAY GATES


Kinder Timber Products kindertimberproducts.co.uk


AIR TESTING Airtight & Noisecheck 01329 284647


FOUNDATION CONCRETE


& FLOOR SCREEDS L&S Waste Management lswaste.co.uk


INSULATED FLOOR


Bison Precast www.bison.co.uk


LVT Value Floors DCTUK


www.valuefloors.co.uk www.dctuk.com


CARPETS


1st Choice Carpets & Flooring


www.1stchoicecarpets.co.uk


TEGULA BLOCK PAVING Tobermore


www.tobermore.co.uk


STAIRCASE Jubilee Joinery 01329 750678


WOODEN SLEEPERS


Fairoak Sleepers fairoaksleepers.co.uk


SMART LIGHTING Philips Hue


www.meethue.com


WHIRLPOOL BATH Watermark Spas


www.watermarkspas.co.uk


PEDESTRIAN GATE Garden Street


www.gardenstreet.co.uk


SANDSTONE SLABS Natural Stone & Timber www.naturalstoneandtimber. co.uk


EXTERNAL BALUSTRADING Square 1


square-1balustrades.co.uk


FENCING North Oaks Fencing northoaksfencing.co.uk


RAINWATER GOODS Lindab


www.lindab.com/uk


BUILDERS MERCHANTS Travis Perkins; Elliotts www.travisperkins.co.uk www.elliotts.uk


corner up to the mezzanine floor. The left wall is lined with slim windows placed high as this side is next to the street, while the right hand side has several sliding doors. The high windows were Cedric’s idea: “It’s brilliant, we’ve got privacy on the street side but lots of glass the other side,” says Ian. “Even on a cloudy day it’s really bright because we’ve got so much glazing and the Velux windows above the stairwell.”


The mezzanine floor is a large, open space, and houses an additional bathroom and a substantial plant room, home to the MVHR system. A small area at the back has been allocated to gym equipment, while the rest currently remains empty while they decide what to do with it. The house is a mixture of contemporary styles with more traditional additions. “We wanted a contemporary feel with a few little cosy touches,” explains Tina. “We didn’t want it too minimalist.”


The couple went “fairly conventional” on heating and hot water, says Ian, with a gas condensing boiler system feeding radiators throughout the ground floor (the house is so well insulated they decided radiators would be unnecessary upstairs). They considered other options but dismissed them for various reasons – the drying time for underfloor heating screed put them off, while other systems just seemed too complicated and expensive to install. “Gas is


november/december 2019


still the cheapest option and chose it here,” Ian explains. “Heat pumps are great, but I couldn’t really justify it.”


They looked at installing solar panels, but the Feed-In Tariff ended on 1 April, with no replacement in sight. “Everyone’s talking about trying to be more eco-friendly, and so this frustrated us,” explains Tina. “It wasn’t worth it financially,” adds Ian. “It’s a shame.” They did however install a rainwater harvesting system which they use to flush the downstairs toilets, in addition to the MVHR system and well-insulated timber frame.


They faced one final hiccup at the end when trying to get the telephone line connected. It was crucial they got it sorted with so much of the home’s smart technology, such as the boiler, relying on Wi-Fi connectivity, but achieving it was “horrendous,” says Ian. “We started mid- July this year, and I gave up in the end. We’ve now got a 4G router which works fine.” Tina says it ended up being one of the worst parts of the project. “They wanted to put overhead cables in and we just thought ‘no!’”


Now they’re finally in the house, they have some final sorting and clearing to do in the old one before they can put it on the market and fully relax and enjoy their retirement. They’re both thrilled to finally be in: “We’ve got something to our design, our brief,” says Ian. “It’s a one-off, and it suits us.” 


www.sbhonline.co.uk 63


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