ROOF Topping the Maliks’ new home is a roof on two levels – one part is pitched, the other is flat
LOW POINT
The ICF contractor threatened to pull out just weeks before they were due to start. They changed their mind but then I wasn’t sure I could trust them. I took the calculated gamble to go with them because it would have taken months to find someone else. – Dheeraj Malik
pitched roof allows a 6 metre-long bi-fold door on the third storey that gives views of the nearby hills. The space is essentially an attic now but could be converted for living space in the future.” With the family renting nearby, Dheeraj was able to be onsite during construction before and after his working day. He also took one six-week period off work to focus on the build, and says that he “loved” project managing the building process himself – with occasional input from architect David Paynter. “I was surprised to find that I was a natural,” Dheeraj adds. Other features at the Maliks’ new home include underfloor heating on all floors and a mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR) system. The MVHR, like so much of the house, is fully automated. Switches in each room, which in a traditional house might only control the light, can be programmed to perform eight different touch functions including heating, ventilation, light and music. Says Dheeraj: “The electrician said our house has got more cabling than a small factory, but I see it as future-proofing as much as I can in a world where technology is evolving so quickly.” The plot, foundations and complete build, including professional fees, cost a little over £1m. It was funded from the sale of the Maliks’ house in Slough, another property and some savings. Dheeraj says: “We do have a residual mortgage – but that’s really down to the overspend. We could have finished the house
april/may 2020
Self-builders can design the home they want and get
planning permission within just 28 days
for £200,000 less but then we wouldn’t have quite the house we wanted. We’ve already had a party for 60-odd people here and it didn’t feel overcrowded. That was our target all along, and we’re delighted with what we’ve achieved.”
www.sbhonline.co.uk 55
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