“Because we used permitted development to build the house, we had to use full planning permission for the barn” – Tris
insulation he needed to make the house as efficient as possible – something the couple were passionate about. “We like the idea of being self-sufficient, explains at. This is why they installed solar panels, battery storage, and an air source heat pump, which Tris confesses “is the bit I got really nerdy on! I really love all this stuff.” Despite the structure itself being in good condition, the same couldn’t be said for the utilities. The barn had a water supply, but it was deemed to be not compliant due to its low pressure. As well as a better water supply, they wanted to futureproof against rising electricity prices – “we wanted three-phase, as we’ve got a large solar PV system and battery storage.” They opted not to connect to gas, choosing instead to install an air source pump for their underfloor heating and hot water.
They had a minor delay with connecting the utilities as it had to connect via a neighbour’s driveway which links to theirs. Fortunately, the property used to be part of the family’s farmyard and when it was sold they retained access and right of connection. Managing the project was largely down to Nick, with Kat and Tris in constant communication with him, visiting the site whenever possible. Although both working full time, they both work partly from home and so between them managed to be onsite most days. “There wasn’t really a day go by without a decision, which Nick would never make without
jan/feb 2023
asking us first. It took up a lot of our time, says Kat. “We were really pretty reliant on having somebody that we built up a trust with,” adds Tris. Work began onsite in July 2021, and the couple moved in in August 2022, with just the patio left to finish. I never thought it would only take a year,” says Kat. “I’m amazed we managed to get it done so fast.” There were a few minor issues, partly down to the nature of the barn, where walls weren’t as straight and in line as they would have been had it been originally built as a dwelling. “Working around that gave them some headaches,” Tris admits. They also faced a two month delay getting their windows, due to a shortage of a certain essential component. “We managed to rejig the schedule to work around it somewhat, but we probably lost the best part of a month,” says Tris.
The couple weren’t that ‘hands on,’ in part because of time, but also because they had the budget to spend on getting people in to get things done quicker. “If you do it yourself, you save money, but things take longer,” says Kat. They did a lot of the decorating and finishing, though Tris estimates they could have saved a third of their cost if they’d taken on other elements themselves. They went roughly £60K over their budget, partly because of materials price rises following Covid, and also because they didn’t want to compromise on certain aspects. “We spent a lot
www.sbhonline.co.uk 51
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68
