Programmes like Grand Designs and magazines such as Homebuilding & Renovating can give you the impression that self-build is centred on large, prestigious homes built with big budgets. Not so, each year lots of families build a new home for themselves for a relatively small outlay and this case study is a good example.

These clients bought the existing bungalow with the sole intention of knocking it down and replacing it with a larger, modern family home. The site is narrow and like most of us, there was a limit to the funds they could devote to the project. They contacted us through an advertisement and arranged a visit by our local consultant, Mark Windsor. Mark discussed what they were looking to achieve and built up a detailed budget of what it would all cost. Confident they were on the right track they commissioned a Feasibility Study (click "Design & Planning" for more details) and so Mark prepared a full brief for our design team with a target floor area of around 160m².

"Design & Materials listened to our budget and kept to it pretty well"

Our Head of Design, Beverley takes up the story: Restricted plots and limited budgets provide house designers with some of their stiffest challenges, says Beverley. You have to make the most of every square inch available, provide the clients with a home that satisfies their pattern of living, make the planners happy and keep a close eye on what its all going to cost.

When replacing bungalows the height of the new building is often a planning issue and this project was no different. My initial thought was a chalet style but it quickly became apparent that that format would not provide the clients with enough living space upstairs. So I opted for a cottage style with dropped eaves for the main part of the house and a chalet format for the offshoot section. This approach worked very well and following some minor changes the design was ready to submit to the planners.

"Bespoke design enabled us to have what we want; a house designed that meets our requirements and lifestyle now and in the future. Design & Materials were also very accommodating of the changes we wanted as well as allowing planning changes to be made on the hoof".

Mark Windsor continues the story: The site is on the edge of a Conservation Area and therefore the replacement dwelling was subject to much scrutiny regarding sensitive issues such as retaining trees, changes to the street scene, use of appropriate materials, ridge heights, overlooking and loss of light. Feeling all these had been addressed in the design phase the planning application was lodged.

The planners had some concerns about the massing and positioning of the dwelling on the site and there were some local objections. We quickly made revisions and the clients canvassed the support of neighbours, the Parish Council and their Committee Member. We re-submitted and the approval came through a few weeks later.

As soon as we got the "green light" from the planners I prepared builders´ tenders in conjunction with our in-house Architect and QS, says Mark (click "Building Your Home" for more details). The clients decided that they wanted to self-manage the finishing trades and so we approached 4 builders for fixed quotes to erect the structural shell of the house (wind and weather tight). I helped the clients assess the quotes and the builder was duly appointed.

"We particularly liked one of the builders who gave us a competitive fixed price quote and were also likeable, honest and straightforward to deal with"

The building work went very smoothly with only the odd hiccup and the clients proved themselves more than able in dealing with the internal trades. From the demolition contractor arriving on site to final completion took only 6/7 months and our clients are now well settled in to their new, modern, energy efficient, bespoke home - the old, cramped, draughty bungalow now but a distant memory.

"Our relationship with Design & Materials was more like a partnership than just the services of a professional company and building this house was a good investment".

We pride ourselves on bespoke considerate design, quality materials, value, choice and a high level of customer service built up over four decades in the business. If you are thinking of building a new home, talk to us.