Learn more about permitted development with our next online training course!
June 30th at 7PM - use code BUILD for 20% off
BOOK YOUR SLOT HEREJune 30th at 7PM - use code BUILD for 20% off
BOOK YOUR SLOT HEREEstimate your project costs instantly with Build It's interactive self-build cost calculator
Calculate NowGet an accurate, detailed cost breakdown of your project
Submit plans
Vanessa and Julian Gatward were renting in Kent with Vanessa’s two young children when they began looking for a nearby home project. When they viewed a dilapidated property on a large plot, they liked the secluded spot at the end of a 30m-long drive with an outlook across the North Downs. “We drove up and as the 1930s house came into view, we couldn’t see another home around us,” says Vanessa. “Architecturally it looked quite ugly, with a 1970s extension and rooms that were poorly laid out. The fabric of the building wasn’t in good condition, either. When we moved in, our main source of cooking and heating was from lighting the Rayburn stove.”
Straightaway, Julian and Vanessa began thinking about how they’d change the property, which also had a run-down double garage and carport. They’d taken on renovations before and Julian had self built an oak frame house. They played around with different design ideas for this project and got an architect involved. “We wanted to rework the existing layout and introduce oak, but this proved to be tricky,” says Julian. “We soon realised we couldn’t get what we wanted out of the house without spending at least £500,000, and if we could afford that, we’d be better off knocking it down and starting again.”
As a second time self builder and a civil engineer, the leap from renovating to self building wasn’t too daunting for Julian. “I know through work that when you try and change something that already exists, it nearly always costs more because you don’t know what you’re going to find,” he says. “Building new meant we’d be more certain of the outcome. Although we kept money aside for extras, we didn’t know what we might want or need until later down the line.”
Julian and Vanessa parted ways with their architect in early 2021 and recalibrated with an oak frame house in mind. Vanessa’s an environmentalist and the couple both love the look and feel of natural materials. “I think oak makes the most beautiful of homes, especially with the exposed wood outside,” says Vanessa. “Once we decided to build from scratch, I never wanted anything other than to live in an oak frame house.”
Roof tiles from Lifestiles were chosen alongside the Flemish Oak brick from Vandersanden and render to give the house more of an aged appearance. The grand cottage-style house is finished with K Rend’s Pearl render while oak details around the windows tie in with the oak frame front gable
The couple contacted several oak frame suppliers with a plan to find a specialist to take on the design and build of their new home. They wanted a hybrid oak and softwood frame, but found few companies willing to do this. “Having used it before, I realised you didn’t need to have oak everywhere,” says Julian. “I remembered Welsh Oak Frame, who I’d met at a Build It Live show, would do a mix of oak and softwood framing. It’s more cost effective and we needed that for our budget. Plus, they had some fantastic designs.”
Julian and Vanessa took a good look at the designs on Welsh Oak Frame’s website. They instantly connected with two houses, including the Hiltons’ award-winning house, which was crowned Best Oak Frame at the Build It Awards 2023. “We both really loved the idea of having a central gable at the front of the house with a beautiful porch, oak railings and dormers above,” says Vanessa.
The house replaces a run-down 1930s house and is on the same footprint with the back garden facing west
After meeting with Welsh Oak Frame’s design team and liking their personal, friendly attitude, the couple asked them to design a house with these features to suit the layout they’d outlined. They wanted a separate double garage with an annexe above, too. “We liked Welsh Oak’s portfolio of designs and how they would apply their expertise of oak framing – and particularly hybrid oak framing – into our design,” he explains. “Plus, their design services cost less than half of the architect fees we’d paid before.”
The team delivered a design with exposed oak in all the main living spaces and softwood in the guest bedroom, study and utility. “We were impressed with their level of detail,” says Vanessa. “They went on to hand engrave the name and date of our house in roman numerals in the oak above the window seat and in the front gable. We also both love the triangular window in our bedroom that beautifully captures views of the downs.”
“We’re very glad we took the opportunity to self build because in the end we got everything we wanted in a house, and more”
After making tweaks to the design, the couple were ready to submit their planning application. They both have some knowledge of planning law through their jobs in the construction industry and were fairly confident their design would be approved. Not only were they sticking to the original footprint, building in oak was sympathetic to the countryside setting.
The upstairs landing benefits from a spectacular vaulted ceiling with overhead glazing, creating a bright, lofty space
However, for absolute certainty, they took planning advice from Stephen Locke Associates, recommended to them by Welsh Oak Frame. “We didn’t mind that Stephen wasn’t local to the area as we needed advice about specific design elements rather than whether we could build the house at all,” Vanessa explains. “Our main concerns were getting planning to raise the house ridge height by about a metre and for the size of the 110m² garage-annexe.”
At Vanessa’s request, Welsh Oak Frame designed the window seat nook that looks out over the garden
The application went in during May 2021 and they received planning approval in November, with no issues. Looking for a smooth-running build solution, the couple bought into the idea of using a construction platform where their drawings and specification would be shared with building contractors, who could choose to quote. The platform provider would screen them all and provide project management support during the build with regular quality control checks. “We liked the idea of getting prices from genuinely interested builders,” says Julian. “However, the platform didn’t follow through with proper support so it was more of an introductory service. We wouldn’t recommend them.”
The couple chose Rencraft to design and build the kitchen as they’re local and make everything within ten miles of their house. They liked the quality of the cabinetry, which is painted in Little Greene’s French Grey Mid and Hicks Blue
The couple hired a building contractor who’d given them a transparent quote based on the detailed spec they’d put together. “He was easy to deal with, but we soon discovered he wasn’t very good at thinking ahead,” says Julian. “Some of his trades were excellent but others needed closely managing by Vanessa and I, which was stressful alongside our jobs and looking after the children, and exactly what we had wanted to avoid doing.”
Although the house could have been connected to gas, Julian and Vanessa wanted to use renewable energy solutions. They chose an air source heat pump from Daikin after chatting to the firm at a Build It Live show. They have zoned underfloor heating upstairs, downstairs and in the annexe. Cahill Renewables installed 10 solar photovoltaic panels, which are embedded into the garage roof and connect to a LiFePO4 6.5kW battery. This contributes around 15% of annual energy consumption, including charging the couple’s two hybrid cars.
“We received a discount of £5,000 from the government for installing the air source heat pump and we sell our surplus solar electricity back to the grid,” says Julian. “Our renewable setup has been well worth the investment, considering the volatility in the energy market. We will see payback after about eight years. It also gives us some peace of mind that we’re contributing to sustainable energy production.” |
The project began in June 2022 with the sensible decision to first knock down the old carport and build the garage. This offered the family a 70m² self-contained annexe that they could live in for the duration of the project. The ancillary building was completed in four months, with the main house demolished later that same year in November. The foundations were dug and laid over the winter and the hybrid oak frame arrived in February 2023.
Oak framed glazing allows the house to capture beautiful garden views from different angles
“The frame went up in three weeks and it was incredible to be able to see the rooms and walk through them,” says Vanessa. “The method was quick compared to a masonry build and although we had the opportunity to make last minute changes, we were happy with what we’d created so resisted the temptation.”
Insulated infill panels were fitted where the oak frame was visible while the softwood parts were clad in brick or blockwork and insulated internally. The builder recommended the aged brick with its mottled colours, but the traditional roof tiles took a little longer to choose. “We must have had about 40 tile samples at one point,” says Vanessa. “The only way to make up our mind was to compare them alongside the K Rend swatch colour and brick sample to see which one would work best.”
The spectacular triangular window, suggested by Welsh Oak frame, responded to the couple’s wish to be able to sit in bed and look out over the view across the Sevenoaks Escarpment
Trades made progress, but the build was not without its challenges. A list of problems began to gather – ordering windows late, incorrect door frame sizes, poor rendering. “It was stressful because we couldn’t afford to waste money and it’s not easy to tell a trade that their work isn’t acceptable,” Julian explains. “That said, relationships got better as the project went on. We stayed firm with what we wanted and the trades were willing to listen.”
The house was finished in 12 months, ready for the family to move into. The hard and soft landscaping followed the build and began to take shape over the following months, completing in summer 2024.
Both the ensuite and main bathroom benefit from underfloor heating conducted through natural limestone tiled floors from Whitehall Flagstones. Both bathrooms are positioned beneath the eaves of dormer windows with enough head height to fit in a shower. Sanitaryware is from Tradsol
The couple are delighted with their finished oak home. “Despite the ups and downs to get to this point, Julian and I are very glad we took the opportunity to self build a brand-new house, rather than renovating the 1930s home, because in the end we got everything we wanted, and more,” says Vanessa. “Having the oak frame exposed inside the property is wonderful. It has given us a lovely, warm family home – we’re all very happy here.”
We learned
Login/register to save Article for later
