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Ally and Adam Measor were feeling a bit stuck. They wanted to take the next step up the property ladder from their three-bedroom semi-detached house (the first home they’d bought), but prices had skyrocketed with the Covid property boom. They shared a long-held dream of building a house, so started exploring whether a project could offer a more affordable route to their next home.
“We struggled to find land – or at least sites that weren’t for big five-bedroom houses,” says Ally. “There were properties available that needed varying degrees of work, from ones that required completely gutting to just slight reconfigurations. But prices were quite high – we got outbid on one house by £100,000!”
When they learnt of an outbuilding for sale that came with planning permission for conversion, it felt like the project they’d been looking for. “It was the right size and price in a picturesque area and close to my parents,” says Ally. “It felt achievable and like the ideal starter plot for two people who have never built a house before.”
The exterior features a mix of timber cladding and brickwork for a characterful facade
The outbuilding had belonged to the neighbouring house and had been used as a garage; the owners had cut their plot in half lengthways and got consent to turn the structure into a home. The Measors put time into cost estimating to make sure this was the right move for them; they visited self build shows and did lots of research online. For their mortgage, they went through a broker specialising in self build products, but came up against an issue with the first application. “We took the risk to sell our house before we’d got our mortgage confirmed and moved into a caravan in Ally’s parent’s garden with our two kids,” says Adam.
“We got all the way through submitting plans, costs etc and then the valuation company refused to provide a value for the building because it wasn’t a residential property – that blew my mind because it was obviously a conversion. This wasted four months. Thankfully, our broker found a different provider who managed to get a valuation and we had the loan approved in March 2023.”
The existing planning permission was for a two-bedroom house, but Ally and Adam wanted to convert the outbuilding into a three-bedroom home. They worked with an architect to revise the floorplans, who advised that starting works and going through Housebuilder planning consent – rather than a submitting a full new application to the council – might be a quicker way of getting the approval for the extra bedroom they had in mind.
“We followed this advice and spent a couple of months doing jobs like digging the foundations out – things that were part of the original approval. But when we submitted the Housebuilder planning consent, it was instantly rejected and we were told we had to go through the full planning process,” says Ally. Frustratingly, they had to stop all works and wait another four months for their new application to be approved.
In terms of the design changes the couple made, there wasn’t anything too drastic. “The design in place was the kind of home that we wanted anyway – open-plan spaces and a large window in our bedroom,” says Adam. “We just moved a couple of things around and the position of the bathroom to make space for a third bedroom. We were semi-confined by the structure anyway.”
Planning approval came in mid-December 2023. “That was the best day ever – a lovely Christmas present,” says Ally. By this point Ally and Adam had already been living in their caravan for a year with their one- and three-year-old daughters. “Our youngest learned to walk in the caravan,” says Ally. “We were in there for just under two years – it sounds a bit crazy but you just adapt.”
They wanted to carry on with Summit Build, who had started works on the house back in the summer. So, once the builders were finished on their current projects, the Measors’ conversion kicked off for a second time in March 2024. It turned out that having a small gap in the works played in the couple’s favour. “Something I hadn’t realised is that once you’ve secured planning permission, you can’t crack on with stuff straight away, as certain planning conditions still have to be signed off,” says Ally. “It took 12 weeks to get the fencing signed off by the planners, so our neighbours wouldn’t feel like they were also living on a building site, and we had tree protection plans to get processed, too.”
The large window in the master bedroom makes a striking feature and offers brilliant views out
Ally and Adam took on the project management, working with their builders’ partner network of electricians, carpenters and contractors. “This meant I didn’t have to arrange each individual trade, which reduced the stress a lot,” says Adam. “One frustrating thing about the time lapse is that all our utilities connection agreements had expired, meaning we had to go back and get new quotes from UK Power Networks and Southeast Water.”
As the couple were based just down the road, they were able to come to the site at lunchtime and answer any questions that had come up. Plus, it was exciting for both them and the kids to see things progress. But they stayed hands-off during the main construction phase. “One of our takeaways from the self build shows we’d been to is that, while it’s very tempting to get involved, thinking you might save money here and there, this often causes other issues along the way. It’s best to leave it up to the experts who’ve done it before,” says Adam.
You often hear about issues with glazing causing ripple effects on build schedules, and this was the case for Ally and Adam’s project. The large bespoke window in the couple’s bedroom faced a delay, which had a domino effect for the other doors and windows turning up. “It delayed our final mortgage payment, as we couldn’t get this until everything was watertight,” says Ally.
CLOSER LOOK Family bathroom in a limited spaceMaking space for three bedrooms upstairs resulted in a fairly compact family bathroom, but this didn’t stop the Measors creating a blissful sanctuary. The walk-in shower required a bespoke screen because of its location alongside the vaulted ceiling. Tucked around the corner is a smaller than standard freestanding bath – a detail that the couple didn’t want to compromise on.
The hexagonal tiles that Ally chose to have on across the floor and wall turned out to be quite complicated to lay – a job that Adam took on himself. “When you’re not used to mixing tile adhesive, you do it wrong and end up with a bucket full of rock-solid blend that you’ve then got to deal with,” says Adam. “Things like that were stressful.” The basin unit includes an offcut from their oak kitchen worktops. The warm orange walls bring warmth, while the rooflight filters in ample brightness. “The bathroom is one of my favourite spots,” says Ally. “People walk in and are surprised to see the bath around the corner – it’s a lovely, unique space.” |
The couple felt much more comfortable taking on the fit-out works. The builders handed the project over to them somewhere between first and second fix, when it was down to Ally and Adam to sort the kitchen, hardware, radiators, bathroom and more.
“We took things over in July 2024 and moved to site a couple of months later in September, dedicating every spare minute of the day (and night) to the project,” says Ally. “When we moved in, there wasn’t a bathroom upstairs! We dedicated every evening to getting stuff done. We had an installer fit the kitchen, but Adam fitted pretty much everything else himself.”
The couple turned themselves to jobs they’d never tried before, learning as they went. “We completed things like the doors and architrave, final bits of plumbing, installing showers and towel rails, tiling, flooring and painting,” says Adam. “Some bits I’d vaguely done before, but mostly I watched lots of YouTube videos, searched on Google and it was a joint effort with close family. I always felt I might as well give it a go before paying someone else. The hexagonal tiles in the bathroom were the most stressful bit!”
The unique existing structure also meant working to unusual angles, requiring bespoke elements such as the non-standard shaped shower screen and the small bath angled into a nook. But it’s the thought-out details of this house that make it extra special. “We upcycled a lot of stuff, buying second hand and doing them up, like our dining chairs and the whiskey barrel in the garden,” says Ally. “We used kitchen worktop offcuts to make our vanity units. It was all done on a budget, but we looked to create a country cottage theme with a modern twist. And, of course, being in that caravan for two years gave me lots of time to think about what details I wanted in the finished house.”
The family spend the most time in their open-plan kitchen-dining area, where the bifolds offer both connection to the garden and a lovely view out
Anyone who’s raised young children can relate to just how impressive it is that this family have achieved so much, and got so hands-on with this project, whilst both parents also worked. “You can’t get anything done with kids there, so it was peaceful getting on with jobs in the night or when they were at nursery,” says Ally. “But once we were in the house it was so much easier, as it meant we could both be involved rather than one of us having to stay in the caravan with the children.”
Ally and Adam’s house was signed off by building control in December 2024, almost exactly a year after they had the great news that planning permission had been approved. And, while the couple still have their eyes on some details they want to work on, things are mostly finished.
“I don’t think there will ever be a time where we’ll stop doing things to the house,” says Ally. “We see it as a project and we’re still passionate about doing more.” Now that they’ve fulfilled their dream of a bespoke home build, is another project on the horizon for? “Yes, definitely!” says Ally. “Through this process it was all very new to us and there were times when we thought, ‘probably never again!’ But now we’re settled, I think we would like to do another one. Something from the ground up – but we wouldn’t live in a small caravan again, that’s for sure.”
Importantly, this build has enabled the Measors to get the home they were after at a price they could afford – and they’ve been able to create a space tailored to how they want to live. “A lot of people assume you need to be a millionaire to build a house, but if you’re willing to take a bit of a risk, you’re up for some hard work and sacrifice (such as living in a caravan), it’s very possible,” says Ally.
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