Wow-Factor Family Self Build in Rural Aberdeenshire

Build Progress & Setbacks

The build itself was straightforward, although groundworks were something of a challenge. “The site was basically an old glacier field, so the ground is full of very large stones – gigantic boulders in fact! It affected the position of the house, which was moved slightly to the west and north, but by doing this we made savings on the ground excavation works,” says Kate.

The contractor in charge of the site was also the timber kit manufacturer. The foundations are solid concrete, with insulation above, followed by floor screed over the underfloor heating. The timber frame was constructed within seven days, and was fully insulated and watertight by week two – an impressive timeframe.

The kitchen is the hub of the new family home. The monochrome shades offer a cool finish, with units from Howdens and worktops from Stonecraft Aberdeen. The herringbone tiles add the perfect touch

Part-way through the project, Kate and Sandy came up against delays due to the pandemic lockdown. The site was shut for three months, and then the new working regulations pushed things back further.

“We were fortunate to only have a six-month delay in total – it could have been much worse! There were minor, typical issues during the build, as you’d expect, but we were lucky to have Fiddes Architects to ensure all the issues were resolved,” says Kate.

“They project managed the development for us, but we were relatively involved. We chose a lot of the finishes from lots of different places and worked closely with the builder and architect on getting those items ordered. We would have liked to visit the site more often, but with kids at home plus the various Covid-19 restrictions, it meant that we couldn’t be there as much as we’d have liked.”

Maximising the Home’s Value

The Crerar’s new home was eventually completed in December 2020. They managed to stay within their initial budget, as they were fortunate to have had the project and materials on site before all the pandemic-related price increases.

And a clever approach to budgeting meant that the Fiddes team were able to make savings along the way. For instance, they decided to downsize the garage, which worked in their favour anyway when the house ended up moving position because of the stones in the ground.

“The chosen timber floor was another cost-saving exercise, an alternative yet still high-quality product, but for a more affordable price versus the original specification,” says Finlay. “An additional wee design detail involving this was in the ground floor WC, where we ran the floor up behind the toilet instead of using tiles. Again, more cost-effective and it looks magic.”

The woodburning stove from Donside Heating Supplies is a great feature. It supplements the warmth from the air source heat pump and underfloor heating setup

This is a large, effectively six-bedroom house (if you include the snug). There’s a downstairs bedroom and there is also useable accommodation in the attic space, which runs the whole length of the house. “In terms of value-for-money, at a total budget of around £458,000, I think it’s fantastic,” says Finlay. This was his first project completed as a qualified architect – and to top it off, it recently received a commendation in the residential category of the Aberdeen Society of Architects Awards.

Transformative Result

Moving into their new stylish bespoke home has had a huge effect on the family. “We moved from a small two-bedroom semi-detached house in Aberdeen, so this place is a big change for us and we are still absolutely delighted with the open spaces and storage we have – it allows us to keep the place as organised as possible,” says Kate.

The home features a striking combination of horizontally and vertically-laid timber cladding, which makes for an eye-catching exterior

“Our kids really demonstrate the difference, as they love scooting around the open-plan room living area and kitchen, which just would not have been possible in our old house! Seeing them enjoy the space brings us so much joy.”

“In terms of highlights, our double height window is great. I also really love the big zinc-clad square dormer window to our master bedroom – with our views it is like looking at a painting,” she continues. “We are still working on adding our character to the house through artwork, but the paint colours work to do this. I have tried to stick to a limited pallet to make the house feel cohesive.”

Glazing is a key feature of the home, with full height windows and rooflights used to ensure a good flow of natural illumination on both levels. Triple glazed units help to create good levels of thermal efficiency

The property is highly energy efficient, too, with insulation surpassing current Building Standards. The finished house achieves an 85B rating on its Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). An air source heat pump is the primary heating source, and this is supplemented by the woodburning stove when needed. Triple glazed alu-clad timber windows and doors add extra thermal efficiency to the home and ensure the heat is kept inside even on the coldest of winter nights.

“We love it all!” says Kate. “The kitchen-dining-family room is wonderful, and we spend a lot of our time in there. I feel like the house really flows and I love lots of the little angles you spot, such as the glazing you see through as you come down the stairs. The surrounding area really adds to the experience of the house as we have so many trees around us, which I find so relaxing.”

Kate particularly enjoys the beautiful natural light: “Fiddes Architects have done such an amazing job in allowing this to filter through the house with their design. It’s a lovely place to call our home. This is where our family will grow up and always come home to.”