Floorplans for a 4-Bedroom Oak Frame Home Built for Just £250k

Hailing from Liverpool, Moira and Tony Cain originally thought they might move to the Lake District in their retirement because Moira had a yearning to live in the countryside. Their plans changed when they visited a friend in Llangollen, Wales. “We discovered the beauty of the region and thought we’d buy a house here instead,” says Moira. “But when Tony was retired early from the police force after a bad accident and began renovating houses, finding a plot and building our own home seemed like the natural next step.”

The couple searched online and spotted a neglected piece of land in Ruthin – a pretty historical market town with a castle. The walled plot had once been the garden of a grade II listed church and already had planning consent for a four-bedroom red brick house, similar to the vicarage and sheltered housing on either side.

“The plot was surrounded by an old 10ft stone wall on two sides with another stone wall through the middle, dividing the land in half,” says Moira. After purchasing the plot, the couple had to submit a detailed landscaping plan to show how they’d preserve the ancient wall, as well as do a bat and tree survey.

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The couple began thinking about the type of house they might build. Having lived in an Edwardian property for many years, they weren’t keen on a modern style. “We also felt red brick would stand out in a town with several old timber frame buildings,” says Moira. “An oak frame house seemed much more in keeping.”

The couple went to a Build It Live show to investigate this method of construction, where they. They discovered what they’d assumed might be an expensive way to build was, in fact, within their budget. Moira and Tony approached Welsh Oak Frame who were a natural fit for the project location.

They wrapped the oak frame with structural insulated panels (SIPs) and installed triple glazing supplied by Welsh Oak Frame – an airtightness test carried out just after completion confirms their home is close to airtight. They also installed a mechanical ventilation and heat recovery (MVHR) system and an air source heat pump.