John and Jacqueline Barker (Video case study)

Oxfordshire  2005   05 054

John and Jacqui Barker, Oxfordshire

What made you decide to build your own home?

It was one of our life long ambitions. We wanted to live in a house where we had had an input and contributed to the design, layout of the rooms, specified the choice of materials used in the construction, using our choice of fixtures and fittings & set the standard of finish in completing the build. We were happy to take on the responsibility of Project Managers for the build as our day time jobs gave us a good insight in how to bring a project together on time and within budget.

How did you find out about Potton and why did you choose them?

We subscribed to Home Build & Renovating magazine and there are numerous articles on people who have built their own home using a Potton timber frame. All the articles were very complimentary to Potton so we decided to investigate further about the service they offer. Their web site is excellent and we gained lots of valuable information from it. We then visited their stand at the Home Build & Renovate Show at the NEC. The Business Manager we met exuded enthusiasm and had an excellent knowledge about what was possible and just as importantly, what was not possible; this helped make the decision for us.
   
Which design did you build and why?

We took a Heritage Gamlingay D and modified it to suit ourselves, we also built a Weston Motor home.

We are in the middle of the village conservation area! Our neighbours are all Grade 2 listed properties! Consequently we had to work within the Planning regulations for Conservation areas. Jeff Emms one of Potton’s consultant architects helped us through the planning process. He knew immediately a Heritage style design would have the strongest possibility of gaining approval and then worked with us to agree a final design and floor plan.

We had to satisfy the Conservation Officer first which was no easy task and now our Planning Officer is using our house design as a reference site for other planning applications in the local area!... so we must have done something right!!!

Our Gamlingay D is approximately 160 sq-meters

As “first timers” What did you feel about the service from Potton?

Through the design phase and planning application Potton pulled out all the stops and accommodated all our changes due to planning and conservation constraints put on us. The timber frame was delivered on time and erection service was second to none and was completed on time despite some torrential rain during the process

Did you manage and oversee the subcontractors yourself or, did you employ a builder?
 
We decided to manage most of the build ourselves but used a main building contractor to get the frame weather tight as quickly as possible.

We then took on the role of main project managers for the follow on trades and took responsibility for sourcing all materials.

I also took on the role of plumber and general builder; installing all the plumbing, under-floor heating, central vacuum system, tiling all wet areas, hallway, kitchen and utility room floors and fitting the kitchen and utility room as well.

We then employed the main building contractor as a sub contractor to complete the 2nd fix carpentry.

We contracted out plastering, floor screed, electrics, hardwood flooring, decorating, fitting the alarm system and landscaping.

How did you find the self build process? Was it rewarding, inspiring, challenging? Is there any part of the process that sticks in your mind? Any funny experiences, worrying times?

Compared to some of the horror stories you see on TV shows like Grand Designs & Property Ladder we found the whole self build process relatively straight forward.
 
The experience we have gained from our day jobs helped us to manage and prioritise the important decisions from the not so important decisions we had to make and see potential problems arising and deal with them before they got out of hand during the build. We had done a lot of research before the build started so we knew what we were getting into. We also had a good team of tradesmen backing us. We weren't afraid to ask their advice on anything that we weren't sure and as a result got a good rapport going that made the flow of information much smoother.
What kept us going throughout the whole process was the support of family and friends, neighbours, the builders and just about anyone else who happened to be passing by our site and kept offering words of praise and encouragement as they could see the house taking shape.

When I was on site I was always in work clothes. It was very satisfying to talk to passers by or to overhear them saying that they liked the house, stonework, landscaping etc not knowing that they were in fact talking to the owner and not one of the tradesmen working there.

We had 6 offers to buy the property whilst we were building so we knew that the design was pleasing to the eye and fitted in well within its surrounding.
Working full time and completing a self build during evenings and weekends is hard work both physically and mentally, but ultimately very satisfying. There is something tangible to show for all your hard work that will last for years and years and will hopefully be passed on to our daughter to enjoy for many more years to come.

We have a 5ft wall between our house and the roadside, it never ceased to amaze me how people suddenly grew taller as they walked past our house just so they could see how much we had progressed since the last time they had walked by. Sometimes there would be an audience at the entrance just looking and watching what was going on, at first I thought they were just being nosey, but as I got to know them and talked to them I got the sense that they were genuinely interested in what we were trying to achieve.

How long did it take you to build your house from digging foundations to completion?

Digging Foundations started 4th April 2007 and we finally moved in on the 1st April 2008 so 12 months from start to finish.