The Marsdales
The Marsdale family embarked on their self-build project in October 2017 and moved into their timber frame home in June 2019. Read about their experience of designing and building their dream home at Graven Hill below.
“From our perspective, self-building allowed us to design a home that answered both our need for a family-friendly space and our desire to live somewhere that reflects our personality. We discovered the perfect plot at Graven Hill in late 2017 and began building less than a year later in 2018.
“Our home wouldn’t be described as conventional; the first thing that people tend to notice is the three-peaked roof and the charred timber and corten steel-clad exterior. It certainly stands out! Inside, we have five bedrooms, four bathrooms, and an open plan lounge-kitchen-diner, which has proven to be ideal for entertaining family and friends.
“Light was another important factor for us when designing our home, large skylights over the stairwell and huge feature windows across the front of the home, mean that every room is flooded with natural light. Plus, the balcony at the front of the house not only lets in loads of daylight but also gives us unrivalled views over the ancient woodland surrounding Graven Hill.
“We reserved our plot in October 2017, and after working with our architect and builders, Facit Homes, on the layout and design, ground works finally began in August the following year. Using Facit’s unique construction technology, the build itself took just eight months, with the basic structure of the house being completed in three – much faster than many other construction routes. We moved into our new home in June 2019 and have now been living at Graven Hill for over a year. It really does feel like home.
“With two young children in tow, not having to worry about agreeing to site access, planning permission issues, and the hassle of connecting services were three huge benefits of choosing to self-build at Graven Hill, as opposed to taking a traditional route. A more hands-on approach wouldn’t have been practical for us, however the advantages of self-building at Graven Hill and the decision to go with a timber frame structure that could be manufactured offsite, gave us the chance to have our say on all the important aspects without having to be on-site 24/7.”
Marc and Laura Marsdale, self-builders living at Graven Hill since June 2019