Missed ‘Grand Designs: The Street’ on Channel 4 last night?

Here’s what you need to know…

In last night’s episode of Grand Designs: The Street, we followed the self-build journeys of two couples, one being first-time buyers, and the other, who were looking for something different to their uniform new build home. For both couples, it was clear that self-building was the ideal solution for achieving their perfect home.

Featured last night:
Living the ‘good life’– James

Hear more about James’ self-build story

In last night’s episode, we saw 27-year-old James escape city life in Coventry for ‘the good life’ at Graven Hill. Having previously been living in a compact house on a new build estate, he was desperate to inject some personality into his self-build – somewhere he can grow his own vegetables and raise his chickens. Inspired by the surroundings at Graven Hill and the local agricultural steel-framed barns, he decides to design his home around the rural dream.

The details: 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, started in October 2016, yet to be completed, final build cost around £230,000.

Getting on the property ladder – Jack and Hannah

Hear more about Jack & Hannah’s self-build story

Both in their early twenties, first time buyers Jack and Hannah are one of the youngest couples to design and build their own home at Graven Hill. Being priced out of the local housing market, the couple were living with Jack’s mum as a way of saving up enough money to get on the property ladder. However, self-building at Graven Hill presented itself as the perfect solution. Aided by Jack’s knowledge of building and contacts within the industry, they were keen to get stuck in and build their own home.  Ultimately, this will save them a fortune on labour and generate immediate equity in their house. Embracing the Graven Hill community spirit and working closely with his neighbours helps them achieve their dream home.

The details: 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, started in July 2016, completed in December 2017, final build cost £281,000.

Five advantages of self-building over buying a standard new home

With self-building offering people endless opportunities to tailor their home to personal taste, there are countless reasons to never buy a home off the shelf again.

Want to know more? We have put together our top five reasons to build your own home:
  1. Making a house a home

There is no need to accept a badly-designed new home – from first-time buyers and growing families, to those looking to downsize and future-proof, self-building puts lifestyle at the centre of the home. As James discovered, there is no need to be limited by what is on the market.

  1. Greater value for money

Not only does it often cost less to self-build than it does to buy a standard new-build home of the same size, self-build properties may be cheaper to run too. Access to higher quality building materials and having flexibility to include features such as triple-glazing, means that people who choose the self-build route can plan ahead and make better choices, knowing that they will be minimising their future bills.

  1. Better quality building

Self-builders are responsible for deciding how their home is built, and who builds it – giving them complete control over the quality and finish of the build. At Graven Hill, we know that a home should be built to last.

  1. More considerate towards the environment

Often, new-build homes are retro-fitted with energy efficient measures that fall short of the standards included in design specifications. At Graven Hill, we encourage our self-builders to build with nature in mind, considering the most energy-efficient options for their project, inside and outside of the home. By preserving the natural features of the site, we are creating a new kind of housing development, one which looks after the interests of both the people and animals that live there.

  1. Flexibility on that all-important location

As Jack and Hannah discovered when they began looking for their first home, the most desirable areas are not always the most affordable – and even if they are, the ideal home may not be on the market. With self-build, there is no need to compromise.

To find out more about building a home at Graven Hill that is specifically tailored to your lifestyle, contact us here.