Sean & Diana
Sean and Diana want a house that benefits from the open spaces and landscaping at Graven Hill. Their upside-down house gives them the outlook they yearn for.
Sean and Diana live in Warwickshire and are both engineers. They plan to build a minimalist, open-plan, upside-down house, with most elements being built off-site and bought together to be assembled. The couple hope their detail-oriented minds will help them to be decisive on-site, but things take an unexpected turn when Diana accepts a job in Russia and the couple are forced to plan the build over 2000-miles apart.
Will their long-distance relationship survive the strain of self-build, or will the tension turn their relationship – like their house – upside down?
Garrie & Sue
Garrie and Sue want to future proof a house as they have very specific requirements. Retro-fitting is too costly and not an option, so they create their own design at Graven Hill.
Garrie is a chartered accountant, and Sue, until recently, was a foster carer. Sue suffers from severe osteoporosis, and their current home, with all its stairs, is now unsuitable for her.
They hope that building a home designed around her needs will improve Sue’s quality of life, and also allow Garrie to fulfil a lifelong dream to build his own home.
This will be the most expensive house on the street, with a lift and a host of gadgets across three floors. If successful, it could transform their lives. However, first they have to build it and the stakes are high. The pressure and stress of self-build could damage Sue’s already fragile health.
