how we got here ...

December 2004

Bought our first Self build mag and decided to build a house!

Jan 05 - May 05

Searched for a plot though mags, internet and estate agents, put an offer in on a tiny 12m x 22m, badly sloping garden plot on Worral Hill, then got cold feet when the vendors (who lived next door) started putting all sorts of restrictions on the size, height and position of the build. Withdrew our offer sharpish!

Visited the self build show and decided we really wanted to build in green oak. Welsh Oak were the only company who didn't loose interest when we mentioned our pathetically small budget.

May 05

Got a call from a local estate agent about a plot, went to see it that afternoon and put a full asking price offer in at 9am the next day. It was accepted. It was an overgrown old 1/2 acre orchard, surrounded by a mature tree boundary and although close to the road, the bird song drowned out the traffic. It reminded me of my Nan's garden and made me cry, we both knew that this was the one!

July 05 - Dec 05

The plot was ours and we had a 'bring a strimmer party' on the land to celebrate on a very hot July day. We spent the rest of the summer strimming, replacing rotten plum trees and deciding on the house design and layout we wanted. We got a survey of the land done by Norton Boundary Consultants, talked to our planning officer and visited Potton, Border Oak and Westwind Oak, but settled with Welsh Oak. By December we had a set of drawings and we spent Christmas 2005 day dreaming about our new home.

By March we were ready to submit the

plans for full planning permission. Our

architect made a passing comment about

the position of the public sewer

connection, which opened a whole can

of worms...