Maesgwyn Self Build Project

Paul and Rhian Bates’ self build journey took two years from start to finish, but it was worth every minute when they finally moved into their award-winning dream home in August 2017.

“Yes, we could have done it quicker,” says Paul, “but it would have cost more, and the quality would have suffered. What we have is a home for life. It will never be for sale. It’s as near perfect as we imagined.”

Planning to build a spacious home to retire to after Paul’s long career in the fire service, the couple were always going to go for timber frame.

“We wanted speed of construction and we knew timber frame meant we could get what we wanted in terms of space, insulation and high-quality specifications at a good cost,” says Paul.

When it came to translating their ideas into a realistic design, they found the perfect solution in Fleming Homes’ free design service. This enabled them to turn their sketched out ideas into an initial concept, define the general layout and confidently assign a budget to the design.

Fleming Homes also helped them navigate the planning application process and acted as their agent for the Building Regulations submission.

Picking up Build It Awards highly prestigious Best Timber Frame Home accolade, this scheme epitomises the true spirit of a self build project.

The design originated from the homeowners, who also managed the entire project, pulling in expertise where required. They’ve achieved a high performing house (SAP rating B on completion) with a high specification all for well under £1,000 per m2.

The end result is stunning, but not overly flashy, and meets the homeowner’s requirements perfectly. It is an exemplar for what self builders can achieve with the right team around them, a realistic and practical approach and an eye on the budget.

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