Dawn and Kevin Truscott were looking to build a home with more space when a chance conversation with the neighbours led to a novel solution
(Image credit: Nick Yarsley c/o Welsh Oak Frame)
Dawn and Kevin Truscott were looking for a plot in their Essex village but struggled to find somewhere suitable within budget. However, when chatting with her neighbour Sarah Switzer over a glass of wine they discovered they were both hoping to self build.
A 1.8-acre field nearby had lain empty and overgrown since the 1960s but had come across a stumbling block: the owner wouldn’t sell in portioned-off sections.
The answer? Buy it between them and divide it up themselves for two self build family homes. Unusual maybe, but it proved to be the best way for Dawn and Kevin, and Sarah and Matt, to self build in an area they knew and loved.
Here, Dawn shares their self build story and explains how they created their dream home.
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The barn style of the house, built using local materials, is based on an off-the-shelf design from Welsh Oak Frame. Dawn and Kevin kept all the exterior features the same except that they changed the angle of the front door. (Image credit: Nick Yarsley c/o Welsh Oak Frame)
(Image credit: Nick Yarsley c/o Welsh Oak Frame)
Choosing to Self Build
"We’d renovated our 400-year-old thatched house previously but it was becoming a little small for all five of us with its narrow corridors and higgedly-piggedly layout," begins Dawn. "We thought, if we could, it would be nice to move somewhere where we had more space but the same character.
"There had been so many planning permission applications for houses refused on this site before so we asked the owner if we could buy it on the condition of planning approval. We’d have been happy to have half each, but our friends wanted a smaller plot, so we split the plot 5/8 and 3/8."
Dawn and Kevin went for an understated oak look, as they felt it was more authentic. “It isn’t an old house and I wanted that balance between making it look characterful without being over the top,” says Dawn. (Image credit: Nick Yarsley c/o Welsh Oak Frame)
Adapting an Existing Design
"I’d always wanted a green oak frame barn, it suited the site and both houses needed to look traditional to get planning. Matt and Kevin went to a self-build show and found Welsh Oak Frame. They gave us the option of a completely bespoke design, but we chose an off-the-shelf barn from their brochure and they sent us the plans from that.
"For planning, the external footprint was the most important thing, so we reconfigured the internal layout to suit us and the plot. We knew from the start that we had to build a futureproofed house.
"Our daughter Flo has disabilities and it was really important that she could have her own space later on. We know we can adapt this house; the space is flexible, whether that’s for Flo, an adult child still living at home, or a grandparent. It’s a question of minor changes rather than masses of building work, as it would have been with our old house."
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In the original design, the kitchen was at the front of the house, overlooking the garage. Instead Dawn and Kevin moved the kitchen to the back of the house, where it now overlooks their large back garden.(Image credit: Nick Yarsley c/o Welsh Oak Frame)
Light floor tiles from Mandarin Stone were used throughout, apart from one room with oak floorboards.(Image credit: Nick Yarsley c/o Welsh Oak Frame)
"We’re super pleased. The star of the show is the oak frame. For me it was about capturing the essence of the character without going overboard with the oak. A clean, Scandi feel — square and straight.
"We have big light spaces and everyone has their own bedrooms and bathrooms — and the high ceilings are lovely. It was a very emotional process. I still look at both houses and think how pretty they are."
(Image credit: Nick Yarsley c/o Welsh Oak Frame)
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Alison Wall is an experienced homes journalist, and former chief sub editor of Homebuilding & Renovating. She has interviewed countless self-builders and renovators regarding their projects, and has a special interest in eco builds. She is also renovating her 1970s home and garden, and has a particular interest in making her own home greener, having recently added solar panels, an EV chargepoint and a solar battery system.
