Mr and Mrs Scobbie - Barn conversion, with new build elements
Alison and Andy Scobbie, from Loughborough, have always had a dream to create their own unique house. They relished the challenge and excited by the idea of owning a home designed by and built for them.
The couple decided to begin to pursue their property dream, and began looking for plots and other building opportunities back in 2003. The Scobbie's did not want to move outside of the area they lived, and after a few years of searching, they had almost given up hope. Opportunities in the Loughborough area were few and far between, and pries were out of their budget. In fact, eventually, they began searching for a larger house, to move up the property ladder in the traditional way.
Quite by chance, whilst looking for a house, Alison came across a derelict barn and stable block, just a few miles from where they lived. It was an ideal opportunity to for the Scobbie's to build the house they wanted, and in late 2007, they were back on track with their home building dream. They purchased the barn from someone who was knowledgeable about 'green build' projects and provided useful advice throughout the build.
The first thing they did was arrange the finance, to enable them to purchase the barn and fund the building costs. They wanted to remain in their existing home, and as they were employing a building contractor, they needed cash to pay the bills and buy the materials to keep the project running smoothly. Alison and Andy were already familiar with BuildStore, after their years of researching, so they knew exactly where to go:
"It wasn't difficult to get our mortgage - we did it through BuildStore - the mortgage they arranged for us and the service was excellent. The house we have now would not have been possible without the Accelerator mortgage and the cashflow it gave us. The first payment got us started, and the remaining funds were paid at the beginning of each build stage, which meant we were able to keep an eye on the ongoing spend with builders and materials throughout the project, " Alison explains.
The couple were keen to go very 'green' on the build, and contracted the conversion and rebuild to Carbon Neutral Building Ltd, a newly established building contractor, with experience in using distinct materials and processes to achieve a 'green' construction.
Alison and Andy developed a good relationship with the builders, and although they remained hands-off the practical building elements, they sourced many of the materials themselves.
The result is a beautifully converted energy-efficient home, and although the couple's decision to 'go green' cost a bit more, they are convinced it was worth the extra investment. Alison comments:
"We made sure the building was well insulated, installed a ground-source heat pump and underfloor heating, and also have solar panels and a wind turbine on the roof. The extra cost did put us over budget, but we did have a contingency built in to our initial budget, so it wasn't too much of a problem; we will save a lot of money on our energy bills over the years, so some aspects will be paid off in years to come."
Using Carbon Neutral Building Ltd meant that the build took just nine months to complete, and went very smoothly indeed. The couple have now been enjoying their new home for a few months, and very happy with the result:
"It was definitely worth the wait; although the project was challenging and quite time-consuming at times, we had a great relationship with the builders, which is rule number one for a project like this! Our decision to go green did cause a few issues and there was a substantial additional cost, but we are glad we persevered."
"We are very grateful to BuildStore for helping make this a reality for us - arranging the finance was actually one of the easiest parts of the whole experience; having access to the cash we needed, when we needed it was vital to the success of the project; not having to worry about the finances was a weight off our shoulders."
