Sophia and Robert had previously lived in various locations in and around East Anglia. They longed to return to the Ely area to raise their two children near extended family.
Having borrowed £210,000 from Suffolk Building Society, the couple were able to instruct their builder to begin work on a cottage-style two-storey home and double garage.
The money was released in three stages enabling them, and the Society, to be comfortable that the build was progressing on schedule and to a high standard.
While no one could have predicted that interest rates would rise as high as they did, the prudent couple were able to use some savings to cover the additional cost of materials and labour that they had not accounted for in the original budget.
The property is near-complete and will give this local family the space and features that they could not find or afford in an existing property in their preferred location.
Self build property features
The couple are particularly excited about having an open-plan living space and a smaller living room/snug so that they can make the best of family time together. This also allows them somewhere cosier and restful after their children have gone to bed.
Sophia said: “From the outset, we’ve really enjoyed being able to have input into every element of the design. I’m particularly excited about our media wall which incorporates a television, built-in fireplace, and lots of storage space. I’m also looking forward to having a multi-functional kitchen-living area so the kids can be supervised whilst we prep dinner and, when they’re older, we’ll be able to keep an eye on their homework!”
Sophia and Robert have also specified a dedicated home office as the couple both adopted a hybrid approach to working during the pandemic.
Sophia is also eagerly anticipating the walk-in wardrobe: “I’m reluctant to call it ‘my’ walk-in wardrobe as I haven’t yet broken it to my husband that it will mainly be for my clothes!”
By choosing to build their own home, the Ely couple have been able to design a property that meets their exacting requirements in terms of both budget and accommodation.
For more information about building your own home, you’ll find lots of up-to-date information on our self build hub.
