Ask the Expert – Delivering low carbon

LISTEN HERE 🔊 Like a lot of self-builders, you may be looking to stay clear of fossil fuel heating systems and install a heat pump in your home. However, you may be asking how exactly does a heat pump work... View Article

Opening statements

LISTEN HERE 🔊 Being a key first impression of your home, doors also make a statement about who you are. Tracey Pomfret from George Barnsdale offers some advice to self-builders on specification choices The humble door has evolved over the... View Article

A spiritual renovation

LISTEN HERE 🔊 A passion for saving old houses meant that Glasgow architect Emma Jane literally took her work home with her, with an old church officer’s property TEXT NIK HUNTER IMAGES ROBERT PERRY For some time, Emma had been... View Article

Interior Inspiration: Kitchens

LISTEN HERE 🔊 People use their kitchens for much more than just cooking and eating; they often function as living and entertaining spaces, and even places to work, as hybrid working grows in popularity. Here are some key products to... View Article

Exterior Inspiration: Gardens

LISTEN HERE 🔊 The exterior of your home is arguably just as important as the interior; the design needs to relate to the building as well as the wider landscape. Here we round up some of the latest outdoor products... View Article

Saving for retirement

LISTEN HERE 🔊 Outbuildings on the site of a historic farmhouse in rural Hampshire have been cleverly transformed into a ‘later living’ home, by an owner who was keen to downsize, in a project that triumphed over Covid TEXT TOM... View Article

Home Styling – Versatile underfoot

LISTEN HERE 🔊 Choosing tiled flooring can have major design benefits, but there are decisions to get right. Here Jo Oliver of Stone & Ceramic Warehouse provides the robust case for porcelain Flooring serves as the foundation for your interior... View Article

Ask the Expert – Growing green aspirations

LISTEN HERE 🔊 For growing numbers of self-builders, green roofs are the right choice for topping off a home. But what are the key practicalies that you need to consider – and are they suitable for all projects? Julian Thurbin... View Article

Shaping their future

LISTEN HERE 🔊 Designed with a contemporary form to fit into the picturesque landscape of New Zealand’s Cass Bay, the architect of Aaron and Christine Green’s new curving copper family home has produced a unique building TEXT TOM BODDY IMAGES... View Article

Interior Inspiration: Living rooms

LISTEN HERE 🔊 As their name suggests, living rooms tend to be used daily by everyone in the family, so must be carefully designed to provide comfort and relaxation in addition to practicality. That’s why every detail counts; here we... View Article

Home and dry

LISTEN HERE 🔊 Andrew Scanlon of Everbuild answers some of the basement waterproofing queries asked by self-builders to help them avoid getting out of their depth in their projects Basement conversions have long been a popular way to increase the... View Article

Brick by brick

LISTEN HERE 🔊 Jason Hughes of Imperial Bricks looks at the different brick options available to self-builders, and reviews new alternatives to reclaims A self-build project is one of the single largest investments most people will ever make. Now, thanks... View Article

Interior Inspiration: Lighting

LISTEN HERE 🔊 Different aspects of lighting such as colour and brightness have the power to influence how you feel about a room – which is why it needs to be considered in the early stages of design. Here are... View Article

Home Styling: Post-lockdown on the farm

LISTEN HERE 🔊 Richard Bradley of V33 offers styling tips on achieving the ‘modern farmhouse kitchen’ look, and plants some seeds on possible finishes to go for in your build Most people would understand completely what a traditional farmhouse kitchen... View Article

Ask the Expert: Cut your losses and save CO2

LISTEN HERE 🔊 Improving insulation is at the heart of the country’s mission to reduce CO2 emissions in new homes. Matthew Evans of Kingspan Insulation answers key questions around the materials and details to consider to avoid heat loss in... View Article

Highland society

LISTEN HERE 🔊 After seven years in a caravan and the birth of their daughter, Ailsa and Jonny Laing decided it was about time to set up a proper home in the Highlands TEXT NIK HUNTER IMAGES DANIEL WILCOX PHOTOGRAPHY... View Article

Four times lucky

LISTEN HERE 🔊 Taking on one major renovation project is ambitious enough – but what happens when you take on four simultaneously, including a historic mill? John Chasey and Eleanor are reaping the benefits of embracing the challenge TEXT EWEN... View Article

Beating the odds

LISTEN HERE 🔊 Achieving an affordable ‘forever home’ in the right location seemed an impossible dream for a Berkshire family, but Laura Hardie-Gleed and husband Ian succeeded against all the odds by transforming a run-down 1960s property TEXT ROSEANNE FIELD... View Article

Appealing to owners

LISTEN HERE 🔊 Enhancing a property and adding to its kerb appeal is all about making the right choice of windows, entrance doors, landscaping and, of course, the garage door. David O’Mara of Hörmann UK explains more Although often overlooked,... View Article

A guide to energy-efficient heating

LISTEN HERE 🔊 Alex Burgess of The Radiator Company provides some advice to self-builders on achieving energy efficient heating solutions for their property, for planet and pocket WHAT ARE THE MOST EFFICIENT RADIATORS? With the population increasingly looking to find... View Article