Strawberry Fields forever home

When a couple decided to build their Beatles-inspired ‘forever’ home in a north London suburb, the speed at which their kit home took shape left them suitably impressed. Roseanne Field reports. From the street, Mr and Mrs Young’s house, while... View Article

Setting the standards for structural timber

Structural Timber Association board member and managing director for Kingspan Timber Solutions and Potton, Mark Stevenson answers self-builders’ queries on how to use structural timber, and why solutions are increasingly likely to be factory-built. The Structural Timber Association (STA) has... View Article

Exhibitors and experts set to inspire

Grand Designs Live will be back at Birmingham’s NEC from 10 -14 October as part of UK Construction Week, providing everything self-builders need for their project, all under one roof. Grand Designs Live, sponsored by Anglian Home Improvements, will return... View Article

Number 41 in full swing

Selfbuilder + Homemaker is following Andy and Sarah Ball as they build their modern, eco-friendly home in a popular Derby suburb. Sarah brings us up to date with its swift recent progress, including how they helped educate local children on... View Article

Expert advice at the ExCeL

The London Homebuilding & Renovating Show returns to London in September, with essential advice on hand to help visitors build their dream property. According to the UK Land Registry, most of the publicly owned land available for new homes will... View Article

Open to ideas

A project in south west London saw a firm of architects tackle a difficult commission to extend a listed former coach house, resulting in a dramatically open new addition. The owners of a terraced house in leafy Barnes, in the... View Article

Making stairs grand again

Jarrod Matthews of Jarrods Staircases is passionate about the potential to elevate staircases to an art form. He explains why creating the perfect staircase should be a priority, not an afterthought. Ioften refer to the space where the staircase sits... View Article

High end, high tech

Ion Smith of Cyberhomes discusses how smart home technology can be seamlessly incorporated into luxury home designs. It’s not that many years ago that smart home technology was available only to high-end luxury homes; but walk into any high street... View Article

Keep it natural

Lee Dunderdale of Bradstone delves into the plethora of hard landscaping materials for delivering a dream garden, and explains why natural stone is the perfect choice. When it comes to building your own house, garden landscaping often becomes one of... View Article

The rise and rise of sliding doors

IDSystems’ David Clarke explains why self-builders should look beyond bi-fold doors when choosing a glazing option for a large opening. When discussing the strengths of and demand for glazing solutions it’s important to remain unbiased, as all options have their... View Article

A country saga

When they finally moved into their grand timber-framed home in the heart of the Hampshire countryside, it was the end of a long road for the Curnow-Fords. Roseanne Field reports. Awinding, narrow lane leads to Peter and Debbie Curnow-Ford’s home... View Article

Breathe easy

Christian Rehn of National Ventilation answers your questions about the nuts and bolts of installing MVHR ventilation systems to provide good air quality in increasingly air-tight homes. With new build properties required to be increasingly airtight to meet Building Regulations... View Article

Reduce waste and save costs

Tarmac Cement’s Dr Bill Price explains why it’s important to give mortar and cement careful consideration and how the right product can result in reduced wastage and costs. The value of the self- and custom- build market is forecast to... View Article

Back with a bang!

Selfbuilder + Homemaker is following first-time self-builders Andy and Sarah Ball from the start of their project to completion. The last time we heard from them, they had just lost their builder. Now, a year on, the project is firmly... View Article

Eco performers

Michelle Alcock of Teknos offers an insight into environmentally-friendly paints and how their performance has come on leaps and bounds. Paints and finishes are far more than a design device that brings colour and cohesion to your home. They are... View Article

Untangling the issue

Long delays and landfill costs from dealing with Japanese knotweed could be a thing of the past thanks to new methods available to self- builders, explains Nic Seal of Environet. Discovering the presence of Japanese knotweed on a site where... View Article

The view from the showroom

Howarth Timber researcher and blogger Kat Jacklin outlines key kitchen trends identified for 2018 and beyond. Providing a dedicated kitchen design service to both trade customers and homeowners offers a unique insight into kitchen design trends: not only those which... View Article

The hot topic

With awareness of smoke and fire protection needs at an all time high, Steve Bright of A Perry & Co explains how safety goes beyond alarms. The tragic events at Grenfell Tower in the summer of 2017 placed the spotlight... View Article

A green partnership

Heat pumps are often paired with underfloor heating, but a system featuring low-H2O radiators could provide greater comfort, control and efficiency. Jaga UK’s Claire Owen discusses why implementing renewable heating needs a ‘whole system approach’ to work best. Many people... View Article

Scandi balance

Embrace the Swedish trend of achieving a more balanced lifestyle using the concept of ‘lagom’, with tips from Catharina Bjorkman – of Swedish wood burning stove company Contura. The Swedish term ‘lagom’ (pronounced lar-gom) means ‘just the right amount’; ‘not... View Article