A Cottage

• Owner: Peter & Jennifer Trewren
• Location: Warwickshire
• Property Size: 2000sqft
• Land Size: eighth of an acre
• Land Cost: circa.£100,000
• Build Time: 1 year
• Total Cost: £275,000
• Value: £425,000

“We couldn’t find a suitable house in the village and in the end we found what we were looking for right outside our window,” says Peter. “We lived in a six-bedroom house with a garden of around a quarter of an acre, so we decided to submit planning permission to build a house at the bottom.”

Initially the couple spoke to a local building contractor, Peter Veal, who had plenty of experience gaining permission to build houses in the area. Peter Veal showed the Trewrens his own oak frame house and they were impressed with both his workmanship and the style, and decided oak was a good option for them too.

Peter Veal drew-up outline plans but at first their application was refused. The local planning department had an infill policy, which meant there were restrictions on sub-dividing existing house plots with the intention to build.

Then in a separate planning case, Peter Veal won an appeal to build a house nearby. The Trewrens decided to appeal too and sought advice from a solicitor who specialised in planning law. Peter says this professional advice was money well spent as by the end of the year the couple had received permission to build their new house.

The Trewrens considered a few oak frame building companies but liked the personal touch at Welsh Oak Frame.

“Co-Director, Paul, was great at returning our calls and answering our questions throughout, and they did everything they said they would do.”

The couple took their ideas to Welsh Oak Frame and based the final design on the Angharad house since it was a simple rectangle style, with an annexe at one end, and would fit in well with the plot shape.

In spring 2006, the build started but the Trewrens suddenly decided to change a window. Welsh Oak Frame made the design change, which Peter thinks may not have been the case if they had hired a larger company for their project.

By April 2007 the build was complete and the couple moved in. Peter and Jennifer are really pleased with their cosy oak frame home. Two years on the timbers have weathered to a silvery finish complementing the soft mushroom colour of the render, and the reclaimed bricks and tiles used on the rest of the house.

The old style is very much in keeping with the historical village, yet has the added benefit of being a good investment.

“If this house was genuinely old, it would be high maintenance and therefore not very appealing to people like ourselves,” says Peter.

“But a low maintenance, modern house in an old style like this is virtually non-existent in this area so we know we’ve made a good choice with oak.”