Homebuilding & Renovating

Regardless of whether you’re in the early planning stages or in the middle of your build, it’s likely that the pandemic has had an impact on your project in some way. For many, sourcing materials and navigating safe working practices on site might ha

A greater connection with the garden has long featured top of self-builders and home improvers’ wish-lists, but it now seems as though the lure of the urban area is officially dwindling for mainstream buyers as well. The Office of National Statistics

Having lived happily in their 300-year-old cottage for 14 years, Dick and Sue Maaz weren’t looking to build a new home. However, when the old village hall down the road was due to be demolished and rebuilt elsewhere, and the plot came up for sale, th

Home office improvements are on the rise since lockdown. The Covid-19 pandemic has prompted one in 12 households to invest significant funding into a new home office, as many of us strive to improve our conditions while working from home, according

The government needs to reduce its 20% VAT rate on retrofitting old homes, according to the chief executive of Historic England, Duncan Wilson. “We have been speaking to the government for quite a long time [about] changing the VAT regime,” he says.

Caple’s latest induction hob with downdraft extractor is a stylish but sleek option for removing cooking smells and steam. With 10 power levels, the frameless induction hob is designed specifically for an island unit, so a bulky extractor fan doesn’t

In the summer of 1990, a weighty tome entitled Individual Homes landed on the newsstand. The magazine’s aim was simple: to educate and inspire those hoping to create a one-off home — whether that involved building a new home, renovating or extending

Complete with ornate Dutch-style gable ends, this statuesque and elegant Grade II-listed farmhouse was built in 1630. Nash Baker Architects respectfully restored the home while also making it viable for modern living by introducing an extension to ho

We must admit, the methane membrane is one of the things that has thrown us the most so far on our self-build journey! It sits above the block and beam floor, not only acting as a gas membrane but also doubling up as our airtightness barrier. Having

A few years ago my husband, Glyn and I joined a Community Land Trust group where we were looking to find a plot of land so we could build our own house. We never managed to find land but learned a lot and it was always in the back of our minds that w

Here at Korniche, we’d like to offer our warmest congratulations to the HB&R team on their 30th anniversary — and reflect on our journey. Our award-winning slimline Korniche aluminium roof lantern provides a traditional timber look with the advantage

Noreen Jafaar and Jon Martin’s sustainable self-build proved to be a truly remarkable achievement, given the couple’s fixed budget, the challenging wooded plot, and the couple’s goal to reach the rigorous Passivhaus energy-efficiency standard. Constr

Idyllic, picture perfect, country chic — there are so many words to describe Ben and Sam Winstanley’s recently renovated cottage, Hummingbird, on the Cornish coast. Sam’s parents live in Cornwall and the couple had already bought one property, a barn

Whether you’re taking on a self-build, renovating, or extending your home, the kitchen, more often than not, becomes an intrinsic part of any building project. With the demand on this room to serve so many purposes – from hosting practical design fea

A versatile outdoor space is constructed in traditional green oak with pegged joints. Bespoke pavilions can also be designed to specific requirements by Oakwrights’ design team. Designed to be adapted into different configurations and with options

We live in unprecedented times. We have all realised that some things in life are important, while others can take a back seat when needed, and that our projects fall into the latter category. I hope that everyone reading this will be able to look ba

When a turn of events meant Samantha Parr had to move out of and sell her family home in a beautiful South Staffordshire village, she wanted to find a way to stay on the high street she’d grown to love over the past 20 years. Never one to shirk a cha

A lot of successful renovation projects are shaped by good fortune to a greater degree than we perhaps like to admit. This is particularly the case with older properties where it’s often something of a gamble whether an ageing roof can cling on for a

Jeff Kahane + Associates are working with self-builders in Suffolk who are currently at the beginning of their build. They came across a stumbling block when submitting their CIL exclusion forms. The process was a little more complicated that it shou

Sustainability does not begin or end at the front door, or even at the back door. It is about minimising our impact and the garden has a very significant role to play in that; sustainable landscaping is as much a part of a sustainable home as natural

There are three basic types of green roof: • Intensive: A thick layer of soil (200mm+) in which a wide variety of grasses, herbs, flowers and shrubs can grow. These need maintenance, and so they need to be accessible, and can even be used as a recrea

Dani Ellis was searching for the perfect house to renovate when a 1930s semi-detached house came up for sale right on her road. “Houses on our street don’t come up very often, so I went to visit the property and I completely fell in love,” begins D

Q We’ve bought a renovation project and we’re hoping to replace carpet with luxury vinyl tiles (LVT) or laminate throughout the ground floor. We’ve lifted the carpet in the large extension and have found Marley tiles beneath. They look like they may

You may be fortunate enough to have a plot already at your disposal — a large side garden, for instance, that could accommodate a new home. However, for many would-be self-builders, the process begins with finding a suitable building plot. It’s impor

There are many benefits to building your own home. Arguably, one of the biggest attractions is the opportunity it provides to create an individual home tailored around your lifestyle. Self-build can also be a route to creating a home that will adapt

• A guide to gaining planning on unlikely sites • How to design the perfect country home • Renovator’s guide to solving damp • How to get glazing right DON’T MISS AN ISSUE To find out more about our latest Homebuilding & Renovating magazine subscrip

Once you have purchased your plot there are a good number of steps you need to take before you can begin building your dream home… While some self-builders do design their own projects, you’ll more than likely need a designer on board to help you for

Self-build is a broad church and there are many routes to getting an individual home built. Most self-builders choose one of the following routes: • Project managing the build themselves, including hiring and coordinating subcontractors – such as plu