During the 2020 lockdown, Anna and David Cross decided to seek out opportunities for a new home. Though they loved the property they had lived in for 20 years, the couple, who live with their two adult daughters, wanted a house they could future-proof and tailor to their needs for retirement.
At this stage, self-building wasn't on Anna and David's radar – their search began with the hunt for a property that could be adapted to their requirements. Having lived in Surrey for years, they didn't want to relocate. "We're fortunate to live in an area where there's lots of lovely Victorian and early 20th century housing stock, so we thought we'd purchase a property and adapt it," says Anna.
The couple gave themselves six months to track down the ideal opportunity which, disappointingly, didn't arise. "But our estate agent proposed a 1960s property that was ripe for demolition and a new build – on our favourite road," says Anna.
Project details
- Location Surrey
- Project Self-build detached
- House type Arts & Crafts style self-build
- House size 587 sq m
- Build cost Approx £2m
- Architect Roderick James Architects
Fine tuning the brief
With the chance to create a house from scratch, Anna and David – though excited – were somewhat overwhelmed with the amount of choice they faced.
"We're big consumers of property shows on TV," says Anna. "We almost like it too much, so I was nervous about bringing in lots of our favourite architectural styles and ending up with an odd-looking property that drew on too many aesthetics."
The couple's first move was to appoint Igloo, a design-and-build company, to project manage. Anna and David then set about searching for an architect who could assist them in distilling their ideas into a comprehensive plan.
After narrowing down their shortlist to two practices, the Crosses decided to go with Nick Wordie from Roderick James Architects. "He was the first architect who really understood the key to our brief – that we wanted a family home, not a show home – but a modern farmhouse with larger, functional spaces and no unnecessary grandeur," says Anna.
Nick worked closely with the couple over the course of several months to help develop their ideas, assisting them in the choice between two of their favourite styles – New England and Arts and Crafts.
Achieving planning consent
Getting planning permission was a lengthy process, as Anna and David were required to jump through a few extra hoops due to the property's location on a private estate.
"Having done our sketches and worked out our design strategy, there were two applications to submit – one to the district council and the other to the estate's residents' association," explains architect Nick Wordie. "Each body has its own guidebook of rules and planning policies, so we had to show we weren't overdeveloping the site."
Roderick James Architects worked closely with the team at Igloo during this phase – as the latter had already developed several houses on the estate, they were familiar with the additional stipulations.
To maximise the scheme's chance of success, the Crosses went through the pre-application process to gather any additional feedback that could help shape their design before submitting a formal application. Though it took some time, this diligent approach proved successful and the couple received planning consent in March 2022.
The dream team
Once construction began, Igloo took the lead in hiring subcontractors for each of the jobs on site. "All the consultants worked together seamlessly to ensure progress flowed without a hitch," says Nick. "From the landscape specialist to the interior designer, as well as Carpenter Oak who provided the oak frame, the whole team worked well in bringing Anna and David's vision to fruition."
This reflection also aligns with Anna and David's experience of the construction phase. "The whole team was on the same page," says Anna. "If a problem emerged, the focus shifted to how to fix it – there weren't any issues that proved insurmountable."
As they were still living in their family home just several streets away, the couple kept a close eye on progress and visited the site almost every day.
"When the slab was complete and we walked around the space, we wondered if the rooms were going to be big enough," says Anna. "Then, as the house started to come up out of the ground, we were able to see the spaces differently."
Finely crafted finish
The high level of detailing and craftsmanship meant that construction progress did fall behind schedule by six months or so. "We have lots of internal detailing we weren't willing to compromise on, so that did slow things down," says Anna.
However, it was during the later construction phases that their thorough approach really paid off. "We took a long time over the layout, poring over it in minute detail – including the creation of floorplans with scaled representations of our existing furniture," says Anna.
This strategy meant that as the build unfolded, the couple didn't need to make any changes. The resulting house delivers the warm and welcoming feel the Crosses had wished for.
"Downstairs, we use each of the rooms every single day – we didn't want any superfluous areas," says Anna. The kitchen, which sits at the centre of the ground floor, is Anna's favourite place. "I especially love my pantry as it's custom made for hiding away all the mess and muddle from cooking, ensuring the kitchen always looks gorgeous – it's a very happy space for me."
"This house really suits us – hopefully forever – but it was an all-encompassing focus for almost three years, so it's been nice to have some space now it's complete," she adds. For now, Anna, David and their two daughters can sit back and enjoy the results of the hard work they poured into the project.
"We thought about all the details for such a long time, so every detail that wasn't quite right about our old house is no longer present – in our new home, everything is easy and it's a pleasure to live here."
For more inspiration, take a look around this modern barn-style self-build in Kent's countryside or this extended west London home designed for family life.
