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Quite fancy a straw bale/timber frame jobby, with reclaimed roof tiles, lime render, oak windows, huge fireplace with log burner, reed bed filtration system, some sort of power generation........ couldn't live without my Rayburn so would have to look into one of the new-age log fired ones to keep it green! Oh! and rainwater recycling.......... Sigh. Can but dream.

Posted by: Woozle1967 on 6th Nov 2009 at 12:33PM

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Having an architect for a husband we nearly did this about twenty years ago - had a site and were making plans but the recession at the time hit my husband's business and we had to change our plans. I don't regret it as I could see it was a prime senario for disagreement.
I would like to build an 'Arts and Crafts' house. We have a book of plans. I would get all the work done by craftsmen and it would be beautiful set in wooded grounds - well I can dream.
Actually I am quite happy in my Edwardian terrace which is just as well.

Posted by: Arosebyanyothername on 6th Nov 2009 at 12:38PM

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deB & I HAVE built our own house....but I found it a really hard decision re: whether to build in vernacular style to blend in with the surrounding architecture, or to be more creative and original.

In the end we stuck with vernacular....stone, slate, re-claimed brick, sash windows, large inglenook fireplaces etc.. For some reason (and don't ask me why) I wanted the house to look as though it had been here for centuries. It IS our dream house...we love it, but I'm forever saying "gawd why did we plan that to go over here instead of over there"

If I built again? Yep...it would still be the traditional country house look I guess....it always feels so cosy and comforting.

Posted by: Salle de Bain on 6th Nov 2009 at 12:52PM

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I'd start with a ten acre field then plonk the house in the middle!

Posted by: Jaynebeth on 6th Nov 2009 at 01:02PM

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I've never fancied doing this I must admit. I have a real love of old places and all the history wrapped up in them. Di like watching Grand Designs though.

Posted by: Pipany on 6th Nov 2009 at 01:20PM

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Oh, I DO agree, Pip! You never can quite replicate the real McCoy can you - atmosphere can't be created, it evolves over time. We wouldn't move from here now but I would love to incorporate some of the things I mentioned. We are, actually,looking at the reed bed filtration system with our neighbours as we share the sceptic tank, but that's a way off yet. Our bank manager needs to recover from lending us the money for the extension!

Posted by: Woozle1967 on 6th Nov 2009 at 01:37PM

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Oooo we would love a reed bed filtration and even have an area to put it . . . but it is very expensive . . . would also like solar, or wind power . . . former we don't get so much of as the latter . . .

We actually love our house - but you can still dream and we do want our own gallery.

Posted by: Westerwitch on 6th Nov 2009 at 01:49PM

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We pretty much have our dream house already, we started out with an 1820 derelict coach house and stables, and have converted/extended that into our home over the past 23 years. We now have a pretty 4 bed, 4 reception, 2 bath cottage, pretty windows, white rendered walls under a welsh slate roof cottage. There is a open fire in the sitting room, and where the doors for the coaches to come in and out, are large Georgian glazed windows. Its not posh, or grand, but it is home. It was a leap of faith for the iGit, as this was his first home away from home, as we bought it the year before we married. I was more confident, as I had studied Architecture and Building Construction Technology at College and then Uni (although I did drop out) and felt comfortable taking the project on, and drew many of the plans that were used to build it, even down to things like drawing plans for brick moulds to be made to build the fireplace, which I had made at Selborne's brick works from Hampshire clay.

We chose to live here, because it had everything two IT freelancers like us needed, a rural location along a pretty country lane, close to a very pretty village, with terrific access to both the M3 and M4, Heathrow in 30 mins and London Waterloo in 55 mins. The Midlands and South Coast were easily accessible to, making it an ideal place for us to cast our net for contracts, and enjoy continuity of work.

The only thing I would like is to be able to move it to a large field, surrounded by lots of other fields, away from motorways, airfields, major roads and railways. Around here, such a house in a few acres would set you back several million, so we hope, once the kids have flown the nest to trade down, and move west of where we are, Wilts, Somerset, or Cornwall would do nicely, and have a similar home in a much larger plot. We wouldn't care how much work it would need, we would make it our own, but it would have to have good bones to start off with.

One day eh. For now, I prefer to stay near my existing surgeons and oncologists, we hope once we get to 5 years, that it will be achievable though.

Posted by: Zoe on 6th Nov 2009 at 02:01PM

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As winter approaches the igloo, my first wish would be for something well insulated. I like our victorian home and we're very lucky to have lovely views over Dartmoor when the mist isn't down. Perhaps I could have something snug for winerrs?
Think an architect is a must, I'm sure we'd miss something vital eg front door if left to our own devices.
We have enough space to build something but are outside the permitted development guidelines for Dartmoor, maybe if the rules are changed oneday.....

Posted by: Lily on 6th Nov 2009 at 02:25PM

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I would love to build a modern oak-framed house with higher ceilings and doorways, larger rooms and no cold, damp stone walls.

I'd have a reed bed system and a heat exchange pump and windows that I could see through. I'd have nice big windows on the south to maximise solar gain and possibly a turf roof.

I'd have a living room with only one door (not four) so I could put the sofa where I liked (not because there's only one place it can go).

The main thing though would be to have doorways taller than 5'6" so we don't keep banging our heads! Oh and an upstairs bathroom, not one that was built as an afterthought downstairs in the 1980s and is miles away from the bedrooms.

I'd love to build my own house and am very envious of my father who's just announced he's going to do that very thing - on Mull. I'd say it was a midlife crisis but he's 69!

Posted by: Preseli Mags on 6th Nov 2009 at 03:45PM

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In theory that's just what we did 5 years ago - but like S de B keep thinking of better ways of doing things and seeing other opportunities. I don't think we will do it again though - we'vr put in so much time and energy into the garden in particular, and are now seeing things growing and taking shape, it would be soul-destroying to have to start again.

Posted by: Mountainear on 6th Nov 2009 at 04:41PM

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I really love old houses and lusted after a victorian beauty here in the village that still had all it's original fixtures...unfortunately it was bought by a builder and his wannabe "wag" wife and they have gutted the place and modernised it within an inch of its life.

For a new build I've always wanted a really big canadian style log cabin like you see "by the lake" in films...with all the eco features you could think of.

Posted by: Fairy Nuff on 7th Nov 2009 at 10:27AM