Grand Designs Episode Information Killearn: The Loch House

Date Published:

10/06/2008

Jim Fairfull considers himself a very lucky guy. He was out fishing with a friend when he came across a beautiful, secluded loch. It's a magical place with stunning views over the nearby hills. He got chatting to the farmer who owned it and discovered the site was for sale. Within a week, he'd done a deal and bought the land.

Jim runs a successful wholesale fruit and vegetable company in Glasgow and his wife, Simone, looks after their two girls, aged 11 and eight. Jim and Simone were not intending to self build. But they fell in love with this dramatic location and decided they wanted to live here.

The loch also gave them a fantastic opportunity to build a very unique house. They can control the water level of the loch which means they were able to actually build over the loch without worrying about flooding. So with the help of their architect, they designed an extravagant split level five bedroom house that hovers over the loch.

The house is L-shaped, and the main living area and master bedroom extend out over the water. Floor-to-ceiling glazing not only maximises the amazing views towards the hills, but allows reflections from the water to bounce around the open plan living areas. Simone believes that living over the water will create a very calming atmosphere in the house. The other wing of the house will have a double height living room overlooked by a glass balcony on the first floor.

Budget And Build

The Cost Estimated budget: £567,000
Final budget: Significantly over

Jim and Simone had a budget of £567,000 for the house, financed from the sale of their previous home. However the extra, unplanned architectural features that the couple decided to opt for along the way, such as the stone wall in the kitchen and the specialised lighting, caused costs to rise significantly.