Jo and Shaun Bennett are in love with the past, particularly Gothic architecture. Inspired by their love of all things medieval, the house that they dream of building is pure Addams family.
From the back, Jo & Shaun's five bedroomed gothic fantasy will be rather Rocky Horror, complete with arched stone windows and a tower.
But from the road the timber framed house, partly clad in stone, will sit with the local vernacular.
This project has the potential to be idiosyncratic and exciting but that depends on the budget - and particularly on Jo's talent.
Jo has designed the house and will be project managing it too, but she's having to squeeze in the build between a full time job and looking after her two young sons. With no architect and no project managing experience, she'll need all the support she can get.
And with such a small budget, realising this gothic fantasy is a tall order for even the most seasoned professional.
Budget And Build
Land cost: £150,000
Estimated Budget: £250,000
Final Budget: £450,000
Jo and Shaun's budget was always going to be unrealistic, especially considering the handcrafted, oversized Gothic features they wanted to put in.
The biggest expense was the £30,000 ornate hand carved staircase. One hundred and thirty pieces of oak for the faux beams cost £26,000 and the fireplace £6,000. Jo did however manage to save money in some places by using a prefab panelised structure for the timber frame of the house.
As plans changed and the build evolved, the costs escalated, which meant there was no contingency for any problems that occurred - waterproofing the roof, for example, or having to reorder wrongly-measured window profiles.
After re-mortgaging, Jo and Shaun eventually had to borrow money from their fathers to finish the build.
From the back, Jo and Shaun's five bedroomed house is a Gothic fantasy, complete with arched stone windows and a tower. But from the road the timber framed house, partly clad in stone, is in more of a traditional style, in keeping with the local area.
On the ground floor there is a large kitchen with an oak framed octagon in which to sit and eat.
Next to the kitchen, the modest hallway contains the centrepiece of the house, a carved oak Gothic staircase rising three floors, decorated with gargoyles and fancy carvings. An internal pointed window leads on to a miniature cloister, or sun room, to the South.
Leading off the hall is a large wood panelled living and dining room with a massive stone fireplace. Steps lead down through oak arches into the dining area. And the whole space opens to the first floor library and full height vaulted ceiling above, lit by a stained glass window.
Upstairs as well as the vaulted library there is a guest bedroom suite and the principal bathroom.
And at the end of the landing: the master bedroom, with dressing room, bathroom, balcony and, as in the kitchen, the same oak octagonal frame that forms the tower.
Upstairs on the top floor is a further guest room and the children's bedrooms and bathroom.
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Want to be a self-build guru? Then read on....
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