December/January 2015
Welcome to the December/January edition of i-build magazine! This issue is packed with inspirational projects and products as well as useful advice for your self-build.
New Year is the time of year when there is a significant peak in the initial planning of new self-build projects. Be it sparked by new resolutions or post-festive ambitions, trends show an increase in the number of plot searches conducted in the first few months of the year. However, finding the right plot isn’t as easy as it might seem. This issue, i-build’s new Viewpoint columnist, BuildStore’s Chief Executive, Raymond Connor provides a useful insight into finding the perfect plot on page 16.
One family who didn’t need to look for a plot were the Davies, who built a house on the foundations of an old farmhouse that has been in the family for nearly 70 years. Although the farmhouse was demolished in 1982, Arthur Davies has continued to work on the surrounding sheep farm every day. He no longer has to travel up from the village in the valleys of Caerphilly in South East Wales, as his new home enables him to step straight out into the field. This sustainable project captured the spirit of the local community and continues to be a source of education for schools and associations. Read the full story on page 28.
Other issue highlights include a unique church conversion on page 20, a swanky apartment renovation on page 50 and expert gardening advice from the Royal Horticultural Society in this month’s i-scape.
We hope you enjoy this issue as much as we have enjoyed putting it together for you. Don’t forget to download the i-build app free of charge to access this useful resource on the move. Simply enter the search term “i-build” in App Store or Google Play.
As always, if you would like to see your self-build in i-build please contact me on the usual address with a brief overview of your project. Finally, I would like to take this opportunity on behalf of the i-build team, to wish you a very happy New Year.
