Naturally MODERN

HOME OF THE YEAR & BEST CONTEMPORARY SELF-BUILD

HOMEOWNERS

Richard and Tavia Vint and their children Archie and Olivia

PROJECT Contemporary self-build

LOCATION Surrey

BUILD SIZE 307m² + 33m² garage

BUILD ROUTE Main contractor built watertight shell, with interior fit-out project managed by Richard

HOUSE COST £671,000

BUILD COST £452,000

VALUE £1,650,000

Richard and Tavia Vint’s self-build, nestled on a leafy lane on the fringes of a popular Surrey town, is both a sensitive response to its site and a brilliant family home to boot — what’s more, it was built for just £1,500/m² .

Here, the Vints – whose self-build has been awarded The Daily Telegraph Homebuilding & Renovating 2019 ‘Best Contemporary Self-build’ and ‘Home of the Year’ – share their build story and pass on their lessons learned.

Finding ‘the plot’

The starting point for Richard and Tavia’s self-build is a familiar one: it all began with a search for the opportunity to create a long-term family home, designed around their lifestyle. “We looked at everything in all honesty: properties to extend, and to replace, and at building plots. It was quite hard to find ‘the one’,” begins Richard.

After a year-long search, they finally chanced upon a 1950s bungalow, ideally positioned on a quiet lane bordering countryside, but within a 10-minute walk of the local high street and train station. “The bungalow was quite dated; it had the classic avocado bathroom suite, and bright yellow fascias and garage door. However, it had an amazing south-facing garden and was surrounded by mature shrubs — we fell in love with the site,” says Richard.

“Initially we considered adding a first floor and extending the ground floor,” he continues. “But the more we