Anyone who has watched Grand Designs will know just how much work goes into a self-building project. The popular Channel 4 property programme follows ambitious individuals as they design and build their dream home, from the initial blueprints right down to the final reveal.
One couple in Lancashire took on their very own Grand Designs-style project without the cameras, and now live in their beautiful five-bed detached house which was carefully constructed from scratch. After having lifelong goals to build their forever home, Katie and her husband Michael worked tirelessly throughout their 20s to make their dream a reality.
Katie, 31, spoke to the Manchester Evening News as part of our Where I Live series. Each week we chat to a different homeowner across the north west about their buying and renovation journey; and take a look inside to see how they've made their house a home.
READ MORE: Join the FREE Manchester Evening News WhatsApp community
Katie, who grew up in Preston, bought her first house with her husband Michael seven years ago, and they have worked their way up the property ladder ever since.
"We bought our first house when I was 24. It was a two-bed semi detached which we paid £135,000 for," Katie told the Manchester Evening News.
"Since then we've worked our way up the ladder and have owned four houses. We have never bought a new build, all of our houses have been renovation projects that have needed work doing to them.
"If you buy a run-down house and renovate it, you can almost always sell it and make money on it. That's a great way to move up the ladder by buying, renovating and selling on, then using that money to buy another one.
“We’ve always gone for the worst house on the best road as location is so important.”
The couple, who previously had a company in sales but are now founders of Dream Interiors, say that they have put in the work themselves to get to this point.
"We’ve not been given any money, we've just worked really, really hard by ourselves to get here," Katie said.
"We sacrificed our 20s and worked seven days a week to be able to live our 30s."
Since they began buying properties, the pair have always dreamt of one day building their own home.
"I’m quite a perfectionist so every house we have lived in I've always wanted to change everything. So for me, it was just wanting the freedom to be able to design everything from scratch," Katie said.
In 2019 the couple began the process of building their dream home, which started with searching for land.
“We were quite lucky because we came across this land in Lancashire which had nothing on it. We bought it without planning but luckily we got our plans passed very quickly," Katie said.
"We then started the design process. We actually designed the entire house ourselves from the exterior to the interior. We told the architect exactly what we wanted and then they did the drawings for us."
The design process took around six months until the plans were finalised but when the building began, Katie kept changing her mind.
“I thought we knew exactly what we wanted, but then when the building started I made so many changes," she admitted.
"It was difficult to visualise what it would actually look like, and it was only when the building began that I realised there were things I wanted to do differently.
"I would now say to anyone building their own house to get 3D designs and renders done because I wish we did that, then you get to visualise it properly."
The building work began in July 2020 and took around 18 months, with the couple moving into their new home in November 2021.
"We had a project manager who sorted all the builders and everything out for us because we were so busy with our jobs at the time," Katie explained.
“The build was stressful and it took us longer than expected because of the various changes we made.
"We wanted it bigger at the back and we had to submit an application to the council for that and then wait six weeks for them to come back to us.
"It was only really the delays that were a bit of a problem, everything else ran quite smoothly."
Katie then began renovating her home room by room with her interior style which he describes as 'classic modern'.
"I wanted to wait until our house was fully built before I started planning all the interior. I wanted to live in the space first to see how it all worked and how we wanted to live," she said.
"I would say my interior style is classic modern. It’s not ultra modern because I like traditional elegant features like chandeliers and spindles."
Katie started her home Instagram account @myselfbuildhome back in 2019 to document the build, and her page has now amassed more than 108,000 followers.
After getting lots of interest in the interiors used throughout her home, Katie and Michael founded their interior business Dream Interiors selling bespoke interior, which is now their full time job.
"I started our Instagram account in 2019 and it’s grown gradually and quite naturally," Katie said.
“I've always had an interest in interior design but we started our interior business through Instagram. People were always asking me where I got my furniture and décor from, so I started selling it online.
"My entire house is kitted out with Dream Interiors. Everything we sell on our website is things I personally like and have in my home, so other people can buy it too.
"My business is very authentic to me because it’s everything that I have in my own home. I only sell what I’d put in my own house. My Instagram account is like my showroom.”
Talking us through the layout of their home, Katie said: "It's set across three floors. On the ground floor we’ve got a large open hallway, a living room at the front, a home office, the kitchen dining area, a utility room and a downstairs toilet.
"On the first floor we’ve got the same sized room as the kitchen which is our master bedroom, which has its own en-suite and dressing room. There’s then the other four bedrooms.
"In the garden we have an outbuilding with a bar and bifold doors out into the garden. We’ve got fields behind us which is quite nice."
You can view more of Katie and Michael's home on their home Instagram account @myselfbuildhome.
Want to feature your home in Where I Live? If so, please email your details to phoebe.jobling@reachplc.com.
Sign up to our free weekly property newsletter by clicking here
READ MORE:
First-time buyer transforms 'worst house on the street' into something beautiful
'I turned my boring house in Salford into a boho-style home with bargains from Facebook'
'I added £50,000 to the value of my house by spending just £8k renovating'
‘We bought three run-down flats for £420,000 and transformed them into our dream minimalist home’
