Dream East Lancashire home is in the frame (From Asian Image)

Dream East Lancashire home is in the frame

2:24pm Wednesday 21st July 2010

A RIBBLE Valley couple can see the wood for their home — because it’s one of the first timber framed properties to be constructed in East Lancashire.

Joiner Andrew Morton and his wife Lou are building their dream home themselves, a four bedroomed, detached, with spacious family room above the double garage.

And only two weeks since it arrived at their plot in Preston New Road, Mellor Brook, on the back of two articulated lorries, the external walls are up, the roof is on and it’s watertight.

The windows and patio doors have been fitted, while the layout of the living space is already evident, with the frames for the internal walls also pinned in place.

Said Andrew: “I’ve always wanted to build my own house and a timber-framed property comes, in effect, in kit form, with all the instructions — and off you go.

“People think we’re building a log cabin, but when it’s finished, no-one will be any the wiser, as it can be finished off in brick or stone.

“Timber framed homes are much more thermally efficient and we are also installing a whole range of eco friendly measures”.

The under floor heating, for instance, will come via a ground source pump and be supplemented by solar panels, which will also provide half of the property’s hot water and a rainwater harvesting plant will recycle ‘grey’ water from the shower and washing machine.

The couple chose their house design from a Scottish timber frame manufacturer, making various alterations to suit their taste and the layout of their land.

Included in the kit is the oak staircase, all the doors and handles and all internal wood fittings, such as skirting boards.

They reckon it cost just under £60,000, plus VAT and putting it up has taken a quarter of the time it would a conventional property.

Said Lou: “It really does encourage you when you see just how quickly it goes up, while another advantage is that you don’t need a raft of professionals or builders involved in the process.

“And at the end of the day, it will have a full 10-year insurance policy and is also fully mortgageable by all the major banks and building societies.”

The couple hope to have moved in by November, but in the meantime are living on site in a caravan.