Mission statement!  

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Well that's a grand title, what does it mean? Well, building a house has been at the back of my mind for a long time, indeed my mum wanted me to study building design and construction when I left school  and, though I was tempted, I foolishly chose chemistry instead (mothers are always right). However that didn't stop me harbouring thoughts of building something and when the opportunity arose to convert some outbuildings on my parents' land back in the 1990s I jumped at it. The result wasn't exactly a 'Grand Design' but on a very tight budget it turned out okay and was a great learning experience.

 

What that building had in spades was character and setting, what it lacked was insulation and double glazing. Why on earth would we spend what little money we had on something as mundane as insulation? Fast forward 25 years and the world is a very different place. Climate change is the biggest challenge facing humankind since the last ice age and suddenly insulation is not mundane. Nearly a fifth of all UK greenhouse gas emissions come from burning fossil fuels to heat our homes (as of 2018) and 90% of that heat goes straight up the chimney or is lost through windows, walls and draughts. How different would it be if the heat came from renewable energy sources and only 10% was lost from the house? This can be a pretty tall order if you are trying to upgrade an existing house but is easily achievable with a new build - but it has to be planned properly and above all requires attention to detail when it comes to building it. Super energy efficient houses may cost a little more to build, approximately 10% apparently, but that extra investment will be recouped in lower bills and will significantly reduce the carbon emissions from our homes. 

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Helen & I are in the lucky position that we have both the time and the inclination to get stuck in to a project like this. From planning to construction we are going to try and do as much as we can ourselves, partly to keep costs down but mainly because of the satisfaction we will get from being able to say "we did that!" It's going to be a long road and steep learning curve. There are going to be tears, bruises, tough days and arguments but hopefully if we survive the process we will have a house that was built by us, for us and we will have done our bit for the planet.

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So that's our mission: To build a house that is cheap to run, comfortable to live in, fit for the future and carbon negative over its lifetime.

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