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A Room With a View, Scottish Borders
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The couple, originally from the Thames Valley, wanted to find a site with magnificent views on which to build a home. They concentrated their search in the lovely Borders country. They love this peaceful unpressured part of the world.
They saw a plot advertised in The Borders Property Guide. They went to check out the site immediately and fell in love with it on the spot. The couple were immediately very keen to buy, but the purchase process took almost a whole year.
"We had to satisfy the vendor and his private architect before we could buy the land, that we were going to build a design that they could find acceptable," explained Margaret. "It was difficult discovering what their own ideas were, and one of our plans was dismissed, However, once we realised what they wanted, we were successful. Purchase eventually went through after the couple worked through ten pages of conditions imposed by the vendor.
Having found their view, John and Margaret were clearly anxious to make the most of it. They asked their architect for large south-facing windows, with the main entrance on the north side. They wanted their own master bedroom on the ground floor, with all the visitors' rooms upstairs. The reason for this was that the couple wanted to plan ahead, and also offer fairly self contained accommodation for guests. "We are both extremely fit and active at the moment, but it made sense for us to live downstairs and not ever have to worry about the stairs. We have eight grandchildren as well as six children between us, and it's lovely to be able to have the family to stay." As well as two bedrooms upstairs, there is also a large bathroom and an enormous play area.
Other requirements were for a large entrance hall, now floored in Junckers beech, an Aga, solid doors, and even a drain in the utility room floor. Another important requirement was a study, where John could fit floor to ceiling shelves for his enormous library collection.
All this was designed into a one-and-a-half style house with an integral double garage. There is a stone plinth (Countrystone chilmark stone) and a blue-grey slate roof, and harled (or rendered, pebble-dashed walls, typical of the Scottish Borders style. Windows are white-stained. Planners were insistent that the new house should be in keeping with the old neighboring cottages. In total, there is nearly 2,000 square feet, with very generous sized rooms and a large open gallery.
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During the build, the couple lived just seven miles away they were fully involved in the project, and visited the site daily. "It meant that if snags did arise, we were always on hand to be consulted over the right solution," said John.
The package from Flemings of Duns was very comprehensive. In addition the Grovers had the option of a standard or enhanced timber frame, and chose the thicker 150mm frame - a wise decision, they felt, for their exposed site.
The house has an oil-fired Aga, and is very warm and extremely well insulated, which is just as well since the couple admit they had under-estimated just how exposed the site is.
In retrospect, the Grovers wonder whether they should not have insisted on a double porch, as further insurance against the prevailing winds, However, this is the only question mark in their minds, and they are confident that they have got everything else right. Certainly they are pleased that they did not have a conservatory, which they were one considering. "By enlarging the bay window in out sitting room, we really did not need one. We are delighted with the layout of our house --it works so well," says Margaret.
In total, the project has come to just over £170,000; its estimated market value is around £250,000 - but than what price can you put on a view?
"We sought a site with fine views and we wanted a house to look at them," said Margaret. "That is exactly what we have - magnificent views across miles of countryside, and a unique, bespoke house. For us, this is dream fulfilled."
Designed by the Border Design Centre.
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