splitSavvylevel living

Overview

Size of house: 250sqm

Bedrooms: 4

Plot size: 1 acre

Site cost: £107k

Build cost: £396k (£443k including all fees, connections etc)

House value: £600k

EPC (SAP): A (93)

Heating: oil boiler with wood burning stove

Ventilation: mechanised centralised with heat recovery

Build method: block and steel tuart and Katie loved living in the Rosetta area of Belfast, however, they became increasingly aware of the drawbacks of their three-bedroom semi-detached house, such as the lack of natural light and sun in the garden and restricted internal space. They knew they wanted to find solutions in their next home, but they quickly realised that buying a fourbedroom detached house in the same area of Belfast – that ticked all their boxes – would be beyond their budget. So, they decided to explore building sites instead.

In 2019, they found a suitable site just five minutes from Katie’s family, which was ideal for both of their work commutes. The previously approved plans for the site were for a large two storey building, around 420 square metres. However, due to the sloping site, the building would have had to be built low down the hill to adhere to the maximum ridge height.

“We consulted with several architects and ultimately decided on a split level design that allowed us to build half the house size but further up the hill,” explains Stuart. “We wanted a home that was functional and not too ostentatious. And we didn’t want to overspend on our project.”

Space to grow

Stuart, a pregnant Katie and their young son moved in with Katie’s parents in October 2019 and remained there throughout the entire build.

“When Katie and I were considering the design of our new home, we knew that space was a top priority. With one child at the time and two now, we wanted to ensure there was plenty of room for them to move around, and even ride scooters inside the house. We also wanted more natural light and a view of the sky –features that our previous home lacked.”

“Of course, sticking to our budget was crucial, so we carefully selected an architectural practice that had experience designing family homes while keeping costs under control. We had seen some of our architects’ previous work and felt confident they would be able to create a design that met our needs. We were delighted when they were able to deliver a plan that maximised space and minimised waste, resulting in a functional and comfortable home that perfectly meets our family’s needs.”

“It took us a long time to initially plan and work through all the details of the house, including walking through the space and trying to visualise how we would use it. We even went so far as to