Real Home: a true self-build

Self-build usually means that someone has been lucky enough to find a plot of land and has commissioned a one-off home. It's rare to find a true self-builder who has been hands-on in constructing and crafting almost every inch of a property.

Even more extraordinary is to find someone who has done this by the age of 25. It's why Philip Coe is so remarkable.

A joiner by trade, he used a combination of his carpentry skills, YouTube tutorials and a book, The Housebuilders Bible, to create a contemporary home from the bones of an asbestos-clad AtCost shed.

Thanks to the DIY approach, the property in a village near York, cost just £80,000 to construct and fit out yet it looks a million dollars.

With original designs by an award-winning architect, Philip's ideas and attention to detail and interior design by his partner, Flo, he turned the agricultural shed into a stunningly beautiful home.

The project took root when Philip's parents offered him the chance to get on the property ladder by converting the building.

“They built their own home 18 years ago and the shed was on the land they bought. My dad used it for storage,” says Philip, who showed an interest in construction from an early age.

“I was eight when my parents' house was being built and I loved ‘helping' the workmen. I even asked the plumber if he would take me on as an apprentice.

“I never enjoyed the academic subjects at school but I liked woodwork. I've always loved working with my hands,” 
he says.

He and Flo, a stylist for Marks & Spencer, have recently set up their own business “Flocoe”, designing and making bespoke kitchens and furniture. But while building their house, Philip was still employed at a local joinery firm and Flo was studying away at university.

So for two years he worked on the house every evening and every weekend. He followed designs by Malton-based architect Ric Blenkharn, of Bramhall Blenkharn, who incorporated the concrete skeleton of the AtCost building into the plans.

Ric is known for his skill in making the best use of natural light, so the house has large areas of glazing and a double-height sitting area.

He also helped the Coes seek planning permission and the local authority agreed but with one caveat that proved an issue when looking for a mortgage.

“We got planning permission on condition that we could only sell to someone who lived or worked locally,” says Flo. “That and the fact we were both under 25 at the time made getting a mortgage difficult.”