Retirement on Harris

Location: Isle of Harris

Bedrooms: 1

Internal floor area: 75m²

Planning permission granted: February 2017

Move in date: December 2017

Challenges: Tight single track roads

Turnkey project cost: £211,950*

Tony and Eva were looking forward to the freedom and flexibility of retirement and they had a specific goal in mind; spend six months of the year on the beautiful Isle of Harris and the other six in sunny Greece.

The couple had a plot of land on Harris, a firm idea for what they wanted to build and had been trying to gain planning consent and a building warrant for well over a year. Despite their best efforts, Tony and Eva were finding it difficult to progress and building their dream home was becoming a long-drawn-out headache.

Obtaining planning consent wasn’t the only challenge the couple faced – with delivery of materials dictated by a limited ferry timetable, tight single track roads to negotiate and ensuring the home was robust enough to survive the unforgiving Hebridean weather, the couple wondered if they had taken on too much.

Frustrated but undeterred, they decided to try another route and contacted The Wee House Company, sharing their plans and progress. Tony and Eva were delighted to find that with just a few modifications to their plans, The Wee House Company could build exactly what they were looking for, to a set budget. This included installation of an air source heat pump and underfloor heating.

What’s more, the modified plans were approved by planning and building standards in under 10 weeks.

Tony said, “Ours was a bespoke plan and I never would have dreamt of modular build until finding The Wee House Company website. Jennifer liaised with us at every stage and was able to make the minor alterations to our plan required to make it compatible with the Wee House build parameters and acceptable to the Planning and Building Control authorities in our area.”

All new homes require input and certification from a structural engineer. As with all Wee Houses, it was ensured that the design was suitable for its location and able to withstand the spectacular winter storms that come in from the Atlantic.

The couple enjoy a very happy retirement, earning income by renting out their Wee House while they are in Greece.

If you are interested in a bespoke build Wee House, click here.

*Project costs are based on material and labour costs at the time of build.