To build or not to build that was the question for Roger and Gilly.
Why?
The couple had previously spent 5 years fighting with planners to be allowed to build a new house on their croft of land in Lismore. Having finally achieved planning permission, they then struggled to find a builder who was willing to take the project on, so the dismayed couple spent a further 2 1/2 years building it themselves with no previous experience. Roger candidly told us “If we had known at the outset that it was going to take 7 years to completion, I don’t think we would have even begun it.
Following this nightmare experience, Roger says “We couldn’t face the stress and emotional turmoil of another building project on our own’.
Just as Roger and Gilly were ready to give up on their plans, something wonderful happened.
They discovered The Wee House Company.
” We had recently seen a Wee House go up on the Island in double quick time and thought we would investigate. The owners had been very pleased and impressed with the house, it’s quality of finish and particularly the Wee House Company Team.
We contacted them in May 2023 and within a matter of days there had been a site visit. Within a few weeks we had roughed out plans of what we wanted, with estimates on cost and delivery. A ‘settled for plan’ was completed in June and we were told we could have the finished house in November. The surprising thing for us was to find that The Wee House Company would be doing ALL of the work.
This became very clear when the planners, true to form, decided we had to re-apply for planning permission. Why? Heaven knows. Well we didn’t have to worry. All of the anxiety and frustration of applying for permission and following through was taken care of by TWHC. It took until November for planning to be reinstated. We could begin again. What was amazing at that time was the seamless way in which the threads of what had been started five monthly earlier were picked up so quickly, with little effort on our part, it was magical.”
Roger and Gilly’s Wee House is a two-bedroom new build property located on the Isle of Lismore yet constructed off-site in East Ayrshire by The Wee House Company.
This larch-clad modular home features a luxuriously sized wet-room with walk in shower and wall hung sanitary ware. The open-plan kitchen lounge dining area is enhanced with triple glazed bi-fold doors looking out onto a 24 sq m decked patio area with full surround glass balustrade, allowing the residents to enjoy the peaceful rural surroundings in a sheltered space. The three panel bi-fold doors, span the full width of the north east elevation and flood the living space with natural light.
Having the new house constructed off-site provided Roger and Gilly with the optimum solution and avoided considerable disruption. With more than 90% of the build carried out in The Wee House Company’s manufacturing facility in Ayrshire, work on site was condensed into just 5 weeks and included all groundworks and the laying of tar-mac
Using the modern modular construction method, this two bedroom Wee House was completed to ceiling height and fitted out with kitchen, bathroom, plumbing and electrics, before being split into modules and transported to Lismore. Arriving on site, the modules were then craned into position and made wind and water tight on the same day.
The Wee House Company’s modular process is a sustainable method of building. The off-site location of our operations gives us greater control over the storage and management of materials, resulting in the minimisation of waste. Our manufacturing process is controlled by rigorous quality management procedures, in compliance with ISO 9001, which enable us to achieve precise detailing and performance.
“The Wee House Co attitude to customer care has taken the whole of the workload off our shoulders, it has been the most wonderful experience and it has all be done with such grace and enthusiasm.
During the build process, we visited The Wee House Company’s manufacturing facility to see our house in a near completed state. What a wonderful experience that was, not just to meet the team, who all seemed to be such a part of a cohesive friendly whole, but to see what their commitment to each other, the Company and to us as the customer had produced, a beautiful house, a quality finish, a living space that is so much bigger and so much more than the sum of its parts.”
