Richard and his wife lived in an enviable location down a country lane just outside the historic village of Mayfield in Sussex. Their property was bordered by woods and fields but the house itself was past its best, and so they contemplated moving. Once the house was on the market it didn’t take long for buyers to see what a desirable area it was, and it sold quickly.

As the sale was going through, the couple were having their doubts, and when their estate agent remarked how they wouldn’t be able to find a place as beautiful, they decided to stop the process and remove their home from the market. They knew the estate agent was right, the location was irreplaceable.

The couple were considering their options when a colleague of Richard’s mentioned Scandia-Hus. Having an interest in timber frame houses already, they decided to visit the company’s show homes in East Grinstead. The pair fell in love.

Derek Dawson, then project manager, now managing director, came over to the property to view the potential plot. When asked where they were planning to live during construction, they were thinking of organising temporary accommodation in the form of a mobile home that they could set up in the woods that adjoined them. Derek highlighted the fact that it would be uncomfortably cold throughout the winter and suggested that they live in the current house and build the new one on the grounds of the garden. This seemed like the ideal solution.

Derek encouraged them to sketch out ideas for their new home and they took this to the firm’s architectural technicians. The design was for a simple bungalow, with 3 bedrooms, 2 reception rooms and 2 bathrooms, with inspiration taken from the Scandia show homes they had seen. The rough plans came back as working drawings, prices were calculated, and the project was put into planning. Scandia negotiated with the local authorities on their behalf and consent was soon received.

With no knowledge of construction, Richard and his wife hired one of Scandia’s recommended builders who had previously worked with the company. Richard describes the experience as like a military operation. In February 1999 the groundworks began, on the 16^th of March the timber frame kit was delivered, and just four months later, on the 16^th of July, the couple moved into their completed new home.

Richard remarks how he has never been so impressed with anything in his 94 years. The work undertaken was efficient, with materials and labour arriving on schedule and construction progressed smoothly. The couple describe both the product and service as absolutely marvellous; they could not find fault. They fell in love with their new home, it was everything they wanted, and they are still extremely happy today, nearly a quarter of a century later, it’s still as good as new.

The layout has been functionally designed so that the living areas are south-facing, whilst the sleeping quarters face north. They spend most of their time through the winter in their living room with log fire burning, whilst in summer they relax in their kitchen diner with the sun streaming in through the windows, creating a warm and restful space. They describe every day as a pleasure in their lovely home.