In just six months, Max Tillings and Katie Roach built their bijou coach house on an awkward infill plot, using reclaimed materials to complement the neighbouring Victorian property
TEXT DEBBIE JEFFERY IMAGES MAX TILLINGS & KATIE ROACH
Few people would have looked twice at the small piece of land where Max Tillings and his partner, Katie Roach, recently built their new home. The couple already owned the courtyard to the rear of an apartment building in Westgate-on-Sea, north-east Kent, which had previously been used as a musicians’ benevolent home.
“My parents were landlords, so I grew up learning about property and tackling all sorts of building projects,” Max explains. “When we first bought St Cecilia’s House it was in a shocking state of repair, but we loved its history and set about renovating and converting the building while maintaining the original facade and features.”
“It was a massive project to create eight luxury seaside homes, which we still own and rent out,” continues Max, who has been a landlord for almost 30 years. “We thought the rear courtyard might make a communal garden for residents, but they weren’t particularly enthusiastic, as they wondered who would maintain the space.”
The couple decided instead to develop the land as a one-bedroom home for themselves, with garaging below for their two vintage Rolls Royce Phantom cars, which Max inherited from his father. “Katie is also very hands-on and practical, so we knew that building our own home would be a true self-build project,” says Max. “We certainly don’t mind rolling up our sleeves.”
The house had originally been built as a residence for a racing driver, so it seemed fitting to design their new home as a coach house, with his and hers double garages beneath a one-bedroom apartment, accessed by an external staircase.
LAYOUT
The first-floor open plan living/dining/kitchen faces south through glazed doors, with a large rooflight inset into the sloping ceiling. Beside this, a double bedroom also benefits from a rooflight and glazed doors opening onto a Juliet balcony, with a shower room tucked to the rear of the floorplan.
“We sketched out a design ourselves, and then asked a local architect we’ve used before to produce workable plans,” explains Katie. “This was always going to be our home, so we were involved in every decision from the start.”
The new property is attached to the back of the main house, while being completely self- contained, and was devised to avoid blocking the outlook from existing windows.
“Instead of having a brick wall abutting the house, we set the first-floor living accommodation back slightly and put in railings, which allow light to pass through,” says Max. “This reduced the size of our living space but it’s created a small outdoor seating area and means you can still see the architectural features of the main house – the windows, headers and chimney – which was extremely important.”
PLANNING CONSTRAINTS
Gaining planning permission for the new build proved more challenging than the couple had anticipated and took almost two years to achieve. The plot stands within a Conservation Area, and an existing brick boundary wall needed to be either modified or demolished and rebuilt as part of the new coach house.
“The old wall was in a poor state of repair, and we decided that working with it just wasn’t practical,” says Katie. “Our plan was to carefully take this down and then rebuild it using the same bricks, including the distinctive panels of burnt clinker bricks which are a feature often seen in this part of Kent.”
Max and Katie had already made a huge effort to retain original features on the main house, reusing windows, roof tiles and other materials, but despite their impeccable track record, the local authority twice refused them permission to temporarily take down the rear boundary wall.
“The conservation officer, planning officer, and local conservation groups were all against it, so I requested permission for our application to be taken to committee,” explains Max, who was assisted by a local town councillor. “We then visited every household in the vicinity to show people our drawings and asked if they would be willing to help us.”
Over 70 residents wrote letters of support for the couple’s proposal and – after Max had spoken at the committee meeting – the
27 members voted unanimously in favour of the application.
“The delay meant putting everything on hold, and a further nine-month wait to reassemble the team,” says Max. “We also needed a breather before starting on site in May 2019, working with subcontractors we already knew and project managing the build ourselves.”
PREPARATORY WORKS
Dismantling the old boundary wall and then carefully cleaning and stacking bricks – including the darker over-fired clinker bricks – was a process which involved five people, in addition to Katie and Max.
Rather than breaking up the existing slab for groundworks, this was cut around to create footings – a procedure further complicated by the discovery of a huge water catchment well on site.
“It’s a magnificent feat of engineering, with a gravity-fed system of pipework to draw water for irrigation, and when we lifted the lid the water inside was crystal clear,” says Max. “Preserving the well involved installing a pump system and hatch so that we can use the water for plants.”
Foundations needed to bridge the well at one corner, which meant hand-digging five-metre- deep holes and installing shuttering and steelwork. Cellar space in the main house dictated that the adjacent strip footings also needed to be extremely deep.
“During the dig, we came across a huge pipe which nobody was willing to lay claim to, so the structural engineer and building control officer came up with a scheme to bridge and protect this,” says Max. “Even to this day we don’t know where it goes or what it serves.”
Working on such a tight site meant that storing materials and plants was an issue, involving constantly shuffling and moving items. This also restricted the quantity of materials which could be ordered and required a structured programme of deliveries to avoid obstructing the road and footpath, where permission was granted to create a dropped curb.
“We kept up dialogue with all the residents, who were going to be our neighbours, and made sure they knew exactly what would be going on,” says Katie. “One poor lady moved into her new flat to the roar of a petrol disc cutter breaking the ground, but she was extremely tolerant about the whole thing.”
EXTERIORS, DOORS, BEAMS & FLOORS
During the build, Katie and Max had been temporarily renting in the main house, but then needed to move out and relocate before their new home was ready. As a courtesy, and to remain on good terms with their neighbours, the couple offered to wash their cars every fortnight to remove dust created from cutting bricks and other building work.
Sourcing matching soft Kentish red bricks for the external walls proved difficult, and all bricks were mixed together prior to rebuilding to integrate new and old batches for an even finish. An ornate and highly decorative brick chimney on the new coach house is a scaled-down version of those on the main house and makes an impressive feature.
Bricklayer, Stuart Goldman was employed, with Max tackling much of the pointing, and the external garage walls have an inner skin of space-saving high density blockwork and an insulated cavity.
Extra insulation to the garages ensures that they meet residential building regulations for thermal, acoustic and fire values, and could potentially be converted into additional living space if required.
Installing garage doors proved an interesting challenge, which Max solved by sourcing reclaimed fibreglass up-and-over designs. He then routed and painted these to resemble traditional double timber doors, with black cast iron handles and hinges. “We couldn’t have garage doors opening onto the footpath, so this was a way to produce the effect,” he explains.
Glazed arches above these doors were hand bent in metal, using wooden templates, and the same craftsman made railings for the Juliet balconies from reclaimed metal. “Many of the trades were people we’ve worked with before, and they really were a great team,” says Max.
Steel beams were craned into position and the timber first floor living accommodation has been set back slightly so that it perches on the garages. “We helped build the timber frame, which bolted together like Meccano and has been highly insulated,” says Max. “I managed to source reclaimed clay Rosemary tiles for the roof, hips and ridges, and there were just enough to complete the job.”
Additional reclaimed items include panels of York stone above the garage door arches, which were originally stone tomb lids found in a reclamation yard, and the external staircase, which Max and Katie found online and had delivered to site ready to reassemble.
A bespoke timber rooflight in two sections was installed in the kitchen and bedroom, with end-of-line wooden windows and doors made to fit by a joiner. These were painted by Katie, who undertook decorating throughout the house, in addition to jointly managing the project, cleaning the site and helping on every aspect of the build.
Thermally and acoustically, the timber-framed structure has proved extremely efficient and is heated by radiators, as underfloor heating would have raised floor levels and reduced airy ceiling heights, as well as potentially warping the reclaimed timber floor.
The distinctive pitch pine for the flooring was salvaged from a kit-built 1950’s Colt house, which involved de-nailing the wood, treating it for woodworm, drying the boards and laying them over an insulated chipboard deck. Sanding and sealing the pine has created a characterful floor, which contrasts beautifully with the pale walls and soft green of the kitchen.
THE BENEFITS OF DIY
Katie and Max wanted to keep within their budget and buying the kitchen and oak block worktops at B&Q helped them to complete the whole coach house for just £87,000. They already owned the plot – which had an approximate value of £110,000 with planning permission – and arranged a stage payment development package to fund the project. The house is currently valued at more than £350,000.
“We thoroughly enjoyed the whole process, which only took about six months, and being so involved makes us feel extremely attached to the coach house. It’s exactly how we’d envisaged it, and being self-builders gave us far more control over the project.”
The new property has been so carefully designed and detailed that it perfectly suits its setting and complements the original Victorian house. Living next to their apartment building is also extremely practical for Max and Katie, who undertake the constant maintenance of the older property.
“We’ve managed to create a home which suits us perfectly,” says Katie, “and there’s even a small outdoor seating area as you go up the stairs, so we can enjoy the south-facing aspect with our dog.”
She concludes: “Nothing has been straightforward with the build, and at one point we thought planning permission might never be granted, but our perseverance eventually paid off. We spend so much time working on older buildings that living in a brand new home feels rather like a holiday!”