The uniquely designed property with an abundance of space, natural light and top of the range amenities, allows the family to dictate how they want to live
Highgate now boasts its first ever “3D-printed” property, home to Anya and Robin Nuttall.
The families’ previous house, described by Anya as “nice but very dated and poorly constructed,” has been transformed into the perfect family haven, with an abundance of space and natural light.
Ham & High wrote an article back in April in anticipation of the build, after the couple decided on knocking the 1960s property down and starting again when their next-door-neighbour, an architect, recommended starting from scratch.
“He advised us to knock it down because we would get what we want, it would be a great investment and a house that is modern and works logically, as well as the fact that we wouldn’t have to pay stamp duty or go through the whole buying or selling process again.
“This appealed to us much more than carrying out an extension to try to alter the house in its current state,” Anya says.
The couple approached Facit Homes, a new breed of homebuilders specialising in designing and building bespoke homes for individual clients, who have been featured on Grand Designs and were awarded a Government research grant.
After discussing their options for rebuilding, Anya and Robin were told that the council often prefer homes with a distinct style, rather than trying to make it fit into its surroundings. Alongside Facit, the couple worked to combine period features of a traditional property with that of a modern house.
Anya believes the best characteristics of the new property are the light, the space and how it is uniquely designed for her family to live in.
“We have massive windows everywhere, we overlook fields at the front and we have our garden at the back, which means there’s lot of green space and lots of light.
“It’s also very spacious, which is perfect for the family because it means the house never feels overcrowded. We also have the swimming pool, which is great for our children who could easily sit in front of the TV on a cold winter’s day. But instead they end up racing each other in the pool and being active!
“We also have an open plan kitchen, with the ability to close off rooms. For our bedroom suite, you walk into the dressing room and a bathroom, which are both separate from the bedroom, meaning you can shower and get changed without disturbing the other person sleeping.”
From demolishment to the final product, the project took 18 months to complete. Although the couple were unfortunate to find a World War 2 bunker under their driveway, which was no small sum to get rid of, Anya insists the process ran relatively smoothly.
“All issues were very minor, I don’t remember it being stressful really. The architect and the site manager took care of things for us.”
The couple are extremely pleased with their unique new home, which has afforded the family a great lifestyle. Even Anya’s sons, who had turned 12 and 8 by the time the house was finished, were “completely blown away” by the changes.
“My second child is not particularly effusive, but he was saying ‘is this a dream?”
Members of the public have also been impressed with the tranformation. Anya says: “Many people stop to look at the house as they go by. One person even rang the bell just to talk to me about it all!”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here