TALL PINES – SELF BUILD PROJECT

Talented self builders create the wow factor with Vintage Collection

As Self-builders and Self-Architects, Mr and Mrs Wells wanted to design a house which had kerb appeal, gave them modern contemporary living spaces and was affordable to run. So the choice of windows was going to be critical to the success of the build. Their self-build story started back in 2012 when Mrs Wells spotted a “For Sale” sign outside a dilapidated bungalow on her way to work.

The 1960s bungalow had a large footprint (14m x 12m) and once they viewed the property (which sat on a large plot and benefited from many large mature trees) they knew that they could build something special. With the help of their builder friend John, they designed their dream home to combine contemporary living with classical Georgian architecture.

Mr Wells says “Much blood, sweat and tears was spent to ensure the proportions of the building adhered to Georgian guideline, e.g. the height to width ratio of the windows, reducing the height of the windows on each storey; the position of the marginal bars on the glass and ensuring the overall building adhered to the Golden Ratio.

We carefully selected the bricks, stone, windows, doors, and stairs to ensure quality and performance. We discussed our plans enthusiastically with potential suppliers, attended every self-build show, including the Build-It Live, and visited the National Self Build & Renovation Centre in Swindon.”

The interior of the property is contemporary in style. In the impressive entrance hall, residents are greeted by a magnificent three storey atrium with modern light oak stairs manufactured by local craftsmen. This is a 21st century ‘Smart home’ and the property features a wide range of smart home services which help lower running costs and provides a high level of modern convenience.

In Mr Well’s words “Our key criteria for the selection of the sash windows were as follows: – n Authenticity – The windows had to satisfy our requirement for kerb appeal. n Low Maintenance – with over 40 windows and doors, maintenance was a concern. n High Performance – with a large quantity of glass, a minimum of U-value of 1.5 was required to satisfy our SAP calculation. n Affordability – we did not have bottomless pockets.

We looked at most of the products on the market and the Masterframe Vintage product ticked all the boxes. We put the Masterframe window side by side with competitor’s products and in the end there was no comparison. If you are a self-builder searching for the best looking sash windows money can buy, then look no further than Masterframe.

It is not just the product that made the difference. Masterframe provide excellent customer service which is key to a self-builder. Our customer experience has been excellent, from sales advice through to customer service.

Richard Howe, National Sales Manager from Masterframe, was very knowledgeable. He took the time to explain the different ranges, furnished us with various quotations and even brought a sample window all the way from Essex to site in the North West of England. Installation and technical advice and guidance were provided accurately and promptly. We had a good feeling when we met Richard and Carol Slade, Managing Director of Masterframe. They were very friendly, knowledgeable and nothing was too much trouble.

We eventually moved in, in August 2019. The end result is that we consistently get comments like, ‘Wow! An Amazing House and I love the windows,” which is lovely and makes all the effort worthwhile.”

Mr Wells sums it up by saying “Simply put, Masterframe manufacture the best PVC-U sash windows on the market. We have had nothing but positive comments about our windows since they were installed.”

“Our customer experience has been excellent, from sales advice through to customer service.” Mr Wells