English C1 CAE

After eight years of grit and determination, Ronald and Jannette Harris have succeeded in transforming a derelict water tower into a spacious family home, and in doing so, won the 2005 Homebuilding and renovation awards. However, the road to success was relentless, as what began as a whim turned into an insurmountable challenge, and there were times when they thought they might never move in.
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Finding themselves the owners of the dilapidated structure, the couple then had to decide what to do with it. Their early visions for the project were fairly modest; they originally considered wrapping the structure in timber cladding and fitting a copper roof, or keeping the tower as a folly and building a cottage in the grounds. As time progressed, the couple decided that they could use this opportunity to create something far more ambitious.
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Julian's masterplan involved wrapping a glass-and-steel extension around the tower, creating living spaces on various levels. Massive windows would give floor-to -ceiling views of the countryside, strategically placed so that the morning sun would shine into the kitchen and set on the dining area. The summer lounge, facing due south, would catch the daytime rays.
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Work also had to be done to hide the unsightly selection of antennae on the roof of the old tower. These could not be removed, as they were essential part of funding the conversion. So they were rehoused in an extension to the existing stone turret, concealing them from sight.
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Thankfully, they were able to reclaim something towards these costs from the income generated by the radio masts. They also reaped some money by making a television programme about the project. But with costs soaring to £450,000 and beyond, the family was forced to cut down on personal spending. They stopped taking family holidays, traded in their car and lived in cheap rented accommodation.
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The extension meanwhile, which accommodates the main living space, is a tribute to minimalism. There are no pictures. The house is like a work of art in itself, with its sweeping views of the countryside. White is the dominant colour, and everywhere there are sleek, curved lines. Even the light switches and plug sockets are discreetly hidden.
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With a total cost of over £500,000, plus eight years of hard slog, Ronald is unsure whether he would advise other self-builders to put themselves through the trouble. At times, he wished he had never bought the tower. But when he sits in the roof-top hot tub with 360 degree views over the countryside, he admits that it was worth the effort. And now that the Lymm Water Tower has been valued at £1.75m by a local agent, the Harrises can surely feel satisfied with their achievement.