For the past year, our video team has been following an incredible self-build story near Market Harborough in Leicestershire. Ross and his family have been on an eight-year journey from initial concept to what they hope will be move-in day by the end of this year and we’ve been given access to document the highs, lows, and everything in between of the construction phase.
The project started as a dream to build a new family home on Ross’ family farm. The house will be home to Ross, his wife, their two daughters, and his mother-in-law. A true multi-generational family home that needed to work for everyone. Eight years from conception to completion might sound like a long time, but anyone who’s tackled a self-build project will tell you that’s actually pretty realistic.
What makes Ross’ story particularly valuable is how honest it’s been about the realities of self-building. This isn’t a glossy TV makeover show where everything goes to plan, it’s the real deal, complete with delays, challenges, budget pressures, and the kind of setbacks that test even the most determined self-builders.
We’ve been documenting the journey since they broke ground, capturing not just the construction milestones but the decision-making process behind key choices. Ross has installed a 10,000L Platin XL rainwater harvesting system and a 12PE One2Clean sewage treatment plant as part of his water management strategy.
The eight-year timeline perfectly illustrates how self-build projects evolve. What starts as an exciting concept gradually becomes detailed planning, then navigating building regulations, securing finances, managing contractors, dealing with weather delays, and making countless decisions along the way.
Ross’s experience covers all the typical self-build hurdles from planning permission challenges and finding reliable tradespeople to managing budgets when costs inevitably rise, and keeping the family motivated through the inevitable difficult periods. It’s exactly the kind of real-world insight that could help other potential self-builders.
The water management elements of Ross’s build demonstrate how forward-thinking self-builders are approaching sustainability and resilience. The rainwater harvesting system will provide water security for the property, while the sewage treatment plant ensures proper wastewater management in the rural location.
By documenting this journey from start to finish, we hope to create an educational resource that shows potential self-builders what they’re really signing up for. Not to put them off, but to help them go in with realistic expectations and learn from Ross’s experiences.
The project should wrap up by the end of the year when Ross and his family finally get the keys to their dream home. After eight years of planning, building, and persevering, that moment is going to be pretty special, and we’ll be there to capture it.
Posted by Callum Vallance-Poole, on October 3, 2025.
