We broke ground on the new projects last week, and our contractors spent the week taming the mud and creating a clean access and parking area for deliveries. The weather is looking good and we’ve got the concrete delivery booked for next week – by Friday we should have the foundations poured!

We’ve also got an exciting self-development opportunity. Piltdown Lodge itself is a fabulous 6-bed pile. It needs updating and a bit of TLC to make a fabulous family home – or weekend golf retreat! It’s the kind of project that you can really put your own stamp on, and so – a rarity for us – is for sale as-is.

After heroic efforts by our solicitors and others, we’ve finally completed on Piltdown Lodge. We’ve got really exciting plans for it – if you fancy a home next to one of the top 50 golf clubs in England (National Club Golfer Magazine), you’re in a for a treat.

Our planning team (led by the excellent Neal at RE Planning) have been busy pulling together environmental reports, drainage and of course the detailed plans (thanks Sam @ Pumphouse!) ready for the new project. Watch this space!

So we have had our offer accepted on the new project in East Sussex, and we’re very excited about it! A huge Victorian house with loads of potential, plus planning-in-principle for new homes nearby. It’s in the hands of the solicitors and we hope to get going this year.

We’re weighing the pros and cons of a new project in the south east – and one of the pros is that the project is right next to hole 3 of the local golf course! With a bit of practice you could tee up in the garden and chip it onto the green.

We’ve been experimenting with Starlink satellite internet, and we have to say, it’s really very good! Not cheap, but for those places which aren’t yet connected to fibre, they’re a good option.
Although it turns out they are affected by solar flares – which is fine, because then you should be outside looking at the Northern Lights rather than inside on the laptop!

One of the things that’s often overlooked in the excitement of building is the behind-the-scenes legal work that goes on to ensure that the new owners have exactly what they want. It’s one of those things that you only really notice when it hasn’t been done properly and the wheels fall off in spectacular fashion.
We’ve worked with Kayleigh Ireland from Whitehead Monckton for the last few years, and it’s been a joy. Always professional and with a comprehensive grasp of the details of each transaction, she has made sure all our paperwork is exactly as it ought to be. And – importantly in this industry – she’s always contactable. Thanks Kayleigh!

I’m in favour of snow in general. I like to look at it. I like to build snowmen. I like to throw snowballs. But it does make for challenging building conditions! We’ve closed the site for a few days while we wait for them to clear the roads – but we’ll be back as soon as the snowplough comes through!

We’ve always waited until our houses are finished before selling them. We’re proud of what we build, and feel that prospective buyers visiting a muddy building site armed only with some plans and artist’s sketches won’t get the best impression of a Raspberry Home. On this occasion, however, we’ve experimented a little, and I’m really happy to share the results! We’ve got a full virtual walk-round of the houses, complete with wood fires and the scenery stretching down to the riverbank below. Our CGI whizzes have done an amazing job, and our local estate agents – Red Hot Property are fielding enquiries as fast as they can!

We’ve chosen a team of contractors to take our gorgeous barn forward. Lambert Gill are a well-respected firm based out of Carlisle, with a wealth of local knowledge and an impressive portfolio of completed projects. More importantly for us, they bring a family-run feel to a fully-professional approach. This will be our first project where we haven’t had day-to-day hands-on control, but rather than feeling nervous we’re just excited to be working with such an impressive team.