There’s no turning back

Our original plan was to downsize and build an earth sheltered dwelling on land we owned opposite our home in Norfolk. Obtaining planning consent took two years, and while in the midst of battling the planning system, we saw a barn to convert at Leiston, the town where we both grew up and went to school.

We’ve now been in our new home for a year, have sold our Norfolk home, and last week, finally, exchanged contracts on the sale of the plot of land where we had hoped to build. We did get planning consent, in fact the planning committee voted unanimously in favour.

You would think that selling a plot with consent to build one of the UK’s most energy efficient homes would be easy. But it was far from straightforward. Some had the vision, but lacked the cash.Others had the cash, but bottled out because an earth sheltered home is unconventional.

Finally, someone came along who wishes to build, and then live in, the home in which we had planned to end our days. We’re very happy living in Suffolk, but if we’d not sold our building plot, there was always the slim chance that we’d decide to return to Norfolk and build the place ourselves.

Now that there is no turning back, we can devote 100% of our attention to building our new life here in Suffolk. There is nowhere we would rather be than right here!