“I could see from their previous work that Vernacular Homes was just who we were looking for. Trevor was so personable the first time I spoke to him, and I could tell straight away that he was very knowledgeable and trustworthy.

We’d already been granted planning permission through an architect but with a number of constraints. Trevor helped us extricate the designs from the architect and took the project forward, discharging all the conditions and adapting the design. We were facing challenges such as ground contaminations, asbestos removal and ecological surveys and Vernacular Homes knew all the right people to navigate all of these and make the whole process easier.

They were highly competent right from design, through planning law to the build. They also made lots of suggestions and changes to the plans that I wouldn’t have thought we’d be able to do, but they made it all so straightforward.

The whole team was lovely and our project manager was brilliant; whenever we asked him a question, he’d already thought of it – everything was ordered and organised in advance.

It was a really stress-free project and we’re delighted with the end result; I would recommend them to anyone.”

“Originally, our two outbuildings were a cow shed with a sand and mud floor that needed a full refurb, and the other was a farm building that already had a concrete floor but was just used for storage. There was no insulation, heating or electricity in either. The actual Oast hadn’t been refurbished since around the 1980s so it needed a lot of updating. Our living room was an extension with amazing views but tiny windows, so we wanted to extend it and add huge, sliding glass doors.

Vernacular Homes took care of everything from planning to design and construction. The whole team would walk through the space to see how best to use it. They were great at coming up with ideas for maximising space; for example, we had an odd-shaped living room but they came up with some great ways of dividing it up to make it work.

We also wanted to replace one of the bedrooms with a bathroom but didn’t quite know what to do with it; they suggested breaking through from the bedroom above to make it an amazing ensuite room.

We were impressed with their planning too; at the time due to the Covid 19 pandemic, there were shortages of materials and costs were rising, but because they had pre-bought everything and stored it on site, there were no delays and it cost us less. They were always very clear all along about the budget. They also ensured we could live on site throughout; they completed the outbuildings first and we moved into one while the build continued.

Now the build is finished, we have a cottage for family and friends to stay in when visiting, and the other outbuilding is one big room which my wife uses as a yoga studio, and my son plays his drums in there too. The house itself is awesome; we love it.

If we’d simply hired a builder and managed the project ourselves, we’d have got a very different result; it certainly wouldn’t have been as user-friendly. We always felt that being a family business, Vernacular Homes took that extra bit of care: that it mattered to them to do a really good job for their clients and maintain the family name. They even stayed in touch post-build, just in case we had any issues, which we don’t but just a few months ago, we wanted something changed on the sink and they did it free of charge. We’ve recommended them to friends who are now half-way through their build with Vernacular and they’re very happy.”

“We wanted a ‘vernacular’ Kentish design as the house is in a prominent position, and the council is particular about granting planning permission. We needed it to be suitable for a family of four to grow into and to maximise the views (and mitigate the exposure to the weather!).

We chose Vernacular Homes as we wanted a one-stop shop for design, planning and build. They have a great track record and gave us some strong ideas for the initial concept. We have worked with them from the inception of the project all the way to the current build which is ongoing.

They’ve come up with some great ideas that we wouldn’t have thought of ourselves; the bridge link between the two parts of the house across the full height is amazing!

Throughout the project, we have found them to be super professional, very thoughtful and responsive. Their site management has been very impressive and the build continues to amaze me.

So far, the house is looking amazing. The tiles and bricks blend into the other period houses on the road and it’s a great looking building; we can’t wait to go watertight and see how the inside comes together.”

“I would definitely recommend them; in fact, I already have!”