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The Coop | Suzi&Luke

@buildingthecoop

4.4K

followers

3809

following

📍Devon | UK
Family self-build journey 👷‍♀️🏗
Caravan Living | Sustainable Building | DIY | Garden | Country Modern Interiors (eventually)

POSTS STORIES REELS TAGGED

DIY strawberry planter using recycled drainpipe 🍓♻️

We had 48 strawberry plants to get in the ground, so instead of buying planters we built our own using 24m of old guttering from the demolished barn.

Staggered vertical planting is great for things like strawberries as it saves space, gives sunlight exposure to all plants and they're raised away from any pests that might try to eat them. The best thing is, you can make these as big or as small as you like based on the space you have.

✅️ space saving
✅️ reduces waste
✅️ low cost
✅️ easy harvesting

Strawberry runners from @yougardenuk

Save for your next DIY garden project 👇

Recycle | strawberry season | summer fruit | garden hacks | sustainable living | berry cage | homestead | smallholding | allotment ideas | ASMR | grow your own food by @buildingthecoop

2k

59

6 months ago

The cats out of the bag!
Now the mortgage is officially approved, we can finally show you what we're actually building 👀

When we bought the barn, the planning permission was for something very different. An internal swimming pool. A cinema room. Six bedrooms, all with ensuites. It was more private party house than family home.

So we decided to start again.

We wanted to create a family home that works for us now and in the future.

This is the vision we've been designing, planning, changing, re-planning and dreaming about for the last year.

And yes… it started life as a home to thousands of chickens!

#selfbuild #granddesigns #interiordesign #architecture #homebuilders by @buildingthecoop

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111

2 months ago

Meet the dreamers behind the madness 👋
Two sleep-deprived parents, one very muddy plot and a plan to turn an old chicken shed into our forever home.

We’re pre-build, full of ideas, and probably underestimating everything - but that’s half the fun, right? 😅

Check back in six months and see if we still look this optimistic... 😆

#SelfBuildJourney #FamilyBuild #BeforeTheBuild #SelfBuildUK #buildingthedream by @buildingthecoop

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40

a year ago

Building or renovating a house is basically just a really expensive way for Luke to get new tools at this point... anyone else?!

Self build | home accounts | interiors | DIY | garden | nail gun | hedge trimmer | laser level | millenial toys by @buildingthecoop

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12 days ago

Task for the week! 📝
Before the foundations go in, we need to clear everything out of the barn. All the old cladding; the popholes (how the chickens were let out); some mouldy stairs; various bits of old wiring, scrap metal and guttering; and half the furniture from our caravan 😆

We were intending to clad the front of the house with some of the old cladding but its sadly (not for me as the one de-nailing, sanding and treating it 😂) not useable for that. We are however going to keep it to create the skirt around the caravan before winter and for a future chicken coop which felt fitting. From one coop to another!

pre build preparation | self build uk | barn conversion | home renovation | reduce reuse recycle | declutter | farm life | countryside living by @buildingthecoop

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a month ago

This is where things get luxurious in our caravan…

Ever wonder where the washing machine goes?? Wonder no more. Getting the shed in was one of our top priorities when we moved onsite and is currently a temporary utility room (as well as housing the lawn mowers 😅). Not looking forward to having to do this in peak winter though 🥶

These laundry eggs amd scent boosters from @ecoegg_uk are dermatologically tested and backed by Allergy UK so for sensitive souls like myself and our eldest, its a big tick from me! They last up to 70 washes before refilling, are free from harsh chemicals and smell amazing too!

AD | kindly gifted.

Eco friendly laundry | sensitive skin detergent | kind to the planet | money saving tips | self build life | sustainable living | home renovation by @buildingthecoop

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6

a month ago

Am I mad for saying this??
Having spent 3 heatwaves in the caravan, I figure it will be easier to keep warm than it was to keep cool! I'm all for baggy jumpers, woolly socks and warm drinks 👌🍂

#autumn #caravanlife #selfbuild #countryliving #renolife by @buildingthecoop

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5

a month ago

£28.3k spent this month… and we haven’t even got foundations yet 😅💸

August's spend was mostly deposits for our big-ticket things that we need to install once the superstructure is up. Doing this now has locked in prices and saved us weeks of waiting further down the line due to long lead times.

Before we started this process, as first time builders, a build warranty was something we had no idea about. It can cost a small fortune as we found out and is easily overlooked!

If you’re about to take on a build, SAVE this for later 📌 you’ll want the receipts when it’s your turn!

Self build | barn conversion | finance tips | construction | renovation | barn conversion | renewable energy | windows | interiors | forever home | project manager by @buildingthecoop

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2 months ago

There are two things we can never scroll past: Rightmove listings and Pinterest boards. 😂
And with a self-build… our Pinterest obsession has reached another level.

Here’s a little sneak peek at the 28 sections we’ve got saved so far - from concrete worktops and limewashed walls, to a climbing wall in the playroom and all the other tiny details we’re already obsessing over… despite the fact we don’t even have foundations yet. 🫠

And No. 8 is a little different… 👀 We’re doing something a bit quirky with this one, and we can’t wait to show you how it comes together.

💾 Save this for your own home inspo.

#SelfBuild #BarnConversion #HouseBuild #RenovationInspo #interiors by @buildingthecoop

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2 months ago

PART 4: LAST CHANCE SALOON 🤞
After 10 months of stress, it took just 6 weeks to go from application to completion 🎉

Its not just a house anymore, this is our future - would you put everything on the line to make it happen, or are we just crazy?!

Self-build | finance | project management | renovation | home accounts | construction | sustainable living | SIPs build | barn conversion | rewilding | DIY tips

#mortgagehelp #SelfBuildUK #moneymanagement by @buildingthecoop

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17

2 months ago

PART 3: THE VALUER STRIKES AGAIN! 🫠

If there's one thing I've learnt from this whole process, its that valuers hold so much power and if they say no, there's pretty much nothing you can do about it!

Self-build | Devon life | mortgage advice | finance | renovation | barn conversion | DIY home | project manager | construction | mini drama series | Netflix documentary | sustainable build by @buildingthecoop

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9

2 months ago

PART 2: Ghosted by our valuer 👻

Incredible how 1 person you don't even know, has the power to stall something so important for such an insanely long time and then rip it out from under you!

#selfbuild #barnconversion #renovation #budgettips #finance

building the dream | mortgage advice | Grand Designs | drama | mini series | project manager | delays | rural life | home accounts by @buildingthecoop

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2 months ago