Blog
Fascinating Finnish Forest Facts and Figures
Amazing things happen in the forests of Finland! The country is home to an ever-growing, carefully stewarded and sustainable forestry sector. From our perspective, one of the most important aspects is that the forests supply our manufacturer with the timber they need...
What is the carbon footprint of a log home
We’ve been seeing a lot recently about solar panels in relation to the proposed changes in building regulations and the Future Homes Standard. The proposals are aimed at addressing some of the issues around reducing energy use in homes (lowering their carbon footprint...
Five ideas to improve your home working environment
Now that many more of us are working from home more or less permanently, we’re starting to rethink how our houses might work better for us. If you’re in the lucky situation where you’re thinking about building your own home, and want to make the most of the...
Minimalist living
Lots of people just like you are tired of conspicuous consumption and consumerism, and are looking to minimalist living as a simpler way of existing. Young people struggling to get on the property ladder are building tiny houses; empty nesters are decluttering and...
WINNERS AT THE BUILDIT AWARDS
We’re absolutely thrilled to announce that we have been awarded 'Best Self Build Under £300K’ at the 2024 Build It Awards! The award recognises our clients’ meticulous work over many evenings and weekends, which has resulted in a stunning and spacious family...
A Potted History of Wooden and Log Houses in the UK
Some time ago, we met an elderly gentleman at a show, who wasn’t in the market for a log home, but was curious about them. He had lived in a wooden house as a child in the South of England, and wondered if the company who built it were still in business. When we...
Modern Log Cabin Life
Why a modern log cabin? When you say the words ‘log cabin’, people generally imagine something rustic, tucked away in the woods, probably off grid and no running water, or they think about Center Parcs or similar holiday destinations. And it’s true, there are plenty...
Going Off Grid
Thinking of building an eco-friendly self build house that’s completely off grid? Well, here’s some help to identify the things you need to think about, and some possible pitfalls to avoid when going off grid. We're not experts, so we may not have covered everything...
Low Carbon Housing – The Future?
Low carbon housing is rapidly becoming the in-thing in construction, and was part of the conversation at the recent NSBRC Building Systems Workshop. Of course, the Passive House Standard for low energy construction has been around since the early 90s, but not every...
A different approach to self build
At Scandinavian Homes, we look at building houses in a different way. We’re not a mass market housebuilder, throwing up dozens of homes on a site with little care what happens to them once we’ve sold them. We’re not an out-of-the-catalogue wooden box builder either....
Behind the Scenes with David Gittins
Q&A with our Managing Director and co-founder How/when does your day start? If I’m on site this week managing a turnkey building project, then I’m up for about 7am, having a light breakfast and a cup of tea - best way to start the day! Experience tells me that I...
The A-Z of Self Build
A brief A-Z of some of the terms you’ll need to be aware of when you start on your self build journey. A is for Architect As in – do I need one? Well, if you’re building from scratch, then yes, you almost certainly will. If you’re building with a Scandinavian Homes...
Building your dream home with a log house kit
You could be forgiven for thinking that we might be a little biased when it comes to log house kits, but we really do think this is the best way to self-build a house, and we’re going to tell you why in this blog. A log home kit is one of the most straightforward ways...
How long will it take Scandinavian Homes to build my house?
Whenever the Scandinavian Homes team watch self build projects on TV or read about them in magazines, we’re always surprised at how long the build can take. True, it will probably take longer than you would like, because things always do when you’re excited, but...
The Bacon Review of Custom and Self Build – Our contribution to the review
Some of our readers may be aware that MP Richard Bacon, Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Self-Build, Custom and Community Housebuilding and Place-Making
Shoffice or Flat Pack Garden Room? – You Decide
If you take a stroll around the lifestyle sites on the Internet at the moment, you’ll likely find most of them talking about something called a ‘Shoffice’.
Office and Therapy – Why Lighting Makes Such a Difference in your new Garden Building
Lighting – the very thing we all use to extend the day after daylight ends, but rarely give thought to when planning a home project. Done well, the results can transform the interior, your health and your well being. We asked our friends at Secret Lighting for some...