EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Michael Holmes
EDITOR Jason Orme
HOMES EDITOR Natasha Brinsmead
ASSISTANT EDITOR Melanie Griffiths
FEATURES WRITER Claire Lloyd
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Mark Brinkley,
David Snell, Debbie Jeffery, Clive Fewins
ILLUSTRATIONS Dave Stevens
MARKETING MANAGER Julie Whiteman
JUNIOR MARKETING EXECUTIVE
Joanna Mepham
E-MARKETING EXECUTIVE Gurpreet Dhillon
CUSTOMER SERVICES MANAGER
Alexandra Worthington (01527 834435)
SENIOR CUSTOMER SERVICES
Jayne Everton (01527 834484)
CUSTOMER SERVICES
Helen Troth (01527 834487)
RESEARCH EXECUTIVES
Vicky Baylis, Sophie O’Reilly
RESEARCH ASSISTANT Angela Perrins
HEAD OF PRODUCTION Bill Griffiths
GROUP ADVERTISING DIRECTOR
Gill Grimshaw (01527 834427)
SENIOR SALES EXECUTIVE Debra Greer
CLASSIFIED MANAGER Natalie Bunegar
SALES EXECUTIVE Lucy James
SALES ADMINISTRATOR/AD RESPONSE
Sam McKnight
WEB SERVICES DIRECTOR Gill Dawson
COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR Jackie Smith
ONLINE SALES EXECUTIVE Lucinda Clarke
ONLINE PRODUCTION CO-ORDINATOR
Tom Burbridge
ONLINE PRODUCTION ASSISTANT
Sally Williams
WEB SERVICES RESEARCH ASSISTANT
Laura Sturgess
DIRECTORY EDITOR Alison Nash
SALES DIRECTOR Derek Rogers
MANAGING DIRECTOR Peter Harris
EDITORIAL ENQUIRIES 01527 834443
or homebuilding@centaur.co.uk
(We are unable to offer advice on your
project over the telephone: please email
askhomebuilding@centaur.co.uk or visit
homebuilding.co.uk)
ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES 01527 834427 or
gill.grimshaw@centaur.co.uk
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Jan – Dec 2008 33,100
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Distributed by COMAG Specialist Division. Homebuilding &
Renovating © 2009 is published monthly. ISSN 1471-5791.
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This month’s guide to creating an individual
home in the countryside (page 100) is
designed as a practical explanation of the
many and individual issues you might face if,
like thousands of others, you hope to realise
your dream of living a rural life. For centuries we’ve tended
to view country life as a little bit behind the times in terms
of connectivity to services, access to modern conveniences
and even social attitudes, but in recent years that position
has begun to reverse. We’re seeing a renaissance of
positivity towards the essence of country living – fresh air,
peace and quiet, being surrounded by nature, wholesome
JASON ORME
approaches to eating and living – along with a desire for
Jason Orme is the Editor of
Homebuilding & Renovating that self-sustainability and independence that is part of the
magazine and lives in his self-built cultural green revolution. Living off-grid is no longer the
home in Worcestershire
step-back-a-couple-of-centuries it once was and, as our
piece shows, if anything, living in the country enables you
to be much more ‘modern’ than living in town.
Of course, this being Britain, we complain about the demise of countryside services
such as schools and post offices, along with the high cost of houses in rural areas, while at
the same time supporting a planning system that actively stops new homes being built in
the countryside, driving up prices further and ensuring a long-term flight to the town. I for
one hope that, in time, we’ll see a progressive and
mature attitude to living with and within our countryside,
rather than treating it as a historical preserve.
See Jason introduce this issue
– and leave your views – at
There’s some improvements to the magazine this
homebuilding.co.uk/extra
month to highlight. Here goes:
● More case studies — our new Portfolio feature towards
the back of the magazine gives you many more ideas,
showcasing what’s going on around the country
● More expert and technical advice — we’ve expanded
our Solutions pages giving you a wider variety and
depth of coverage, and added in more features
explaining the often complex world of building
● More design ideas — two new Shopping features give
you instant ideas to help find products you like; an indepth
generic look at a key area (this month: worktops);
and a new guide to getting interiors right
● More interactivity — whenever you see this sign
you can access extra content at
homebuilding.co.uk/extra
I hope you enjoy the magazine.
EDITOR’S LETTER
Other Ways We
Can Help You
Find a Plot
plotfinder.net is the UK’s leading
database of building plots. See
page 120 for more,
or visit the site at plotfinder.net
Go Online
Our website archives a huge
amount of content — hundreds
of readers’ homes, expert
solutions to your problems and
advice features on all aspects of
self-build and renovation.
homebuilding.co.uk
Visit the Shows
Homebuilding & Renovating
Shows provide an invaluable
resource for self-builders and
renovators. Visit
homebuildingshow.co.uk
for dates and information
homebuilding.co.uk | HOMEBUILDING & RENOVATING
3
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