It is now two years since we began our self-build journey with Steve and his family.

In that time we have seen him go through the stresses and strains of realising his dream project, hitting snags on planning permission and electricity supply, and helping his wife with a newborn child - and another one on the way.

The whole build project has taken just under 2 years, from starting in September 2001 to taking up residency in August 2003.

Completion of the internal decorating is still to be completed.

"You have this ideal that you'd like to get everything finished completely before you move in, but it just isn't practical. Though once you're in, it seems harder to get things finished," said Steve.

The exterior brick driveway is now completed using a similar brick colour to the Baggeridge Arizona used for the outer skin of the house and garage. The driveway runs up to semi-circular steps leading to the front door.

Even though the main build is complete, Steve has invested further in the fabric of the house by buying a self-build 3m x 3m conservatory, which fits snugly to the rear of the house and is entered via patio doors in the sitting room. The space is light and roomy, with an air conditioning unit discreetly placed to enable the area to be used all year round.

With the exterior of the house finished for some time, Steve has been able to concentrate on the interior; although he has found the decoration for the house to be a financial burden, with spiralling costs for fixtures, fittings, furniture and even curtain poles.

Inside, the OSMA underfloor heating – fitted downstairs only - is working extremely well. Steve admits that although it can take up to two hours for the system to reach typical room temperature he would not now go back to using radiators only.

Soild Wood flooring is laid throughout the interior and is all a deep oak colour to continue the ‘aged' look and feel of the exterior. The only carpet fitted is on the stairs - for safety reasons rather than aesthetic. With children running around and spillages occurring, wooden flooring was a safe option, and it looks stunning.

The hallway leads straight through from the front door to the kitchen at the rear of the house, with the dining and sitting rooms breaking off to the left and the stairs to the right.

Varnished wooden skirting, doors and frames are used to great effect throughout the house, as are flush ceiling lights.

The kitchen – supplied by Travis Perkins - is a well-designed mixture of wood and brushed steel. "Picking the kitchen was a really hard decision," said Steve, "You really need to get expert advice on what will work and what won't, especially if you have a style or theme running through the house. It would be criminal to choose a kitchen that was a complete departure from everything else in your home just because you thought it was nice. TP gave us excellent advice and we are really pleased"

A walk through the kitchen leads to the spacious utility room and office at the front of the house.

Upstairs, the aged-wood theme continues, with the master bedroom housing floor to ceiling varnished wooden doors for the built-in wardrobe. The rooms are light and airy with plenty of room for the children to run around.

A few minor fixtures and fittings await completion in the main bathroom and two en-suites, and with the lick of paint to the nursery room due to be finished imminently, the first floor will be mission accomplished.

Having almost completed his project, Steve has just two pieces of advice for anyone starting out on their self-build:

1 - Know your building regulations

"Liaise with the NHBC or Planning Officer to make sure you get it right. They can demand you demolish the building if you don't."

2 - If you're not building yourself, make sure you hire a good builder.

"You need a conscientious builder who takes prides in what they do. If you don't take the time to conduct your research, you could end up in a lot of trouble."

Steve also suggested that building a strong relationship with your local builders' merchant certainly helps, especially when planning delivery times for materials and getting general advice.

"I'm happy with everything we have done," said Steve, "With hindsight, I wouldn't have taken 2 years to build the house, even though we weren't in a rush. It was just a little too long to wait."

And would he do it again?

"Absolutely," said Steve, "We are planning to start a new project in the next 2 to 3 years before the kids go to school!"

So the self-build bug has well and truly bitten.