Throughout their working lives, John and Jean Oxley have moved from one house to another as John's job has taken them around the country, and also abroad. Each move seems to have entailed a series of compromises with regard to housing, and for years John harboured a dream to design and build their ideal home once he and Jean approached retirement. This dream has now come true!

They started their search for a suitable building site by contacting the estate agents operating within their selected area. They didn't only ask about plots, but also about sub-standard houses and bungalows, as in some instances it may make better financial sense to demolish such a property to create a building plot, rather than renovating ir.

The Oxleys also checked the local papers for auctions and scoured every conceivable paper and magazine for advertisements for building sites for sale. They contacted the local council as well as builders and developers in the locality in the hope that someone might have a spare single plot.

In other words they left no stone unturned in their search and finally, after a lot of 'foot-slogging' as Jean puts it, they found themselves a small plot of land right in the middle of a picturesque Cotswold market town. The site, which was completely overgrown, had previously housed the local bus garage, which was now derelict, but John could see its potential and immediately put in a bid.

The Oxleys then set about designing their new home; a home which would meet all their needs and incorporate every feature and idea they had ever dreamt of. They carefully planned every last detail and when their design was finally complete, they set about looking for a company to supply the materials for the construction of their new house. They sent for the Scandia-Hus brochure and were incredibly enthusiastic about the energy-saving and low-maintenance properties of these homes, as well as their overall quality. They visited the company's Show Centre and after a great deal of research, they decided to engage Scandia-Hus to provide their new home.

John worked closely with Scandia's design technicians and, thanks to the flexibility of the Scandia-Hus system, they were able to adapt this to produce the Oxley's dream design.

Jean in the couple's comfortable sitting room pursuing one of her many hobbies, tapestry making.

The comfortable en-suite bathroom has been decorated in shades of blue, with a crisp white suite and ceramic tiles.

As their site is quite narrow, John and Jean's new home is housed on three floors and, thinking ahead, they have installed a lift as well as a host of hi-tech features, including a sophisticated communications system.

Due to its location, in the centre of Stow-on-the-Wold, planning permission was a sensitive issue and it was essential that the house blend with the surrounding properties. This was achieved by using local materials and the result is an attractive, stone-clad, three-storey home with a slate roof, which looks completely 'at home' in the local street scene and gives the appearance of having been there for a long time.

John and Jean are absolutely delighted with their new home, which is everything they had hoped for - a dream that has at long last come true.