Building a dream home is a passion for many, but for Russ Wood it almost feels like his destiny. And thanks to the help of Bricks Finance that destiny is being realised, brick by brick, plank by plank, in a delightful corner of an idyllic Cornish beach.
For many years Russ, his brother and mother had owned two shack-like beachside homes at Maenporth which went under the apt names of The Nook and The Cranny. But they were barely habitable (even though Russ DID live in them for a number of years). When the family wanted to change the ownership structure, Russ saw the opportunity to build himself his own dream home.
That home is a stunning three-storey, modern looking, environmentally-friendly house with glass and wood finish to the fore, situated a literal stone’s thrown from the beach. Turning vision into reality meant overcoming a few hurdles though, not least the financing of the project.
“It’s not an easy sell to a traditional lender,” explains Russ. “There was the ownership complication, with land needing to be sold off among our family and me than taking on the ownership of the site and building on it. Plus, there were a few changes of plans along the way. It wasn’t that I didn’t have the means to borrow the money … it was just that the traditional ways of applying for lending were never going to stack up on this one.”
That’s where Bricks Finance came in. Russ had approached a Cornish mortgage broker to see if he knew of a way of borrowing to finance the project and he had contact with Bricks. “I was put onto Clive Banks as a possible way to borrow the money and it has been an absolute pleasure dealing with him and working with Bricks,” says Russ. “It’s great working with people who have a feel for these kinds of projects and know what is involved. They couldn’t have been more helpful and it has been an extremely simple process to apply for the loan and the money is easy to draw down on.”
For Russ and his family, the financing has allowed them to realise the long-held dream of turning this corner of Cornwall into their permanent home. And with no stone unturned in terms of making sure the build is as environmentally friendly as possible, it means the project has a lifespan that will ensure it is there for generations to come – continuing the Wood family’s involvement with the area.
Russ concludes: “It’s been a long time coming, but now it is becoming a reality I am so pleased we have made it work. Bricks have given me the support I needed to do this and I am ploughing ahead now with making something happen which has been in my head for about ten years. I couldn’t be happier to see it going up before my very eyes.”
For many years Russ, his brother and mother had owned two shack-like beachside homes at Maenporth which went under the apt names of The Nook and The Cranny. But they were barely habitable (even though Russ DID live in them for a number of years). When the family wanted to change the ownership structure, Russ saw the opportunity to build himself his own dream home.
That home is a stunning three-storey, modern looking, environmentally-friendly house with glass and wood finish to the fore, situated a literal stone’s thrown from the beach. Turning vision into reality meant overcoming a few hurdles though, not least the financing of the project.
“It’s not an easy sell to a traditional lender,” explains Russ. “There was the ownership complication, with land needing to be sold off among our family and me than taking on the ownership of the site and building on it. Plus, there were a few changes of plans along the way. It wasn’t that I didn’t have the means to borrow the money … it was just that the traditional ways of applying for lending were never going to stack up on this one.”
That’s where Bricks Finance came in. Russ had approached a Cornish mortgage broker to see if he knew of a way of borrowing to finance the project and he had contact with Bricks. “I was put onto Clive Banks as a possible way to borrow the money and it has been an absolute pleasure dealing with him and working with Bricks,” says Russ. “It’s great working with people who have a feel for these kinds of projects and know what is involved. They couldn’t have been more helpful and it has been an extremely simple process to apply for the loan and the money is easy to draw down on.”
For Russ and his family, the financing has allowed them to realise the long-held dream of turning this corner of Cornwall into their permanent home. And with no stone unturned in terms of making sure the build is as environmentally friendly as possible, it means the project has a lifespan that will ensure it is there for generations to come – continuing the Wood family’s involvement with the area.
Russ concludes: “It’s been a long time coming, but now it is becoming a reality I am so pleased we have made it work. Bricks have given me the support I needed to do this and I am ploughing ahead now with making something happen which has been in my head for about ten years. I couldn’t be happier to see it going up before my very eyes.”
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Founded in 2014 with over 90 years of combined property, finance and legal expertise, the Bricks Finance team help local people to access finance easily and quickly by offering bespoke lending using their own funds as well as those from investors.
