Living next to family is wonderful and we even have our own doorbells and gardens for added privacy

View all 18 photos

Living in a log home on stilts overlooking a picturesque river might sound idyllic for many, but for David and Anne Hamilton it was becoming a big worry.

“We’d been in our old house for 12 years and had loved it, but access involved a couple of stairlifts which we’d installed as Anne has knee problems,” explains David. “The issue was that as we started to get older we realised we were completely reliant on the lift working. It wasn’t a viable option for the future, and so came to the conclusion that at some point we were going to have to move.

“It was then that our son Duncan said ‘I’ve got an area in my garden, why don’t you live there’,” he adds. And the rest, as they say, is history …

The couple are now the proud owners of a stunning log annex positioned at the end of their son’s Cambridgeshire garden. With a separate entrance and their own outdoor space, they have all the benefits of being close, but not too close, if help is ever needed.

“We felt it was really important to retain a degree of privacy as we don’t want to feel as though we are ever imposing,” says Anne. “So we have our own doorbell, and our son has one too, which each of us rings if we ever want to visit, just like you would a neighbour.”

Their new home is cleverly orientated so windows face away from their son’s property, making the most of the morning sun. Contemporary bifold doors open onto a decking area and ramp down into their small, private garden. A large open plan living area and on-trend kitchen take pride of place, with an adjacent study, spacious double bedroom and en suite, cloakroom and handy utility room also part of the living arrangements.

Anne did the initial research on annexes and once they had travelled to see Norwegian Log’s show homes in Reading, ‘we loved them immediately,’ explains Anne.

The bespoke layout of the lodge suits the couple’s needs perfectly, and with futureproofing on their minds, they have ensured the design is as accessible as possible, including a raised toilet height and ramped access to the outdoors.

“Planning was easy. Norwegian Log did everything, we gave them the paperwork and then the next thing we knew, we’d got the consent through the post,” says David. “The team who assembled it were very proficient and flexible. They stayed locally during the week so they could put in lots of hours. We were still living in our old house but we came up every day to see progress.”

“There’s no wasted space now or rooms full of junk that we used to have. Everything is laid out to meet our needs, it’s warm, cosy and bright, and our electricity bills are so much less,” explains David.

Anne adds: “Living next to family is one of the nicest things. We are in-built dog sitters and parcel collectors, and they do so much for us in return. We’re on call to help each other which is just wonderful.”