Although all of my houses are individual and unique, I am currently looking for a customer who would like to order a commission built house that I will design from scratch specially for them.
The process would involve the customer giving me an idea of what they want the house to be, a pub, merchants house, manor house, shop, or something that I have not thought of yet. I would then discuss it with them and then sketch up a few ideas, including elevations, floor plans and sizes etc, email them across to have them approved and make any necessary changes before starting the build.
Throughout the whole building process I would keep the customer fully informed about the build via emailed photos, and would also give them options with regards to choices they will have including window and door positions, how many lights and where they want them, colour for the stain and the walls, and various other bits and pieces. For those who might feel daunted by having to think about choices, don't worry I am happy to advise and make any decision you are not comfortable with.
When the house is complete, which the customer could name, I would like to take it to exhibit at a show before delivering it to them. It will depend on the timing as to what show I would take it to, but I would like to be able to take it to the Midland Show at the Impney Chateau in Droitwich Spa which is in November this year.
Along with the house I would deliver a CD or memory stick with all of the photos I had taken during the build, and also photos of the completed house and on the stand at the exhibition, which would provide you with a complete record for the build of your house and a lovely thing to keep as a record.
I would also like to to add the resulting design of house to my website, and also to keep updated my blog throughtout the build so hopefully other people will follow the build, you never know it might becoming a debating forum to get advice and discuss the various decisions the customer will need to make.
I have built numerous commissioned houses where I email customers with particular questions and options but never with the express intention of taking it to a show. I would be happy to give you contact details for some of these past customers so that they can reassure you that the process isn't too daunting.
The 3 photos above are of a house I built to order for a customer in America, it was the house that inspired me to build the Pilgrims Rest which I took to Dallas. I love doing commissions because quite often customers ask me for a specific feature, in this case she wanted a plate rack in the kitchen with a pot hanging rail above the fire, I designed it to suit and now have built it into all the houses I have built since.
The next 3 photos are of a customers "Tudor Rose", hence the coloured rose in the centre of the ground floor. In this house she specifically asked for a "Great Hall" so it was the house I developed the 2 storey room on the top floor with a feature window and large access panel. This is now a feature that has become the norm now, and unless I am asked otherwise I build the "Great Hall" into all of my houses. The customer sourced the weature feature to use beneath the external stairs.
The last 2 photos are of a "Market House", which I originally developed to be run as a build project in Dollhouse and Miniature Scene Magazine, which is still only part way through in the magazine. The first house went to a customer who bought it for her sister and it was shipped to New Delhi, I built another which I sold at Miniatura and was shipped to Denmark, I then received a commission to build one for a guy in Bude, Devon, for his wife's birthday.
If there is anyone out there who would like a "Smuggler's Inn", complete with slip way, beach and cave, please let me know. It is something I have been thinking about for a while but I would prefer to be building it for a customer as oppose to building it speculatively.
I would be more than happy to discuss any ideas that anyone has regarding future projects.
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