Grand Designs couple selling up

18:07:20 10th July 2008

A couple whose house was featured on TV's Grand Designs are selling their renovated home… to build an even bigger one.

Tim and Zoe Bawtree used the benefits of glass to help brighten up their partially underground home in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, and are so happy with the results that they are now looking to move home with the aim of repeating their Grand Design escapades on a larger scale.

"We are selling the house because we have caught the building bug and we want to build another house that is bigger," Mr Bawtree told The Independent.

"It will still be partially underground and next time we will use even more glass.

"We spent about £30,000 on glass – about 10 per cent of the overall budget – and we will do the same again on the next project."

The couple used reinforced glass to create ceilings that can also be walked on to allow light to reach their newly dug basement, which has a south facing wall of folding glass panels and light wells.

Glass can be an excellent way of making the home seem bigger, allowing more light in and opening up the room to the garden or outside world.