On her retirement from the Foreign Office, Patricia Whately decided to sell her London home and build herself a bungalow in the country. Her family was horrified.  Not only was she turning her back on a blissful life of retirement close to the West End shops and theatres, but she was planning to trade her pretty Chelsea town-house for a bungalow in a sleepy country village. 

In fact, her move was carefully considered.  Her plan to build was conceived while she was living in Brasilia, and Scandia-Hus appealed to her because the companys design flexibility would allow her to create a home to suit her own requirements.  She also knew that Scandia-Hus produce homes that are environmentally friendly, require very little maintenance and are economical to heat and these were factors that clinched her decision.

As soon as she returned to the UK, Patricia started her search for a suitable plot and eventually she found a three-quarter acre site, which she transformed from an original patch of thistles into a virtual paradise.

She visited Scandia-Hus Sussex Show Centre, where she was able to view a number of different homes and experience first-hand their exceptional quality and standards of design and construction.Together with the companys designers she created her dream home.

Scandia took care of the formalities involved in submitting planning and building regulations applications and, once these had been approved, it took only four months before her new home was ready to move into.  I couldnt be more pleased, she says, after 40 years of living in cities, it is wonderful to visit London, knowing I can return to a warm, quiet home in the country, and a garden in constant need of loving care.