Part 4:  One that Makes Room for What You Love - Designing Space for Hobbies, Interests & the Lives We Actually Enjoy Library or cosy nook When people talk about designing a home, they understandably focus on the practical essentials first like the kitchen, bedrooms, bathrooms, storage, maybe a home office. But once those boxes are ticked, something interesting happens. They start talking about the things they never quite had room for before . The hobbies  squeezed into corne

Part 3: One that Grows with You : Flexible Design for Changing Family Dynamics adult children and blended families If there’s one thing modern family life has taught us, it’s this:very few households fit a single, tidy template anymore. Families blend, grow, contract and regroup. Grown-up children stay longer. Elderly parents need support, but also dignity and independence. Relationships evolve. Lives overlap. And yet, many homes are still designed as if everyone moves out a

Part 2: One that Adapts with You : Future-Proofing Your Home for Life’s Next Chapters When people talk about their “forever home”, what they usually mean is something quite simple: A home that won’t force another big move just because life changes. Future-proofing isn’t about predicting every twist and turn ahead. It’s about designing a home that’s adaptable, flexible,forgiving and comfortable, whatever the next chapter brings. And for many people planning a move now, that

Part 1: Working From Home, Self-Employment & Modern Ways of Earning working at home Not so long ago, a “good home” was judged by how it looked when you came back to it at the end of the day. Now? For many of us, home is where the day happens . Across Scotland, and very much so here in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire, working from home is no longer a temporary arrangement or a perk. It’s part of everyday life. Hybrid roles, portfolio careers, self-employment, consultancy, creative

Why your home should fit your life , not the other way round. Blog on the way custom homes at Strawberry Grange are thoughtfully designed for real people.

digital aerial representation of Strawberry Grange At Strawberry Grange, we’re not just creating a new neighbourhood. We’re doing something a little quieter, and a little more thoughtful. This isn’t a development that began with a glossy brochure and a row of identical house types. It started with the land itself, and with a landowner who knows it well. A local farmer with deep roots in the area, a long-term view, and a clear sense that how  land is developed matters just as

A Smarter Way to Build: Self Build vs Custom Build  If you’ve been dipping a toe into the idea of building your own home in Scotland, you’ll have noticed two phrases popping up everywhere: self build  and custom build . They sound similar. They are  related. But in real life? They’re very different experiences  Let’s gently untangle the two, without jargon, spreadsheets or stress. First Things First: What Is Self Build? Traditional self build is the full, hands-on version. Yo

For many people across Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire, the search for a new home starts in a very familiar way. You visit a few new-build developments, wander around the show home, nod politely at the shiny kitchen, and try to imagine your life unfolding there. For some, that works perfectly. It’s neat, beautifully presented, predictable, and you know exactly what you’re getting. But for a growing number of buyers, there’s a quiet moment somewhere between the third show home and

Scotland’s housing offerings can be complicated . But if you strip it back, a big part of the answer is actually quite simple: People want choice. Not just another house that looks like the last one they viewed, but a home that fits their  life. One that compliments how they live now,  how they’ll live in five or ten years, and what really matters to them day to day. More light. Better layouts. Lower running costs. A bit of breathing space. You know the feeling. And that’s wh

This morning, I had the incredible opportunity and privilege to visit the UCAN Centre at Aberdeen's ARI ( Aberdeen Royal Infirmary),...

Guide series,exploring the A to Z of self build terms. In this second ‘bite-size’ section we take a look at letters E through to J

As we celebrate the joy that our furry companions bring to our lives, take a moment to think about how we can craft homes that embrace them

In this comprehensive series, we’ll explore  and demystify the A to Z of terms that will dance their way into your life on a self build.

Custom build offers a more guided process to building your own home than a traditional ‘DIY’ self build. ‘Custom build’ is sometimes used...

Warm welcome to Strawberry Grange Self Build blog. Watch the transformation of each plot brimming with potential unfold into a dream home