Black Sheep House on the Island of Harris won the Grand Designs home of the year in 2008. Kevin McCloud said what he loved about it was that it was almost as if the owners had gone up the mountain, collected bits of it and brought them back down and built their house out of them.
Irregular shaped stone walls are topped with a flower strewn turf roof; inside, the one-and-a-half-storey kitchen and living space have a venerable feel, the bay windows offering heavenly views over the Hebridean mountains and shoreline.
Winning the popular television competition was a high point for self-builders Christine and Pete Hope – but it hasn't been a passport to capital gain. The unique two-bed house is on the market for offers in excess of £225,000 – about half the current rebuilding cost of £440,000.
From the outset Black Sheep House has been a financial rollercoaster. The Hopes left Yorkshire for the island in 2003, armed with a budget of £50,000 and spade loads of determination.
They set their sights on a ruined traditional black house which, latterly, had served as a sheep shed. As an experienced dry stone waller, Pete was able to carry out the bulk of the work himself, while former social worker Christine trawled the internet to source building supplies at bargain prices.
Despite a considerable degree of cooperation and goodwill from local tradesmen and architect Stuart Bagshaw, the project required Herculean effort. Pete says: "If I had assessed that I'd have even half the amount of hard physical labour ahead of me that this project demanded, I would have refused to begin. But having started we were determined to see it through."
Building costs escalated to £130,000, which necessitated the property being let out to holidaymakers in a bid to recoup costs. During peak season visitors pay £1,280 a week.
So why is it on the market at such a modest price? A desultory housing market and the property's far flung location are two obvious factors. However, a rather unimaginative home evaluation report (required in Scotland) fails to acknowledge the mezzanine sleeping space and describes the house as a one-bed bungalow worth £180,000.
