Angie Charlton estimates big savings from her homebuilding efforts.

Angie Charlton, a 41-year-old grandmother from Holmesville, near Newcastle, modified and built Paal’s classic Camden home virtually single-handed and is justly proud of her achievement.
 
Daughter-in-law of another super achiever – champion snooker and billiards player the late Eddie Charlton – Angie worked on the house full time, day and night.
 
“Now I feel worn out, but ecstatic. My husband Edward didn’t think I could do it, but it’s all worked out,” she said.
 
The house will be home to Angie’s extended family of eight, including her husband, daughter, daughter’s husband and their three children, and Angie’s youngest daughter.
 
“Our existing home wasn’t big enough, so I looked at kit houses, inspecting about 12 before I found one that I could extend and change as I liked.
 
“I’ve designed homes as a hobby, but this is the first one I’ve built to my own plans. I didn’t know I could design until I sat down and tried. I love it.
 
“I’ve flipped over the front half of the Camden, added a billiard room and extended the back of the house,” she said.
 
Angie took only two months to build her home from the floor up to the lock-up stage.
 
“I cleared the land first. There were lots of trees and scrub. I dug out the footings myself, laid the bearers and joists, erected all the wall frames and roof trusses, and attached 400 Hebel cladding panels.”

Bearers and joists, rather than a concrete slab, were a council requirement as the house is situated on a one-in-100 year flood plain.
 
Angie rendered all the cladding panels herself in just three days, working non-stop because of the threat of rain.

From left: Edward and Angie Charlton with daughter Breannah

“My stepfather is as proud as punch of me, while my brother-in-law – who’s an engineer in Sydney – loves the house and says I’ve done the best job ever. My daughters think it’s beyond belief. One of them, my 17-year-old, helped me,” she said.
 
Saving money was a prime reason for tackling so much of the work herself. Angie estimated the house would have cost $500,000 if a builder put it up, but she now expects to bring it in under $250,000.

Visit Paal at Queensland field days

Paal’s mobile display office.

Paal’s mobile display office will again be attending agricultural field days in Queensland this year.
 
The mobile office will be at FarmFest in Toowoomba on 1-3 June 2010, followed by Farm Fantastic in Caboolture on 16-18 July 2010.
 
Paal’s experienced housing consultant Phillip Longhurst will be available on all days of the shows, showing you our latest home designs and answering all your questions about building your own home.
 
These might include what level of building skills you need, how you can alter the designs to suit your needs, and how much money you can expect to save.
 
So it’s worthwhile to look out for Paal’s mobile display office at these two important field days in Queensland.

Visit our website for more information about Paal's quality kit homes.
www.paal.com.au