Devoted son built stunning home for parents in his garden so they could be mortgage-free
When Joe Swift set out to build a mortgage-free home for his parents, he initially planned to convert an existing garage at the side of his house into a bungalow.
However, the 28-year-old stonemason and builder, who lives near Wilsden in Bradford, ended up digging deep - literally and financially - to construct a three-level stone house.
The property, built on the footprint of the former double garage beside the end-terrace where Joe lives with his wife Lauren and their two-year-old son, Noah, took around 18 months to complete.
What was originally planned as a one-bedroom bungalow became a three-bedroom home after the garage had to be demolished and extensive excavation carried out beneath the building.
“We had to dig out a lot more muck than what we thought because the ground wasn’t good,” says Joe. "Instead of filling the hole back in, we were advised to put another floor under the house.”
Arranged over three levels, the property has a kitchen, bedroom and en suite on the main floor, a living room above with access to a balcony, and a lower ground floor currently used as a garage and utility space, with plans for two bedrooms. A beauty salon used by Lauren is attached to the side.
The idea for the build emerged not long after Joe and Lauren bought their Victorian end-terrace house around five years ago. The property came with a large detached garage and driveway, and Joe initially planned to convert the garage into a workshop with a pub. However, he discovered the garage had previously been granted planning permission to be turned into a house.
“I was chatting to my dad in the pub about it and that conversation basically turned into what you can see now,” he says. “It was never, ever meant to be like this. It was meant to be a garage conversion, but it turned into a massive project.”
Having inherited his dad’s skill and passion for stone masonry, Joe runs the family firm, JMS Stone Mason/Builders, specialising in stone extensions, dry-stone walling and carving.
From the outset, the build was intended to help his parents. “I just wanted to get my mum and dad mortgage-free,” says Joe. “They still had a mortgage on the bungalow they were living in. The money from selling their house has funded this new build.”
Designing the house was a family effort. Joe’s dad came up with the layout, with an architect formalising the plans.
Construction work began in February 2024, when the original garage was demolished on the advice of building control after inspections revealed inadequate foundations.
“We weren’t meant to knock it down,” says Joe. “They were worried the foundations weren’t good enough to hold another floor, so we had to flatten it and start again. That wasn’t in the plan at all.”
The most challenging stage was excavation. Keen to save money, Joe’s dad opted to dig out the site themselves. “That was the worst bit,” Joe says. “We were using a little digger to get rid of the earth and it ended up costing us more than it would to hire a company to do it.”
Although he had planned to salvage the stone from the garage to build the house, he ended up having to replace it.
“The stone on the garage had been laid with a mix that was far too strong,” he says. “Trying to clean it just broke the stones. We ended up having to buy all new Yorkshire stone which cost about £20,000 to £25,000.”
The stonework is central to the character of the house. Joe chose four-inch Yorkshire tumbled stone, a slower and more labour-intensive option than larger blocks but one he believes gives a more authentic finish. “It looks like an old house,” he says. “We’ve tried to build it the same way as stonemasons did 200 years ago.”
Most of the work was carried out by Joe himself. All window sills, corbels and carved details were made on site, including a circular window in the gable end. “All the stone carvings on the outside was made on site,” he says.
Although paid work has been inconsistent during the build, he says the project has been worth it. “I am proud of it,” he says. “Not many people at 28 have built a house from scratch.”
Despite the setbacks, he estimates the total build cost at around £150,000, including his own wages and the construction of a separate garden pub, a project that won him Cuprinol Young Sheddie of the Year in 2024. The house has since been valued at between £300,000 and £320,000.
His parents moved into the house in July last year. The new setting, overlooking parkland and fields near Wilsden, has made a marked difference to their daily life he says.
With landscaping still to complete and future plans to split the property deeds, Joe says the house has been designed with the long term in mind.
“We’ve done it so it benefits everyone now, and me later on,” he says. “But mainly, it’s done what it was meant to do, it’s given my mum and dad a home with no worries.”
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