Following the death of her husband Brian in 2003, Averil had an experience that shaped the rest of her life: she heard a voice, clear and authoritative, which told her to sell her house, buy a small ordinary house and make it as eco-friendly as possible.
Despite knowing very little about architecture, renovation or construction, she embarked on a journey that culminated in her reducing the carbon emissions of an ordinary 1950s semi-detached house by an incredible 60%, a feat which won her the DIY award in the 2006 Observer Ethical Awards.
After my husband died, I soon realised that my four-bedroom home was too large. Because I believe it is unethical to live alone in a house which is much bigger than I need, I started to think about the options. Should I let part of it, or be more hospitable? Suddenly I knew I had a huge opportunity. We were both concerned about climate change and global warming and we did what we could, including buying a hybrid car soon after they became available. But we had not done anything major. Now I could!
I would sell up, buy an ordinary three bedroom semi and, with the spare cash, make it as green as possible. Here was a chance to act in a way that might make a real difference. Fancy new eco-houses were getting publicity but little attention was being paid to older houses, thousands of which are extremely wasteful of energy. I would show what can be done with an ordinary house. The idea was so commanding it felt as if it came from God. And I said, “OK, I will.”
How does a newly bereaved woman in her seventies do such a thing? I had no idea. My husband liked buildings and was very handy so I always left everything to do with the fabric of the house to him. I soon realised I would lose money on the project and this would affect my children’s inheritance, so I consulted them. They were encouraging, though rather concerned about me undertaking such an adventure.
In the Yellow Pages I found an entry ‘Architecture and Environment.’ The architect and I met in a local coffee shop. I explained that I wanted to renovate a house and make it as green as possible, including solar panels, rainwater harvesting, and an extension built with materials using as little energy in their manufacture as possible.
I also wanted it to be suitable for growing old and with reasonable disabled access. We agreed to explore. I knew it was not prudent to accept the first architect I met but we had ‘clicked’ and I took a chance.
I found a 1958 semi with a small garden. The previous owner was100 when she died, nearly blind and very deaf. In the circumstances, she had kept it very well but I could only tolerate living there by developing my own ‘blind eye’! I did so for six months, struggling in the minuscule kitchen, drying off windows in their rotting frames, hoovering carpets with stains and holes. Meanwhile, the architect researched materials and methods and drew up plans.
So much that he came up with was new to me. I never dreamed I would own a home with a timber-framed porch and extension insulated with sheep’s wool, with cedar cladding and roof shingles. It would be a novelty to use the dual flush toilets, knowing that what came out was rainwater from my roof, stored in a huge tank buried in the garden. I had never seen double glazing of such quality: Danish, wooden, and draught-proof. I did not know you could get organic paint. It smells like orange peel, and when dried up it can be composted. I had no idea that solar panels could supply underfloor heating as well as hot water. And so I could go on, but I have other things to tell.
The project had so many spin-offs. Most of the men working on site had to perform tasks that were new to them. After a few grumbles, an air of excitement took over, with pride in being part of the whole enterprise. In the lunch hour, I saw a carpenter studying the ‘Green Builder’. He also took many of the photographs for the website. The contractor spoke frequently of the ‘steep learning curve,’ especially when mistakes were made, some of which I found quite stressful! But now there is a team of all trades informed and able to undertake this kind of work again.
The project won the Observer Ethical Award. A film crew came for the day and everyone on site was excited, wondering if they would catch a glimpse of themselves on television. I had the pleasure of going to London to receive a trophy (£1000 toward building materials came later) and meet other winners, all distinguished people. The local press reported on the exploits of Oxford’s Green Granny. Later the BBC heard of us and there was another day’s filming for Songs of Praise.
After the house was finished, requests to look round began. The high point so far has been two open days backed by local groups and English Heritage, attended by 176 people. Some came with notebooks in hand and diligently consulted the plans and specification. Students from Oxford Brookes University have used the house for research projects and dissertations.
Two years on the house performs well. I hardly ever use the gas boiler to heat water or the extension from March to November. I have a deep bath when the sun produces too much hot water. The rainwater has only dwindled a couple of times, requiring an automatic top-up from the mains. Washing clothes with it uses much less detergent.
A professional assessment reveals that my CO2 emissions now are 59% less than would be expected from an unimproved equivalent house. My lifestyle yields another 19% so the total CO2 saving is 78%; even better than the architect expected!
Most important of all, I love my home, and so does my family. When I said ‘OK’ three years ago, I had no idea what I was letting myself in for. Even now I sometimes feel weary, as if I have run too long a race. But the prizes and the joy have been beyond anything I could have imagined. Such an amazing and multifaceted outcome suggests to me that the command did indeed come from God.
Averil Stedeford, 2009
"That the mother of all eco refits should be undertaken by a grandmother of 73 (and through the winter), is an arresting story in itself, but what really impressed the judges was the scale of Averil's masterplan, undertaken often at huge inconvenience."
Read more on The Guardian (June 2006)"The first ethical awards in 2006 saw Averil Stedeford, now 82, win DIY Project of the Year after she helped pioneer ‘retro-greening’ through the transformation of her own 1950s semi-detached house."
Read more on The Guardian (March 2015)"Paradoxically, what makes her project so extraordinary is how ordinary it is. Working on this very typical house, she has shown how Britain's ageing, badly-insulated urban housing stock could be transformed into the energy efficient, environmentally friendly homes of the future."
Permaculture Magazine, No. 51 (spring 2007)