Thoughts of employing an architect to create a one-off home often lead to a fit of financial nerves. So some self-builders go the route of choosing a kit house. This was the case with Gemma and Stuart Ross, who live in the village of Balnain near Loch Ness — but their home is certainly not run-of-the-mill.

As first-time buyers, the couple, who have just had their first child, are particularly fortunate to have a four-bedroom home that is contemporary and yet based on traditional Highland design. And the total cost of the house, including the site and professional fees, came in at just £190,000.

Instead of hiring their preferred Skye-based architects, which was their first choice, they bowed to financial constraints and picked the design from an online catalogue belonging to Hebridean Contemporary Homes. Gemma, 31, says: “We would love to get a bespoke home, but there was no way we could afford that.”

However, the kit house — which was modelled on the northern European long house — was designed by Dualchas architects and based on a house originally intended to be a one-off.

DJ MacLennan, managing director of Hebridean Contemporary Homes, believes he has spotted a gap in the market. “What people expect from a kit home has changed. They don’t want the same pattern designs that have been around for the last 20 or 30 years. They want lots of glass and open-plan living — to have a warm, comfortable house.”

Doing away with the need for an architect while maintaining the benefits of intelligent, considered design seems like a win-win situation for the client. The Ross’s house, however, is not without its flaws. On the positive side it sits happily on its sloping site and Gemma is especially pleased with the large, glazed area at the front, which overlooks a wooded hillside. She says: “I see the view as one big piece of artwork. It’s changing all the time with the light and the clouds.”

That same window is, however, the cause of some problems. She adds: “On sunny days the lounge gets quite hot, so we are considering creating a veranda and growing plants to create shade.” Having managed the bulk of the project themselves, the Rosses have confidence in their own problem-solving abilities, but surely clients should expect a well-designed house to take account of the effects of warm weather?

Alasdair Stephen, one of the architects responsible for the design, says the company recommends clients do not do away with the services of an architect altogether. He says: “A professional might have suggested a south-facing house should incorporate glass that could be amended to prevent a build-up of heat.

“As soon as people start taking on things like being a main contractor or making decisions on detailing or siting then problems will arise. They have to accept that some of them come up against unanticipated problems.”

The Rosses also took the decision not to install a heat-exchange system, which would have made use of the excess heat.

On the design front a generous number of rooms has been eked out of a modest area. As well as four bedrooms (two upstairs and two on the ground floor), there are two bathrooms and a utility room.

The house can be entered by the glass doors at one side or by way of a small porch, which is lit by a light well and has space to store the outdoor clothing and wellies so essential to Highland life. The tiny kitchen can be screened off by virtue of its sliding doors or remain connected to the open-plan living space. This area begins with a dining area and extends to a generously proportioned lounge, which is one and a half storeys high and has exposed beams and a wood-burning stove with Caithness slab surround.

By doing away with corridor space the whole design creates an airy and almost church-like atmosphere. Such minimalism imposes demands on the occupants, but Stuart, 33, remains positive. He says: “The house is very well laid out. The downside to this is a lack of storage space, but that will make us less likely to hoard.”

After just two years, Hebridean Contemporary Homes is generating more enquiries than its parent company, Dualchas.

However, many young people who are strapped for cash and want to build their own home often look no further than generic kit houses.

This is something of a concern to Stephen, who was born and brought up on Skye. He says: “It astounds me — the ugliness of the houses that are getting built, especially on Lewis and South Uist. It’s just appalling. They are completely inappropriate.”

On the business front, there are plans to market these kit houses throughout Europe. Closer to home, Stephen is committed to playing his part in a revolution in rural housing. He says: “Economically the future of the Highlands is good-quality tourism. For that we have to make sure that the landscape, and that includes the buildings, is beautiful.”

www.hebrideanhomes.com

Times recommends

• Fall in house sales hits builders, estate agents and mortgage brokers
• Why the property credit crunch favours cash buyers
• The blood-curdling history of Quarrelwood House