IQ Living sponsors award for self-builders

Online, October 29, 2009 (Newswire.com) - IQ Living sponsors award for self-builders

IQ Living, the online home of bathrooms, bathroom suites and accessories, are delighted to announce their sponsorship of the 'Best Value for Money' award in this year's Self Build Awards, in association with The Daily Telegraph.

The awards, which are now in their 17th year and this year are sponsored by the Government's Planning Portal website, are designed to recognise the achievements of the UK's imaginative and innovative army of self-builders, renovators and barn converters. Awards will include everything from best traditional home, best contemporary house and best conversion. The 'Best Value for Money' category, sponsored by IQ Living, is a category for projects that represent exceptional value for money.

"We are thrilled to be involved in such a positive and exciting award and to be sponsoring the best value for money award fits in perfectly with our organisation's ideals," explains Michael Core, E-Commerce manager for IQ Living. "We firmly believe that making the most of what you have is the right attitude, particularly in a recession. So being able to reward people for creating such beautiful homes and all on a tight budget is something that should inspire everyone to make the effort and see every home as a blank canvas, waiting to be embellished," he adds.

The award doesn't just take into consideration the end result, but how a great deal can be done on a more limited budget. The houses shortlisted for the award have all demonstrated how a stunning home can be created using innovative techniques such as reclamation, utilising existing structures to create a completely new feature, and detailing - all on a budget.

"One of the hardest things to control on any self build project is the budget," says Michael. "This award is specifically designed to reward those inspired self-builders who don't have the luxury of a 'money is no object' approach and have still managed to create a beautiful and unique home. But it's not just about the financial aspect; it's also about rewarding thoughtful building."

"It's about utilising natural advantages such as south facing aspects to increase light without relying on designs that will have a negative impact on the environment they're located within," he adds. "It's all about creating a home that is a seamless part of its environment, rather than an intrusion into it, and how that building works as a significant part of the owner's lives," he concludes.

IQ Living is one of the premiere suppliers online of luxury bathroom furniture, bathroom accessories and suites. They have teamed up with some of the biggest names in bathroom furniture to present an online store packed with everything from full suites to bathroom taps and furnishings. Their ethos is that everyone has the right to a beautiful home without breaking the bank, so their association with the 'Best Value for Money' award is one that sits well with their principles. "Value for money isn't just about getting as much as you can for as little money as possible," explains Michael. "It's about how it inspires you to do more, how it compliments rather than smothers the natural beauty of a home and how it creates added value to the final result," he adds.

A total of 15 houses have been shortlisted for the 2009 awards and final judging begins on the 16th October 2009. You can log on to www.selfbuildawards.co.uk for live Twitter feeds, blogs and films of Britain's best houses.