From Down Under to Down the Garden: A Family's Log Home Harmony

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For Elly Nason and her partner Rob, living an ocean away in Western Australia with their young baby felt increasingly distant from family back in the UK, especially with travel restrictions making visits impossible. They longed to return home and be closer to Elly’s mum, Mandy. “For years, we’d talked about what our future would look like – whether I’d move to Australia or they could come back here,” Mandy fondly recalls.

Elly explains their journey of exploration: “We looked at so many options. Australian visas were tricky, especially for older family members. Canada seemed easier for visas, and property was more affordable, but it meant a completely fresh start for everyone.”

Then, the unexpected happened. “Covid really solidified our desire to be back in the UK. We were locked down in Western Australia for two long years,” Elly shares. During that time, their son was born, and when borders finally reopened, Elly made a poignant trip home with her baby to see Mandy.

“Not seeing Mum for so long was incredibly hard, and I was desperate to come home. But having to return to Australia afterwards, not knowing when I’d be back, was truly difficult. That’s when Rob and I decided we would move back to the UK for good, even though we didn’t yet know how.”

From afar, their research began, seeking a way for the whole family to live together. “We seriously looked at UK properties, even in places like the Scottish Borders that offered separate living spaces. But they always felt too remote, and the annexes were just too small – a huge compromise for Mum,” Elly explains.

Mandy adds with a touch of humour, “I wasn’t keen on a bedsit, and the properties needing work seemed to need too much work!” She currently enjoys a charming two-bedroom period cottage in Surrey, which now happily neighbours Elly and Rob’s wonderful cabin. “We had considered converting or rebuilding a large summer house at the bottom of my garden. But we always assumed we’d need full planning permission, especially after the effort it took for a small extension on my cottage.”

Then came a delightful discovery – the possibility of adding an annex under the Caravan Act, specifically for family, within the garden’s grounds, and designed to be transportable. “We had no idea!” Elly exclaims. “So, we spoke to three companies offering these annexes. Norwegian Log was actually our third choice, as we initially thought their cabins might be out of our budget. We didn’t want to get our hopes up too high. We spent quite a bit of time with another company, and then Mum said, ‘Why don’t we just take a look at Norwegian Log?’” Elly laughs at the memory.

“She went with a friend to their show home in Reading, rang me in Australia, and declared that Norwegian Log’s annexes were a game changer! She insisted we had to make it work because of the incredible difference inside the cabins – the feeling of them, how much they felt like home. Mum was so enthusiastic,” Elly shares warmly.

Soon after, the young family made the big move from Australia back to Mandy’s cottage. “So, there we were – the three of us, our little boy, and five dogs – and then it snowed!” Elly laughs. “But when Rob and I visited Norwegian Log, just like Mum, we fell in love with their show home and immediately started designing our own cabin. We tried to be as modest as possible, knowing it was in Mum’s garden, but we still wanted a proper home.”

Their gorgeous new log annex boasts a thoughtfully designed layout, featuring a sleek and modern kitchen/utility room, a spacious living room complete with a cosy log burner and bifold doors opening onto a private garden, two comfortable bedrooms, and a family bathroom. And when guests visit, they have the pleasure of staying next door with Mandy.

“Norwegian Log handled all the planning, and it went through so quickly. They even had a cancellation slot in the summer, so they were able to start building very soon. It took just nine weeks to erect, and then we took care of the interior. By October 2023, we were all moved in,” Elly recounts. “It’s so incredibly warm; we haven’t needed the radiators at all. We even hosted Christmas here with 14 people and had to open the bifold doors! Now that it’s summer, we open them up, and our son can happily play on the decking.”

The joy of living close by is evident for the whole family. “This has truly transformed our lives,” Mandy says with heartfelt emotion. “You can FaceTime someone on the other side of the world, but it’s just not the same as those everyday little chats.”

“And for Rob and me, having a built-in babysitter is fantastic!” Elly adds with a smile. “Watching our son’s relationship with my mum blossom has been wonderful. It was also the only financially viable option. The alternative would have been a one-bedroom flat above a shop in Surrey. We could have made it work, of course, but we certainly wouldn’t be as happy as we are living in this beautiful home.”

Showing remarkable foresight, this multi-generational family has already considered their future needs. As Elly explains, “The plan is that we’ll swap homes with Mum at some point. Her cottage has a steep staircase, so when she needs single-storey living, she can simply move here, and we’ll move into the cottage. Having that security, knowing we won’t have to relocate completely in the future, is brilliant. Right now, Mum is here to help us with our son – but in the future, we’ll be here to look after Mum.”