YOUR BUILD MEETS
SIAN ASTLEY
Sian Astley Interview
Building expert Sian Astley shares her hands-on expertise
S
ian Astley is a builder, TV
expert, and guest speaker at the
Homebuilding & Renovating
Show, with 22 years of experience
renovating both period and
contemporary homes. Sian’s TV
work includes BBC1’s Getting The Builders In
and Channel 5’s Half Built House. Currently
she is build project manager for the ground
breaking virtual reality show on BBC2: Your
Home Made Perfect.
We spoke to Sian about all things build related,from how she got started in the industry to her
own self-build project and what tips she has to
avoid project costs spiraling!How did you get started
in the build industry?
After leaving University, I took a job running
a franchise office that dealt with damp proofing
and wall ties and found it fascinating seeing how
houses were taken apart and put back together.
I left that company and set up my own specialist
preservation business with a Princes Trust grantand at the same time bought my first apartment
on 100% mortgage. There began my own
property ladder, buying doer-uppers and getting
stuck in on home renovations. A few years later
followed a period of buying properties to take
back to brick, restore and rent out. By then,
there was no going back!What do you love most
about working on self-builds?
Self-builds rarely fit into a category do they?
There’s something so gloriously individual about