http://uk.news.yahoo.com/skynews/20080130/tuk-ikea-enters-the-housing-market-45dbed5.html

Though this was quite interesting.

I looked at timber homes some years ago when they did a programme on it on the telly. I'd love one, but I would like it to be in the middle of a forest somewhere..... or up a mountain... or.....

Me too!  Although I think mortgage and insurance costs could be pretty high, but I loved my house in Norway when I lived there. 

What about heating-would it gt cold. Not sure a house constructed in that way would hold the heat as much as a regular house?

Timber frames are fine it is the quality of insulation that is important.  Look at Canada one of the coldest places in the world all timber houses.

Dur :-(  Im so blonde at times :-) Never thought about canada and their timber homes

:-) So I am I ;-)

Scandinavia is pretty cold too :D

I loved the Grand Designs episode that showed a couple building such a house (the whole kit came from Finland ), on their parents famland after laived ten years in the carpenters workshop.

Those who are with Virgin Cable should be able to see it on Virgin on Demand I think.

I love the Grand Designs programs.

Someone in my breed has a timber house and the problems that she's had to keep it.  It's a lovely place, in a forest and to be truthful looks the most fitting building and there's only four other buildings where she lives and I don't think they've had the problems that she has had over the years.