If I had known what I was taking on, I probably wouldn't have done it," says Rod Hepworth, enjoying a coffee in the sunny open plan kitchen, dining room and living area of his five bedroom detached Ilkley home.

"My ignorance saved me - ignorance of how hard it would be. I don't think most people realise exactly what goes into building a house," he says.

With no previous experience, Rod project-managed the building of the family home, while a second home in France was constructed at the same time.

It was not an easy ride, but, less than three years after work started, the results speak for themselves. His Ilkley home is stunning and the family's modern and comfortable French home is nearing completion; but it wasn't all plain sailing.

Rod and wife Anne dreamed of owning a second home in France. They were settled with their children - Rod's stepsons Richard, 19, and Matthew, 15, and the couple's five-year-old son Ben - in a six bedroom Victorian terraced home in Ilkley, but realised that to fulfil their dream they would have to sell the property.

Rod recalls: "We saw a plot of land in France that we wanted to buy and thought we would have to downsize in Ilkley to do that."

Then came a stroke of luck. Rod's property included a small garden across the road. A larger garden alongside it belonged to next door, and Rod spotted the potential, were he to buy the neighbouring plot. He discovered that a local builder was looking at his neighbour's land with a view to developing the site with two homes. He realised he couldn't waste time and made an offer.

"I thought why not build one home big enough for the family and release the equity for the one in France," he says.

With the deal done, Rod secured planning permission for the house. Work started in 2004. Rod, who runs a DJ business, initially put the project out to tender. But the quotes were so high that, despite having no building experience, he decided to manage the project himself.

"I had not built so much as a dog kennel, but I was not nervous," he says.

Rod used his local pub as a recruiting ground for work on the build. "I hired the various tradesmen in the pub. I know many people in all professions."

He recalls the day they began. "We dug a big hole," he laughs. "We had a JCB and had to demolish a garage and fence."

Starting in autumn was not ideal. "With a winter build you are more or less guaranteed that the weather will cause interruptions, but thankfully it wasn't too bad."

Little Ben lent a hand, putting a £1 coin in the foundations for luck.

No building project runs smoothly, and there were some hiccups along the way.

"The rendering had to be re-done and we were hiring scaffolding for ages," says Rod, who was on site every day to oversee the project. "I am a perfectionist and it was hard because a lot of the people working on the build were friends."

The family, who moved into rented accommodation while the work was being carried out, hoped to move a year after the work began, yet delays meant an additional six-month wait.

But it was worth it. The all-in-one cooking, living and dining area is a masterpiece, with a glass roofed extension offering views across the garden and beyond to Ilkley's Cow and Calf Rocks.

Oak wood units and lots of light give the kitchen a fresh, clean look and the living area, with its stylish leather sofas and wall-mounted television, allow the family to relax while meals are being prepared.

Ceiling spotlights and a wood-burning stove bring a cosy feel to the spacious main reception room. There is under-floor heating and oak flooring throughout, and a feeling of comfort and warmth.

Upstairs the attention to detail continues, with a large master bedroom - lined on one side with built-in wardrobes in light beech - a spacious en-suite, again in neutral colours, and fabulous views.

"Anne has been responsible for the interior design," says Rod.

With its limestone tiles, the family bathroom is modern and inviting. "My father-in-law Ken helped us out with the tiling and plumbing, which was invaluable."

Personal touches in the children's bedrooms include a large canvas of Ben's hand prints, bold and colourful in primary colours. A stylish leather bed head looks just the part for Richard, who also has a desk and computer.

Colours are mainly neutral, giving a feeling of space, but other colour schemes - including a striking red, white and blue in Ben's room - are equally successful.

A large image of Rod's hero Bruce Springsteen livens up the stairs to the third floor, where Rod has his office and acres of under-eaves storage. "I'm a minimalist in a hoarder's body. I keep lots of stuff in the roof."

They managed to go only slightly over budget. "When it started to go over, some things like the in-house audio system - the boys' toys - had to be downgraded."

Now, with all the stress in the past, Rod and family are settling down in their new home. "It is great to be able to enjoy it after all the hard work," he says.