WALKING around Alex Andrew’s luxury home, it’s hard to imagine it was built in a little over three months.

In fact, the exterior of the property was put up in just four and a half days.

Alex lives in a Huf Haus – a made-to-measure home designed in Germany and then shipped over and built here.

The designs are recognisable as they don’t focus on load-bearing, dividing walls and are instead open plan, which allows for floor-to-ceiling glazing.

When looking out from Alex’s first-floor balcony, it feels as if we could be nestled in the Black Forest of Germany.

The house is, however, located in a rural part of Billericay, off a country lane which opens up to reveal the beautiful piece of architecture perched on top of a sloped driveway.

Alex, 66, has lived on the site since 1985 but decided to demolish his old home and build the new one after the death of his wife in 2002.

The Huf Haus was designed in 2006 and completed in 2007 to a design jointly developed with Peter Huf, the architect running the UK design and sales operation for Huf.

“It was amazing to see how quickly the property went up. It took four and a half days to build the outside as it stands today, and a further three and a half months to finish the interior,” says Alex.

“Originally, I was going to build a mock Tudor house, but a friend suggested I look into building a Huf Haus. On seeing the Channel 4 show Grand Designs, where someone was building a Huf Haus I decided to contact Peter Huf.”

The five-bedroom property has a stunning open-plan living space on the ground floor, including kitchen, dining area and lounge, all with panoramic views which make it look as though the walls merge into the scenery outside.

“The main features I like about the concept is light, feeling of space, a well-developed design and an attractive appearance,” says Alex, a retired design engineer.

“My favourite rooms in the house are the kitchen and the master bedroom/bathroom.”

“No two Huf Haus properties are the same.

“Because of the flexibility in the design every kitchen, bathroom, every design evolves as unique. They take such a pride in what they do. For example the tiling is close to perfection.”

Alex was fully involved with the process of building the property.

He says: “I went to Germany twice. Once to look at the facilities and go through ideas, and the second time I stayed for three days choosing everything.

“I already had the land, so the construction cost along with all the interiors is the region of £900,000. I don’t know for certain how much the house is worth now.”

Upstairs there are three bedrooms, including the master ensuite bedroom with and ensuite, and in the basement there are separate living quarters, including a kitchenette, bedroom and bathroom.