KAYWANNA HALL
However, after they purchased, Brixham architect stan Bolt advised them that a rebuild was preferable to a restoration. tony said: “We were expecting it to be a refurbish job but it became quite obvious that it was going to be more cost effective to rebuild. “We were expecting to spend
around £200,000 to renovate, but it cost £600,000 for the rebuild.” the couple lived in the original house for three years and then moved out for two years, into a rented place at Hillhead, while the builders moved in.
tony said: “We knocked it down to
the footprint floor level, retaining the main staircase and chimney breast. We then turned it into a contemporary version of what was here before. “We’ve opened it all up – and basically turned the main living area into a very large studio apartment.” the three high spec letting rooms
are detached from the main property. Guests go into the main house for breakfast, and dine in the sleek, modernist dining area. tony, who is “London born and
bred”, worked in hotel management and retail in the capital. since moving down, his parents and sister have now
moved to the south Hams. the couple go back to visit friends in London two or three times a year but said they don’t miss the city as much
“ IT BECAME QUITE
OBVIOUS THAT IT WAS GOING TO BE MORE COST EFFECTIVE TO REBUILD”
as they thought they would. tony said: “the only thing we miss about London is being able to pop out for a coffee or see a film at anytime. Although, after saying that, we probably go to the theatre more nowadays, as we have to plan it. “We certainly don’t miss the ex- pense. you can take out £100 from an AtM in London and it’s gone in hours. Down here you’ve still got £98 left at the end of the day! “We’d never move back to London
now. We’ve got over our clubbing days and would rather now be in bed at ten o’clock at night. “We’re probably going to run the B&B for another three or four years and then downsize. It’s great fun but we have no time to ourselves in the summer.
“Of course, it would be really difficult to leave this house and we have absolutely no plans to do so at the moment.” Kaywana Hall includes 12 acres of
woodland. the house came with eight acres and they bought the remaining four from the original owner after moving in. they agreed on £25,000 but were struggling to find this sum. tony said: “We had spent a lot more than we had anticipated on the rebuild and were living on credit cards. We had to find this money quick to buy the land and pay legal costs.” Gordon’s mum had died the previous
year and, by a “spooky” coincidence, on the very same day they were wondering how to find the money a letter from Gordon’s dad arrived containing a £25,000 cheque - as a share of inheritance from his mother. He had no idea his son needed that exact amount of money. Gordon added: “It was a very spooky thing to happen, but also fantastic. We call the land we bought with it ‘Betty’s Wood’ after my mum. thanks to her, ac- quiring the land has hugely increased the value of the house. And made Kaywana an even more idyllic place to live.”• For more information see
www.kaywanahall.co.uk
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