REAR EXTERIOR
By converting the garage into an office, building a garden room with wine cellar and extending the main chalet bungalow, Philippa and Tony have created a truly future proofed home with ample space for entertaining and working
LOW POINT
“Getting the build quotes in and realising it would cost far more than we’d anticipated. We did consider selling up and moving on, but after sitting in the garden with a glass of wine enjoying the amazing views, we decided to plough on and take a leap of faith.” – Philippa Neilson-Factor
april/may 2020
October 2017. Brendon and his team project managed everything and Philippa visited the site two or three times a week, while they rented a house 20 minutes away. “My first career was as a civil engineer, so I have a better understanding of plans than Tony and my work is more flexible so it made sense for me to be onsite,” she says. The 11-month build wasn’t without its challenges. “Building Control wanted more concrete in the foundations, so that was a big extra chunk of money on day three,” she explains. “They also discovered a double septic tank where the wine box was going to built, and we had to upgrade to a full treatment tank which pumps cleaned water to a nearby ditch, as the land doesn’t drain very well.” Being so exposed was also problematic. “The builder said it was both the hottest and coldest site they’d ever encountered, as they had to deal with the Beast from the East and a heat wave,” says Philippa.
In the end the final cost of works was £450,000, which they paid for with savings, an
inheritance and by re-mortgaging. It would’ve been higher still if they hadn’t abandoned their idea of installing steels to create more head height in two bedrooms with sloping ceilings, and saved money on artificial slate roof tiles. “We plan to have solar tiles in future when we can afford it, so we didn’t want to overspend on the roof,” she explains.
Despite these hiccups, the house has been valued at £1.3m, so the couple are still in a good position financially. “The goal was to create a home that suited our needs for the next 20 years rather than solely focusing on adding value,” she adds. One area Philippa is glad she didn’t scrimp on is the glazing from ODC Door & Glass. “Brendon showed us three different brands, and we chose a good quality middle ground,” she says. “We originally thought we’d have bi-fold doors, but a friend told us you can’t open them fully and you have more of the view obstructed by frames. In the end we decided on sliders, and we’re really happy with the ones we chose.”
www.sbhonline.co.uk 63
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