LOW POINT
“When Covid struck and we cut ties with our contractor, it became daunting at times. But completing some of the work myself was really rewarding, and I enjoyed rolling my sleeves up.” –Gary Westlake
critical stages, managing our expectations and having good dialogue with the contractor.” The contractor not only knew Ben from the previous job, but had also worked on other builds in the street. That preexisting trust was vindicated by a considerable part of the build which was smooth sailing. However towards the latter stages of the
renovation things became problematic. Covid hit and derailed different aspects of the build – materials were in short supply and builders and tradesmen stopped turning up, and it became “a bit of a bumpy ride,” says Gary. While the actual house was complete, the
HIGH POINT
“How it has changed the way we live. It really has delivered against the original brief. We now have more space and it feels fantastic” –Gary Westlake
garden room and certain finishes were not. Gary: “The contractor didn’t desert us, and we were still having good conversations, but it just got to the point where things weren’t being done quickly enough.” With this in mind, the Westlakes cut ties and moved on. Gary reached out to other companies but because of the pandemic’s unpredictability, people were cautious to take on new jobs. This is where Gary bravely decided to take matters into his own hands. “I realised that I could probably do some of the work myself, and during lockdown I was at home a lot more, which meant I could be a lot more hands on.” Despite the challenging tasks that lay ahead, Gary felt he was back in control. With help of Youtube videos, a Speedy tool hire account, and Ben on hand to explain various construction processes, Gary managed to clad the whole rear of the house, finish all fencing work, and reposition the footings, drainage and bulkhead on the front of the garden room, so that a
sep/oct 2021
They were fortunate that Kate’s brother Ben is an architect
window could be fitted. “I also laid the floor and finished some cabinetry. I even bought a router!” says Gary.
A further challenge was added into the mix by the arrival of Luna the Cockapoo during the build; an “interesting decision,” says Gary. “I’ve been pressured to get a dog for years, and have always said ‘only if we get a bigger house’. So even though we’d yet to finish, I agreed,” he says ruefully, adding: “I can’t be that Dad of whom your daughter later says I never bought her a puppy – I gave in.”
MAXIMISING THE SPACE From being a confined end of terrace dwelling, the Westlakes’ home has been transformed into a commodious and contemporary space, filled with creative design solutions and unusual features to utilise the smaller areas. Originally 1100 ft2
, the renovation added a further 700 ft2
to the home. A two-storey extension has been built across the driveway to exploit what land is available. Ensuring that this extension maximised the space, the walls have been made as slim as possible, using brick slips. Rather than using off the shelf systems however, the contractor cut down the London stock bricks used elsewhere,
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