Change of direction
A search for a low maintenance new build took a speedy U-turn when Ben and Amanda Rendell stumbled across a renovation opportunity
Just days before exchanging on the purchase of a modern three-bedroom house, Ben and Amanda Rendell instead seized the opportunity to produce a bespoke family dwelling by renovating and extending a 1950s property
Ben and Amanda Rendell were within days of exchanging on a new three-bedroom house, when a chance glance at the property section of the local paper stopped them in their tracks. For a similar price, a larger 1950s dwelling, just a stone’s throw away had come on the market with plenty of potential for development. “We realised we really wanted a space we could mould and adapt into our long term family home,” says Ben.
When the couple went to view the house, they discovered that the owners had just been let down by their buyer and had already committed to a property purchase in Devon. ere and then they were given the opportunity to buy it, as long as they could exchange and complete within two weeks. Having recently sold a business, Ben and Amanda had the cash available and a sale was agreed.
e building itself was liveable, but was in need of updating. It had been extended several times with various flat roof additions creating a series of small and badly shaped rooms. Outside, the Rendells wanted to address the pebbledash render, brown windows, a dated porch and an adjoining garage that took up unnecessary space.
ey consulted an architect to draw up plans to extend the house above the garage, which would make room for a fourth bedroom and ensuite. ey wanted to convert the garage into a fifth bedroom at a later stage. At the back they decided to replace the existing twostorey flat roof extension with a pitched version and rebuild the adjacent one-storey structure to incorporate it into an open plan living space. e rest of the interior would be reconfigured to include a utility room, cloakroom and wider hall, with the sitting room and main bathroom being the only rooms left in the original layout. e final element would be a new porch at the front.
The right team
Having learnt from the experience of project managing the complete rebuild of their last house, a rural dormer bungalow, Ben used the
four months it took to get planning consent to find the right builder. He met with seven firms to find a like-minded company that would be flexible; he finally chose Intagood Construction. “ey were able to show me a variety of schemes they had completed, from Victorian restorations to bespoke builds. I was impressed with the quality of the finish of their work and I liked the way they committed to one project at a time,” says Ben. To be on hand and oversee the work,
Ben moved into the family motor home, which he parked up on the driveway. Amanda and the kids remained in their previous property, which they planned to keep and rent out once the build was complete.
e first stage of the scheme was to demolish the side and back of the house, taking it down to ground level. “e builders’ help and input into the development was invaluable. ey offered ideas and solutions along the way. ey were quality driven, refusing to leave anything unless it was absolutely right,” says Ben. is was apparent right from the outset when they discovered that the old two-storey flat roof extension had not been tied into the original house properly. “It had to be demolished entirely and part of the existing structure had to be rebuilt, which we hadn’t anticipated,” says Ben.
e construction work that followed was not straightforward. Laying the foundations was a logistical challenge – getting the concrete to the back of the property meant it had to come around the side of the house via a mini dumper truck, which was time consuming and costly. Not only that, materials including the large steels (22 in total) had to come through the garage. One particular beam was nine metres in length and weighed three tonnes. It had to
be lifted in using a small telehandler – its tyres had to be slightly deflated to get it through the old garage opening. “I cannot praise the builders enough for their skill and professionalism; at the time the rear of the house was being held up by acrow props and the telehandler was right on the edge of its lifting capacity,” says Ben.
Behind the scenes
As the build progressed Ben took charge of sourcing the bathroom furniture and items such as the aluminium triple glazed windows, doors and Karndean flooring. Outside, as well as the tarmac and landscaping materials, he organised the electronic security gate system that finishes off the driveway. Getting rid of the old porch has given them the entrance they were looking for – in its place stands a modern alternative, with plenty of natural light.
e exterior rendered walls have been painted white, and the contrasting grey aluminium windows give the house a contemporary look that matches the interior. “Amanda had seen a property in a magazine where the front door was flung open to reveal a view through the home to the garden beyond, and that is what we wanted to recreate,” says Ben. By widening the hall and adding a glass side to the stairs the couple have created a visual flow through to the open plan dining area and outside zone.
Once the open plan space had taken shape, the decision as to where to put the kitchen became more of a quandary. Happily, the builders came to the Rendells’ rescue. “ey were here until 10pm one night, and when I saw what they had done I realised why; they had built a full-scale kitchen from left over plaster board and roofing battens. We have used that exact same layout,” says Ben. Rather than search the internet they used a local company to help them source the smart Hacker suite, with high-tech electronic bifold cupboard doors and an auto pop-up extractor fan, supplied by Pittville Kitchens and Bathrooms.
“We have tried to add little touches here and there that benefit the ease of living,” says Ben. For example, underfloor heating powered by a gas boiler warms the majority of the rooms and the bifold doors have in-glass blinds for privacy and shade. Upstairs in the main bedroom, the wardrobes have remote control lighting, and to maximise the space. one of them hides a paddle staircase that leads to the loft. is has two zones, one acts as a walk-in wardrobe and the other a playroom for the boys. e loft space also houses the Worcester Bosch Greenstar CDI Classic boiler.
Further plans
In addition to the main works, the couple submitted another planning application to allow for a detached garage at the front of the plot. “One of the reasons I liked the house was the space at the front being big enough for five cars. As neighbours on either side have garages at the front, I was hopeful we could do the same,”
Ben says. As their previous house had a triple garage, he was relieved
e open plan living space has exceeded our expectations, it works for socialising and family living
to get the planning approved, allowing for storage for the family’s eight bikes and motor home paraphernalia.
When all the construction work was complete, Amanda took over the role of project manager from Ben in order to complete the interior design. “I wanted to echo the high quality finish we had achieved in the build by decorating throughout in a chic colour palette and using new pieces of furniture and accessories to furnish it,” says Amanda. She looked at three different companies before commissioning Angela Colley from Georgie Interior Design to help her get the contemporary, yet homely look she wanted to achieve.
“We are really pleased with the finish throughout our reworked home,” says Amanda. “e open plan living space has exceeded our expectations, it works well for socialising and makes for harmonious family living. Plus our labrador, Dave, loves it, too.”