MAKING A MOVE
Tamara and Martin Hamill were looking for an accessible home for their family of four when they stumbled upon a 1980s bungalow
Tamara Hamill and her husband Martin are about to embark on her first renovation project — transforming a 1980s self-build into an accessible family home fit for the 21st century. While dated, the property suited the needs of her family: her eldest teenage son suffered brain damage prior to his birth and will need support throughout adulthood. “He has an Intellectual Disability and is autistic, but, like his brother is funny, smart and opinionated,” smiles Tamara.
“The bungalow ticked all our boxes and sat on a third of an acre plot. I was looking for a project as we had only ever bought new houses and this time buying a new house felt like a cop out,” she says of the property.
The bungalow is a timber kit home, shipped over from Sweden in 1986. A local builder was commissioned to erect the kit and then assembled a brick skin and concrete tiled roof.
For its day, the house was really well insulated and built. The rooms are all well-proportioned and the garden faces south. However, the interiors need attention. “It has a decidedly ’70s vibe throughout, with pine ‘sauna-style’ ceilings, coloured bathrooms and a dated conservatory. The front of the house won’t win any prizes either,” admits Tamara.
Despite the cosmetic shortcomings, Tamara was “smitten” with the house on first viewing. The house was being sold via sealed bids and Tamara put her “best and final offer” in before husband Martin or the two kids had even stepped foot inside the house.
“It was eight months after the bid was accepted that we were able to move in. Those first few days were quite a shock,” Tamara continues. “We had left a large, four-bed, modern house, and we are now using the ‘dining room end’ of the lounge as our bedroom! There is lots to do and we are going to be living like this for some time.”
The family engaged an architect to design a scheme to turn this two-bed bungalow into a contemporary four-bed home fit for their family. The plan involves removing the old conservatory, building a new detached garage and adding three small extensions and a porch to the house. The extensions will fall under Permitted Development, but the porch, projecting from the front of the house, and the garage will both require planning permission which will come later in the development scheme.
“I can see the potential in this house and, luckily, our architect can see it too. I’ve accepted that Christmas won’t see me get a new bedroom or shower though,” Tamara laughs. “Work will begin properly in the new year.”