
Complete Refurbishment & Extension
The customer story
The problem
A 1970s detached house in Prenton, built and lived in by its original owners, dated in both style and layout. Numerous small rooms downstairs were unsuited to modern family life, and a large amount of outside space was going unused.
What we designed
The owners had drawings and planning permission and took three quotations. Ours was the most detailed, and that was the point — a quotation thorough enough to price the whole job properly is what stops unexpected costs appearing later. The scheme converted the kitchen, pantry, utility, downstairs shower and office into one open-plan kitchen, diner and living area opening onto the garden, and upstairs turned the rear hip roof into a gable to gain headroom, add a Juliette balcony and convert the old water tank cupboard into an en-suite.
What we built
A complete refurbishment and extension: an open-plan kitchen, diner and living area downstairs with bi-folding doors to the garden; the rear hip roof changed to a gable with a Juliette balcony and a new en-suite upstairs; and a full re-roof of the property.
How it improved the way they live
A dated house of small rooms is now a social, open ground floor that runs straight out into the garden the family had not been using, with better headroom and an extra bathroom upstairs.
In their words
The client’s own account of the project, published as they wrote it.
The property was a 1970’s detached house, which had been built and lived in by the vendors. The property was quite dated in style & layout. We were looking to modernise the look of the house, and create a more modern layout. The existing layout had numerous small rooms, unsuited to modern family life.
Downstairs we decided to convert what was the kitchen, pantry, utility, downstairs shower & downstairs office into a large open plan kitchen, diner & living area, with bi-folding doors, overlooking the garden. Upstairs we needed to change the hip roof at the rear of the property into a gable, to increase the headroom, fir a Juliette balcony, to convert the cupboard for the old water tank into an en suite bathroom & re-roof the whole property.. We wanted to make use of the unused outside space, to create a more social, kitchen, dining living area, which then naturally opened into the garden area.
At the outset, we had drawings & planning permission, and we obtained 3 quotes. OPB quote was the most in depth & we felt that this quote would avoid any unexpected costs during the project. Paul managed the project, on site each day, ensuring the right tradesmen were on site at the right time. All of the tradesmen used were excellent.
Initially we instructed Paul to change the gable on the room, to give more height in a bedroom, however upon Pauls recommendation, we also extended at the rear of the property, which has made a huge difference to how we utilise the space in the house.
Paul helped us source quality materials, to ensure the finish was how we envisioned. His guidance enabled us to have high aspirations, yet functionality. Paul has exacting standards where quality of work is concerned, which is reassuring for us as the customer.
Paul helped us source bricks for the retaining wall in the rear, as we were trying to blend the modern house & patio with original sandstone walls. Paul also made suggestions for showrooms for us to visit for the front door for example.
Paul recommended a local reliable kitchen company, enabling us to support a local company & receive quality customer service & guidance. Paul arranged for all the trades required for the work, from plumbers, electricians, tilers, joiners to plasterers, all of whom I would recommend. Knowing that we struggled to visualise things, Paul pointed out properties in the Wirral area for us to gain inspiration. We also visited other projects Paul had worked on & spoke to the homeowners.
Paul & his staff were always friendly, tidy & reliable, which is important when you have people in your home for extended periods of time. My husband & I are extremely happy with the finished result & are enjoying the fruits of Paul & his teams labour! Paul is very knowledgeable & shares his knowledge throughout the project, which was reassuring. Paul came to be known as “The Oracle” in our household! I would, & already have, recommended Paul to friends for their projects, and if I needed future work, I would not look to go anywhere else.
Gallery
Inside the finished home
Get in touch
Start with a conversation
Planning something similar? Tell us what isn’t working about your home and the design team will be in touch to arrange a conversation — no obligation.
