Many times when people move into a new home, it’s not that far off what they’d want it to be. Even so, a bit of time living there, and a gathering of confidence can often lead to a choice to make improvements – maybe not huge stuff, but enough to create a significantly better place to live.
Liz and Paul’s bungalow was one such:- basically fit for purpose and within a lovely walled garden, but lacking serious utility space and with a conservatory which – as they tend to be – was boiling hot in summer and almost unusable in winter. Plus it had a north-facing kitchen/diner which – despite French Doors – felt dark.
So, alongside some overall energy improvements to enable a switch to ASHP heating, there were two main interventions. The first was to extend on the north side of the plot to create a larger utility room and extended kitchen/dining room – significantly with a higher ceiling to sneak in a rooflight which would catch morning sun.
Across on the south side of the house, the conservatory vanished and was replaced by a proper garden room with a gabled roof which ran into the main roof, and plenty of glazing which could be moderated in summer by shading and planting.
The work was carried out by Malton-based Transcore – regrettably the substructure work coincided with the grimmest, wettest part of the winter of 23/24, but they waded bravely through it and the project came out well. The new spaces make a big difference – providing more living space and more joy. Sometimes in the spaces we use a lot, small changes can make a big difference.