Recently I have taken on a couple of new clients who have failed to find their perfect property. In both cases, they could not find the size and style of property they wanted in the desired location. One reason was that the size and style of property in the right location would be twice their budget - after several years and property cycles, this lead to them showing me either the right property in the wrong location and vice versa. In this part of the world in order to stretch your budget you have to be imaginative and explore all options. There are a lot of good country properties at sensible prices that either just need a makeover, extending or in extreme cases flattening. I am not talking about anything like the Channel 4 programme "Grand Designs" but changing the windows, rendering or re cladding the elevations or raising the ridge height. In many cases, depending on materials, the uplift can be significant and you are left with a very saleable country house. This is nothing new and I have worked with a number of architects over the years.
Not long ago, I ran into Johnny Holland of Hackett Holland www.hackettholland.co.uk . He trained at The Prince of Wale's Institute of Architecture. And, albeit an architect with a business based in Notting Hill and Kensington, he is restoring a Victorian Farmhouse and buildings in West Dorset along with projects for existing clients in the Dorset and Somerset areas.
Armed with his deep knowledge of architecture and sources of materials and fittings both contemporary and vernacular, he has accompanied me on three recent jobs where he has helped me give reassurance to the client on a property's potential through explaining what a place could become and resulted in an acquisition. For example, the first project was an unattractive 1970's build farmhouse in a spectacular location. The budget was limited so rather than a full rebuild, it involved a basic overhaul externally to give it a "Jacobite" appearance, reconfiguration of room sizes and landscaping the gardens appropriately. It really wasn't hard or costly. The client got exactly what they couldn't afford with the benefits of a modern house and no unseen future expenditure or repairs. The second project was all about the setting and involved drawing the accommodation out laterally, re cladding and landscaping the gardens again but following a Georgian design. The third along similar lines involved adding a contemporary space to an existing small preiod dwelling.
It's all good stuff and should never be overlooked. There are endless opportunities out there if you try this approach, just make sure you choose a suitable architect with the relevant experience so as to avoid disappointment. It can work on most structures from barns to bungalows.
0 comments:
Post a Comment