London 1930s semi renovation
Discussion
Close up of one of the 3m long toughened glass balustrades, this one on the study balcony. Excuse the state of the roof below, and random hosepipe!
Untitled by baconrashers, on Flickr
Untitled by baconrashers, on FlickrThanks - that's kind!
I wanted a Victorian/Edwardian house, but this was a hell of a lot cheaper.
An Edwardian semi on the same street, 10 doors down, the same size as ours internally has just gone for £1.4m - 57% more than we paid for ours, and still 30% more even after we have finished a complete renovation and have replaced everything except the walls, roof and first floor...and we overlook the park behind the road, whilst that house does not. So I think we made the right decision. Or that's what I keep telling myself every time I look at the glorious period houses all around us!
Our house is nothing like as pretty, especially at the rear - but the fact that it is a bit of a mongrel (1930's with ugly 1970's rear extension and boxy 2017 loft extension) mean that I have felt able to take a few more chances with the design, rather than having to stick to a classical theme throughout. Makes it a very fun space to actually be inside, and will lead to some more adventurous decor choices.
I wanted a Victorian/Edwardian house, but this was a hell of a lot cheaper.
An Edwardian semi on the same street, 10 doors down, the same size as ours internally has just gone for £1.4m - 57% more than we paid for ours, and still 30% more even after we have finished a complete renovation and have replaced everything except the walls, roof and first floor...and we overlook the park behind the road, whilst that house does not. So I think we made the right decision. Or that's what I keep telling myself every time I look at the glorious period houses all around us!
Our house is nothing like as pretty, especially at the rear - but the fact that it is a bit of a mongrel (1930's with ugly 1970's rear extension and boxy 2017 loft extension) mean that I have felt able to take a few more chances with the design, rather than having to stick to a classical theme throughout. Makes it a very fun space to actually be inside, and will lead to some more adventurous decor choices.
Edited by Harry Flashman on Wednesday 22 March 15:10
Harry Flashman said:
Thanks - that's kind!
I wanted a Victorian/Edwardian house, but this was a hell of a lot cheaper.
An Edwardian semi on the same street, 10 doors down, the same size as ours internally has just gone for £1.4m - 57% more than we paid for ours, and still 30% more even after we have finished a complete renovation and have replaced everything except the walls, roof and first floor...and we overlook the park behind the road, whilst that house does not. So I think we made the right decision. Or that's what I keep telling myself every time I look at the glorious period houses all around us!
Our house is nothing like as pretty, especially at the rear - but the fact that it is a bit of a mongrel (1930's with ugly 1970's rear extension and boxy 2017 loft extension) mean that I have felt able to take a few more chances with the design, rather than having to stick to a classical theme throughout. Makes it a very fun space to actually be inside, and will lead to some more adventurous decor choices.
I actually prefer your era of house, something more simplistic about it.I wanted a Victorian/Edwardian house, but this was a hell of a lot cheaper.
An Edwardian semi on the same street, 10 doors down, the same size as ours internally has just gone for £1.4m - 57% more than we paid for ours, and still 30% more even after we have finished a complete renovation and have replaced everything except the walls, roof and first floor...and we overlook the park behind the road, whilst that house does not. So I think we made the right decision. Or that's what I keep telling myself every time I look at the glorious period houses all around us!
Our house is nothing like as pretty, especially at the rear - but the fact that it is a bit of a mongrel (1930's with ugly 1970's rear extension and boxy 2017 loft extension) mean that I have felt able to take a few more chances with the design, rather than having to stick to a classical theme throughout. Makes it a very fun space to actually be inside, and will lead to some more adventurous decor choices.
Edited by Harry Flashman on Wednesday 22 March 15:10
So are you going to get it valued once the works have been done?
Also.....£1.4M for a house, how on gods green earth does anyone afford such a house, excluding inheritance!! And I appreciate that is probably "average" for London. Come up North to me, you'd buy a village for that!
London is nuts, and this is a cheap part of Zone 3, which is why we bought here! A 6 bed detached Victorian at the end of our road is on the market for £2.1m. It's nuts, when you think about it.
People tend to earn well, and have equity in other houses that they roll into a small upgrade. But the new stamp duty regime has killed the market, so these prices will fall.
People tend to earn well, and have equity in other houses that they roll into a small upgrade. But the new stamp duty regime has killed the market, so these prices will fall.
Have a few more random kitchen photos, as we slowly fit the space out. Still need to deal with dangling speaker cables, and pick wall colour (currently the white the builders left it in).
But splashback is in/painted, some nicer lights above the island, and it feels a bit more lived in now.
Kitchen by baconrashers, on Flickr
Kitchen by baconrashers, on Flickr
Kitchen by baconrashers, on Flickr
But splashback is in/painted, some nicer lights above the island, and it feels a bit more lived in now.
Kitchen by baconrashers, on FlickrKitchen by baconrashers, on FlickrKitchen by baconrashers, on FlickrWhich ones?
I totally messed up on the cooker switches - that long bank on the left hand splashback. They should have been hidden away in a cupboard, or at least arranged in a grid fashion to make them less obvious.
That splashback is actually a stud wall, so there is a project for another day waiting.
The switches/sockets on the island post are also ugly, but have turned out to be very functional: sockets with USB for laptop/tablet, ethernet ports and light switching for island lights. I think I am going to fit deeper backboxes and try to fit sockets/switches that are flush mounted, to make it all a bit less intrusive...
I totally messed up on the cooker switches - that long bank on the left hand splashback. They should have been hidden away in a cupboard, or at least arranged in a grid fashion to make them less obvious.
That splashback is actually a stud wall, so there is a project for another day waiting.
The switches/sockets on the island post are also ugly, but have turned out to be very functional: sockets with USB for laptop/tablet, ethernet ports and light switching for island lights. I think I am going to fit deeper backboxes and try to fit sockets/switches that are flush mounted, to make it all a bit less intrusive...
I know there are details that you want to rectify but the kitchen looks great! It's certainly making me think about what to do when we get around to doing our (rather smaller) kitchen. It's so nice to see colour and materials used to give texture and depth; given this was only one room of a much larger project, I hope you're very pleased with the results your planning and detail has delivered!
Harry Flashman said:
I've seen messier show homes 
Looks great HF 
This is a pic of one of the Victorian houses in the area: this is on next street, at the end of our road.
Someone just bought it, and brought this little piece of loveliness to park outside...makes my walk to the station more scenic!
Untitled by baconrashers, on Flickr
Someone just bought it, and brought this little piece of loveliness to park outside...makes my walk to the station more scenic!
Untitled by baconrashers, on FlickrEdited by Harry Flashman on Saturday 25th March 13:41
8-P said:
Good job, enjoyed the thread!
Staying put or moving on?
Staying put, although I am restless, now that we're nearing the end. Lady F has banned me from any more projects...Staying put or moving on?
Also seems that the area is changing: people moving in, houses getting renovated, which means that hopefully, long term, it was a good bet. I've counted two Astons and a Bentley new in the street in the last 3 months, so a) means we have some petrolheads, which is great, and b) it means that gentrification may be happening. So worth sticking around for a while.
I'd send you a pic of our driveway, full of rubble, and my 2002 Ford Focus that serves as a tip car, but I have a feeling we're letting the neighbourhood down!
Edited by Harry Flashman on Saturday 25th March 10:57
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