Surrey Homes | SH31 | May 2017 |Restoration & New Build supplement inside

Above: The kitchen table was made for Ali by the carpenter at SB10 from scaffolding planks that had been used on the build
Johnnie, Katie, 16 and Harry, 13 – found it. According to
Ali, there had been little interest: “A lovely lady had lived
here for many years, so you could say that it was a little
dated.” Fortunately for Ali, other potential buyers failed
to look past the superficial trappings of the bungalow.
“I knew immediately when I viewed the house how I
was going to develop the property,” says Ali. “I needed
to create more living space, an additional bedroom and
a studio space for my daughter, Katie. Replacing all the
casement windows was central to my plan as these have
changed the style and character of the property totally.
My draughtsman couldn’t understand my need to remove
the plastic casement windows but I am glad I stuck to
my guns.” The windows, which have lovely low sills,
allow light to flood in and, on the exterior, have mock
shutters, which give the house an attractive colonial feel.
So, how long did the renovation take? “We bought it
in January 2016, the builders started in March and we
moved in the third week of August, though the house
wasn’t quite finished. There were a few bits left to do.”
That sounds like a pretty quick turnaround, considering
the extent of the building’s transformation. “It could have
been quicker, if we’d used a big company and thrown
lots of manpower at it,” says Ali, “but we wanted to use a
local firm, SB10, who had been recommended to us.”
Ali and the children house-sat for a little while during
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