The next big life project - renovation property choice time!

Why do you need one? A common question to be asked, to which I answer - 'because we love our work enough to be consumed by it, but it is healthy to have a balance, and thus it is time for us to create that again.' We are both motivated by a creative project, and so in pursuit of the next team Piper project we have also fallen in love with a building and will be sharing the journey for our family, friends and fellow renovation geeks.

Having renovated two properties in our time of home ownership, we have always hankered for the character of a property from a past era. We have always taken lots of photos of specific bits of buildings that we are inspired by both in our own town and when travelling the world. But would we actually do it ourselves? Would we take the plunge, leave the house we have spent years developing, building, decorating and move into a building site once again? For the right property... maybe.

‘Let’s go for a dog walk’ she said. ‘It won’t be a long one’ she said. But she had seen a property that was too good an opportunity not to see in real life… was it real? Well, the dog walk was technically billed as a ‘test’ as we tried out the journey on foot to our Son’s secondary school, but on suggestion we continued past the school and onto the intriguing property, which actually turns out to be closer to the school which he will be travelling to for the next 5 years. First test… tick.

We walked down the short road, not enamoured with the setting, and started to sign it off as a ‘no go’. Arriving at the house, there was however a rising flutter in my stomach, a feeling I am all too familiar with… one that was going to cause havoc in our lives! The excitement of opportunity, of challenge, of change.

Our first property encounter (renovation property choice)

Having not actually booked a viewing we knew it was vacant from the advert, so we had a good look round the front of the property, dilapidated single garage with pitched roof, overgrown frontage, two classic yew trees that had decided the space was theirs to fill. With double entry and a sweeping driveway, the practical one of us started to assess the access, power lines, and services to the house.

I, meanwhile, stood spellbound by the front door. I could fill a large photo album with the number of pictures I have of doors, it’s a thing for me. I love the notification of arrival, the grander of welcome, the indication of what is inside, it is a houses way of setting out it’s stall and letting everyone know that this is a place that has it’s own story. And so, this place has it’s own story, one we felt compelled to find a little more about.

We peered into the windows and I chivvied down the side as the gate was open. What I saw was too exciting for words, imagining the sheer amount of work and what could be achieved – is this the project we dreamed of? The garden was a jungle, with spots of beauty breaking through the carpet of green, shoots of white, striped purple, yellow as the crocuses welcomed me into the space along with a plea for love and attention.

The back of the house quietly boasted the space that was within, with two large bay windows and original glazing, all of which was sad and desperate for care, but it still somehow stood proud of what it had been in times gone by. The window frames original wood, soft to touch in areas, leading still holding each precious pane of glass in place. Peering in I could see space, character and class. I could see us living there. And it was done… I knew we had to come back.

Falling in love (property choice)

See the property as we met it: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CuoDAQCok9v/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Walking away from the property, I launched the Right Move app on my phone and prepared an email to the agent. With the boys still a little unsure of moving to a road from a private cul-de-sac, but loving the house and land, we were left with lots of questions about the scale of the project, so I booked the viewing and tried to forget it for a week. The week passed and we arrived, 21 Jan 2023, a crisp and sunny Saturday morning, to let the house show us what was inside. As we stepped through the beautiful door, I was in love. The grand original wooden staircase, the bay window in the lounge, the 7 fireplaces, the wide original doors, the oversize door moulding, the range of quirky windows and brick details including up to the chimney design, and so many unique details to capture and take in.

Hearing the story of the property from the agent (who lived next door and knew the family well) we were inspired by Charlie’s character and confidence to live in the house the way he wanted to, retaining so many of the original features. Towards the end of his life he chose a few rooms to make home, and although now empty, they had such a warmth to them. Described as eccentric, I had a strong sense that Charlie would love what we could do with this home and the parties and love that would exist inside.

We toured every room, checking for the obvious structural signs of concern, and despite there being no working water system, quirky wiring, exposed flooring, holes in the roof and floors, dilapidated boundary fences to name just a few quirks on top of the predictable decay from years of limited use, we saw what it could be. Andy and I were sold… we choose you house. We choose chaos! Now we seem to have made a choice about which property we hope to be able to renovate, please feel free to subscribe (click on the button at the top) to PCC to keep track as our chaos unfolds!

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