Seeking a change of lifestyle, Jon and Angela Thompson traded in their house in the London suburbs for a dramatic renovation and extension project in rural Kent

WORDS & PHOTOS KATY DONALDSON

In the tiny Kent village of Grafty Green is what at first glance appears to be a modest bungalow. The front of the property is smart and immaculately presented, but gives no clue to the contemporary house that lies behind the walls. The couple that took on the challenge of transforming this once rundown dwelling into a stylish, light-filled home had no previous experience of major building projects – but that didn’t deter them.

Lifestyle change

Jon and Angela thompson spent 20 years living happily in suburbia, in Bromley to be precise. When their children had left home they started to think about a change of lifestyle – Angela had long wanted to keep alpacas. But the pair didn’t think they could fit the creatures into their suburban garden, and weren’t sure the neighbours would appreciate them suddenly adopting The Good Life either.

FACT FILE

NAMES Jon & Angela Thompson

OCCUPATIONS Financial advisor & teacher

LOCATION Kent

TYPE OF PROJECT Renovation & extension STYLE 1970s bungalow

PROJECT ROUTE Architect designed & project managed, with contractor hired for construction

CONSTRUCTION METHOD Steel & timber frame extension

PLOT SIZE Six acres

PROPERTY COST £550,000

BOUGHT 2014

HOUSE SIZE 195m²

PROJECT COST £242,500

PROJECT COST PER M2 £1,244

TOTAL COST £792,500

BUILDING WORK COMMENCED April 2016

BUILDING WORK TOOK Nine months

CURRENT VALUE £800,000

The couple eventually decided to sell their five-bedroom family home. They spent the better part of a year hunting for a smallholding within an hour’s radius of Bromley, as Angela still had to be fairly close to work. Jon works from home most of the time so this was less of an issue for him. The pair had a reasonable, but limited, budget for the improvement work they anticipated doing.