Wow ! major refurb then !! Lovely location by the look of it !!!

A good idea might be to see what the local town planning people seem to like as apposed to what they don't - before you get your hopes set on one particular look ! As they will have a say too !

Thanks for the advice, we're not adjusting the original plans of he house merely looking at types of render, colour and any other cosmetic changes. The porch with the balcony needs demolishing which I forgot to say so we're trying to come up with ideas for that as well.

A while back, when Houzz was just one big international site - rather than a broken off UK bit - you'd get people from all over the world answering and putting different ideas out there ! Some CGI graphics peeps would come in with ideas too ! Was fab what they could do ! If I were you - I'd reset your UK settings to USA or Houzz.com and repost !

The photoshop image looks great but is a complete style change from 1930s to Georgian style. Not that this is a bad thing but Oneplan is right, the planners might have something to say about it so check first. I am all for having a go yourself with interior design but with something this big would probably contact one of the exterior transformation companies and get them to do a few aspect drawings for you since this design will look quite different with bays. I'm going to do something similar with our 1950s house, turning it into a New England style home.

LOVE your photoshopped version. Deffo check out with planners and get a plan drawn up with the bays. The colours look great. Have you thought about steps that go straight up to the front door and a central gate?

I think it's going to look great!

I agree with Patricia, the photo shopped version looks very impressive but in my humble opinion you've lost the identity of your house.... I would also change the general landscaping and retaining wall, but would maintain & modernise the 30's facade. Lovely house!

Hi Richard,
Lovely house and location, great idea to give your home a facelift, this is also a great opportunity to also make your home more comfortable and dry. Adding as much insulation externally as possible will, not only make your home more comfortable but also keep your fuel bills low and help reduce climate change. Add as much as you can - we often recommend 300mm of neopore EPS, as the extra insulation will not cost much extra now, but lots in the future as you then need to re render later. The local planners may look more favourable on your proposals if it is helping reduce its carbon footprint. You could go for a more modern look, possibly with some areas of timber cladding, or different colour to break up the facade.

good luck.

Alan

PS also try and make the house as draught free as possible this can account for upto 1/2 the heat losses in a new build, or renovated home!

Love them both. I would not go out of my way to change it unless I really had to. Spend your money on something else.

The photoshop idea looks fantastic but I can't help aggreeing with the others who feel you should not convert it into a Georgian hose.
I think the photoshop looks so much better with its paint job . The existing white walls with red tiles cheapens. What about painting the house a similar pale green and replace the tiles with dark grey or green.
I don't have photoshop but would love to try a few ideas.
Good luck which ever you choose

Amazing transformation! I'd go for it if the cost wasn't to great. Have you tried other things?

Thanks for all the feedback, the energy efficiency is quite poor as its just solid brick wall with no insulation so any transformation we would look at solving the heat retention with some exterior insulation with a render on top. It currently has central steps to the front door but they can't be seen from the picture.
I have attached a design I have done for the rear of the house and the current version.

hi richard
like many of the others above, I think the original house looks great (or rather has the potential to look great). Getting rid of the porch and adding a new contemporary entrance door and screen will help the look as will new timber windows in a more sympathetic style. Insulating and rendering externally will give a crisp look to the property as well as help the thermal perfomance. If you can afford it and dont have period fearures internally, its worth insulating internally as well. This allows you to easily upgrade wiring and lighting as well. as for the rear extension, maybe something a bit more contemporary would work better? We have extended many period homes over the years and have found a blend of traditional and contemporary works well.

Hi Richard this style of architecture is growing in popularity. You really should consider renovating what you have and, I suggest, adding a very modern extension on the back at ground floor. I think it looks great as it is. Those hung tiles in the bays are a typical feature of the period. Keep the style of windows but upgrade to double/triple glazed and consider painting with a colour other than brilliant white. Lastly when extending at the back you might consider matching the material of the new dormers with the material of the ground floor extension. Copper? I attach some images that might inspire. Good luck!

Hello Richard. I also like the ideas for the back of the house. I think what is making it look so modern is the doors, which you could maybe go for something a little more contemporary, or perhaps something that looks like wooden French doors but is actually a modern bi-fold - there must be something out there? Good luck on the transformation, I think it will add to the value of the house. Are you looking to go modern, contemporary or classic inside?

Hi pip

I agree about the doors on the back it was maybe my limitations on photoshop and finding another style to photoshop in, but will definitely look at our options. Inside were keeping original features like fireplaces and big details coving and skirting but going contemporary with a modern open plan kitchen and breakfast are which will be in the ground floor extension.

Rich

Your house has the potential to be beautiful if you just fix what you have. From the front, the biggest visual problem isn't the house, it's the retaining wall. Please do not sacrifice this lovely home for a totally modern make over. You can have the original front and still go modern at the back. It works really well. I lived in Australia for 17 years and over there it is commonplace to have the original period property frontage with a totally modern back to the house. You get the best of both worlds and retain something of beauty that would be such a shame to lose.

Gg, are you calling Australians common? ;)

I can see why you like the new facade, however like some other contributors have pointed out, you should take care not to mix up the periods. A Georgian facade would have a suitable roof, and the bays would correspond to a similar period porch etc. The new facade certainly has more of a presence but doesn't lend itself to bay windows, but would certainly add value, you would also need a more formal garden to go with it though.

Richard, what have you been up to with the house?

Hey

So the latest update is that we're still busy with the project but in the closing stages. We've done a lot of work inside more than originally planned we've gutted the house and replaced everything and changed the floor plan to modernise it and make more of an open plan space downstairs. We've done the rear extension which is now dedicated to kitchen with a central island running parallel with the doors . On the outside the house has had external insulation fitted and new render which makes it look new. I've attached some recent pics.

Richard

Looks awesome! What about the front?

Geepers you have been busy!

Front is still quite messy we would
of like to have done more especially with the new porch but we had to prioritise.

Still have to renovate the new front doors.

We've just finished the main extension and face lift of a thirties detached. About to tackle the interiors now. It looks quite similar, though on a less grand scale! We don't have that amazing setting. We tried to keep original features externally but prettify the horrible red brick at the back of the house. Will post pics when I get chance. It'll be great to see how your project unfolds. What style of kitchen did you go for?

This is the last shot I took of the rear extension. The bi-fold doors have been fitted and render finished now. Need a new photo of the front as we have the garage door now and scaffolding is down.

Hi All,

Truly lovely house, you've really done a great job to renovate and improve the house, and all with the future prospect of a loft conversion should you ever require additional living space.

We would have to agree with some earlier comments on the mix of contemporary and existing features! They can work incredibly well together, when done correctly!

Really glad to see such a successful project taking place!

well done! reminds me of this one I did in SW London, but you managed without an Architect!