A mother-of-two transformed a 1970s house into a mini ‘stately home’ – adding £1.7m to its value.
Designer Claire Totman bought the three-bedroomed property with her mum in 2019 for £875k and spent £460k and eight months transforming it into an ‘elegant’ and ‘timeless’ home that has now been valued at £2.6m.
The 38-year-old, who runs her own design business, said she had a vision to recreate the outdated property, which is still there but looks entirely different.
Totman, director of Claire Totman designs, from Weybridge, Surrey, extended it at the side, back and roof to create four large bedrooms, and an additional drawing room.
She said: “The original house is still there. People think it is a new build. Our style is classic, traditional and a modern twist. It’s elegant and timeless.
“We don’t follow the trends, because a trend is a trend.”
Totman has had a lifelong interest in design and started her own business in summer 2016.
She had helped design three of her mother’s previous homes but had a big vision when they bought Sandacre house off-market in October 2019 for £875k.
She said: “The original house is 1972. It only had one owner. It’s on a large plot. I look at it and I have the vision in my head. I look at what needs to be achieved.”
She started renovations in February 2020 and kept the structure of the original house, extending the rear and side, replacing the windows and adding a porch, as well as replacing the roof structure to allow habitable space.
Iconic
Totman spent £460k on all the renovations in 2020, some of which she said she could do cheaper thanks to owning her own design business.
She said the project has become an “iconic” photo, attracting clients, who she says: “come to you because this is what they want”.
Her mum Liz, 71, also “loves” the house. she added, saying: “She loved it. There’s loads of space for us to come around.
“She’s one of the lucky baby boomers. She did well on property. She bought her first for £6k.”
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What home improvements actually add value?
If you’re looking to add value to your house, there are all sorts of things you can do. But according to Property Mark, there are some easy wins that can add value before you come to sell.
These include:-
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Redecorating
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Fixing superficial defects like peeling paint or dripping taps
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Paying attention to the front door
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Sprucing up the garden – especially the front
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Creating a driveway or parking area
Bigger projects that can add value, including things like loft conversions, adding a conservatory or converting a garage, it says, with figures showing that 22% of homes sold in 2019 had an extension added.
In contrast, while something like a swimming pool might sound attractive, they’re not a sought-after addition to homes in the UK, according to Property Mark, so you might not recoup your investment.
