A striking example of how a simple extension can have a huge impact on the entire feel of a house.

Owen has been living in his Mitcham property since 2014, and as the years progressed he became increasingly aware that he wanted to make more of the downstairs. After spending some time looking around at different ways of doing so, he came across Resi and decided to go ahead with an ambitious rear extension.

Previously, the downstairs layout consisted of three rooms: a living room at the front of the house, a dining room in the middle and then a separate 3m kitchen at the back, with a connecting hallway. The layout was functional but the rooms were dark - especially the dining room - and felt very separate.

So, what did we do? We knocked through to create one big, beautiful open-plan space. The living room remained at the front of the house, but beyond that we fitted a rolled steel joint on what was the original back of the house and extended out. Owen decided to make the extension a multifunctional space, with a kitchen, dining space and lounge. We used some of that space to build in a separate utility room for functionality where the dining room previously was.

Why did you go with Resi?

I went with Resi because I liked the controllability that you offer. It was systematic, and I liked that. I went into it having a fair idea of how much it was going to cost, a clear indication of how long it would take and the steps that would be involved, and the designer I worked with was great. I didn't want to over-egg the cake, I wanted someone that would listen to me and respond to what I wanted, and that's what I got. I wouldn't have got as good an output with just a builder, and I could have spent more on a traditional architect for something that was less like what I wanted.

How's life in your Resi home?

We've managed to create this wonderful space. The TV doesn't become default in the lounge as there's no TV there, we have the living room for that. Where the cooker is, I can be cooking and my partner is sat at the table, and we can chat about our days. When we have friends round, we can easily seat eight people at the table and four more on the sofa, or if my partner has friends over and I want to keep out of the way I can go into the living room, put the rugby on and give her the space. That's important.

It's changed a lot, it feels like a new house. We wouldn't look to buy another property in London now, we're so lucky to have such a lovely house now. It's made it a lot more permanent. The house has changed from a stepping stone home to a permanent home.

Advice for first-time renovators?

Don’t underestimate post first fix costs. The build is expensive but everything after that is also really chunky, so budget accordingly!

Photography by Matt Gamble.