Surviving the highs and lows of extending

The budget went out the window when quantity surveyor Malcolm Peters trebled the size of his seaside bungalow – but he would do it all over again, he tells EMMA CULLINAN

Malcolm Peters and Anne Carrick live in an extended bungalow in north Co Dublin, with views to Lambay Island. The couple extended the house to accommodate Malcolm’s two teenagers who often come to stay. The extension has taken this from an 84sq m (900sq ft) to a 251sq m (2,700sq ft) home and the project was run by Malcolm, a quantity surveyor who is studying horticulture.

How did you go about designing the extension?

Malcolm: I had worked in the building trade for years as a quantity surveyor and restored old houses in my spare time but I liked the idea of living in a house that was modern and minimalist. And Anne, despite her love of a cottagey, Laura Ashley style, embraced that.

The glaring omission in the existing house was that it was turned sideways onto the Irish Sea, and so we missed out on the fabulous views. It also didn’t take account of the sun and wind in its orientation. So we made sure that the new living/diningroom and the bedroom above it embrace those views and the sun.

The structure is a modern version of the traditional post and beam exposed timber frame. We also used mainly natural materials: we have a zinc roof, along with stone and cedar cladding because we like the look of it. Different materials also break up the bulk of the façade.

Was it easy to get planning permission?

Malcolm: The architect Tanya Miller, from Kelliher Miller, initially had a more adventurous design but feedback from discussions with the planners was not very positive and, taking that into account, along with the sensitive nature of the site, a planning application was submitted which got approval within eight weeks.

Having worked in the building industry as a QS what was it like running your own project?

Malcolm: With your own house you tend to be a lot fussier and, if you like things done to a certain standard, it can give you a headache. I wanted to use local contractors whenever possible – because they would be close by, both during and after the build, but trying to hire people during the boom wasn’t great. It was a nightmare with the Celtic Tiger creating rip-roaring prices.

I did up a schedule of quantities for all phases of work and got quotes. The price of work was exorbitant and some people messed us around because they were working on too many other jobs. The coming and going was frustrating and there were lots of mini rows.

Did that make it expensive?

Malcolm: The budget went out of the window. Not only were we paying too much but some people were trying to short-cut on quality. I am a perfectionist and experienced in this work so I can see if people cut corners. The trouble is that if people sense an expert they are frightened away because they are used to doing bog standard jobs. But during the build people kept coming onto the site asking if the house was going to be for sale, so that was a boost.

Did you live in the house during the build?

Anne: I lived in the existing house for four months while the building work was going on and even supplied sandwiches and tea to the builders. There was no gable end to the house and I practically lived on the couch in the old sittingroom. It is a test of character, living like that, and it is traumatising to see the house being ripped apart but, when they lifted in the beams with cranes, it was an exciting thing to watch and now I love what we have.

How did you reconfigure the house?

Malcolm: In the new extension there is the kitchen and livingroom downstairs and a new skylit bedroom upstairs with views out to sea. In the existing house, rooms were allocated new roles and now there are two bedrooms (one of which used to be a kitchen), a TV room and bathroom with a new landing upstairs linking the old and new structures. There is underfloor heating in the extension and a central vacuuming system which is handy but the large hose often kinks which cuts off the air and stops it working.

You are studying horticulture at the moment, did that help with the garden?

Malcolm: Yes, I started it after the house was finished and have included some water features and a combination of structures, shrubs and trees to reduce the negative impact of the exposed site and salt air from the sea.

Would you do it again?

Malcolm: Yes and I would probably enjoy it more because things are getting back to normal and I would have more of a choice of people to work with. I really enjoy working with skilled craftsmen. I would use more eco-friendly elements and would like to build something with a turned oak frame and exposed timber. We would both make an even bigger master bedroom next time, with wider views.

Anne: I love building houses and am already getting itchy feet. I love to see things evolve and begin to get bored when they are up. I would like to do a barn conversion – taking elements from this build.

What do you like about the finished building?

Malcolm: Sometimes when people build big extensions they spend all their time in the extension and not in the other part. We were careful to make sure that this doesn’t feel like old and new. It is not disjointed and works brilliantly. We do use the whole house. It is great having a separate TV room (in a former bedroom), which leaves the extension for reading and music and being restful. If the TV is not in a room it becomes harder to watch.

Anne: The kids love these spaces and their friends think it is really cool. Sometimes you don’t appreciate it when you live here all the time but then someone will come in and say how fantastic it is. It is because of Malcolm’s hard work, determination, eye for detail and expertise that we have what we have.