Fiona and Jonathan Jones admit to an element of desperation in 2006 when they bought a neglected Sixties detached house on a large plot along a popular country lane in Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire. But turning an “ugly duckling” into a beautiful home turned out to be a shrewd investment.
The couple had been renting for years and saving up to buy their first home. With baby number three on the way, it was time to buy.
At £515,000, the house wasn’t exactly a bargain even then, but they could see its potential. “Whoever designed it originally was into open-plan architecture; apart from the chimney in the middle, all the walls were non-structural so the house had incredible flexibility,” says Jonathan.
They talked to an architect and eventually submitted plans to the council for a large gable roof extension clad in cedar to reflect the wooded surroundings. “Getting permission took two years, which was staggering, but it was complicated because the Chilterns is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty,” Jonathan adds.
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