Floorplans for a 4-Bedroom Semi-Detached House Opened Up with a Timber-Clad Extension

For their next move, Bhavesh and Bijal Ravalia had their hearts set on Wanstead, with its leafy suburban streets, village feel and family-friendly vibe. However, their budget didn’t stretch to a ready-to-move-into property, so they played the waiting game, eventually purchasing a 1930s semi-detached doer-upper in the sought-after area.

“It was an absolute tip and needed gutting – rewiring, new plumbing, reconfiguring, you name it,” says Bhavesh. “The house was a higgledy-piggledy mix of rooms with different ceiling heights and the layout was completely disjointed.” In order to get the space and balance they required, the couple decided on a wraparound extension to maximise the corner plot, plus a first-floor side addition and loft conversion. The plan was to create a large 9m x 6m rear extension, zoned into a lounge, dining area and kitchen for their busy growing family, as well as a first-floor addition.

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It took seven months to get planning permission, after being rejected for the scale of the first-floor extension, which the council thought would appear intrusive given its corner position. As a result, they scaled back their plans, reducing the size of the first-floor extension, along with the size of the loft conversion, which hosts a double bedroom/office, ensuite and plant room.

Contractor Alan Berry was selected to do the works, kicking off with the brick and block wraparound extension. The kitchen runs along the right-hand side, with a 3m kitchen island to match the size of the dining area, while the family’s chill-out zone sits opposite. Discreet storage houses Bhavesh’s collection of vinyl.

A trio of rooflights sit over the three zones of the extension, while the Crittall-inspired patio doors were designed to line up with the kitchen and living spaces, flooding the room with natural light. Click the link in our bio to find out more about this incredible transformation.