Jaymeen and Neelam Patel's house in Beckenham, a three-storey Victorian semi-detached villa in London's southern outskirts, was an ideal family home for the best part of 12 years. Large reception rooms, five bedrooms and a beautiful mature rear garden were some of the draws that convinced the couple this would be their future as well as present home. But as the young family grew, it became increasingly apparent that the building had shortcomings too, precipitating a rethink about how to make it more comfortable in the long term.
“We like the house and the area,” says Jaymeen. “We have a nice garden, off-street parking and good train connections. But the kitchen was small, cold and draughty. And we needed more bathrooms; there were only two toilets
