Mowbray Road
Bold Extensions for Bright, Spacious Flats
The background
Creating roomy flats with bold extensions
Our client brought us a great property on Mowbray Road—a five-room, end-of-terrace home in Cambridge with tons of potential. The goal? Add large rear extensions to convert it into two spacious flats, one per floor. We were excited to jump in, but we knew from the start that bold plans like this would need a bit of negotiation and flexibility, especially with the local council.
Project Details
Location: Cambridge
Value: £85,000 → £260,000
Rental: £350 pcm → £2,500 pcm
Timeline: 5-6 months
The Numbers
Home Buyer Report: £400
Refurbishment Costs: £85,000
Architect: £10,000
Furniture: £5,000
Annual Rental Income: £30,000 pa
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The brief
Designing two flats with a focus on space and comfort
We proposed a generous double-storey extension at the rear to turn this property into comfortable, light-filled flats. This extension was key to meeting space standards and making each flat feel like a proper home, with enough room for tenants to spread out. We worked closely with the client to develop a layout that balanced practical design with plenty of natural light.
The challenges
Dealing with neighbour concerns and fine-tuning the design
One of the biggest challenges was handling the strong opposition from a neighbour, who voiced concerns about the extension to the council. Instead of seeing this as a setback, we used it as a chance to perfect the design. We made several thoughtful adjustments to keep the clients and neighbouring property owners happy, tweaking the scheme each time to address their concerns. With every retouch, the design got sharper and smarter, and in the end, we produced a layout that met all the space standards and won council approval.
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Project Timeline
Apr 2018
Found Property
Sept 2018
Exchanged
Apr 2019
Refurb Starts
Sept 2019
Refurb Complete
Oct 2019
Tenants Move in
Project Scope
→ Design Appraisal
→ Existing Drawings
→ Concept Drawings
→ Full Planning Permission Application
→ Building Regulation Drawings & Application
→ Construction Project Management
→ Interior Design
→ Furniture Selection
→ HMO Licencing
→ 3D Virtual Tour
Related Project
Parish Mews
Location: Cardiff
Value: £85,000 → £260,000
Rental: £350 pcm → £2,500 pcm
Timeline: 5-6 months