Woman Turns Her Local Spar Into £500,000 Home

A woman transformed her local Spar into a £500,000 family home.

Elizabeth Williams, from Porthcawl, Wales, has always been fascinated by old buildings, and when she saw the 'derelict' shop, she knew she could turn it into something special.

And after spending seven months demolishing the store and rebuilding it from the ground up, the 55-year-old eventually achieved her dream, creating an amazing home.

Speaking to WalesOnline, Elizabeth, originally from Port Talbot, she said: "It was totally derelict, with no amenities, very dark and dingy, extremely wet but I couldn't wait to get started.

"Friends and family thought we were mad, and couldn't believe we were taking on another project involving a derelict building.

"Overall the residents in the local community were extremely pleased that the building was going to be restored from its derelict condition."

Elizabeth Williams

Ahead of work being able to start, Elizabeth had to contact the local council to get to get a change of use from commercial to residential, as well as discuss its design.

With the former Spar being attached to the property next door, it also had to be separated.

Thompsons Estate Agents, Porthcawl

"Due to the close proximity of the neighbouring property a party wall agreement had to be put in place too which ensured certain stipulations were met which served everybody's interests," Elizabeth said.

"However the main challenge then appeared in the form of COVID-19 and building had to stop.

"This delayed the project for a considerable amount of time as not only were our builders refrained from working there was also a dearth of building materials when they eventually resumed as the building suppliers had no stock."

Thompsons Estate Agents, Porthcawl

Eventually, work moved ahead.

Elizabeth said: "I wanted to create something with a coastal feel, being so close to Newton beach, so we discussed the matter with our architect Peter Lee and tasked him to design a property encompassing this. He came up with the boathouse design and that's how it evolved."

The result was a three-bedroom, each of which are en-suites, property with an open-plan kitchen and lounge, which wrap around the garden.

"I wanted an open-plan design with a contemporary feel. The kitchen is of linear design and I feel it is the perfect fusion of functionality and style," she says.

"The units are lacquered high gloss in light grey, with integrated handles J-Pull style, and marble effect work surfaces and I think its sleek design sits seamlessly within the room."

Thompsons Estate Agents, Porthcawl

Adding: "My favourite space is the open-plan kitchen overlooking the garden that oozes tranquillity, but maybe my favourite feature is the locality - being so close to the sea and situated in an area of so much history and character."

And if you fancy taking on a project like this, Elizabeth has some words of advice.

She says: "Speak to as many people as possible who have been involved in property developing, get as many quotes from builders as possible and have continuous dialogue with the builder you choose.

"Always make sure there is a contingency budget in place, use all available resources to obtain the most competitive prices of materials, have nerves of steel and be prepared for the unexpected!"

Topics: council, Home, Property, Wales

Dominic Smithers

Dominic graduated from the University of Leeds with a degree in French and History. Like you, Dom has often questioned how much use a second language has been. Well, after stints working at the Manchester Evening News, the Accrington Observer and the Macclesfield Express, along with never setting foot in France, he realised the answer is surprisingly little. But I guess, c'est la vie. Contact us at [email protected]

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