The story so far...

Who? Charles and Caroline Humphries and their son.

What? A post-war ugly duckling of a house transformed into a modern-looking swan.

Where? Islington, north London.

How long? Two years to get planning, but only six months to build.

Budget? £170,000 for the facelift.

Low point? ‘Being refused planning. It feels like a personal attack, so it’s difficult not to get venomous and unpleasant.’

High point? ‘Winning our planning appeal. I know the days your children are born are meant to be best, but that was amazing!’

Going eco

• Older housing stock wasn’t built with the same environmental concerns in mind, so a facelift can be the perfect opportunity to bring your home’s eco credentials up to scratch. It’s worth bearing in mind that even if you’re no eco-warrior, the new Part L Building Regulations will require you to bring the building up to a certain level of efficiency.

• The most obvious step is to swathe your home in insulation. Add it in your roofspace and walls – if they’re single skin there may be an opportunity to insulate between the wall and a new render or any cladding you add to it. You may be able to fit a heat reclamation system to give you fresh air without heat loss, or a grey-water recycling to reuse your bathwater.

• More radical steps could involve micro-generation, perhaps solar panels or a ground source heat pump under your garden.

Finding suppliers

As an architect, Charles has plenty of experience hiring contractors and choosing suppliers, and he believes that you can’t be too thorough and careful when it comes to these choices. ‘Always get at least three references from previous jobs. Ring them and find out if they were satisfied with the work. You should also do a credit check on the company – available at a minimal cost at companieshouse.gov.uk.’

Charles also says that while the cheapest quotes aren’t always the best value for money, you shouldn’t give in if you think you’re being overcharged. ‘The first three quotes for the cladding were all around £45,000,’ he says. ‘I thought that was too high, so I kept persevering. The workman I finally engaged charged £18,000 and provided the most amazing service. It was like having a bespoke suit made.’