Going up

Squashed into a post-war bungalow with their two daughters, Andrew McFadyen and Claire Heffeman chose to extend and renovate to give their home - and their family - a new lease of life 

- Caroline Ednie

Claire Heffeman and Andrew McFadyen had lived in their attractive two-bedroom Portobello bungalow for over 15 years but as their children grew up, space was at a premium, to the point where the couple, both Chartered Building Surveyors, decided to take decisive action.

“Our two daughters were sharing a room and really needed their own space,” says Claire. “We also needed a spare room for visiting family; the sitting room doubled up as a spare room but this wasn’t feasible going forward. We also needed a larger office, as both Andy and I work from home.”

After a great deal of consideration the couple felt that moving house wasn’t an option. “We love this area with its proximity to the beach and local landmark Arthur’s Seat, the independent shops in Portobello, good schools and our great friends,” says Claire. “Every house we looked at needed about as much work as our own, so this pretty much informed our decision to stay put, extend and renovate.”

“There’s a simplicity to the flow of the house that makes it a very easy and satisfying home to live in”

TAKING IT FORWARD