Claire Champion, 49, and her husband John, 58, have transformed a £200,000 former bungalow in Chester into their dream home, complete with three bedrooms and a mid-century aesthetic, and they now live without a mortgage.
A decade-long project with a clear vision
When Claire first met John over 10 years ago, she was living in a flat just outside Chester that she had bought a couple of years prior. John, a Chester-born former aerospace and defence worker, had purchased the two-bedroom dormer bungalow in Christleton 15 years ago for £200,000 after selling his previous property, buying it outright. The couple, married for eight years, decided to move in together and chose to stay in the village of Christleton, which Claire describes as “a lovely mix of traditional village life, with a village green, a duck pond, and beautiful period properties, as well as two lovely pubs,” located just two miles outside Chester.
Claire, who moved to Chester from Reading 12 years ago after building a career in digital banking, still rents out her flat in Reading. She says, “We’re in the very fortunate position of not having a mortgage, but our monthly household bills are approximately £600, including council tax. I still have a mortgage on my flat in Reading, which I’m working to pay off where I can. I’m hoping to have it cleared within the next 10 years.”
Renovation and structural changes
The property, built in the 1950s or 60s, had “no obvious features to build on at first glance,” but Claire and John saw its potential. The first phase of work involved converting the attached garage into two additional living spaces and creating a large archway from the living room to link them back into the house. They also blocked up one of two doors leading from the hallway into the kitchen/diner to improve the flow. The most significant work was upstairs, where they removed the existing rear roof structure and added large dormer extensions across the back of the property. This allowed them to enlarge both original bedrooms and create a third bedroom.
Claire and John took on some DIY projects themselves, including renovating the kitchen and fitting the stair runner, which saved them money. Claire handles painting, upcycling, and wallpapering, saying, “woe betide anyone who tries to get between me and my paintbrush.”
Living with the results and future plans
While the couple feels they have enough square footage, they note that “both bathrooms could really do with being larger” and that they need more storage. They are now considering a similar extension at the front of the property to mirror the rear work, which could provide more accessible loft space, an additional bedroom, a utility room, and possibly a larger bathroom. Nothing has been decided yet, but it’s an idea for the future.
Claire says the house has “truly turned me into a homebody” and is the place where she feels “most comfortable” and “most creative.” She adds, “Being able to pour time and energy into a home that both inspires me and gives me a real sense of peace feels incredibly special, and it’s something I never take for granted.”
