The driving focus of surely every property developer is to secure a home with potential, in a good location, or one that is on the way up, in order to update, renovate and remodel it and get it back on the market as soon as possible.
And this practice, known as 'property flipping' can be applied to all types of properties, from tired terraces in tightly-packed streets to huge mansions hiding somewhere remote. You need budget, patience, a good team to work on the project, probably planning and building control consent and sign off, and to learn from each experience to take to the next 'flip'.
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What isn't in the plan is to fall head over heels in love with your project to the point where you then decide to call it your home; in that rare situation you've actually flipped the property to yourself.
Cardiff-born chartered surveyor and property developer Andy Martin and his business partners, like property bloodhounds on the scent for their next renovation prey, had already identified two houses on Cardiff's Cathedral Road that were looking a bit down on their luck and ripe for a contemporary renovation.
The location was perfect for a posh property flip - in the heart of the trendy and thriving suburb of Pontcanna with its independent shops and eateries and doorstep access to parks and the city centre. The condition of the two houses, former hotels and bedsits was good too - they were rundown enough to add value by renovating but not in a derelict state to drain the project budget.
Andy says: "They had been vacant for ten years and had gone through various uses and ultimately, after a protracted legal battle between the family and the bank, were put up for sale, by which time they were in a pretty sorry state.
"We took them on and started refurbishment both with the view of effectively creating Chelsea-style townhouses in Cardiff, to work with a good architect to get the contrast between the original houses and the extensions, that we gained planning for, exactly right."
What wasn't in the plan was the neighbour turning up on site and asking if they wanted to buy his house too. So a third property came to the project and the building team got to work renovating the last of this trio of terraces.
And what definitely wasn't in the plan either was that the third house would capture Andy and wife Joanna's hearts, with its beautiful original features and welcoming, uplifting atmosphere tempting them to make it their home and not a house to flip for someone else to then enjoy.
And so the team set to work with the objective of bringing posh Chelsea townhouse design and luxury living to Cathedral Road. As the project progressed it became obvious the couple couldn't bear to leave it, especially once they saw how the new rear extension was going to change the way they live, as well as look very impressive.
Andy says: "We love living here. The contemporary extension wouldn't be everyone's cup of tea as it's effectively a steel frame on a very solid foundation with a lot of glass to project a lot of light into a very modern area."
An expensive suburb in London can be very limiting in what can be done to a period townhouse in a posh postcode as space is tight and every square metre worth an eye-watering sum. Pontcanna offered Andy and his team the chance to have more freedom.
He says: "If you look at the traditional townhouse in Chelsea or Kensington, our extensions are much bigger in width and depth but still have a decent garden that includes a BBQ area and hot tub and still has the benefit of a double garage at the rear for parking."
The double-height rear extension of the couple's home is the showcase aspect of the renovation project, although they have also spent time and money restoring all the original features that remained in the house, including the stunning marble fireplace in the front room, the staircase, dado and picture rails, skirtings and cornicing.
Andy says: "We were quite lucky because although it was in quite a dilapidated state amazingly a lot of the original 19th century decor such as the stairs, newel post and architraves, dado rails and so on were pretty much intact - they needed some TLC to restore them but they were effectively still there, but the floors and walls generally were pretty sad to say the least."
While the build was underway the couple had about seven months to tackle the challenge of fusing the old with the new through thoughtful interior design.
Andy says: "We wanted the house we fell in love with to be welcoming and warm and to soften the modern part of the house to ensure it wasn't too stark and it felt like a home.
"My wife did all the interiors and sourced everything during the building period. Even though she'd never done anything like that before she took it on and really enjoyed it. I think what she has created is absolutely fantastic. We've had so many people who come to the house and I don't think we've had one negative comment, it's always been, 'wow this is so lovely!'"
The thought behind the new extension and how the house has been finessed with its choice of materials and interiors comes from the couple's desire for successful connections - between the old and the new and between the indoors and the outdoors.
Andy explains: "Because you've got bi-fold doors at the rear you want to almost make the garden an extension of the house and the house an extension of the garden, so that principal was always there in our minds.
"And then it became about how we fine-tuned it to soften it, because the danger with modern architecture is that it can become cold and sterile - we didn't want to do that."
The rear extension is home to the kitchen, placed centrally to be the hub of the space, dining area next to the bi-fold garden doors and a lounge area at the rear of the room. It was designed to be a substantial space where all the family and friends can gather and spend time together.
The design of the structure and space was all about being together within the dedicated zones of the functions of cooking, eating and lounge.
The interior design came as the finishing touches to ensure the space felt welcoming, with the use of tactile soft fabrics, classic design statement pieces of furniture, artwork and photos, and exposing natural materials such as brick to soften the metal structure of steel beams above.
Andy says: "We wanted to soften it and make sure it has a homely feel in the back of the house as well as being an open-plan family living area. It's where we can cook and sit and have a drink and watch a film while you're cooking and so on, and we predominantly live in that part of the house."
It's not a surprise to discover that the vast extension hiding at the back of the house is Andy's favourite area in the home, but there are other rooms that regularly tempt him out of this space, despite the focus of the living centred at the back of the house.
He says: "We use the front room, which has got a lovely wood burning stove, mainly in the winter and you can close the doors and very quickly it becomes warm."
Andy is also very pleased by how the master bedroom suite has turned out, and not just because of the way Joanna's interior design has created a haven of tones of neutral colours and layers of natural and tactile fabrics that cocoon the space.
He says: "We deliberately decided to put that main bedroom above that rear living area extension because we thought it would be quiet, but being so close to the city centre and on a main road, it's amazingly quiet, it's remarkable really."
The house spans four storeys and all have been lavished with the same thoughtful design and tasteful and timeless, elegant and exquisite interiors to ensure seamless flow, as well as a relationship between the old and new sections of the house.
Andy says: "We love the contrast between the old and the new, everyone has different tastes but even in the original parts of the house we've tried to balance it, so that you pick out certain things.
"For example the beautiful marble fireplace over 100 years old, that becomes the focal point of that room so don't put too much in there to make it cluttered or take people's eyes off things, just focus on quality touches."
The ground floor begins with the winter sitting room at the front, past the period staircase and a bathroom and utility room and then into the huge and breath-taking kitchen diner family room at the rear.
The first floor is home to three large bedrooms including the master, and two can boast a luxury ensuite. The second floor houses two more bedrooms and one ensuite, so plenty of room for all the family and a few friends to stay over too.
But there is one more level to find and it hides at the bottom of a staircase under the stairs and is surely a secret space that Andy loves more than he's letting on.
He says: "With the cinema room in the basement we got lucky because it was done by a friend, we went off to Australia to see family, gave him the ideas, and he's a master craftsman and he went in and did that while we were away.
"When we came home it was lockdown so we had our boys at home working yet every person was still able to have their own space, so we weren't strangling each other, and that room works brilliantly as part of that!
"I'm a big sports fan, enjoy having some mates around with some beers and a bottle of red wine and keeping out of the wife's way while we watch the match!"
Now the family have left home and Andy is semi-retired the couple have decided the time is probably right to move on to their next home.
But like any developer with an unending passion for property and hankering for the next challenge it will probably be a house that offers the couple a chance to take their remodelling magic and stylish sparkle to another project.
Andy says: "I've worked in the property industry for over 30 years and my attitude is if you create something, however hard you work at it and however much you love it, property is going to be here long after you, you're only ever the custodian.
"So the best thing you can do is create something that when you pass it on to the next person they enjoy it as much as you, and possibly even develops it further if that's appropriate.
"You can't get too attached to it, you just have to enjoy the moment, however long that might be, and then you move on and see what the next opportunity is - you can take the memories with you."
And with that said Andy can be seen wandering down into the basement TV room, with a drink in hand, as the match is about to kick-off.
Andy and Joanna's special dream home is on the market for offers in excess of £1.35m with estate agent Jeffrey Ross, call the Pontcanna branch on 029 2049 9680 to find out more. And don't miss the best dream homes in Wales, auction properties, renovation stories, and interiors - join the Amazing Welsh Homes newsletter, sent to your inbox twice a week.
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