Sometimes buying a particular house is meant to be - the housing stars align to offer you an opportunity to be the driving force of a home's next life chapter, even if it comes as a bit of a surprise.
And so it was for a detached family home in Bedwas, looking for a renovation hero to create a home more suited to modern family living. But there was no need for the then owner to put it on the market because there were a pair of local brothers who were desperate to grab it before someone else did.
Sam Jones, 26, and his brother Josh, 30, were super keen to pick up the keys when they found out the house called Whitegates was on the market because it was a well-known local abode.
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Sam says: "We grew up in the village so we have walked and driven past the house our whole lives. Good friends of ours used to own a property opposite and when the previous owner of Whitegates started thinking of selling, they put us in touch."
This wasn't the brothers' first journey down the property development road and they could both see the potential that the house offered, including its enviable location nestled within the countryside in an elevated position above the village and enjoying mesmerising, sweeping views of the valley below.
Sam recalls the day they viewed the home in July 2020, saying: "Coming from an architectural background, my imagination ran wild and I could see exactly what I wanted to do with it the second I stepped foot inside. Whitegates had some structural issues so it was more suited for a developer to purchase.
"The house was the epitome of a 1960s self-build; there was nothing like it on the road. It sits on a beautifully sized plot and the garden was brilliant and although it hadn't been maintained in recent years, we could tell that it was well-loved for its whole life.
"Inside, not much had changed from the '60s but what was wonderful about it was that the previous owner was a well-known artist in the village. We found his paintings on the walls of views from Whitegates over the village. You could feel that he adored Whitegates."
The Bedwas boys couldn't wait to revive the property and also roped in their plumbing and heating engineer dad Richard, making it a truly family affair. The brothers were clear that they wanted to create a spacious family home with the emphasis on open-plan spaces and oodles of light sources on the ground floor, and a bedroom sanctuary for busy parents on the first floor.
Sam says: "When looking at our options for what to do with Whitegates and what the person who buys the property from us will want, we decided to opt for high quality and function over anything else.
"We could have altered the layout and had a fourth bedroom, but that would have meant the master bedroom would have no ensuite or dressing room. We could have had a separate kitchen and dining room, but modern living is more suited to open-plan.
"Although we loved the '60s we felt that some elements were too far gone, so we knew it needed a complete overhaul. We also wanted to make use of the stunning views so decided we needed to open up the rear elevation with lots of glass to look out over the town."
What the brothers didn't completely appreciate as they started designing the layout of the ground floor was the scope of the incredible panoramic view that the house thoroughly enjoys. This includes an unobstructed view of Caerphilly Castle, so the new floorplan of the house was designed with this strong selling point in mind.
As with most renovation projects of an older property, the Bedwas brothers came up against a number of headaches and challenges. Sam says: "We ran into lots of issues along the way which caused both time delays and extra costs but we were adamant on making the property spectacular and making the most of what it had to offer.
"Mountain Road is a single-file lane outside of Whitegates so one of our biggest struggles was getting materials delivered and parking arrangements for our construction team. All of the residents on Mountain Road have been brilliant and understanding throughout the whole process."
Most building projects were impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic and the Jones' project was no exception, with a massive rise in the cost of building materials, a shortage of available labour, and endless delays in delivery, all costing them time and money.
Sam says: "We knew regardless we would overcome the challenges because we were so invested in the project, we loved Whitegates. We pushed through with the vision of what it was going to be in the front of our minds. That's how we got through it."
The favourite room in the completed house for Sam is the generous and light-flooded kitchen dining and living open-plan space, and it's an area where the family wanted to leave their mark, indulging in a higher level of features and standards.
Sam says: "We made sure to have the best quality, everything from appliances to worktops. We even incorporated oak slats to the back of the island to tie into the oak chevron flooring in the lounge.
"And then there are these enormous sliding doors that open up onto the garden. When they are fully open in the sun, the floor is level with the patio so you get this ‘inside outside’ feel that is just seamless."
Sam seems smitten with Whitegates and will find it hard maybe to let it go to someone else, having spent so much time at the property, adding so much thought to the personal yet popular additions to the overall interior design and finishing touches.
He says: "My favourite design feature is the staircase. We had our joiner construct a bespoke open tread, oak staircase to replace the existing one. We installed a three metre long window to flood it with light and used vertical powder-coated aluminium bars that follow the stair treads. It's just stunning."
Now the whole family can take a step back and a sigh of relief that the house is finished and looking very fancy, but not before Sam imparts some valuable advice from the family's years of renovating dated properties to anyone contemplating doing the same.
He says: "My advice to others looking to get into property renovation would be firstly to surround yourself with other people doing similar things. Building relationships with the right people will make every bit of difference. That's from tradesmen to estate agents and other property renovators. Secondly, I would say, like any business, your finished product is your reputation."
Whitegates now offers a new owner off-road parking, with a view from the drive that will surely impress the cars, and a triangular garden that includes a sunny, wraparound elevated terrace that hugs the house and is the perfect spot for a relaxing drink whilst drinking in the views.
The ground floor is dominated by an impressive kitchen, dining and living space that runs the whole width of the house, as well as a bonus, separate family room and a shower room.
Upstairs the principal suite is a triumph, also occupying the whole width of the rear of the house, and boasting an ensuite and walk-in wardrobe dressing room as the brothers had envisaged. Also on this upper floor are two further double bedrooms plus a substantial family bathroom.
Sam says: "Now it's done, it's a massive relief. Getting to this stage has taken a lot of time and effort. We are so excited to let someone else now experience the beautiful place it has turned out to be. I look at Whitegates now and can honestly say it turned out exactly how we envisioned it to be.
"Along the way, we have learned so much. It has taught us that our perseverance will always pay off, but mostly it has taught us how strong the community that surrounds Whitegates is."
Whitegates is for sale for offers in excess of £450,000 with estate agent Jeffrey Ross, call the Llanishen branch on 029 2049 9680 to find out more.
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