Breathing New Life into a 1970s Home: A Strategic Renovation Story
Daniel and Sarah bought a 1970s house for its location — not its layout. The home had small windows with decaying window frame, cold bedrooms, and a series of awkwardly chopped-up spaces. The dining area was little more than a narrow lean-to added to the rear, feeling like an afterthought rather than part of the home.
Despite having a heat pump, every room had its own oil heater — a clear sign the house was struggling to stay warm.
The good news? There was still untapped potential. The backyard offered enough room to reimagine how the house could work for their growing family.
With a tight budget, the focus was on strategic upgrades that would deliver maximum impact. Rather than overhauling everything, key moves were made:
A new full-sized functional kitchen, dining, and living space replaced the old rear addition — seamlessly integrated with the existing house and opening out to their private, sun-drenched backyard.
The original building fabric was carefully upgraded, with high-performance uPVC windows replacing the decaying timber joinery — reducing air leakage and thermal bridging
Just the right amount of insulation was added to the existing structure — calculated through the Passive House Planning Package (PHPP) to strike a balance between performance and cost
A Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery (MVHR) system was introduced, retaining warmth while ensuring a constant flow of fresh, filtered air
Wherever possible, the character of the 1970s home was preserved, respecting its original feel while improving indoor comfort and efficiency
The result? A warm, functional, and healthy home — not through a complete transformation, but through thoughtful design backed by performance modelling, creating lasting value and year-round comfort.
