In August last year, our lives were turned upside down. A fire broke out in our loft after an unusual chain of events caused by a power surge. The house was over 250 years old, and the damage was devastating — only a couple of walls were left standing, and the entire property needed to be rebuilt from the ground up.

Taking on the project was incredibly challenging, not only because of the extent of the fire damage but because it was our family home. We began the rebuild on 15th January and, despite winter storms and harsh conditions, our team of three pushed through. Four months later, we completed the work. It was tough, relentless, and emotional at times, but we kept going — and we’re proud of what we achieved.

We brought in a specialist surveyor from Bedfords, Daniel, whose expertise in fire‑damaged buildings made him the perfect fit. He was meticulous from the start, handling the planning applications, building regulations, and producing a detailed scope of works — all of which gave us the confidence to take on the project.

Our first task was stripping the property back to its bones. We removed the damaged walls, burnt timbers, all internal plaster and render, along with the ceilings, floors, and windows. As you can see from the photos, very little remained. The only elements still standing were the beautiful fireplace and the original oak beams, which, beneath the mould, were thankfully still structurally sound.

Once everything was stripped out, we found ourselves working in the middle of winter storms. With high winds and almost no structural strength left in the building, there was real concern about stability — not just for our property but for our neighbours’ too. We had to brace the remaining walls to prevent any risk of collapse.

From there, we rebuilt the front wall, the gable end, and half of the back wall, preparing the structure for a completely new roof. Rebuilding the walls quickly was essential to restore strength and integrity to the property, and getting the roof on was the turning point that allowed the house to become stable once again.

The next stage was restoring the oak beams and cleaning and drying what remained of the original structure. We used As New Sandblasting services to sandblast the exposed beams and brickwork and remove the soot and reveal the timber beneath. After that, we brought in a specialist chemical‑cleaning company to treat the walls and remove any remaining residue, ensuring the building was safe, clean, and ready for reconstruction.

When you’re forced to start again with your own home, it becomes an opportunity to rethink everything. Our old kitchen was small and closed in, so we decided to remove a wall and open up the space, creating room for a proper dining area. To bring back some of the cottage charm we loved, we added slip bricks to one of the walls, adding warmth, texture, and a nod to the original character of the house.

For the flooring, we chose natural limestone — light, textured, and perfectly in keeping with the age of the property. We paired this with Farrow & Ball colours in muted, earthy tones to keep the palette soft and natural. Wherever possible, we used natural materials to stay sympathetic to the cottage’s heritage, including oak worktops in the kitchen, which added both warmth and authenticity.

Shamone, the family dog has found his favourite spot!

We also had to strengthen the stairs, which were the original staircase built over 250 years ago. They hadn’t been damaged by the fire itself, but they had been exposed to significant water damage, so reinforcing them was essential.

As part of improving the layout, we moved the bathroom upstairs to create a more practical and usable space. We also added a hallway to better separate the rooms. In the old layout, you had to walk through one room to reach another, so reconfiguring the space made far more sense and gave the house a much more functional flow.

Special thanks to everyone involved, from those who stood next to us when it happened, St Lawrence Church for providing us somewhere to wait & supplying us with drinks, Lisa from Vivo Pizza for the amazing sausage rolls! The guys from Chapters, who closed their doors and stood by us. Thank you to everyone in Bradfield Village who showed us so much kindness.

Credits:

Surveyor (Daniel) https://www.bedfordssurveyors.co.uk/

Builders https://www.tatumbuilder.com/

Roofer https://www.centurionroofingessex.co.uk/

Insurance Support https://www.crawco.co.uk/

Carpet Fitters https://www.figaroflooring.co.uk/

Kitchen https://mkm.com/category/kitchens

Carpets https://www.onlinecarpets.co.uk/

Floor tiles https://www.toppstiles.co.uk/

Slip bricks https://brickslips.co.uk/

Oak Floor https://www.flooringsupplies.co.uk/

Bathroom https://www.victorianplumbing.co.uk/