Coastal Dream

Simon Francis has transformed a 1960s house on the Cornish coast, finally realising his longheld ambition to renovate a home by the sea

- Rebecca Foster

HOMEOWNERS Simon and Suzie Francis

PROJECT Contemporary renovation and remodel of 1960s house

LOCATION Coverack, Cornwall

BUILD TIME Eight months (Nov 2019 – Jul 2020)

BUILD ROUTE Main contractor

SIZE 100m2

PLOT/HOUSE COST £375,000

BUILD COST £352,106

VALUE £1.1million

WORDS Rebecca Foster

PHOTOGRAPHY Mark Anthony Fox and Ben Knight

Simon Francis had dreamt of tackling a wow-factor renovation scheme for years. However, it wasn’t until 2018 that circumstances allowed him to get stuck into a major build. Simon, a self-confessed Rightmove addict, spotted a property online that immediately piqued his interest. Perched on Cornwall’s southern coastline, the 1960s flat-roof, two-story property was ripe for an update. “It was one of the only properties I’d ever seen overlooking the sea that wasn’t a traditional Cornish cottage,” he says. His plan was to refurbish the property to a high standard so it could be let out as a holiday rental, with a view to making it his own home when he retires.

“For me, being able to look out across the water is the key to a contented life,” he says. “The house had the potential to be a fantastic property. It looked directly onto the sea, it had big picture windows and some private outdoor space. I wanted to build on that to maximise its potential.”

CRAFTING A PLAN