Buying a new home which was too small was a risk that the Leggett family were willing to take.

TEXT NIK HUNTER IMAGES ROBERT PERRY

Robert and Isla Leggett had been living in Edinburgh’s Leith for 15 years but after the arrival of their baby girl, Arabella, they decided it was time for a change and a move, but to where? 

“We didn’t have a location in mind,” Isla recalls. “We thought about building our own house and even went to a couple of the home building and renovating shows,” Robert adds. “However, as we were self-employed, we knew that the banks wouldn’t lend to us.”

Their next step was to offer on a house in East Lothian which they bought but the sale fell through within two weeks of the moving date. “Luckily, we found this cottage, viewed it and bought it right away,” says Isla.

Originally part of the Balbirnie Estate in Fife, the cottage was a former gate house and was a few minutes’ walk away from the town of Markinch. “We bought it because of the garden and the outdoor space,” Isla remembers. “It’s so close to the town, it’s on the main train line, walking distance to schools and shops but none of that is visible, the view out the windows and from the garden is incredibly rural.”

As Isla grew up on a small holding, she was aware of the ups and downs of rural living. “Once you have kids yourself you wonder what your parents were thinking! I love the idea of being embedded in nature, but you need logistics and practicalities and here we have the best of both worlds.”

While the location was spot on, size was an issue as Robert explains: “We knew right away it was too small. And that was with one child and one dog! Quite quickly we added another dog, and the intention was always to extend but we didn’t know if it was possible as the building is C Listed.” As the location ticked all the boxes, the couple decided to take a risk and see if they could make the cottage work for them. Fortunately, they found an architect who could help them do just that, Fermín Beltrán Dos Santos at Fife Architects. 

The original cottage layout was stereotypical with the front door entering into the living space, a bedroom on either side, a small shower room and a galley kitchen to the rear, definitely not big enough for an expanding family. So, within two weeks of moving in, the couple arranged a meeting with Fermín.

“When we visited his office, it was everything we wanted from an architect’s office,” Isla remembers. “It had a really cool vibe and there were lots of amazing designs on the walls but in every shape and size. We didn’t feel like we weren’t meant to be there; it felt right.”

Isla and Robert had a wish list of living requirements for Fermín which included a third bedroom, more living space in whatever combination it could be achieved and direct access to the garden. In the kitchen there was a door which accessed an external deck with a set of stairs leading to the cottage cellars and this was what Isla and Robert thought they could utilise but weren’t quite sure how.

Happy to internalise the cellars, initially Isla and Robert thought everything would be incorporated onto this lower level, but Fermín had other ideas. “Given the slope of the garden this lower level was the sensible, extendable footprint, however, right at the first meeting, Fermín suggested putting the third bedroom on the ground floor which we hadn’t expected,” says Isla.

Planning and the tender process took some time but by March 2020 everything was in place except that now the country was in the middle of a pandemic. This impacted massively on timescale and costs. “I was relieved we hadn’t started but it delayed things significantly,” says Robert. Eventually the project started in March 2022 and was completed in March 2023 but during that time material costs increased considerably.

Isla explains: “We went through a re-tender process, and it was quite frightening how much prices and demand had altered over the two years.” There were other things that impacted on the budget such as the entire house needing to be underpinned. “Apparently our house was built on ‘love and hope’ said our contractor,” Isla remembers. “It had been built well; it wasn’t going anywhere, but to extend we had to underpin it and that immediately took care of our contingency fund. However, we did discover lovely corner stones which we have retained.”

Fortunately, the contractors, Total Reinstatement Services, who had been recommended by the Leggett’s quantity surveyor were worth their weight in gold as Isla recalls: “Their craftmanship was exceptional but also their ability to understand what we were trying to achieve.” They also took on board that the family were living in the project. “We didn’t have the luxury of moving out, but they were mindful that the kids and the dogs were here too. I also think they found it useful me being on site – at least I hope they did!”

While the build did go over the original budget, it was for the right reasons as Isla explains: “We made choices throughout the build; there were certain things we said we’d prefer x instead of y and that increased costs. Life changed in that time too, we had another daughter, Corran, and when we first met Fermín, we had only been living in the cottage for two weeks. When we started again after Covid we had a better understanding of what we wanted and could achieve.”

As the couple had never renovated a property before – Isla works as a PA and Robert as a dental technician – the process was an interesting one for them. “The old house upstairs got smaller and smaller throughout the build as it became more and more closed in,” says Isla. “It was an odd way to live with the windows boarded up, like living in a cave. When the contractors finally knocked through it was such an amazing feeling, all that space and daylight flooding in.”

While the layout had been decided promptly, what to put in the space took a little longer. The cottage’s galley kitchen and decking became the principal bedroom and ensuite, but it took Isla a while to get her head around this idea. “I was convinced that the ensuite wasn’t big enough for a shower and a bath but it was and is.”

Along with its deceptively spacious ensuite, the principal bedroom also benefits from a wonderful view of nature. “The slim line windows are a brilliant addition to the bedroom and frame the view of the green roof with its extraordinary wildflowers,” says Isla. “I love the green roof,” Robert continues. “It came out as a cost initially as we didn’t think we could afford it, but we managed to factor it back in and it really gives us a connection with the garden.”

The kitchen design also took a while to come to fruition: “Kitchen showrooms – good gracious, I don’t ever want to visit one again!” Isla exclaims. “It was a horrible experience until we discovered MGM Timber which we had visited to look at flooring – we didn’t know they sold kitchens.” Fortunately for Isla, at MGM there was no hard sell, and a quote was promptly arranged. “They were brilliant, and super helpful, but then everything was delayed because of Covid.”

When the couple started the project again, they still had to finalise their bathroom and kitchen choices. Fortunately, MGM still had their original design on file and with the contractors onsite the Leggetts were finally in a position to move forward. The dark midnight blue kitchen complements the open plan kitchen/dining/living space perfectly and with the major appliances hidden in the cellars, the kitchen furniture remains sleek and streamlined and doesn’t overshadow the living space.

A new utility/boot room also keeps the clutter to a minimum and was supposed to be the dogs’ bedroom as well. “It’s a great addition and ideal for towelling down the dogs after a walk,” says Robert. “But unsurprisingly, the dogs never sleep there when there’s a sofa to be had.”

What has been achieved is impressive especially as in real terms there’s very little change to the actual footprint of the building. “We’ve gained a view,” says Isla. “Previously, you had to stand at a window in the cottage to appreciate the view now we’re in the view. However, we haven’t really impacted on the garden as the extension is almost the original footprint of the decking. And, even when you walk past the front of the house you don’t really see the extension – it doesn’t overshadow the original house.”

Robert continues: “I think because we were keeping the old building, we wanted the new part to tie in with it and most importantly not to distract from what was outside. Right from the start of the design process it was all about keeping it as close to nature as we could. One of the things that was so impressive about Fermín and the builders was that Fermín had a very solid idea of how it would look.” 

To ensure the new extension complemented the woodland around it and blended into its rural habitat, Fermín thoroughly researched how the project would appear from every angle, spending time in the woodland and fields across from the original cottage and he decided the choice of cladding and its application was a key element.

“You can see the cladding is erected in different elevations which we didn’t realise until it started to go up,” Robert explains. “It was a lot of work for the builders. They took all the cladding and spread it out in the garden to ensure there were no joins on the sides that would be seen – that attention to detail was impressive.”

The colour of the cladding also ensures that the house sits in its landscape rather than on it and while the extension can be seen from the rear of the property, at the front of the house, the external appearance is still of an original gate house which the couple are delighted about.

There are still some tasks to be completed, and Robert and Isla have many plans for the garden as Isla explains: “Our nature-friendly garden has run out of steam a bit because it’s been a long haul and we’re a bit tired, but this year we’ll start anew again.” Tiredness aside, the Leggetts are now focussing on enjoying their new home as Robert affirms: “We’ve realised the dream. Whenever I’ve been away from the house for a few days and I come home, I realise how privileged I am to live here.” The gamble paid off.