Renovated Westerham farmhouse clad with Cedral Facades

The circa 100-year-old Westerham farmhouse had been on the market for over four years when Amy Taylor and her family decided to take on the property as a renovation project and completely revamp it.

The property was extremely run down when the family first viewed it - a cream rendered bungalow that had turned green and was harbouring a multitude of cracks inside and out, with wet and mouldy internal walls. The Taylors had originally dismissed the property as the renovation project they were seeking on the basis that “the price was bonkers”, says Amy. “To us, the price didn’t reflect the state of the property or the work that would need to be carried out to restore it, which meant we couldn’t really afford to knock it down and start again.”

However, some negotiation on the price eventually made it a more viable prospect and Amy began researching her options in earnest.

“The house sits in over 16 acres of wooded land and paddocks, so the black cladding option jumped out at me as a great option because I felt that the combination of a new brick plinth and the cladding would give it a barn-effect feel – in keeping with its surroundings, but also significantly improving the look and quality of the property.”

After extensively researching the cladding market – “there are a lot of different cladding materials out there and big differences in quality and price” says Amy – she finally made her choice.

“When I saw Cedral, I liked the grain, I liked the texture, I liked the fact it looks really realistic and I was very impressed with the minimum life expectancy of 50 years.”

For Amy, a product that continues to look good through the years is key. “I don’t want something that looks good but in a year’s time becomes extremely high maintenance.”

Cedral’s durable fibre cement cladding met the requirements perfectly, manufactured to withstand the harshest weather conditions and supplied with an excellent fire performance classification of A2-s1, d0. It doesn’t need regular repainting and won’t rot, rust, warp or crack.

Amy was so impressed by Cedral that she decided on Cedral Lap in colour C50 Black, laid horizontally, for both the main house and the annex and Cedral Click in the same colour, laid vertically on one section to create an eye-catching feature wall.

And the final result?

“It is more than I ever could have dreamed of,” says Amy. “Cedral has helped us to transform the look of the main building and annex, allowing us to turn something so unappealing and run down into a beautiful home. We also hope it has added substantial value to the property, not only looks-wise but also in terms of adding extra insulation, which is also good for the EPC rating.” That’s because Cedral cladding acts like a second skin on a building’s exterior and is also frost, mould and water resistant.

Cedral allowed Amy to get the stylish wood-look barn effect she wanted, without the hassle of caring for real wood with its high maintenance demands and associated costs. In fact, the family’s new home looks so good that the neighbours assumed they had knocked the property down and rebuilt it from scratch!

Cedral facades are the perfect option for homeowners who can’t afford to - or don’t want to - move, advises Amy, as the cladding can be used to totally transform a home.

This renovation has been an incredible achievement for Amy, who didn’t use a building company, architect or interior designer on the project. The revamp was completed in less than a year – all while coping with the restrictions of a global pandemic - aided by a group of highly trusted tradesmen that she has previously worked with.

Amy pays special tribute to Cedral installer Derek Pout who completed all the brick work on the house as well as the perfectly fitted cladding. “Derek has single-handedly transformed our home on the outside and we can’t thank him enough,” she says.

She was also extremely impressed with Cedral’s after care service and her local Area Sales Manager who visited the property several times during the installation. “Cedral’s communication was excellent,” says Amy. “They were easy to deal with and I felt they really cared about our wishes and the project.”

“I would recommend Cedral 100 per cent. It’s not just about the longevity and insulation – though that’s important of course – it’s also about the end result and kerb appeal. We never looked at the property before we bought it and said, that’s our dream house. But now it really is.”