WHEN Chris Petty was searching for his new home he first rejected this property near Beaumont Park as unsuitable.
It was only when he looked inside the detached bungalow that he realised it had the Tardis-like potential inside to make a superb home for him and wife Barbara.
Fifteen years on, the property is a world away from its dated former life thanks to the couple’s transformation.
Chris, who owns his own air conditioning engineering business, explained: "I grew up in Waterloo and have always lived in the Huddersfield area.
"I looked at moving to Beaumont Park because it was a nice area close to the town centre yet with open countryside on the doorstep – to me this seemed like the ideal location for my next home."
As he focused his search in the area Chris found a bungalow for sale on Butternab Road just 200 yards away from the entrance of the Victorian park.
He loved the location, but initially dismissed the property.
"At first I thought it was too small but then I decided to go inside and take a look,’’ he said.
"Inside I found the house was like a Tardis and I was amazed at how big the rooms were.
"It was definitely a case of appearances being deceptive from the front. I had not been able to appreciate it until I walked through the door.
"The house was very dated and needed a lot of work, but I could see it had a lot of potential and decided to give it a go."
The 1950s-built property had not been touched in years so Chris and his wife had some work to do to overhaul its dated interior.
They also decided that the full potential of their new home could be reached if they extended it – something the previous owner had looked at but never put into practice.
The couple had the previously unusable loft converted to add two extra bedrooms, a shower room and invaluable office space for Chris’s work.
At the same time, three years ago, the couple had the property extended outwards to create the extra living space they craved.
Chris, 49, said: "It was pretty basic inside but we looked at it as a project with potential, particularly for expansion.
"It was hard work and we had to do things gradually, but we’re very happy with the result – we’ve just about got it perfect now!"
The couple loved the idea of a clean, modern look so gave each room a design overhaul.
They ripped out the old kitchen, replacing it with contemporary beech units and granite worktops and had a sleek white bathroom suite with plenty of storage fitted.
"We do have quite modern tastes and I would say that shows throughout the house," added Chris.
"But we wanted to keep the lounge quite traditional so we wouldn’t spoil its character. It has got a lovely original tiled brown and cream fireplace and is a great room to relax in."
The couple initially found the outside space to be quite uninspiring so were quick to get their creative mitts on that too.
Chris said: "Out the back there was just lawn and it was quite boring so we had it tiered and put in patio areas and a water feature.
"It’s a lovely place for sitting out in the summer and entertaining."
For Chris and Barbara their now perfect home couldn’t be in a better spot as it borders the historic 29- acre Beaumont Park.
Chris says the park, full of ornate features, grottos and picturesque woodland walks, is perfect for lazy strolls on a Sunday afternoon.
He added: "It’s a great place to go for a stroll and there’s always something going on there.
"I would say it’s definitely a bonus having the park on our doorstep. And I really like the fact that within two minutes of stepping out of the door you can be in open countryside – you can just go for a walk and switch off."
The couple have decided to sell their home because they want to downsize, but hope to remain in the area.
Chris added: "I would like to do work on a house again, but not to this extent as it was a lot of hard work.
"We’re very happy with what we’ve done with the house. I would like to think we would find somewhere like this again, but I’m not so sure!"
