A couple are feeling flush with success after spending 10 years and £300,000 transforming a ‘smelly’ and derelict toilet block into the an idyllic home with incredible sea views.
Alan and Elaine Taylor’s unique property renovation story began with an unknowing stroll along Barmouth seafront in north-west Wales.
On their walk, the couple noticed a small and abandoned toilet block just a stone’s throw from the sea.
‘We have a love of Wales, a love of Barmouth and a love of the Ocean,’ Elaine, 53, told Wales Online.
‘We were on holiday in Barmouth and the council had put a for sale sign up on the building. We thought that it would be amazing because of its proximity to the sand dunes and the sea.
‘And what an opportunity to to renovate something and improve the area – take something that’s unloved, unused and make it into something really nice.
‘It had been shut for years and inside it was awful, it has been essentially boarded up for years and everything was still there, the toilets and everything.
‘It was very sandy as it had managed to get into the building from the beach and it was very smelly.’
The Taylors spent the proceeding few months with a keen eye on the local council’s website, waiting for the moment the bog by the beach would hit the market.
Eventually it did, and in 2015 the couple secured the seaside property for a blind bid of £33,000.
Alan and Elaine Taylor’s unique property journey began when they noticed this unused toilet block was for sale
The couple experienced a number of problems while trying to construct their dream home in Barmouth, north-west Wales
The following year, the couple received planning approval from the council with building set to begin in 2017 – but not before the couple came across a number of obstacles.
‘As the toilet block is located by the beach, the planners wanted us to consult with Natural Resources Wales,’ Elaine added.
‘Our vision all along was we would renovate the toilet block including the slate roof but NRW wanted us to raise the floor level by about a metre for flood mitigation. So when the floor level was raised, the roof level would have to be raised.
‘That’s when it all changed completely because at that point we had to put in completely different plans, the vision changed completely.
‘And when we discussed it with the planners they said if we couldn’t retain the features of the building then they wanted it to be a brand new, quite modern looking building, they didn’t think we could replicate the old.’
Further problems arose when building work began, with the couple forced to demolish the property by hand so as to avoid damaging its foundations.
And due to Alan and Elaine securing the property through a blind bid, they were never able to view the toilet block before completing – which made for even more challenges.
Alan and Elaine said the ‘proximity’ of the block to the sand and sea made it the perfect location
After 10 ‘long’ years, the couple eventually transformed the ‘smelly’ toilet block into their dream home
Due to working circumstances, Elaine and Alan have now listed their property on the market for £295,000
The one bedroom hideaway is described as ‘the perfect holiday’ home
The home offers incredible views of the coast line and a plush, unique interior design
Elaine and Alan named the property ‘Hafan Y Traeth,’ which translates to Sandy Haven in English
Elaine and Alan bought the property without a formal viewing and encountered a litany of problems on their journey
The property comprises of three main rooms – a main reception and kitchen, a bedroom and an en suite shower room
Elaine said: ‘When it was up for sale we couldn’t go into the property and so it was a blind bid so we assumed it would have electric because it has been a toilet block and water too.
‘After we bought it we discovered that the electrics were hooked up to the street lamps and unfortunately with the water once the pipes had gone past a certain age you have to replace them. So the pavement had to be dug up to install electric and replace all the plumbing so the project just grew and grew.’
Eventually, after some 10 years and an estimated £300,000 flushed down a renovation hole, the couple were able to complete the incredible transformation.
Now, due to Elaine’s circumstances with work, the couple have put the property up for sale after what Elaine described as a ‘long journey.’
‘It’s been a real labour of love really, it’s been a long journey,’ she added.
‘But I think it is so important that people now find buildings that are unused and unloved and make them into something wonderful, to give them a purpose again.
‘We kept joking that if it could go wrong it did go wrong but we wanted to see it through even though there were a few times we thought about packing it in.’
Offering incredible views of the coast and sea, the one bedroom property, called Hafan y Traeth (sandy haven in English), has been listed by Homes of Wales for £295,000 and described as a ‘unique coastal retreat.’
It comprises of three main rooms – a main reception and kitchen diner, bedroom and an suite shower – and offers idyllic views of the seafront.
‘Newly refurbished and built from the ground up with the best materials available. Situated right on the tip of the Barmouth coast this one bedroom hideaway would be a perfect holiday home for anyone wanting to get away from the hustle and bustle of life,’ its listing reads.
