New windows and roof and updating the exterior finishings would really help. Maybe a mix of plaster and wood paneling would look cool. You can also do a lot to enhance the contemporary look without spending loads of money such as bold window surrounds and awnings. Updated guttering and bolder roof fascias can also help.

Of course it all comes down to budget. To get it looking transformed on a budget I would leave all the cabinets where they are- put a larder fridge and larder freezer in each of the tall cabinets, upgrade the worktop and paint the cabinets. In my opinion the dining area looks a little bare and perhaps framing your lovely views with full length curtains would help it feel more finished- buy man made material to that they can easily be washed. If you have bigger budget then speak to a kitchen designer first before taking down walls- remember that loosing a reception room might devalue your home and a good design could make the most of the space you have.

We did love some of the suggestions above… but stuck with our original plan! Although we did change the kitchen layout from U-shaped to ”farmhouse” style, with the table in the middle and sink under the window overlooking the garden. The old dining room has become an office with two desks - partly due to COVID and the need to work from home and homeschool etc! We have also moved a lot of the children’s toy storage in here although they still bring things into the main lounge to play where there’s more room. At 8 and 5, they also actually now keep and play with a lot of toys in their rooms, so I think the old dining room will remain as more of a computer and homework room - it’s nice being able to shut the door! The ”study” on the plan is very much a workshop/gym/play room for my husband! We didnt want to sacrifice that space. It might turn into a teenage den later on perhaps, or even a downstairs bedroom for my Nan. The small upstairs bedroom has become a second office as I’m also still working from home (and my husband has too many meetings downstairs!). It houses our sofa bed too so acts as a spare room and my space to do yoga and sewing. Overall, we are pleased with how everything turned out. We quite like the option to have space away from each other and the flexibility to change the use of the different rooms. We do all spend a lot time together in either the kitchen or main lounge as plenty of space in both.

We have just had a single storey extension done in the NW of the country. It was approx 8m W x 4.2 deep. Full run of alu bifolds on the front and 2 large flat roof-lights . Blockwork construction. Fibre glass roof. They had to move and relocated a kitchen into a temporary room, create a new utility and new bathroom (still waiting to be done) and new stud walls, knock down an external wall and internal wall with quite a few steels. The costs didn’t include any fixtures ie no extra heating or flooring or bathroom or kitchen fittings or landscaping - only the prep work for them and fitting. - We paid around £5k in fees (architects, structural, party wall) - £42k quoted for the work but there were additions they neglected to add on ie some steels. So I would say around £46-48k for the basics. Then we have all the flooring and new rads to add in and the new kitchen etc. Hope that gives you some idea! We also went through a company and it would have been cheaper to manage independent people and get separate prices in. For a 2m deep extension - I wouldn’t expect it to be half the price. Depends on location of drains, what the ground is like for digging down (ours was clay so didn’t need deep foundations)