Kamilla and Duncan’s Whole House Renovation
Kamilla and Duncan renovated their whole Victorian Terraced House, installing many energy-efficiency measures.
Summary
Heat Pump
Solar
Insulation
The Home:
- House Type: 1890’s Victorian Terraced House
- No. of bedrooms: 3 bedrooms
- Location: Bristol
“Even though the cost of the renovation was expensive. The comfort of our home has made it worth it. It is so much cosier and feels much more like a home.”
– Kamilla, Homeowner
Overview
Kamilla and Duncan purchased their home knowing it hadn’t been updated since the 1980s. They committed to a whole-house renovation, starting from the ground up and even living in the property while it had no roof and no internal walls. With the house outdated, affected by mould and poorly insulated, the focus of the work was on improving comfort and energy performance. This included underfloor, loft and internal wall insulation, new windows, and the installation of an air source heat pump and solar panels.
Background
Kamilla and Duncan moved into their terraced Victorian home to make it significantly more energy-efficient, keeping it warm in winter and cool in summer. The home’s age and lack of previous upgrades meant mould was a persistent issue throughout the property, making it a priority to address. While aesthetic improvements were needed, they were not the main motivation behind the renovation.
Assessment
Kamilla and Duncan chose Futureproof for their initial assessment. Elliot carried out a thorough, in-depth survey of the home, followed by a detailed report, and returned for a second visit to review the findings. During the assessment, Elliot took the time to sit down with them and understand how they were living in the home and what they wanted to achieve. This allowed him to make practical, tailored recommendations, clearly setting out which improvements would have the greatest impact and what should be prioritised.
The Challenge
Given the age of the property and the fact that no major work had been carried out since the 1980s, unexpected challenges arose early on. When the builders first began work, asbestos was discovered and had to be safely removed before any further progress could be made. Duncan would have preferred to use more natural insulation materials, but budget constraints meant this wasn’t possible at the time.
The Results
The changes have made a huge difference to comfort and efficiency in a home that previously struggled to retain heat. The heat pump works seamlessly with the underfloor heating, keeping the house consistently warm and comfortable, with plenty of hot water available.
Aside from a single outage last winter that was quickly resolved with a hard reset, the system has been reliable. Combined with the new roof and membrane installed during the whole-house renovation, the home is now far more energy-efficient, warmer in winter and noticeably easier to keep cool during the summer months.
The solar panels are performing extremely well, generating enough electricity to send surplus energy back to the grid and allowing most electricity use to be shifted to sunny periods, reducing reliance on nighttime energy.
Financially, the upgrades have stacked up too: the £7,500 heat pump grant meant the system cost no more than a new boiler, being able to export £120 worth of electricity back to the grid this year. Through the Switch Together scheme, the solar panels were purchased in a later round at around half the usual price. Overall, the home is more comfortable, more resilient, and far cheaper to run than before.
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