A couple who transformed their £750,000 home from a rundown Tudor mansion into a stunning B&B, including refurbishing all 132 windows, are now selling for £1,500,000 after realising it’s too much work to maintain.
Adrian Cole, 68, and Christine Tallon, 62, from Bexley, south-east London, quit their city law jobs and snapped up the 500-year-old Y Fan mansion in Caerphilly, south Wales in 2016.
The property, which can be traced back to 1529, was abandoned and in a bad state – complete with mould, mushrooms, rusted radiators, plaster coming off the walls, and rotting beams.
But the couple saw its potential, and after purchasing, ripped everything out themselves – removing all the plaster and replacing all the walls and ceilings.
The pair said they had big dreams to turn the uninhabitable property into a boutique bed and breakfast – which they realised in 2021.
And after five years of running the successful business – including hosting more than 7,000 afternoon teas – they have made the decision to sell the mansion.
The Grade II-listed property has been listed for £1,500,000 with Fine & Country.
Christine, who still does some occasional work as a legal risk and compliance consultant, said: ‘We love living in it, and it has got a lovely, homely feel to it. But it would be nice to have more of a relaxing work-life balance again.
A couple from London have transformed their £750,000 home from a rundown Tudor mansion into a stunning B&B (pictured after renovations)
The Grade II-listed property is now up for sale for £1,500,000 with Fine & Country (the home is pictured in a painting by Thomas Waters)
‘We are not getting any younger so I think it is time to hand it over to somebody who has got the energy.’
The pair renovated the 6,000 sq ft home in two halves – living in one while they tore apart the other.
They installed new heating, electrics, and plumbing, but still had to go one winter without any heating.
Adrian claims he had to do over 200 trips to the skip in one year while they were renovating.
He said: ‘It was a gauntlet thrown down. Photos don’t do justice for how bad it was.
‘Every bit of plaster was damp, and as a result the house was wet and filthy. There was mould. In one of the rooms there was a mushroom the size of a plate growing in the corner.
‘You would get into bed at night and not only was it freezing but it was damp. It was absolutely horrible.
‘Every morning we would come into the kitchen and there would be another pile of rubble on the kitchen table. We had to wear hard hats when we were going in to make a cup of tea.’
Adrian Cole and Christine Tallon (pictured) from Bexley, south-east London, left their law jobs to purchase Y Fan mansion in Caerphilly, south Wales
The house, which can be traced back to 1529, had been left abandoned and in a bad state, with many locals unaware of its existence
Christine and Adrian said that there were countless leaks and cold nights (the bathroom is pictured before renovations)
The couple stripped the render off the outside of the house to reveal its original brick (the mansion is pictured before)
Christine added: ‘It was a mess. It was very run down. Everything that could leak did leak.
‘The surveyor’s report we had was like a book, and at the end of it the final sentence was “this is not a project for the faint-hearted.”
‘At that point, most sensible people probably would have walked away from it, but we decided we were up for a challenge.
‘You had to look past how bad it was and see what it could become.’
The duo also stripped the garden of brambles, and took the render off the outside of the house.
Despite having limited DIY experience, they tried to do everything that they could themselves, going on a lime pointing course and a dry stone wall building course.
Christine added: ‘It was an interesting time. I nearly moved into the stable with my horse on the basis that it was warmer there than in our house.
‘There were plenty of moments where we thought what the hell have we done, but once you are in it you’ve just got to carry on.
The Tudor mansion was originally set to be ready in 2020, but the pandemic paused a lot of work, so it finally got properly up and running in May 2021
Despite having limited DIY experience, Adrian and Christine tried to do everything that they could themselves
‘It gradually took shape but it was always one step forward and ten steps back. It was a massive learning curve.
‘We enjoyed the restoration. It was a good feeling to be putting right all the things that were done incorrectly with it. You could almost hear the building heaving a sigh of relief.’
The building was set to be ready in 2020, but Covid lockdown paused a lot of work, so it finally got properly up and running in May 2021.
Christine says that the bed and breakfast is loved by locals, that it is great fun living in a home with such a rich history – surrounded by wildlife including owls, woodpeckers, and cuckoos.
However, they have made the tough decision to sell their home, as running the business was becoming too much hard work.
Christine said: ‘Living in something that is 500 years old is amazing and you wonder what feet have tread these floors and what they would have been doing here.
‘The locals absolutely love it. Half of them played in it when it was a ruin and the other half didn’t know it was here. They all rave about how beautiful it is now.
‘It does feel very grand. We are very proud of what we have done and the way that we have restored it. It still has a very historic feel just in modern times.
‘We were running it as a B&B, we were probably fairly naïve on what hard work that is. It is a massive commitment and you have to be on call all the time.’
Adrian added: ‘It has great views and it is surrounded by green for lovely walks. We sit above the town and at night you can see all the lights twinkling below.’
