We're going to be hearing a lot about France this summer and not
We're going to be hearing a lot about France this summer and not just about Le Football. However, their three-bedroom house, in Essex, couldn't accommodate an extra person comfortably. "We looked at moving, but we like the location and our garden," says Steve. "We'd have to spend at least pounds 30,000 to move to a four-bed house with the same advantages." Expanding into their loft to make a large bedroom and shower room seemed a good compromise.The Cohens were given quotes ranging from pounds 14,500 to pounds 19,000 from national and local companies selected from the Yellow Pages.
"They all came up with similar drawings," says Steve, "but were variable on the information they could give me. Some companies mentioned fire regulations while others didn't."After several weeks of sitting through the sales patter, Steve and Tracy felt they could only trust one of the companies to do the job. "The work went on for months longer than the builder said it would," says Jill. "He'd disappear for a couple of days each week once the main construction work was done, but we're really pleased with the results."When Steve Cohen decided to increase his working hours as a social work manager, he needed to employ an au pair to take over the school run as well as the housework that he shares with his wife, Tracy, a primary school teacher.
Acorn is currently selling a six-bedroom house in Queen's Road, Beckenham, Kent, for pounds 285,000. "It could easily be annexed to create a separate flat," says Mr Wood.Jill Bennett spent more than pounds 30,000 on a loft conversion to provide a "hotel suite" for the live-in nanny who looks after her four children. "We already have five bedrooms but it wasn't fair to expect anyone to start sharing." As they had considerable equity in the west London house they didn't want to skimp on the plans. "An extended home in a buoyant market attracts a good price," he says.It's not only executive-style homes that are popular: "People are settling for terraced properties converted to make four or five bedrooms that they previously wouldn't have gone for, because they can't afford properties in the next price bracket."In a sought-after area, a loft extension can enhance the value over and above the cost of the work Buyers are looking for an easy option. If the conversion is of a good standard, they'd prefer to pay a little bit extra to buy a house with the work already carried out rather than suffer weeks of building disruption themselves.Mr Wood underlines the attraction of a truly self-contained annexe, with its own front door, or a property that lends itself to sectioning off.
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