The Finch family love where they live in Beckenham, Kent. They have lived in their terraced house for around nine years, but with two young daughters they knew they had to expand their living space.
“Like most terraced properties, we had three bedrooms but one is a box room and we realised that eventually one of the girls would complain about having the short straw!” said Mrs Finch. “We love it here, we have great neighbours, good friends and a fantastic school on the doorstep and so we didn’t want to move elsewhere.”
However, to get a bigger house in the area was simply not financially viable. In fact, the couple worked out that it would cost more in stamp duty and professional fees alone than it would to have a loft conversion. Add to that the upheaval and stress associated with moving house, and it was, as they say, a no brainer!
The couple spoke to several companies and decided to appoint Econoloft to build a mansard loft conversion. These loft conversions extend the slope of a roof near vertically and are usually built at the rear of a property. They tend to require more work than most loft conversions, but the potential rewards are impressive.
The spacious master bedroom with ensuite was built in two months and the family was pleased that the process was not as stressful as they had thought. “We had imagined a lot more mess but in fact, it was not a problem at all,” they said.
"Having a loft conversion has made our living space so much more flexible,” they added. “At the moment, we’re keeping it as guest room and an office space where we can work from home – but that will change as the girls get older. It’s likely that we will use it as the master bedroom, the girls will have a room each and the smallest bedroom will become an office.
“Whichever way we decide to use our loft conversion it has provided us with a family home where we can live for many more years and it has been a much easier and cheaper option than moving home. We’re really pleased with our decision."