HOUSE & GARDEN
With the imminent arrival of baby Billy to their growing family, Beks and Jolyon Nott had just the incentive they needed to put their extension plans into action. But they had to work fast.
A F A M I LY PROJECT W hen the Notts moved to their two bedroom house in Teddington it was the perfect antidote to their previously hectic Wandsworth lifestyle. “We really liked the village feel of Teddington and its proximity to Bushy Park, the river and Kingston.” Beks recalls. A year passed quickly however and with a young child and finding herself pregnant for the second time, it wasn’t long before they needed even more space. “We considered moving but the costs involved would mean we had to move out of an area we loved.” Other houses in the street had converted their unused loft space so they knew it was possible. “My husband (a designer) set about drawing up our own plans” Beks comments. “We wanted to maximise space by fitting in two bedrooms and a shower room.” After getting quotes from local builders, the Notts chose L&E (Lofts and Extensions) to realise their vision. “We invited L&E round after seeing a case study in our local magazine” Beks remembers. They were surprised to find L&E offered the best value of all the builders “Even on first meeting, we really trusted them. The payment plan was very clear with no pressure to pay each stage until we were completely happy. The surveyor and foreman just seemed like our sort of people. It’s also nice to support local business as that’s part of the appeal in a place with such a sense of community.” With just over 10 weeks to go until Beks’ due date, L&E began the build. Within six days they had the shell up and the property watertight. “Progress was so rapid; we couldn’t quite believe it ourselves.” With so many builders about and living on a terraced street, Beks was concerned about the disruption to neighbours. “I needn’t have worried. Our neighbours even commented on how tidy and how polite the whole team were. They took great pride in their work and were respectful of the fact we were still living in the house.” Work progressed quickly, with the main part of the build
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being completed in just less than 4 weeks. With Jolyon at work and Beks heavily pregnant they were able to rely on their foreman to project manage the build. “My husband is used to dealing with contractors but we didn’t need too much involvement as our foreman was in control and when the need arose was always available to discuss any issues.” The team completed the project in the nick of time. “They told us the job would take 9 to 10 weeks and they cleared everything out on the 10th week exactly on schedule.” Billy arrived four days later and was able to move straight into his newly created bedroom. “That wasn’t the last we saw of them however,” Beks recalls “as they brought round a bottle of champagne, a card from the team and their congratulations soon after we arrived home!” With the conversion complete, they now have both the bedroom and bathroom space they longed for. “We are thrilled. The final result means that we can stay in this house which we love, at a fraction of the cost of moving home. We have doubled our upstairs space meaning that we can have people to stay while at the same time giving the children their very own rooms. That alone makes a big difference.” Mr and Mrs Nott are so confident recommending L&E (Lofts and Extensions) that they are even happy to show you round their new home. Contact them via L&E to arrange a viewing. L&E (Lofts and Extensions), The Old Office Block, 16 Elmtree Road, Teddington, TW11 8ST. T: 0800 326 5506, E: info@dontmove-extend.com, W: www.dontmove-extend.com