subject: To Move or Improve: That is the Question! [print this page] To Move or Improve: That is the Question!
I appoach this subject with an openly biased opinion. However, it is an opinion that is gathering popularity and honest positive feedback from a lot of people that I have shared it with.
Let me introduce you to my standpoint. I believe that by thinking a little differently some people who are thwarted by the current challenges of the UK housing market, can find a painless and very appealing route to success.... moving house.
When many people feed their choices and criteria into the house sales portal on the web, they appear to be dominated by simply the number of bedrooms and the price. This applies to buyers, sellers, estate agnts and all-comers. The principal factors just seem to be the number of bedrooms and the price.
This is fostered by the belief that the greater the number of bedrooms, the higher the price. There is some sound logic behind this system. However; many people who are looking for a 4 bedroomed house are not dseeking 4 true bedrooms. They are, I have found from real-life discussions with house-movers and estate agents, frequently seeking three bedroms and a "spare room". This spare room is often destined to be an office for the worker who is home based, perhaps a home study where the computer lives and the paper can be read in peace. It may be an occassional bedroom and may be a treatment or consulting room for a home-based therapist.
The problem that buyers find is that they can't find this additional and vital room on the ground floor because it just doesn't fit beneath a first floor that has three bedrooms. By the way, this formula is just as valid for seekers of a two bedroom house with an extra "office" or a four /five, etc.
Here is what I have found, and am soon to put into practice as we move house. Bedrooms are not always best for this additional room that you don't want anyone to sleep in. By labelling the "extra" room as a bedroom, you can end up with a very limited scope and possibly one that is uncomfortably expensive.
Enter the Garden Room! We are not talking posh sheds here; we are talking about garden rooms that are nothing short of "Detached Extensions". These are rooms that are plastered, fully wired for anything that you wish to plug in, maybe climate controlled, definitely double glazed and certainly beautifully finished. Somewhere to work with commitment, relax in style and play your heart out.
Here is the best bit; even in average gardens a space can usually be found to create this financially viable room. And when the room is built (a process that is incredibly fast and non-intrusive) it usually becomes a very special place. Somewhere that takes a tiny commitment to reach and therefore becomes a place to do things with more commitment and reward. Don't take my word for it, this is the view of peole who have invested in rooms in their gardens and have found them to be invaluable.
Hence, when we move house, I am delighted to be able to share in this delight. Clients use their rooms as Garden Gyms, Garden Studios for painting or sculpting, Garden Cinema Rooms (don't mention the world cup!), Garden Retreats and Garden Offices. They are often chosen in preference to traditional house extensions, loft conversions and garage conversions due to their excellent value, simplicity of process and speed of construction. I look forward to my 10 second commute to work!
Maybe this solution to space makes the traditional "bedrooms equals value" formula a little dated. Certainly it can provide a solution for people running out of options in their home search. Try dropping a bedroom and thinking of investing in a great lifestyle garden room. If you are selling, then try suggesting a garden room to buyers who love your home but need a little more space.
If you'd lke to talk this through in more detail then drop me a line by email.
