2
A House with in A House
The cost of paying rent had gone up so much it was far cheaper to pay a mortgage but saving up for a deposit was an impossible dream for my son and his family. With my daughter and her children already living at home along with my other son. I wanted to come up with a solution that would benefit everybody. We only had one bathroom and had been looking at a place to install a second, the only option I could afford was to change our second living room into a bedroom but what about a loo and storage? I thought of London and New York style living, then looked into mezzanine flooring and there laid the answer! With the help of a friend who was a builder and my husband’s labouring skills I set my plans in motion.
Cost of wood for frame £147 brought from Terry's timber in Liverpool this included all spindles. The mattress was made bespoke by a man who has his own market stall on Tuebrook Market £130 also in Liverpool. The electrician and builder were on a day rate; the total was £650. The balcony area has a double mattress and some floor space, the top part of the window area under the balcony was split into 3 sections. A section for a toddler’s bed with T.V. A large window and a space for special things. The bathroom area houses a shower enclosure with sink and toilet this cost £272 from Rapids in Liverpool city centre. The third section is now a wardrobe which was made from two brush poles £1.30 each from a local hardware store, doors were made after a £16 folding door didn't look right, again wood brought from Terry's timber the wood was then painted silver mist £19 per tin purchased from taskers. The wall paper was on sale at £5.99 a roll, flooring and T.V were already in place. A large floor to ceiling cupboard was then made and painted black to blend in with the wall so visually it makes the room look bigger. A space for everything without it costing a fortune, most importantly a space for my family to save up for their own home.
Written by Susan Jamieson