Our Patch april 2015
Before
& After
As property prices rise, children simply can’t
afford to fly the nest. It means that kitchen
renovation and loft conversion companies are
dealing with a different breed of customer
T
here’s a new type of client
in Hammersmith & Fulham,
says local builder Jason
Briggs. The house owner
having to make alterations
because the kids can’t
afford to leave home.
“We’ve always been converting lofts
for families who need more space for an
extra child, but now we have a new
type of client who is accommodating
children who have not flown the nest,”
said the founder and owner of The
Kitchen & Loft Company.
Jason also sees examples of property
owners who have seen values soar,
and are cashing in some of that rise
by renovating, while some long-time
local homeowners are even buying
houses for their children for cash.
After a decade in business in the area,
Jason’s main work is still what he terms
straightforward loft conversions, with
an extra bedroom plus separate, or
ensuite, bathroom being created.
A noticeable relaxation of once-rigid
planning restrictions, particularly on
rear additions, has given the renovation
business a real shot in the arm.
“I’ve been working in the area for 10
years, and we’re busier than ever,” said
Jason. “All decent construction firms in
the area are very busy.”
Jason recently worked on a house in
Tabor Road, Hammersmith, whose
owners wanted a whole new kitchen/
dining area.
What started out as a small job on
the ground floor quickly got more
complicated when they realised there
was a damp problem stemming form
the church next door that had to be
solved.
Once sorted, Jason’s team tackled
extending the ground floor space and
adding in a modern set of folding doors
leading out into the garden, with new
skylights letting more light into the
previously dark room.
And Jason says, it’s the art of adding
space organically into the area’s
Victorian homes that is the tricky part.
“Recently we’ve done loft
conversions in Benbow Road, Agate
Road and Coulter Road, and we’re
about to start a large kitchen renovation
in Greenside Road, Shepherds Bush,
together with an unusual extension,
with balconies, to the ground floor,
which was a joint application with
their neighbours.”
Jason said that the advantage of loft
conversions was that they are instantly
profitable. “If you can get planning
permission, the profit is in the
permission, and every brick adds to the
value,” he said.
“But a loft conversion instantly adds
value as you’re adding extra square
footage. We didn’t used to talk in
square footage, but it’s relevant today.”
So what has been the biggest
changing trend in local projects in
recent months? Jason has no doubt.
“Audio visual,” he said without
hesitation. “But we don’t do wires!
Everything is hidden, with speakers in
ceilings and even sockets hidden.”