PERFECT HOMES MAGAZINE - Issue 13 Issue 13 | Page 54

So what are THE PROS AND CONS OF A CONVERTED RAILWAY CARRIAGE? L iving in a converted railway carriage has its fair share of both positive and negative aspects. It’s for you to decide whether it’s worth the investment. With a  converted  railway carriage being such a departure from a normal type of home environment, it can be expected that there are going to be some major downfalls as well as eco-friendly selling points. Here’s what they are: Pro 1: Old converted railway carriages can be very cheap With the rough price of an older converted railway carriage being between £5000 – £30,000, it’s hard to argue that it isn’t good value considering the surprisingly large size of them. Pro 2: Converted railway carriages are a very green form of construction If your focus is on making your new home as green as possible, you’re in luck. At least with a converted railway carriage you will already not have used any new materials to construct your new home apart from a few little things such as steps, lighting and insulation. Pro 3: Converted railway carriages will provide an original home that will be a talking point amongst friends, family and the community You may get quite a few visitors to your new home who you don’t even know. There will probably be quite a bit of interest from local people and rail enthusiasts who are interested in the work you’ve done to it. You would definitely be in possession of a home which is different from everyone else’s, and being different is always going to get you noticed. Being known as someone who is promoting the salvage of things like old railway carriages instead of letting them be destroyed is not a bad thing at all.