Room to live & grow

With their first baby on the way, Jemima and James Hammond knew their two-bed cottage would need a space and storage upgrade. But the rear extension they built gave them far more.

Damp and dated, Jemima and James’s two-bed, 1920s cottage couldn’t function as a modern family home. With very limited storage and no guest accommodation, the family struggled to find space to live and work comfortably.

“We needed more space and also wanted an extra bedroom to put up the family when they visited from the UK,” explains Jemima. “The other issue was the lack of storage – anywhere.”

Avatar

Written by Astrid Madsen

Astrid Madsen is the editor of the SelfBuild magazine. She previously held the same role in an Irish trade publication, before that she worked at the National Standards Authority of Ireland. She graduated with a BA in Urban Studies from Columbia University in New York and holds an MBA from the Instituto de Estudios Bursatiles in Madrid. France of origin, she now lives in Portarlington, County Laois, where she's taken on the task of renovating a listed building! Email astrid.madsen@selfbuild.ie

Ep 38 – Concrete paving options

Pre design: Direct labour vs main contractor