A cosy staycation in Shropshire
Having decided to convert a Grade 2 listed agricultural building at her farm in Shropshire, Liz Farrow sought luxury and comfort in design as she looked to expand her successful Bed and Breakfast business and offer guests the privacy of their own self-catering suite.
When Liz Farrow set out to transform the dilapidated red-brick barn adjacent to the late 1700’s farmhouse where she lives with her husband Rob and their two children she was all too aware that the project would be a long term investment for the family.
Having started her luxury Bed and Breakfast business at the family home nearly 5 years ago, Liz had seen an increase in demand from those wishing to take a ‘staycation,’ as a result of the economic downturn and
decided to make a leap of faith in expanding her business in order to cater to couples who wanted a more private B&B experience.
Understandably Liz wanted to ensure that the conversion project was future proof and therefore sought innovative ideas to obtain the greatest return on her investment.
Liz was advised that installing a water-based under floor heating system would offer her greater heating efficiency, helping her to save money.
“Our plumber Nigel suggested that we have underfloor heating installed,” explains Liz. “My husband and I didn’t really know a lot about underfloor heating and so we trusted Nigel when he recommended that we have a water-based system, rather than electric heating system installed, as the water-based system would be fed directly from the boiler and therefore be cheaper to run.”
The couple had a Polypipe Solid Floor underfloor heating system installed, from its Home Solutions range of products, as it is ideal for ground floors in new build or renovation projects. The fact that Polypipe underfloor heating systems are maintenance free also appealed to Liz as it would minimise any further costs in the future, with the pipes coming with a 50 year guarantee, it was the perfect choice.
Liz aims to provide all of her customers with the same level of comfort as found within their own home but with the added luxury of those little extras which she thinks will make all the difference to their stay. The installation of the Solid Floor system mirrored Liz’s aims perfectly, offering radiant heat for a consistently warm and cosy environment, which hasn’t gone unnoticed by her guests.
“You might expect that any kind of living accommodation on the ground floor of a converted barn would be quite cold,” says Liz.
“However with the underfloor heating, we have had no complaints. In fact only the opposite, our guests often comment that it is lovely and toasty and warm.” - Liz Farrow, Project Manager