£20k Wendy house that puts sheds in the shade
FOR most children, a Wendy house will be a rickety little wooden creation tucked away at the bottom of the garden.
For a few lucky youngsters, however, it’s like a home of one’s own – made of brick, with sash windows and even an electricity supply.
Younger visitors to the Chelsea Flower Show were able to test one example costing £20,000, which is enough for a deposit on a real property. It is the fifth created by mother of one Nadine Charlton, who has given up a career in financial services to make the houses.
The one at Chelsea, built with the help of tradesmen, has a ceiling rose, cornicing and a floor hatch for stashing toys.
Mrs Charlton, 39, at Chelsea for the first time, said: ‘I made a playhouse for my daughter Rose’s first birthday. The reaction from friends and family is what made me think other children might want one.’
She has made four more so far, fitted with chandeliers, fireplaces and bookshelves. The latest had to be built in sections over three months and airlifted into the grounds of the Royal Hospital, Chelsea. It is less than ten feet tall and 5ft11in wide and can be packed up and taken with a family if they move home.
Mrs Charlton, of Stockbridge in Hampshire, who worked for financial services giant KPMG, gave up her job last year to focus on the miniature houses.
Ticket touts are cashing in on the flower show by selling evening passes for up to £249 on website StubHub – plus a £48.56 booking fee. They normally cost £39 for RHS members, or £45 for the public.