WITH a loft conversion providing a pool room and space for a quick game of table tennis, and no bills to pay, this house is Tony Staveley's ideal home.

Unfortunately, at 6ft he's just a touch too big - because this house is fit only for dolls.

Mr Staveley, 68, a retired plumber from Bishop Auckland, County Durham, set out to make his granddaughter, Jessica, a dolls' house in February, but the project soon snowballed into an all-encompassing project that took ten months to complete.

After months spent in his shed sawing, gluing and sticking, often late into the night, the masterpiece is finished.

And Mr Staveley has been advised to insure the property for £3,500 and has been told it could fetch up to £10,000 in London.

He said: "I wasn't doing this for financial gain. It was a labour of love for Jessica. I've been in the building trade all my life as a plumber and picked ideas up, and decided to make a house I would like to live in."

It's not hard to see why this desirable residence would fetch such a high price.

This compact 1950s home is ideal for a growing family, providing they grow no bigger than 10in.

Downstairs is a spacious living room, with sliding patio doors, an electric fire that lights with the flick of a switch, and grand piano.

The kitchen comes complete with fittings and accessories, including slices of Battenberg cake and jam tarts.

The stairs and hallway are fitted with handmade oak boards, and lead to a first floor complete with a nursery and toddler.

There are also two spacious bedrooms, one with en-suite.

The loft has been converted into games rooms, with table tennis facilities and a pool room.

House cleaning has been made easy with a hinged roof and access to the house is generally excellent, with front and back detachable walls.

The electrics are in the chimney and can be accessed by removing certain chimney bricks.

Despite producing a highly collectable masterpiece, Mr Staveley said this is the first and last house he plans to make.

He said: "I'm fairly proud of it now it's finished. It's taken a year out of my retirement."

The most time-consuming part was sticking on 1,000 bricks, each crafted from sandpaper. Likewise, the roof tiles were individually cut from wood and stuck on.

The most important verdict came from three-year-old Jessica, who was simply too engrossed in the house to comment.