When House Beautiful asked Lurot Brand for property advice
Lurot Brand’s expertise in mews properties is legendary, but it’s not just our clients who approach us for help. As the only independent mews specialist in London, Lurot Brand is in a unique position to offer property advice when it comes to mews houses.
That’s why journalists from high profile publications frequently seek our opinion on property related matters. The questions usually relate to the history, special qualities and value of mews houses, but recently America’s House Beautiful magazine asked our General Manager James Robinson to describe a stylish interior design trend that could actually devalue a property. Yes, some features can actually lower the value of your mews house. Intrigued? Why not get a free valuation?
It didn’t take long for him to recall a case where the interior design had a negative impact on the sale price. When measuring up a luxurious mews home during a property valuation, James discovered that over two hundred square feet of prime central London property had apparently been ‘lost’ as a result of internal work carried out by the owners.
The house’s size was listed at 1,700 square feet, but James found the internal footprint had been reduced to just 1,470 square foot. This alarming shrinkage occurred when walls were brought forward to allow the fitting of hidden recessed wall edge lighting, recessed televisions, downpipes and utilities. James’ response was that although the end result was pleasing, the owners had effectively “paid their architect to lose them almost £700,000 worth of square footage.“
That’s not the kind of news you want to hear when you are selling your home, and in retrospect the owners probably wished that they had asked Lurot Brand for guidance before attempting such an ambitious renovation.
Our friendly, professional sales teams understand what it’s like to live in a mews (many of our staff members live in mews properties themselves) so they are well placed to offer advice on everything from where to park your car to undertaking major projects. “Since 1971 we have been advising our clients on their mews projects as we know what sells and what doesn’t”, James explains. “If you are considering an extension or refurbishment to add value to your mews, we can offer guidance on planning laws, advise on your plans and then put you in touch with a suitable architect.”
Lurot Brand also provide evidenced pin-point-accurate valuations with the best marketing strategy for your property. If you are considering selling your mews property and want to get the very best advice, there’s only one expert agency to call. Contact us today with your questions – we’re always more than happy to help.