Welcome to my first blog! Thought i'd start with a lovely example of how a not-so- pretty frontage can be transformed by render and nicely proportioned windows... this is a low rise block of early 70's flats in kenilworth not far from crackley woods. Perhaps not the obvious victorian wreck rescued after years of neglect (which is normally my thing), but certainly inspirational as an example of what can be achieved with relatively few £££'s. Not sure who was responsible (sadly not us!) but by the looks of it i'd say the refurb was undertaken maybe 5 years ago or so by a builder with a good eye for detail. Windows are well sized and good quality stained softwood by the look of it. Simple flat render finish painted white gives the frontage an entirely different look - and by my estimation adds at least 25% to the value vs. the 'unrefurbed' one in the middle. Maybe oak grained upvc would give the same look and cost alot less, but overall, i reckon it's good for an excellent 9.5/10.
With thanks to Alan Denyer, MD of EBC Design and Restoration - Who develops and restores 'older' property in the Coventry and Warwickshire area: http://ebcdesignandrestoration.blogspot.com/
Comments (1)
I had some involvement in the development of both of the above properties, mainly on the end one on an advisory basis as an estate agent offering our opinion on values, etc. The end property was converted in two apartments, the top one being a duplex and the ground floor being a garden flat.
The end result for both properties truly shows how an ugly duckling can be turned into a swan, fortunately for both of these properties they stand in an established and well regarded residential area, however, the middle terrace property did take a long period of time to sell and I believe the developer/ owner made a loss. You always have to remember in these locations that the un developed homes surrounding the developed ones will always hold the value back and more so when the original product is an ugly one, never lose sight of the budget there will always be a ceiling price for the property regadless of how good it looks, it is always worth talking to long established agents who know the local market before proceeding.
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