FEATURE: New Build Residences - Could opting for an off-piste architectural style reduce the value of your asset?

When designing new build private residences for our clients Thomas Robinson Architects take a long term view of style. The style of your new build private residence will be influenced by many factors such as the local planning guidance and policies, the landscape, your architectural taste, the style of the local and surrounding buildings - will you blend in or contrast" These are to name but a few influencers on architectural style.

Another factor is the future saleability of your dream home. A glance through a recent national homes magazine suggests that attention to the future saleability of your new build private residence may be being overlooked. Houses looking like agricultural sheds abound, often walls and windows are oblique which is all very well and they may be architecturally at the cutting edge at this moment in time but will you be able to sell your cutting edge, agricultural shed in ten years' time and how big will the market be for your once trendy shed" Now you may be one of the lucky ones for whom this is not an issue but for most of us our homes are our biggest lifetime investment and future saleability is a real issue. At Thomas Robinson Architects we take this issue very serious when designing new build private residences. There is no guarantee of how the future tastes in the housing market will change but evidence suggests that historically the majority of people prefer a more traditional design or at least a modern twist within the parameters of traditional building forms. Our advice is not to go too far off-piste with the architectural style of your new build residence. If you are considering a new build residence we would welcome the chance to talk to you.