You can’t help but notice that city centre living is on the rise.
Thanks to a change in planning laws under the last coalition government, there has been a significant rise in building conversions across Birmingham’s central district, with abandoned or empty offices being transformed into des-res.
The former sad-looking, abandoned office blocks are now being spruced up and converted into deluxe studios, apartments and penthouses.
If having city amenities on your doorstep is important, there has never been a better time to embrace living in its heart.
There are developments coming on stream.
In the last month Galbraith House, a former office block on the corner of Great Charles Street and Newhall Street, has been attracting potential buyers, keen to snap up one of the six one-bedroom apartments, 12 two-bedroom apartments, or the impressive 2,734 sq ft penthouse.
Morton House, part of the St Georges Urban Village in the , will create a further 50 one- and two-bedroom apartments ideally located in a high demand area for rental, just minutes away from the financial centre of the city, train stations, shops, bars and restaurants.
And this week, the latest apartment development has been unveiled that aims to attract professionals with an eye for the quirky and unusual.
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Elevate Property Group is opening its show apartment at Queensway House, Livery Street – a stone’s throw away from Snow Hill Station and St Paul’s Square – for the first time this week and buyers can expect more than a deluxe hand in the design.
The firm was behind the £1.8million penthouse – Birmingham’s most expensive apartment sold to date – at Concord House on Holloway Head. It is also developing St Paul’s House, in St Paul’s Square, which will feature four three-bedroom townhouses, to three-bedroom apartments and a two-bedroom penthouse, and Honduras Wharf, which will be 99 new-build apartments and penthouses on Summer Lane.
Now it is hoping to create a buzz at Queensway House.
This former office building sits on the edge of the proposed £600million Snow Hill development, which has been described as the city’s Canary Wharf.
From rundown to resplendent, Queensway House has been transformed into six one-three bedroom loft-style triple-aspect apartments – atop of which is a magnificent penthouse that boasts a 195 sq ft terrace with views across the city’s business district and historic Jewellery Quarter.
All the apartments are generously sized – from 725 sq ft (now under offer) to a 2,236 sq ft duplex – and all are fitted with bespoke German kitchens with Siemens appliances, Kahrs engineering floors, Duravit sanitary fittings and Hansgrohe brassware.
Creative director Chris Brooke has gone to town with an industrial vintage vibe, with a high-end specification, as you would expect if you are parting with upwards of £525,000 for a home.
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Steve Dodd, Elevate’s managing director, explains: “When we acquired Queensway House we knew we would develop something special. This development offers spacious apartments and luxury interiors rarely seen elsewhere in the city.
“By fusing an industrial aesthetic with the unique history of the building, our designers have crafted a living experience quite unlike any other.”
has been appointed to market the apartments and agent Stuart Eustace said the developers have “continued to push the envelope when it comes to design and style”.
“With some sales already agreed and a shortage of quality apartments in the city, the launch of the show apartment will further boost interest in a fascinating project in a corner of Birmingham that is really coming to life,” he said.
“Elevate Property Group has a real eye for taking rundown buildings and creating some of the most exciting and unique living spaces the city has seen.”
He added: “Queensway House offers prospective purchasers the chance to own on the doorstep of an area of the city earmarked to replicate Canary Wharf as a hub for the financial services sector.”
Agents – Knight Frank
Telephone – 0121 200 2220
Guide price – from £525,000 to £650,000