The original property potential service 

from

£150

get scrolling...

SELLING UP

Sell your home's potential,

not just the home

STAYING PUT

Unlock the potential of your home

before & after

STAYING PUT

Unlock the potential of your home

The Potential etc...service works well as a starting point for a building project on your own home, whether that be an extension, refurbishment, a renovation, or even a new build.

Whether you have recently moved in, if your family situation has changed, or if you have lived there so long that you struggle to visualise how the property can be improved, I can help.

You can set me a brief for me to design to and give you ideas that unlock the potential of your home. You can take my concept design study to builder and planners for initial discussions and costings.

I also offer concept and feasibility services to developers and builders. 

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SELLING UP

Sell your home's potential,

not just the home

The best way to sell your home is by illustrating its potential to prospective buyers.

 

Most buyers look for potential in a property: potential to expand, to open up rooms, to bring in more light.

But many aren't able to visualise how to achieve this.

 

By illustrating the potential your property has to prospective buyers, I can help you attract broader interest, sell faster and maximise the sale price.

£150

  • Concept floorplans showing the proposed changes

£300

  • Concept floorplans showing the proposed changes

  • Coloured sketch perspective of the design

£250

  • Bespoke design based on your brief

  • Concept floorplans showing the proposed changes

£475

  • Bespoke design based on your brief

  • Concept floorplans showing the proposed changes

  • Coloured sketch perspective of the design

  • Design statement outlining the planning & structural implications and an initial construction budget

 
 

about

Potential etc... was founded in 2012 by Greg Toon, an architectural designer with 22 years experience designing within the residential and commercial sectors, including working as an Associate for an Architects Journal Top 10 architectural practice.

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Greg had the idea for Potential etc... after completing a full refurbishment and extension of his tired 1960s family home, which has been featured in The Sunday Times and Real Homes magazine.

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Greg has a passion for residential design and improving the nation's homes. He has worked on everything from social housing to luxury private houses. 

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Greg writes architectural design features for The Sunday Times, House Beautiful and Real Homes magazines.

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Frequently asked questions

What do you mean by 'potential'?

Most properties have it. A property’s ‘potential’ lies in its flexibility to adapt to buyers’ changing circumstances. Potential is often right under our noses but occasionally needs to be unlocked by someone with the vision and practical experience to make the best use out of space. Renovation is an increasingly popular option for many buyers. Refurbishment-based TV programmes have fed this trend and the proposed relaxation of permitted development rights will only increase the numbers of people looking to enhance properties. Not everybody wishes to extend or renovate a property immediately, but the majority of buyers today recognise that it is better to own a home with potential than one without it.



What do you need from me?

The premise of the fast, good value service offered by Potential etc... is that we require plans and photos of your existing house before we start work. You may have these in the form of floorplans from estate agent particulars, as part of a historical planning application or within your deed pack. A search of the Council's planning database for similar neighbouring properties is another way of finding a floorplan. Failing that, we can put you in contact with a surveying company to come and measure up and produce new plans. It will be beneficial for us to have additional photos of your house in its context (showing neighbours' houses and extensions). Sometimes we may ask you to provide us with a dimension or two, all in the name of designing the best and most pragmatic scheme.



Don't you need to visit the property?

You might be surprised to hear that this is not critical. With the above information provided and using our residential design experience, we can understand a property very well without actually visiting. By offering this remote service we are able to keep the costs down in comparison to the cost of hiring an architect in the traditional way. Most of the case studies shown on the website were produced without a site visit.



How do I pay?

Payment is due upon booking of service. Payment is by BACS bank transfer or cheque (by arrangement).



Why is the 'Staying Put' fee more than the 'Selling Up' fee?

Potential etc... can produce a scheme design based on your needs. Because designing to a brief/wishlist is more complex and time consuming the costs are higher than the service we offer for home sellers.



Can I have more than one artist's impression?

Yes. You can request additional perspective images of spaces that you think are key for communicating how the house can be altered. The cost for an additional image is £150.



What about the garden?

If it is your garden that lets your property down, we offer a garden design concept service. The work is carried out by trained landscape designers, who can produce a proposed garden plan and an accompanying sketch to show how it can be transformed. Please contact us for more information.



Will you take the project beyond concept design stage?

No. While I all have many years of experience at running building projects from start to completion, Potential etc... specialises in the early design stages of a project. Many clients take Potential etc... concept designs to local architects/architectural technicians/surveyors in order to progress the project.



Any small print?

The scheme, plan and costings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to substitute formal, detailed plans and costings provided by the relevant professionals. This does not constitute a contract. All recommended alterations are subject to the appropriate planning and building regulation consents. Drawings are based on existing plans by others and are therefore unverified.



Sellers: Why use this service?

• Maximise your sale price. The market will be opened up to people who find it difficult to see the potential of your property to suit their specific needs. By demonstrating the flexibility of your property, you will attract wider interest and increase the likelihood of competing bids and an optimum sale price. • Sell faster. The property will appeal to a larger audience, increasing the chance of receiving an early offer and reducing the time you have to show your home. • Increased security of sale. Interested parties will be able to take the scheme to builders and planning departments for initial costings and opinions, allowing them to proceed quickly and confidently with their purchase. Having buyers with their eyes wide open will minimise the possibility of you losing the home of your dreams if the chain collapses if buyers renege on their offer.



Sellers: Why not spend the money on a lick of paint instead?

Many people debate whether to refurbish their house before they sell in order to maximise the sale value. This can range from changing a carpet, redecorating, or refitting kitchens/bathrooms. The dilemma with this approach is that the choice of carpet, bathroom, etc. might not be to the taste of the final buyer and could end up just being a big waste of money. We offer a compromise solution, costing much less than any of the above enhancements, and giving buyers the chance to look past the decoration and layout and to see how the house can be adapted for a different family size or living style. The scope of your home's possibilities may go well beyond what might be visualised by a potential buyer and help tip the balance in any sale.



Sellers: Will my property benefit form this service

Perhaps the easiest way to determine this is to ask yourself if you think it is likely that someone will change your home once you have moved. The reality is that what may have been the perfect home for you, might not be for your final buyer, even if you have recently done work to the property. Humans are by design organic, and spaces need to be adapted to their needs. If you can illustrate this to a buyer, you have opened up your home to a greater audience.



Sellers: What will prospective buyers think?

Most prospective buyers look for potential in a property, even if they are not currently thinking of undertaking building work, so they'll appreciate you taking the initiative to demonstrate that potential to them. They will be able to better visualise how your house can meet their current and future needs.



Sellers: In a nutshell why should we use you?

Your property is in competition with every other property currently on the market. Potential etc… provides affordable, high quality, bespoke design with a convenience and innovation that gives you the advantage in the housing marketplace.



WHAT CLIENTS SAY

“Brilliant! I think you interpreted what I was looking for perfectly and as you say gives me a good starting point. I think what you have come up with is great, thanks a lot.” 

 

“Wow…thank you, that's great! Really good food-for-thought. I hadn’t considered this way round of doing things at all.” 

 

—  Graham, Dorking

—  Micheal, Newark-upon-Trent

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