Viewing Homes
What a mews address can tell you about a home’s layout
A mews home’s earlier life can shape its windows, entrance and room arrangement. Use the history to ask better questions at a viewing.
Inside the property journal
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Home Viewing
Clerestory windows bring daylight from above the usual sightline
Clerestory windows can brighten a room while preserving wall space. Learn what to notice about glare, orientation, ventilation and maintenance at a viewing.
Home Viewing
When a listing says maisonette, inspect the entrance and the floor plan
Maisonette can describe different layouts across markets. Check the entrance, stairs and included spaces before treating the listing label as a floor plan.
Home Viewing
A lightwell deserves its own questions at a property viewing
A basement lightwell affects daylight, access and maintenance. Use a property viewing to identify practical questions without assuming it is an approved exit.
Viewing Homes
Why a mansard roof changes the shape of the top floor
A mansard roof has a steep lower slope and a shallower upper section. Here is how to read that shape when viewing the rooms and roof of a property.
Buying a Home
A house with underpinning history needs the repair paperwork
When a property has been underpinned, trace the cause, scope and completion of the work before treating the repair history as either reassurance or a warning.