Case study: Adding space should add value to revamped apartment

Marie and Michael Murray spent about £70,000 refurbishing a Glasgow duplex apartment in open-plan style after returning from years of living overseas with their now grown-up children.

“With the state of the economy now, more people seem to be doing this to houses that they have had for quite some time; people can’t afford to move, I think,” said Mrs Murray.

“They got more value to their property from renovating.”

She added: “If I’m working in the kitchen, I like the fact that I can be part of what’s happening in the lounge or the dining room.”

The couple have lived in countries including Hong Kong and Istanbul. She said: “In most of the places that we’ve lived in overseas, we have had open-plan living; no really separated rooms as such, but one room would lead to another.”

The couple bought their two-bedroom duplex apartment in a refurbished telephone exchange building in Glasgow’s West End about eight years ago, as a family base during their roving life.

They chose it for a living room with bay windows, and replaced an existing staircase with a wooden one with glass panels to keep the flow of light.

They commissioned a team at interior designer Chelsea McLaine to build a mezzanine area over their bedroom, with a study and dressing room accessed by a “floating stair”.

“It’s made the bedroom very open plan, because it’s all glass and chrome and wood. It’s open aspect, up to the top area.

“We are actually about to have the place revalued, but we are told it should add value to the apartment because we have added space. The ensuite bedroom that was behind walls, is now behind glass walls, so it’s a very open feeling. “