Interiors: Rooms with a view show city in all its glory

Mar 20 2008 by Debbie Johnson, Liverpool Daily Post

Liverpool’s grand vistas have created a big demand for apartments that offer a sense of outdoor living. Debbie Johnson reports

YOU might imagine that having river views from your apartment would be an attractive bonus. As would a vista across the city, or cathedrals towering on your horizon.

But according to city centre property specialist Sue Taylor of KMC Residential, a view is more than just attractive – it can help you sell your property.

She says: "Having a view, especially one with a balcony, is in huge demand. On the rental market we actually have a waiting list of people specifically wanting views and a balcony.

"If you are selling, then it is not just a bonus – it can be the factor that makes a buyer choose your property. The balcony, or perhaps a deck, also takes away from the sense of confinement some people feel in city centre apartments – it gives you outdoor living as well as the convenience of the city.

"There are some amazing views in Liverpool. River views are always very popular, but there are also some unusual ones. Beetham Plaza has wonderful views; West Tower’s are amazing as well – right out to Liverpool Bay.

"Then there are places like The Reach with their city views, and the Georgian Quarter with the cathedrals and other beautiful buildings. I have to say the most amazing I have seen was the penthouse at the Unity – it was just jaw- dropping."

Some of the best views in the city have been featured in the Daily Post’s Style City.

Bernard and Lauretta Hearn, who live in the glass- fronted penthouse of Beetham Plaza, enjoy spectacular neighbours in the form of the Three Graces, the Liver Birds and the River Mersey.

The river, with its ever- changing views, is a fascinating place to watch the world go by.

Celebrity hairdresser Herbert Howe, has a pied-a- terre in the Royal Quay in his property portfolio, and says he thrives on living near the Mersey.

Jay Hynd, producer of the Pete Price show on City talk FM, enjoys stunning river views from the balcony of his apartment in the Unity Building, and it also floods his living room with natural daylight.

James Shead, a young solicitor who recently moved to the city, says one of the reasons he chose his Kent Street apartment was the views – on a clear day, they go all the way to Wales and as an added bonus, he says, he can read the time off the Royal Liver Building clock!

Gary Millar enjoys city and river views from his home in Exchange Street East – over the Mersey, but also taking in the beautiful rooftops and buildings of the city.

Dockland apartments offer their own charm – for example, solicitor Paul Knowles looks out over the docks stretching ahead from his Wapping apartment balcony, and dwellers at the Albert Dock look out across the broad reach of the Mersey.

In Gambier Terrace, both artist Peter Corbett and hairdresser Jan Williams praised the beauty of their views – from the terrace you can see Liverpool Cathedral in all its glory; right over to the Welsh hills, and also on to other picturesque Georgian terraces such as Huskisson Street.

Mike Packwood, who works in the newspaper industry, lives in the historic Collegiate building just on the outskirts of the city centre.

Its Shaw Street location offers a balcony, and a spectacular floor to ceiling window that stands 18ft high and allows for fantastic views over the back of city, including leafy green parks and distant gardens.

He also looks out onto a hexagonal building that used to be the former school's hall and kitchen. Now, minus its roof, it is a beautiful walled garden.

Sue Taylor at KMC feels that as the market expands, rooms with a view will become even more popular.

She says: "At the Brunswick Dock end there are going to be some new developments, and again you are talking about places with a view, across the river to Wirral."