160% Rent Increase: Grade II Listed Townhouse Instantly rockets from £5,000 to £13,000 pm

A sixth-time-returning client reached out to us for a full refurbishment of their Grade II listed townhouse in Bayswater. The property's monthly rent increased overnight from £5,000 to £13,000. A staggering 160% rise in rental value, paired with minimal void time, with a combination of quick work and renting to the first viewer.

Grade II listed buildings require a great deal of care, knowledge, and smart planning. Our refurbishment and interior design team, led by Amar and Emma, managed the project seamlessly and completely transformed the layout to change the property's function and desirability, prioritising modern practicality while maintaining its historical charm.

Key Challenges:

Our Solutions:

Reworking the layout: Rather than disturbing the structure of this Grade II listed house, our team rebuilt the ground floor to create three bedrooms, each with its own en-suite bathroom, in line with listed building guidelines.

Moving the kitchen: The kitchen is relocated entirely upstairs, where a new kitchen was fitted to sit alongside the main living space rather than being tucked away on its own. 

Restoring the staircase to its original character: The main staircase handrail and bannister were stripped back layer by layer until the original joinery reappeared, giving the house a staircase that now looks close to how it did around 175 years ago. On the second staircase, the spindles were replaced with metal detailing designed to echo the main stairs and tie the whole house together aesthetically.

Conservation-appropriate windows: Because the property sits in a conservation area, we sourced timber double-glazed windows built to match the proportions and profile of the originals rather than opting for a standard replacement. The new windows are black externally and white internally, keeping the street elevation consistent with neighbouring homes while quietly improving sound insulation against outside noise.

Creating a bright, flexible upstairs: The upstairs living space became a generous six-by-six-metre lounge, ideal for entertaining, with garden views and a soundproofed ceiling to keep the room calm despite its scale. A neighbouring room, fitted with a wardrobe and air conditioning, matches the footprint of a bedroom downstairs but benefits from a skylight that makes it considerably brighter, giving the client the flexibility to use it as an office instead. 

Layering in the finishing details: Lighting and crown moulding were installed throughout, alongside painting, decorating and bespoke joinery, including fitted wardrobes. The colour scheme settled on neutral tones set against sleek contrasting metal finishes, a pairing chosen to feel modern and timeless at once rather than tied to a passing trend. 

Restoring throughout: Original doors, woodwork and architectural details were carefully refurbished and restored throughout the property, repairing years of wear while preserving the craftsmanship and character of the original features. Where elements could be retained, they were brought back to life rather than replaced, creating a refreshed finish without losing the property’s heritage.

The Outcome

The property was let to the very first person who viewed it. And the monthly rent rose from £5,000 to £13,000, a staggering 160% increase. But it’s not only a rental increase but also shifting the entire perspective of property in the market. The ROI sits close to 20% annually, a payback rate that is difficult to match through any other kind of property improvement and one that explains why landlords who commit to this level of work rarely regret it.

Long-Term Impact

Refurbishment on classic properties is inevitable, and the earlier it happens, the sooner it starts paying for itself. We know exactly how much to do, and when and how to do it. Without this knowledge, mistakes can be extremely costly. Beyond the rental uplift, projects of this scale also include the upgrades landlords must keep on top of, from electrical work to EPC compliance, so the investment does double duty by lifting desirability while keeping the property compliant with current standards.

For this client, the project also reinforced something that matters more than any single rental figure: trust built over repeated projects. A sixth project from the same landlord says a lot. It shows that our work delivers results and that clients trust our recommendations, because they have consistently paid off. That trust is what keeps clients coming back to InStyle Direct, project after project, long after the first room is complete.