What does an architect see in a property that a buyer misses?

Three things, in order

Asked what an architect reads in a property that a buyer misses entirely, Matthew names three: "age, condition, and the gap to finish." They are not a checklist of features. They are three questions asked in sequence, and each one narrows the next.

Age — what is possible at all

"The age is going to influence what kind of structural interventions can happen." Age is not charm or nostalgia. It sets the envelope of what can be done to the building. Before you have planned anything, the age of the structure has already ruled some options in and others out.

Condition — how much work to a sound, closed state

"The condition is going to influence how many works are required in order to get to the right structural and closed state." Condition measures the distance between where the building is now and where it has to be before it is sound and weathertight. That baseline is not about you yet — every home has to reach it.

The gap to finish — what's missing for you

"And what's missing to satisfy the user needs is the third component." Only here does the property become yours specifically. This is the same measurement as costing what's missing before you sign — the works that stand between a sound building and the home you actually need.

Sources

• Perit Matthew James Mercieca — Yitaku Asks video (Architect Series, Cluster 1) — age; condition; the gap to finish