15th Sep 2026 (24 days ago)
We bought a property through Lurot Brand in November 2025 for our company. They were pleasant to deal with during the purchase, but we have been really disappointed by the subsequent dispute over the advertised floor area.<br><br>It was advertised as roughly 2,300 sq ft “excluding eaves”. After completion, a measured survey showed closer to 2,000 sq ft when areas with headroom below 1.5 metres were excluded. On that basis, there was around 300 sq ft less than we understood we were buying. The advertised size informed both what we were prepared to pay and our calculations of what the finished property could be worth.<br><br>RICS residential guidance says that rooms with sloping ceilings should be measured at 1.5 metres above floor level, with the sloping ceilings noted. Government guidance for VOA rating measurements also excludes areas below 1.5 metres, except under stairs. These apply in different contexts and do not establish a single rule for every floor area calculation.<br><br>We did have a building survey before buying. That checked the property’s condition; it was not a measured survey verifying the advertised floor area. For that information, we relied on the agent’s particulars.<br><br>Lurot Brand disputes our claim. Through its solicitors, it has relied on the brochure disclaimers and maintained that the marketing showed the reduced headroom areas. To me, including those areas within the advertised total was at odds with the wording “excluding eaves” on the floor plan. Showing where the reduced headroom areas were did not explain that they were included in that figure.<br><br>I remain dissatisfied. Whatever the prospects of recovering compensation through the courts, the clarity of the information remains important to us as buyers who relied on it when making a significant financial decision. In my view, the particulars should have explained more clearly how the low headroom areas were treated.<br><br>We wouldn’t use them again. My advice to other buyers is to have the floor area independently checked before exchange and get written clarification of exactly what the advertised figure includes. For a future purchase, I would look for a more professional approach to explaining these measurements and particulars I felt more confident trusting.<br><br>I’ve included screenshots of their brochure and floor plans alongside our measured drawings. Please compare the stated internal area figures and the accompanying notes about what is included or excluded, particularly the eaves and areas with restricted headroom. That distinction is at the heart of our complaint.... Read more