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Selits is a family property investment company, established in Brighton in 1953. The majority of the property portfolio is in Sussex but the company also owns property in the Thames Valley. The company has developed a number of the properties itself whilst it has extensively renovated many of the others, predominantly comprise retail, roadside or warehouse property with some offices and flats.

Selits Ltd had previously reached an agreement with the adjoining owner to create a new accessway at the first floor and wished to develop the previously derelict building to achieve the maximum viable use and occupation before selling the enhanced site at a profit.

Alex Wales, Building Surveyor for SHW comments, “The site is located deep in the Brighton lanes which forms part of the Old Town Conservation Area. The location and heritage of the building presented significant logistical and regulatory challenges. Ultimately these challenges were overcome and, where the client once had a derelict site, they now have an enhanced and fully occupied building.”

Project / Contract Admin works included:

• Complete refurbishment of the ground floor retail unit
• Conversion of the upper floors (from storage) to form a self-contained maisonette flat
• Forming a new accessway at the rear off a public staircase
• Enclosing the rear yard under the flat roof to enlarge retail unit and serve as the entranceway to the flat
• External repairs and maintenance
• Resolving multiple sources of water ingress and damp
• Party wall matters

The works commenced in October 2021 and were completed in March 2022. The retail unit was successfully let in April 2022 and the maisonette flat was rented out in November 2022. The site is now being marketed by the SHW Agency Team for sale.