I have recently seen agents describing some houses as 'low built'. The pictures show perfectly normal 2 storey houses with normal height rooves, so what is low built? I asked Jeeves, and he didn't know either.
Translations please!

It's a term that is not used in the U.S. (to my knowledge). You might call a realty agent to find out; they like to be creative with their advertising.
A house that is "low built," to me is a one story dwelling but is usually advertised as such.

You're right, Fjohn, the trouble is once you phone an agent they always try and get your address and sell you a house!

Satguru,

I *think* it means houses that are not built on piles, but rather on a concrete slab.

I have just visited the agent's new website, and while they remain advertised, this page has 3. All neo Georgian, as it happens, though the others weren't, but no other reason. Strange marketing methinks.

Here's one and there are two more if you search all properties from there, all on the same page which can't be linked directly

The photo offers no clues. Low density area comes to mind, plenty of space, didn't pack six houses onto the plot, but it isn't an expression that I have every heard.

I`m thinking the description by oz was correct . I found this site

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After going a short distance along Lambeth Walk, [Lydia] turned off into a street which began unpromisingly between low-built and poverty-stained houses, but soon bettered in appearance.

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though it would be strange for a real estate agent to describe any house he/she wanted to sell in a less than positive manner. Of course terminologies change and whilst a house built on a slab may have been thought of as a lesser building in days past they are becomming more "acceptable" as builders save effort and money. One problem with a house built on a slab though,in Australia anyway, is that it limits accessability to under the floor and makes it difficult to spray poison and check for whiteants[timber eaters]. Edited for spilling

Now after more research I`m not sure at all what a "low built"house is ! Thomas Nashe does mention one in the following poem if that helps . Autumn

AUTUMN hath all the summer's fruitful treasure;
Gone is our sport, fled is poor Croydon's* pleasure. [town in Surrey]
Short days, sharp days, long nights come on apace,
Ah! who shall hide us from the winter's face?
Cold doth increase, the sickness will not cease,
And here we lie, God knows, with little ease.
From winter, plague, and pestilence, good Lord, deliver us!

London doth mourn, Lambeth* is quite forlorn; [south London suburb]
Trades cry, woe worth that ever they were born.
The want of term* is town and city's harm; [lack of an end]
Close chambers we do want, to keep us warm.
Long banished must we live from our friends;
This low-built house will bring us to our ends.
From winter, plague, and pestilence, good Lord,deliver us!

Now I think that I know what a low built house refers to with the post by damnsuicidalroos. Sounds like "low built" means roughly built out of materials at hand.

Not if you follow Satguru's link and check out the house concerned, at that price it isn't going to be made of rubbish.

I have sent an email to that estate agent asking them what it means - watch this space, will they be polite and respond?

That's a lot of research Roos, you got a lot further than I managed
Good idea emailing them Sue, I was going to suggest we all tried it, as they ignored mine, but either 30 plus emails or a phone call would be harder to ignore.

They used term, and they are bound to justify it. In the UK, very few houses aren't built on flat foundations, I remember seeing how the houses in Neighbours in Melbourne all have storage spaces underneath, which is an almost unknown concept in the UK, so it couldn't be that.
The second theory shows it clearly is a definite, though archaic term, but as Sue observed, these are million pound plus residences in the main, so the term hasn't been used in that meaning. I think the agents would be fascinated to know the amount of confusion and theorising their loose marketing has generated, and I think they will be pinned down for an answer fairly shortly.

Another reference I found, although somewhat oblique, refered to low built as low density which would fit with the mansion pictures.

Maybe it refers to ceiling height. This can vary in properties quite a bit.

I sent the link David provided to the former president of the lacal estate agents' association and as posted elsewhere on this site, she has nver come across the term. This is what she had to say about David's link.

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The words "low built" are ridiculous when used to describe a property like that! 35 years ago I used to live in that neck of the woods and I'm wondering if the property in question used to belong to one of the Beatles. Do you know?

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Pleasant woman, I only met her once about 16 years ago when I was house-hunting.

OK, I have written to another London estate agent, this time dangling a carrot - let us see if they respond!

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Good morning

I am currently living in Jersey but have been looking at some properties in the London area on the Internet, just mild interest at this time. Many of the properties I have seen are described as 'low built', this is not a term used in Jersey to describe properties, I have even asked my local agent who has never heard the term. Hopefully you will be able to explain exactly what it means as it appears to be used in relation to both substantial properties and to mews alike so cannot presumably refer to density which was my first though.

I would be grateful for a definition, as would my Jersey agent.

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Hopefully they will think they have a possible client on the way, a Jersy one to boot and therefore perhaps loaded!

Thanks a lot Sue, I'm glad someone else is as persistent as me
I'm sure with this determination we're going to get to the bottom of this. I think a link to the National Association of Estate Agents with a query will be next if it means nothing as they now have to comply with the law on accurate description, and that does not include double Dutch!

When I get flooded with property descriptions for multi-million pounds houses in the London area I will blame you. Perhaps I will purchase a few to add to my portfolio. Any idea whether a Beatle used to own that house as Wendy seemed to think?

My friend will tell me the exact address soon, but Paul McCartney certainly does live in St John's Wood near the High Street as her relative lives next door. Another relative of hers lived next to one of the Spice Girls in Hampstead. I do not mix in such circles here though

And if you don't want any of those house details send them to me- I collect pictures of interesting houses

Just to add I did that email to the National Association of Estate Agents myself, as they ought to have the definitive answer, though I hope it may leave Barget's with a bloody nose as well !

Just received an email from the head of the NEA

The term "Low built" is not one that I have come across during my time as an Estate Agent in Warwickshire.

However I understand that it is a term that is sometimes used in the London Area to differentiate between a property of up to say three storeys high compared with one of five or a high rise block.

Amazing! With about 80% of London being under 3 storeys, they should say it for every one they advertise? Especially with a picture, which shows it already, so I think Barget's were being poetical/confusing at least, if I see this reference again used by someone else I'll phone like Sue did and clear it up for good!

Despite the carrot I dangled under their nose I didn't get a response, what bad mannered people these London estate agents are, they don't deserve my custom!

What a stupid term, and why only London? I will let Wendy know what you have found out.

I just loved this description for a London house advertised on the Internet: "A fabulously ostentatious low-built house ideal for sybaritic entertaining." It didn't give a price, but if you're feeling especially sybaritic it may be worth considering.

Another agent just advertised these, and now I've got an official answer

The low build house means that the house is built on two levels. In this case the house was also built in the eighties.
I hope this clarifies your question.

It did! But how many people would actually work this out? Plus, what's my house, it's a bungalow- 'Very very low built?' 'Sub-low built' 'Lower built'... You get the picture.

She was wrong!! After seeing an agent on TV recently say a 4 storey house was low built, my whole theory was shot down in flames. But luckily Hamptons just advertised another 4 storey 'low built house' and the nice man there explained it simply means 'wider than tall', as there are many town houses that are just a couple of small rooms piled on top of each other, and low built distinguishes where a house may have a few floors but is still wider than it is tall.

Well, we got there in the end!