A few issues ago we wrote briefly about a new development right on the edge of the City of London called City Quarter. At that point only the first stage of the project had been completed; a new build block which offered a great location in a well designed building.

Now there is an opportunity to live right next door to here, but in a building with a bit more character; how often do appartments in Grade II listed building come up for sale in London? Not often, is the answer.

Sugar House was built in 1887 by the Cooperative and Wholesale Society as a warehouse for holding sugar (no surprises there then), as well as being their headquarters on the site. In 1952 the Post Office took over the site, but CWS still lives on – today it is know just as the Co-op, one of the UK's biggest retail brands.

Developing a listed building like Sugar House can be a real headache for the developers, who have to jump through a lot of hoops for the government, but at the end of the day the character of the original building is kept, which is great news for buyers – if they are willing to pay the price. As in a lot of old buildings, and especially warehouses, the ceilings are very high giving all the rooms a much more airy feel than in contemporary apartments. Many of the rooms get their light through huge arched Victorian windows that were common back in the 19th century, but look so distinctive now. These are probably one of the most interesting and noticeable features of the apartments, especially when they open up and lead out onto a balcony or terrace, as the the case in a good number of the apartments.

When I first walked in, it was obvious immediately that a lot of thought and work had gone into renovating the foyer (although I have never liked that word!). The first thing that you see is a huge sweeping staircase, complete with original iron balustrades, and well restored wooden handrails. Prospective buyers (or curious journalists) are then taken up to the Sugar Suite - a rather plush set of rooms designed to impress, and loosen the cheque-writing hand. After a quick round of refreshments it is off to have a look at the main attraction.

The interior of each apartment has been individually decorated by the architects, at least as far as choosing the materials goes. They have tried to keep in touch with the original character of the building, so the joinery is crafted from Oak, and the floors and counter tops are made from limestone. The flooring in the bathrooms is heated, which I think is a great feature – I can see why more and more this is becoming the norm. Stepping out of the shower on a cold morning and not finding an ice cold piece of stone underfoot is a real pleasure. The kitchens all come pre fitted with high end Italian equipment, and there is also an option to have the whole apartment wired for audio – complete with the ubiquitous iPod connector.

At the moment there are only two show apartments available for viewing. Suna Interior Design specialise in creating show appartments for property developers, and they have decorated one of the one bedroom apartments here in an interesting combination of white, green and beige. The other show apartment is a two bedroom, with a lot more space. It features an open plan living area with a gold, black & grey palette (see picture below). Maybe I am a fashion victim, but the open plan style is great, I really liked the larger and more spacious feel of the two bed apartment.

On the outside things are arguably even more impressive, with the wonderfully coloured Victorian façade being crowned by a quarter scale replica of Big Ben – now fully restored by its original manufacturers, Thwaites & Reed. As you might expect, these appartments don't come too cheap, with a one bed starting at £425,000. For me, as nice as the actual building is, the best part still has to be the location. If you are one of the million or so people who work in the City, what price do you put on being an easy walking distance away from the office?

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