How do you turn a property listing into a national news story?

Landwood Group approached us with what seemed like a straightforward brief: help promote the auction sale of a property in Staffordshire.

On the surface, it was a fairly standard instruction. A characterful house, a local auction and a LinkedIn post to support the sale.

But, Old Smithy Cottages in Brewood wasn't simply an attractive period home.

After some research we discovered that historians believe it is the oldest continuously inhabited home in Staffordshire. Further checks proved that this also made it one of the oldest residential properties in England.

Built in the 1350s, the house has remained a home for almost 700 years.

To put that into perspective - and to add even more colour to the story:

• Construction began while the Black Death was still reshaping medieval Britain
• The Hundred Years' War was being fought across Europe
• Edward III was king

What started as a property listing suddenly became a story about heritage and living history.

Rather than focusing solely on square footage, auction details and property features, we repositioned the story around the home's extraordinary historical significance.

We worked with Landwood Group to tell the story of a building that had witnessed seven centuries of British history while remaining continuously occupied throughout.

The combination of a remarkable age, strong historical context and striking photography created a story with appeal beyond the property pages.

The story captured the attention of journalists across property, news and lifestyle media.

Coverage included the BBC News website, Mail Online, This Is Money, Yahoo, MSN, AOL, Birmingham Live, Express & Star and Stoke Live, alongside numerous regional and specialist titles.

The story generated more than two billion potential opportunities to see and secured dozens of brand mentions for Landwood Group. Most importantly, it positioned Landwood Group as a nationally recognised business and boosted the interest in the auction.

A simple request for a social media post became national news - because we are always curious enough to ask the right questions.

Lewis Lowery Communications