Essential Guides & Advice Victorian And Edwardian Property

Date Published:

21/05/2008

Pros

The steep roofs of properties of this era can make the lofts particularly ripe for conversion. Homes are generally solidly built of brick with deep windows, heavy doors, under stair storage, cellars, and deep bay windows. Many homes of this period feature attractive brickwork, elaborate tiled entranceways and good ceiling heights.

Larger homes will enjoy living space spread over three storeys, some of which can be opened up to create more contemporary spaces. Elaborate and attractive architraves, corbels and ceiling roses are a feature of property of this period, as are fireplaces, which are often found in each major room.

Victorian and Edwardian era homes can also create very attractive street scenes, and so can be big on kerb appeal.

Cons

Victorian and Edwardian era mains water supplies and sewers are these days barely able to cope with the demand placed upon them, sometimes hampering the number of bathrooms you can fit into a conversion. Traditionally facilities like outdoor loos or coal sheds could be cannibalised to create downstairs bathrooms, but today a downstairs bathroom is not looked upon as a great selling point.

Many of the terraces put up in the industrialised cities lacked any kind of garden. Often a courtyard was shared between several homes or houses backed onto alleys which over the years became derelict space. Noise transference can also be a problem in terraces, and the homes are often quite dark.

Sash windows, in this type of property, can be prohibitively expensive to replace with double glazed versions. Non-sash replacements are a commonsense measure in terms of drafts and durability, but rarely look good. Bay windows in houses of this era can also be liable to damage from subsidence due to slender foundations.

Taste revolutions during the 1970s and 1980s led to many homes having their original features totally removed, which now seem to inhabit neither age comfortably. Modern comforts like central heating and indoor plumbing can also seem out of place or bolted on.

When re-pointing or re-rendering your home, it is important to be aware of the original method used. Most pointing on homes of this era will contain lime and will have been applied using techniques not common today.

Useful Websites:

Urban Splash
Building Talk
The Victorian Society
The Arts & Crafts Home
Salvo (for reclaimed building materials)
The Edwardian Country House
Period Property.co.uk

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