AIBU to hate 1930s semi's?

[boymum9]

I was just hoping for someone to talk me around to 1930's semis...! I don't know what it is but I just find them, for the main part, so ugly! I generally dislike the look, the windows, pebble dash.

We live in an area for mainly 4 story Georgian houses, most turned into flats, we love the area but can't afford to stay here (1-3 million for a house) we have sold our 2 bedroom flat for 600,000 and are struggling to find a house a little further out from here because I hate the 1930s houses and there's a lot of them! (If you want parking, garden and good schools) DH is starting to get annoyed with me! It's not a snobbery thing, I just don't like the look of them and have fallen in love with Georgian and Victorian houses. I also hate new builds!

Can someone gives me all the great things about living in a post war house? I love that they have bigger gardens and love a lot of the original features, I'm just getting sad about looking out my windows and seeing houses I don't like the look of! First world problems I know!

YANBU, if you don’t like them you don’t like them but from what you’ve said it sounds like you’re going to need to compromise to find somewhere that ticks the other boxes and is within your budget

Surely they come in all shapes and sizes? I'm thinking of buying one, btw. The ones I've seen all seem to have a tiny third bedroom.

Whereabouts do you live?

Shall I bite? No.

Ours is fairly nice. No pebble dash in sight!

Laughing at 80 year old 1930's housing being described as "new builds" when its only 30 years after the Victorian era.

Compared to boxy newbuilds on identikit estates with tiny gardens and bedrooms that are 8' by 6' and high ground rents?

YABU!

Oh my gosh I love 1930s semis. I love the windows and the driveways. I love that they often have long gardens. I like the long narrow hallways. I really want one but I live in a small town and there really aren't any here. I know in cities they're commonplace but not here 😟

Surely only a minority are pebble dashed?

You could make it lovely inside decor wise and you don’t sit outside your house looking at it. So as long as it’s nice inside does it matter that much what the outside is like?

Your (large) budget won’t buy you what you want. If you need/want to move it’s unreasonable to reject all houses of the “types” you find less aesthetically pleasing.

I don't like them either, mil has one, they seem all flash at the front and boring round the back, they also have tiny box rooms.

i think for that price you could probably change the interior quite a bit but modernising the outside always looks crap imo. better to stick with the original 30s design

Oh do you live in Edinburgh by any chance? Just from your description I wonder if that’s where you are!

Sorry, I have nothing helpful to add as I’ve never spent much time in a 1930s semi. They look nice enough to me though and tbh, who cares what the outside looks like as long as the location is good. You can make the inside lovely and maybe decorate in 30s style which would be cool.

Sounds like you have champagne taste on a beer budget. It’s generally quicker and easier to adjust your taste than your means.

You don’t need other people to tell you what’s good about 1930s semis. You want people to agree with your opinion and indulge your snobbery.

Laughing at 80 year old 1930's housing being described as "new builds" when its only 30 years after the Victorian era.

In fairness, I don't think that's what she said?

There is only one solution. Go on Phil and Kirstie. They won't find you your magic dream non existent in your budget home but we can all laugh at the pair of them despairing of you.

I would rather be here in my late 1920s semi than the Georgian place I used to live that had draughts that had draughts and slugs!

Oh do you live in Edinburgh by any chance? Just from your description I wonder if that’s where you are!

Surely to God she could find a non pebble-dash in Edinburgh for £600k that fits the bill??

You may get more help with your first world problem on the property section - it's surprisingly active over there

Old houses often cost a truckload to maintain.

I’ve lived in houses of many different ages. After many flats, Picturesque 17 century cottage, 1970’s semi, modern detached, 1930’s detached.

Of all the houses the modern detached gave me everything I wanted - unusually: wood burner, huge windows, large garden, double garage, large driveway, damp and maintenance free and super cheap to heat. Wouldn’t swap it for all the ‘features’ in the world. I know that is not a popular view, but having tried and tested many - I reflect just how much my heating bills have come down despite it being a much bigger house.

My feature filled previous homes were expensive to heat, expensive to repair and often dark.

However - the 1930’s one you are describing became popular because of big room sizes and driveways in a time when cars were becoming more accessible to people - so generally family friendly.

I’d always put area before house though.

YANBU they are shite

Massive rooms, lots of light, bay windows, cornices, two reception rooms at least, large attics for conversion, gardens, driveways..
That said, the "motor rooms" are often too small for modern cars and get knocked down or converted to gyms.
I think the issue isn't the decade of construction but the ones you've been looking at.

Compared to boxy newbuilds on identikit estates with tiny gardens and bedrooms that are 8' by 6' and high ground rents?

To be fair, not all new builds are like this. The one I bought certainly isn't.

YABU, they are much warmer and cosier than any Victorian or Georgian house I’ve lived in.

If you like Victorian and Georgian houses then you'd probably like a 30s house that has kept a lot of its features. I'm generally not keen, but was recently working in an area that has a lot of these houses still with their original windows, etc. They are really very pretty. Unfortunately it's much rarer to find 30s houses that haven't been completely modernised than with Victorian, etc. Keep looking though - they are out there.

I live in a 1930s semi which is really rather pretty from the outside and something of a tardis on the inside (5 double bedrooms, inc 3 of which are massive). No pebble-dash - 100% granite.

Maybe it’s the area you’re in rather than 1930s semis the nation over