Edwardian / Victorian red brick property vs 1930s build

[HairyPorter]

The area we're looking at has a handful of period properties as an abundance of 1930s build. We had seen a lovely period property that we offered on but our seller has just pulled out. We've lost £500 on the valuation but fortunately she told us the day before our survey and we didn't lose more. A 1930s house has come on on an adjacent street. The interior is beautiful but I can't help feeling its a compromise as part of why we loved house 1 was the character from being a period home. Am I being silly?? Surely we'll spend far more time inside the house than we would looking at it?!?

We're just going to wait till another Victorian (well really they're Edwardian but appear more Victorian in style I think) house comes on in the area.

I agree that the Edwardian house is a LOT more beautiful.

Right decision I think OP - there is no contest between the two!

I've lived in 2 flats in converted Victorian houses and now a Victorian house and all 3 have had beautiful high ceilings, grand windows and very spacious rooms. Very hard to beat imho.

We're also in a position of considering more modern houses for our next move and I'm finding it difficult to feel the love so I do sympathise!

That's not a very nice 1930's house. Mine is much prettier ;) the room proportions aren't great either. I could fit a chandelier in my living room, but I've gone for a nice big drum shade instead. I don't think my ikea furniture would work well with a chandelier...

The Victorian house is charming and much better done up, I'd say they had some money as the furniture all looks very stylish and expensive! The 1930s house is not a classic version of its era and looks very bland. Incomparible IMHO!
I lived in a Victorian cottage: pretty but cold, damp and a battle to keep maintained.
Now live in classic detached 1930s house: warm, good proportions and so much easier to live in but only 32 years difference in building dates. The workmanship is massively different! Good luck with your viewings, your house is out there,somewhere!

Devora, can you recommend any of the books that you read on 30's architecture? We're just about to move in to a 30's semi and I can't wait to try and put back in some original features but not too sure where to start...

I agree that it is important and necessary to detach from other people's horrible furniture!

First one is sold

We've just left our freezing cold 3 floored high ceiling end Victorian house for a 1930s house. Our heating bills have dropped from ££270 per month to £90. Per month. No brainer to me

We live in one like the edwardian one. It is very well built, the woodwork is extremely solid and brickwork impeccable. Ours is very warm, £90a month to heat. We have side extended and it cost £20k including the kitchen. Modern semis are more spread out, bu this means you don't have the close knit comunity feel you get with a denser housing layout.

Edwardian is better tban draughty Victorian imo, although room proportions are not as big.

And there is a big difference between Edwardian and Victorian. Victorian tend to have 3 floors and higher ceilings. Edwardian are not too different from modern semis in terms of layout but you usually get a bigger loft, higher ceilings and they were built better. Edwardian have nicer features, esp. the doors, which are a touch wider I think.

environment7.uwe.ac.uk/resources/constructionsample/Conweb/house_ages/elements/print.htm

This is interesting for the geekier folks.

That's a very good point mummtomog and others - the first house is a really lovely example of that style of house and the 30s one is not an especially nice example!

When I first met dh his parents lived in a fab between the wars semi - it had bags of character.

I personally prefer the 1930s houses. Remember that you will mainly be inside enjoying the warmth, level floors, and right-angled walls, not outside looking at how cute it is.

(this might just be my experience of Victorian houses though)

Oo oo, good link horse!

Could we have a link to one of these fabulous 1930's houses?!? They don't seem to exist in the area we're looking at- the ones we've seen are rather drab on the outside!

Apparently the 1900s was the high point for house building quality standards.

I like the large gardens you get with 1930s semis, because of this they have more scope, but I don't think they are as well built, something to do with wood quality and mortar/bricklaying.

www.bbc.co.uk/homes/design/period_1930s.shtml

Ok, the Edwardian house is a LOT lovelier, I agree. Though it does help that it is currently inhabited by people with far better taste. I always used to remind myself, whenever viewing lovely tasteful houses, that they would probably only look worse when I moved in...

Fermin, my favourite book I got from the library. I'll swing by this week and find the details for you.

It's very easy to find images of the glamorous, Hollywoodesque 30s, and I used to use those images to inspire me when I lived in my last place, a 1930s flat in a mansion block that was small overall, but had great proportioned rooms, high ceilings, large windows. None of it worked in my bigger but humbler suburban semi - particularly the symmetry, the shininess, the use of black, the angles - but I love the suburban 30s style, particularly the doors, windows, fireplaces (all ripped out in my place). A lot of the furniture blends really well with older stuff (I guess because normal people, as opposed to Hollywood stars, wouldn't be buying all new stuff but using furniture that had been around for ages) and I find it also mixes well with mid century modern bits as well.

that Victorian on OP's links is my dream house - at least as far as a house in town goes!
I've noticed that in London rooms are bigger in these era houses, but lookign at other commutable towns, they are smaller (often 9in width for downstairs), why oh why!

Having lived in an edwardian flat, I agree with poster above that they are very solid - not cold or damp, retain heat quite well even with single glazing.

The Victorian house on OP's link is actually Edwardian. Victorian houses are taller and usually have 3 floors and are rarely red brick. They also have a narrower hallway and extend further at the back.

Fantastic, thanks so much Devora. We don't want to go too OTT but what we do want to do, we want to do properly - thinking of reinstating some 30's fireplaces, bakelite light switches and parquet flooring in the hall for starters. Ours is a modernist style semi (white facade with curved bay but pitched roof rather than flat) so 60's/70's retro furniture should work well too. We were greatly enthused by a trip The Geffrye Museum in London (aka The Museum of the Home) - it's a brilliant for inspiration on architecture and home decor from all eras. The bookshop was a bit of a letdown though.

Just to add that we are currently in a Victorian terrace. The brickwork on it is shocking. I too was under the illusion that Victorian homes were solidly built but there is just one brick-width between us and nextdoor so the noise insulation on both sides is appalling, we can hear everything which is the main reason we are ready to move.

Ah, I've no experience of living in an Edwardian house, though!