Which kind of house is better? Victorian, Edwardian, 1960, new built

[VandFamily]

Hello Everyone,
We are looking to purchase a house within next 6 months. And are was looking for some info on architecture. We moved here from Germany about 3 years ago so the material and architecture is very different from there. So I was looking for some first hand experiences on the kinds of built and durability of houses in UK.

Online search gave me the details of the architecture like timber content in frames and description of BISF frames. Also there are different types of houses Victorian, Edwardian, 1960 built with timber frames as well as new builts. But with my low experience it is difficult to determine which type of house would be energy efficient, low maintenance and long lasting if we are buying in next 6 months.

So if someone with first has and can share experiences on what is the most energy efficient and high quality house as per UK standards or specific things to look for, I would really appreciate that.

Thank you in advance.

We live in a Victorian house.

Pros: beautiful period features and high ceilings, large windows, large rooms, even the smallest room feels airy due to high ceiling and bay window. Very cool during the summer despite the big windows. Good solid construction.

Cons: not energy efficient, draughty, wonky (quirky!) - still love it though!

@GospelAccordingToMum sounds like you need some chimney sheep! We got one for our fireplace to stop the draught and it made a huge difference! www.chimneysheep.co.uk

We also have a Victorian house that we love the look of, as well as the room sizes and high ceilings. We renovated ours to make it much more energy efficient, including loft insulation, floor insulation and underfloor heating. You could always try and find period properties (which tend to hold their value well) which have been well modernised in order to achieve the energy efficiency you desire?

One of the things to bear in mind is that older properties may be draughty but this isn’t necessarily a design flaw and is integral to keeping them mould and damp free. If you plug up the fireplaces, the floor gaps and paint the outsides in non breathable paint then you’re building up problems.

Generally the older it is the less efficient it is and the higher the maintenance, but “long lasting “ is a different barometer and arguably older properties were better built than the average new build is now. So the older it is the more irs designed to last.

but I don’t know what long lasting means, no one’s house is falling down. It’s an odd thing to ask if a house is long lasting.

It really depends on what you want from your house.

From a living perspective I would probably say Edwardian, we live in one and it’s a wonderful space, full of character but with high ceilings and big windows. Being in it brings me a lot of joy. BUT it is very draughty and expensive to run. So would not suit anyone who is not going to subscribe to the ‘put another jumper on, and blankets everywhere’ philosophy. And that’s before you consider the general maintenance. Victorian would be similar but layouts can be long and thin. And many didn’t have even rudimentary damp proof courses.

If you want a house that’s not going to cost in repairs and be cheaper to heat then you need a new build. But rooms are very small, and storage is a problem. I can’t spend much time in modern buildings any more as I’m used to having a draught. I stayed in a hotel for work this week and struggled, it’s even worse if the windows don’t open.

1960s houses were built at the pinnacle of design living - they are usually bigger than new builds, with good natural light but some can also be very energy inefficient depending on build. A lot of 1960s infrastructure (roads, bridges) is beginning to fail so I do wonder at the longevity of the housing too.

So mostly, it comes down to what you want from your home.

Sorry, don't know if I am missing something, but nobody else has mentioned this- is it nit a legal requirement now for all properties offered for sale to have an Energy efficiency (EPC) rating, the chart that looks like this? So you don't need to get into the detail of construction type etc, just compare the charts in different properties for sale in Rightmove?

This is a good point. I remind myself of this during the winter 😂 Great to have extra ventilation to prevent mould and also as we have woodburners too.

I think it is useful to have a look (do some Google research) to see what was normal in terms of building at the time the different ages of house were built. This will help you to understand what was included at the time of building and what was a later addition.

Alterations can be fine but be aware that some may have been done before building regulations came in. It doesn't mean that there is necessarily a problem but the survey should be checking them out.

It's of course a good idea to look at the EPC rating, but the problem is that they are mostly desktop exercises rather than based on the real world build. They tend to look at the age of the building and "guess" what type of insulation has been used, etc - it's not scientific. And sellers can shop around to find the most generous surveyor to give them the best rating. So while it's a useful data point, you can't rely on it entirely to get an accurate picture of energy efficiency.

A lot of new build estates have been put up without adequate infrastructure - no shop in walking distance, overcrowded local schools, overcrowded doctors, etc.

I bought an 1860’s Victorian house. Loved it but came to realise what a money pit it was. I was extremely happy when a cash buyer bought it from me without getting a survey! Now live in a 1960’s build. Less character and space but easier and cheaper to maintain, which frees me up to spend money on travel.

Pros and cons to each, none is "better" than the other, modern houses are more insulated, older houses have more character, it's what is most important to you.

You can find modern houses with larger rooms and interesting finishes but they will be more expensive and rare as they tend be individually built/architect designed, rather than on developer’s estates.

I think the energy efficiency is really important. I would look at either a new build or a 1960s/70s house that needs refurbishment, suitable to upgrade the insulation/heating/ windows as well as add some style.

Most British houses are a bit of a compromise.

Some good advice there OP.

I moved into a new build from a Victorian property. (Had to dragged kicking and screaming because I LOVE period properties)

our Victorian property was a money pit. Every time we went to renovate or redecorate there was something we had to fix that cost £££. 😂

New build, whilst a bit characterless, is just… easy! Layout works better for modern family living. Only thing I would say is sound insulation internally no where as good as old properties that have solid thick walls internally as well as externally (I have a v noisy household though!)

@belladonna22

It's of course a good idea to look at the EPC rating, but the problem is that they are mostly desktop exercises rather than based on the real world build. They tend to look at the age of the building and "guess" what type of insulation has been used, etc - it's not scientific.

@belladonna22 well yes, but isn't that exactly the same "desktop exercise" that OP is asking here i.e. what era of house is generally most energy efficient?

I'm just pointing out that if efficiency is a priority, they can't fully rely on the EPC and will need to do more digging. Some people think that they are super accurate and a result of precise measurements within the house when they are really just a rough guide.

I moved from an Edwardian high ceiling place, chimneys and fireplaces, was never warm, to a Georgian cottage which is like a dolls house. Tiny and toasty and like coming home to a hug.

Often when people talk of character what they mean are the 'twiddly bits': picture rails, tall skirting boards, random bits of staircase etc. This is the character of a late victorian or edwardian terrace. It will have had lots of alterations over the years

A 1960s house will have the character of a 1960s house. No twiddly bits but lots of practicality. Generally fewer rooms but often of a reasonable size. Open plan living was starting to come in. Lounge/diners and kitchen/diners start to appear. Downstairs toilets start to appear as standard. Huge single glazed picture windows were a feature because energy efficiency wasn't a priority (power was always going to be cheap!).

Each era of house building reflects its time. So all houses have character.

I was also born in an EU country but have lived in the UK most of my life. What I have learned about the housing stock so far:

• I would not touch the majority of new built houses by big developers with a barge pole. Most are poorly constructed, small and only built to make maximum profit (so corners are cut) rather than last and provide decent accommodations. Also avoid those with ''estate maintenance charges''. They are poorly regulated charges and just a way for management companies to squeeze money out of buyers. Newer housing will of course be more energy efficient but frankly the overall quality can be dire. I had a new built flat in London and although it was big and had some really good light, the quality of the workmanship just turned out to be really poor.

• Avoid leasehold flats. Absolute rip off and no surprise that the majority of countries don't have that system in place. We also had a big cladding scandal in the past few years after the Grenfell tragedy so be be very careful not to buy a flat with cladding/flammable insulation

• People tend to value older houses more (Victorian, Edwardian) so they are usually more expensive to buy and of course will be more expensive to maintain

• Whatever you consider buying make sure you have a full structural survey

• If you buy an ex-council flat be wary that the council might hit you with a big repair/maintenance bill if they decide to do work on improving your building/estate

• Estate agents here are really also poorly regulated and many can be complete cow-boys...

I found the house buying system really quite tricky here, much more than the one in my native country (France).

That said I think the UK has some amazingly beautiful older housing stock (aka draughty, damp but characterful money pits...).

Unless you have a really high budget you are likely to have to compromise anyway and get something that will need some level of work/refurbishment.

you should be aware that there’s a world of difference between Edwardian and Victorian houses and who they were built for. Our first house was 1860 workers cottage. Shallow foundations, walls a single brick thick. Freezing. Our house now is Edwardian built for the well-off. Solid foundations, double skinned walls etc. we are able to get it quite high on the EPC. Still freezing though although those 12 foot high ceilings are lovely!

I agree with @Ablababla , you can generalise about housing, but there is lots of variation depending on your budget! Your typical estate new build starter home may be boxy and cheaply built, but new built modern homes can of course be high quality and spacious. Quality new builds can go for an awful lot of money around these parts as they can offer floor plans that suit modern families.

I live in a Georgian house.

Nothing is straight, so any work is complicated.
All utilities have been fitted retrospectively and it's a nightmare. We had a delightful electrician who spent a whole weekend trying to sort out the electricity, which sockets were OK and which blew the board, where this bit of wiring went etc. He discovered a submerged pond pump, a live electrical wire at the bottom of the garden (unsafe, live) and so many other weird things. Likewise plumbing and gas. We have some old lead pipes in a wall cavity which feed the bath and no plumber will solder onto lead so we're stuck with horrible taps the last owners put in. There is a gas fire in one room which used to work and we have used it in the past but at some point a plumber did something and it no longer has a gas feed. The pipe's there butno one can find where it goes to.

The good things are the enormous rooms and really high ceilings, big windows. Decent sized garden. The quirkiness of it is delightful. Every time you think you've come to the end of it you find there's more rooms...

I grew up in a Victorian house and I would like to live in one again. I like casement windows better than sashes, i love picture rails and hate dado rails.

However, we're definitely going to downsize into something modern where things work and our small pensions won't be swallowed up by trying to keep the building from crumbling around us. I'll miss the well proportioned rooms and high ceilings though.

We moved out of our 4 bed Edwardian house as we couldn’t afford the heating bills anymore. It was lovely, but freezing.

Now in a 4 bed 1940’s house. It’s much better and cheaper.