Why are terraced houses not cheaper?

Zelie

Over the course of several months flicking around property websites I've noticed that terraced houses seem to be marketed at much higher prices than semis.

To my mind a semi is a much better buy but again and again I'm seeing terraces in the same area and of roughly the same age and size as semis but a good £30k more expensive. What gives?

mr.broderick

Zelie wrote: »

Over the course of several months flicking around property websites I've noticed that terraced houses seem to be marketed at much higher prices than semis.

To my mind a semi is a much better buy but again and again I'm seeing terraces in the same area and of roughly the same age and size as semis but a good £30k more expensive. What gives?

No idea they are certainly cheaper than semis round here.

PasturesNew

In some cases it could be because the terraced are closer to the towns, where they are older terraces.

Generally though, in recent years, I've noticed that price seems to have less and less to do with the house and location, people have seemed to put them up at any price and hope for a sale (and usually get it)

Years ago, it seemed like there was a pecking order, say:
Flats £10, Terraces £15, Semis £20, Detached £30.

When it all got desperate in this bubble, it all became unhinged entirely from reason.

littlesaint

Terraces tend to be older - 1890s - 1914, compared to semis which usually are post war. Some people (including myself) prefer that.

sreppaw

Are the terraces in areas which are predominatly not owner occupied, e.g. to let in a city centre?

e.g. I would never have rented a flat, always had houses when I was a student, always an old terraced house in the city center, close to the uni, casual work, nightlife etc.

undercoat11

Hi

I have noticed this round my way too. In fact some terraced houses are more expensive than detached houses and I know which one I would buy!!

Often the terraced houses don't even have a parking space and it could mean parking down the road and then walking to your house with all your shopping. It is all to do with their location I expect, but the difference around by where I live is so marginal it seems totally ridiculous.

I think prices certainly have become unhinged from all reality and it is time for them to go back to being affordable for "normal" people to buy.

wymondham

Terraced houses are well built and usually close to town centre's ....

plus they have a proven track record having been there for 100+ years!!
not sure how many houses around now will last this long!!

why don't house builders build nice bay windowed terraced houses with old features etc.... ?

Kaz2904

They're cheaper to heat and often have lower council tax than semis. They've also only got 2 outside walls.

phil_b_2

depends on the terrace. The naff little piddly ones are worth a lot less, the HUGE victorian grand terraces are rightly worth more. They really are like a tardis, bigger than many detached's. The ones with the gorgeous original features sympathetically restored are among my fave types of property. They also often have the attics fully converted into spacious extra rooms.

The terrace I grew up in had 2 massive receptions and a huge kitchen, with 7 bedrooms. Many also have big cellars the size of the whole house!

morg_monster

One of my sad rightmove pastimes is play "guess where the bathroom is?" with terraced houses as you see so many different decisions made when an inside bathroom was installed (all the victorian ones would have been built with an outside toilet). Best is when you see just an ensuite to the master bedroom and nothing else. What the hell do you do when guests need the toilet in the middle of the night?!! Only alternatives seem to be, downstairs behind the kitchen (for me, yuk), or cutting off a third of the width of one bedroom and making a bathroom out of that.

Personally I'd prefer a post war "ugly" semi that has been designed for the way we live now, but I can't deny lots of terraces are very pretty.

lostinrates

morg_monster wrote: »

One of my sad rightmove pastimes is play "guess where the bathroom is?" with terraced houses as you see so many different decisions made when an inside bathroom was installed (all the victorian ones would have been built with an outside toilet). Best is when you see just an ensuite to the master bedroom and nothing else. What the hell do you do when guests need the toilet in the middle of the night?!! Only alternatives seem to be, downstairs behind the kitchen (for me, yuk), or cutting off a third of the width of one bedroom and making a bathroom out of that.

Personally I'd prefer a post war "ugly" semi that has been designed for the way we live now, but I can't deny lots of terraces are very pretty.

re downstairs bathrooms....I have often thought with young children who tend to need bathing before an early bedtime, this is actually a bit of a boon...much easier to deal with the kitchen and bathroom stuff near each other and when they are big enough presuambly you can let them splash about a bit with the door open so you can keep an eye from the kitchen . It wouldn't be a deal breaker for me in that sort of house.