At what point does a house reach the end of its life?

ffacoffipawb

Visiondvd wrote: »

Not a joke,,,i would imagine when ot falls down.

Like in that brilliant Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em episode!

It's at 9 minutes 50 seconds in this clip

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AowJSn9O_1k&feature=related

G_M

The only hope for properties such as you describe is for a Property Developer to buy them all up, knock them down, and rebuild new houses/flats. But that will only happen if the area is one people will be attracted to (ie local jobs, or beautiful environment - something to make people want to buy into the new development)
Or if individual owners decide to renovate.

But if the owners don't want to live there cos the place is a dump and there's no local work, and tenants don't want to live there either, then they will continue to rot till the do, in fact, literally fall down.

sonastin

Didn't John Prescott once conceive of a scheme where these sorts of areas were going to be forcibly demolished and replaced with something shiny and new and lovely. But the scheme foundered when the powers-that-be realised that some of the people "trapped" in these areas were actually living there quite happily and were quite peturbed at some whitehall politicians telling them they must have a new house because obviously no one would want to live in a hole like that.

I think some areas are getting cleared and demolished / major league renovated but it depends on the level of investment in the surrounding areas. The Urban Splash development of "upside down" houses around Chimney Pot park in Salford is one such rejuvenation programme.

p00hsticks

sonastin wrote: »

I think some areas are getting cleared and demolished / major league renovated but it depends on the level of investment in the surrounding areas. The Urban Splash development of "upside down" houses around Chimney Pot park in Salford is one such rejuvenation programme.

The Conservatives have now pulled the plug on these 'Pathfinder regeneration' schemes as part of the cuts, leaving many affected areas with swathes of derelict properties that have been compulsory purchased, but with no money now available to put anything in their place.

Amanita_2

Mine is 200 years old. There was actually a demolition order on it in the 1970s and we have have photographs of the house in that condition.

It has had extensive work done and I'm confident it is good for the next 200 years.

casper_g

It's not a question of how old a house is, but of whether it is kept adequately maintained. Houses can and do last for many hundreds of years if they are lived in and looked after; once they are allowed to fall into disrepair they will quickly degenerate until they are uneconomical to restore.

martinthebandit

Mr_Thrifty wrote: »

Most people move house when they have worn the place out.
Almost all houses for sale need a new roof or similar major expenditure.

Nonsense :cool:

spadoosh

Mr_Thrifty wrote: »

Most people move house when they have worn the place out.
Almost all houses for sale need a new roof or similar major expenditure.

Funny i plan on selling my house when there's nothing left to do to it which should mean its completely upgraded.

Almost all houses for sale (particularly in my area) are new builds or rennovations, they need no expenditure.

You sound like youve lived in the same house forever?!

poppasmurf_bewdley

Mr_Thrifty wrote: »

Most people move house when they have worn the place out.
Almost all houses for sale need a new roof or similar major expenditure.

I think I can honestly say that this is the biggest load of clap-trap I have ever read on this Forum!

Both statements are so far from the truth. If you took them to their logical conclusions, virtually every home in Britain is worn out and needing a new roof 'or similar major expenditure'.

Errata

Rows of 2 up 2 down terraced houses were thrown up in the late 1800's early 1900's to house pit workers, mill workers, factory workers, dock workers. Because they were thrown up using the cheapest possible materials, it doesn't take much for them to start falling down.