Old home vs new home - what'd you rather?

Hintza

OP why not consider a self build? We have just one this and incorporated a GSHP (Ground Source Heat Pump). Oh the joy of having a nice warm house instead of damp, freezing 200 year old cottage which we demolished. You can spec it as high as funds will allow.

I reckon our heat pump will add +/-25% to our electricity use, but we won't be paying a fortune for oil anymore. Our whole reasoning was to pay a bit more now to allow for cheaper utilities when we get older.

We needed more planning permission to site PV so missed out on that wheeze!

Our neighbours have had 3,000 litres of oil since November around £2,000 in less than 3 months.......:eek:

ed110220

Leif wrote: »

That is posh!

Google maps to GU34 5AR. Look for Hawthorn Stables, go two properties to the East, and you'll see a single story example. I think that one is scheduled for demolition and they will build one or more new houses on the plot. There are more than a few rabbit hutches in the area, sorry I mean desirable new properties.

There are quite a few sprinkled around a wide area.

Ah, from your description I was thinking it would be one of the mass-produced prefabs that were built shortly after WWII. The single-storey ones were really little more than early mobile homes and most have gone as they were actually temporary. But looking at it I would say it's probably older and self-built rather than mass-produced. There's a little church near here built in the same sort of way. The BISF house was also mass produced and built from Plymouth to Glasgow, but of a more substantial construction and intended to be permanent.

Leif

ed110220 wrote: »

Ah, from your description I was thinking it would be one of the mass-produced prefabs that were built shortly after WWII. The single-storey ones were really little more than early mobile homes and most have gone as they were actually temporary. But looking at it I would say it's probably older and self-built rather than mass-produced. There's a little church near here built in the same sort of way. The BISF house was also mass produced and built from Plymouth to Glasgow, but of a more substantial construction and intended to be permanent.

There are quite a few of these tin shacks around in this area, I can think of 4, with 2 being 15 miles away from the ones above. The land was apparently given away to ex-servicemen after WW2 according to a friend and neighbour.

ed110220

Leif wrote: »

There are quite a few of these tin shacks around in this area, I can think of 4, with 2 being 15 miles away from the ones above. The land was apparently given away to ex-servicemen after WW2 according to a friend and neighbour.

Strange, I would have guessed it was older than that. Perhaps if it was self-built, that explains it as the mass-produced ones were less quaint and more industrial.

Canucklehead

Doozergirl wrote: »

Well, they are, in general, thrown up by developers without any particular love or attention to what is architecturally good. What people don't really take into account though is modern building materials and our Building Regulations.

Whilst modern building materials may not be entirely natural, they are developed to a particular standard. Our Building Regulations are some of the most stringent in the world. The wood will be resistant to rot, foundations specifically calculated to the ground etc. and so I have no doubt that new houses will stand the test of time,especially if they are improved as they are maintained, iyswim. Developers often only put in stud walls where there used to be brick which is an annoyance for hanging pictures and sometimes sound transference within a house, between attached houses and flats, there are now stringent regulations for noise and fire.

We've ripped apart many, many old houses and pieced them back together at great expense. A 100 year old house is a mess! If people really knew what hides behind their plaster, they'd be a little more concerned! But people often judge houses on the cover.

I love the character of old buildings. My choice would be a well renovated period home or really a well designed new build built with care and on a plot of my choosing - which we're hoping to do shortly! You can build a new home with character.

I'd not be keen on a 50s-70s house as standards were pretty low and there's the use of asbestos to contend with.

Hi..couldn't have said it better myself...spot on DG.;)

Canucklehead

ormus

you only have to ask yerself one question.
why is the 1930s semi detached house so popular? in all parts of the uk.
almost everyone i know who lives in a terraced house aspires to a traditional semi.
i dont know why builders dont take the hint.

ps
i dont know anyone who aspires to a 60 yr old (temporary) tin house.

ed110220

ormus wrote: »

you only have to ask yerself one question.
why is the 1930s semi detached house so popular? in all parts of the uk.
almost everyone i know who lives in a terraced house aspires to a traditional semi.
i dont know why builders dont take the hint.

ps
i dont know anyone who aspires to a 60 yr old (temporary) tin house.

Probably because they can cram more in and therefore make more money, same as in Victorian times with terraced housing.

Doozergirl

ormus wrote: »

you only have to ask yerself one question.
why is the 1930s semi detached house so popular?

I dunno, is it because there's loads of them?

ormus

nope. theres more terraced houses in the uk.

Leif

ed110220 wrote: »

Strange, I would have guessed it was older than that. Perhaps if it was self-built, that explains it as the mass-produced ones were less quaint and more industrial.

I spoke to a colleague, and he thinks some also went up after WW1 . So they might be as old as you thought. I am surprised they are still standing. The first lone I linked to sold for £210,000, with a huge plot (at least half an acre). Not sure how much it'd cost to erect a 3 bed bungalow.