1930's style home - advice

almwales

Apologies if this is posted in the wrong thread!


I am a first time buyer and am considering making an offer on a 1930's 3 bed semi-detached property. Any advice from home owners or tenants who live in this age/style of property of the good and bad points or trouble areas that I need to be aware of would be a huge help!


Thanks
A

G_M

There is nothing specific about this age of property. Some are well built; some are not. Some are well-maintained; some are not. some have been modernised; some have not.

love_lifer

im in a mid 30s semi, ex council. no particular problems, its solid and lovely. only issue is the original windows and doors have been taken out to my sadness, and it gets condensation if i don't keep the nasty plastic windows ajar over winter.

certainly preferable to dodgy new builds. go for it...

hazyjo

I live in one now, and have lived in another previously (and my sis lives in one).


Generally they have good reputations. Not like some '80s builds and the like which weren't always the best.


'Halls adjoining' style is better as your noisier rooms won't back onto the house next door. My next door neighbour is as deaf as a post and we don't hear a thing, but those the other side have her telly absolutely blaring against the wall! That pretty much goes for any house.


May have parquet flooring hidden under carpet - although ours is just floorboards.


Jx

onlyroz

I'm in A 1930s end terrace. Find out if it has cavity or solid walls.


I believe that 1930s construction are generally considered to be well built.

discat11

If it's got condensation issues check the air bricks are still there and not blocked.

1930's houses are favourites of mine -solidly built for the most part and good sized rooms.

I believe the 1930s was one of the biggest housing boom times in history in the UK.
Theres a few good books on 1930s specific property too -the haynes manual is quite good.

Thrugelmir

Just as with a vintage car. Will require maintenance. How well has it been looked after? Rendering, pointing, age of roof etc etc.

PlaysNicely

:wave:
We love ours, a solid house certainly, but unfortunately we're now needing to sell on. In our experience, I'd say if you're having the roof checked, check out the guttering at the same time - most 1930's had cast iron originally which can be prone to cracking.
Alternatively, book another viewing on a really rainy day and see if there are any torrents or tell-tale puddling!

TrickyTree83

Check the party wall in the loft.

Had a 1930's semi we sold where the party wall was only partially built. It's fine to sell in that state since it complied with building regs at the time of construction. But my buyer wanted it completed (80 years later) in order to secure the sale. Ended up using thermalite blocks to finish the wall.

Missus_Hyde

We have a 1930's semi, one of a pair of handed cottages and I absolutely love it.

It's much more solidly built than the rubbish they put up these days and although the house itself is actually quite small, the garden is huge (I used to keep my horses in the bottom half of it.)

Houses of that age obviously do require maintenance (but so does any house after a few years) and it is a little like the Forth Bridge (once everything is finished, it's time to start again! )

Bigfishjeff

Previous posts have generally said it all - difficult to generalise some good some bad, lived in one for the last 25 years and would report as follows.

They generally are very badly insulated, considerable effort to bring it up to spec - wall roof etc
If you have cavity walls - check for signs of wall tie failure
We found out when we extended ours that it has little in the way of foundation - but is very solid
Drains can run in some very peculiar directions (in our case thro the neighbours garden)
Roofs (particularly nails) and underfelt will be at the end of its life

go for it tho