Edwardian house - What to expect?

bluedrop

Hi all,
A 4 bed detached Edwardian property came on the market today. I love the room sizes! Looks like it has been reasonably updated and it has double glazing throughout. The vendors are downsizing to move into a granny flat. So everything is perfect.

We live in a 1930s semi. What to expect from Edwardian homes in comparison? Are they expensive to maintain / heat ? Can we do to keep the gas bills reasonable?

Would you buy an Edwardian house? Or should I just forget this and look at the new builds Barratts are building on the other side of the town?

aneary

Barratts house vs Edwardian house no contest in my opinion.

You buy the barratts home and you lose money the minute you walk through the door.

martinsurrey

bluedrop wrote: »

Hi all,
A 4 bed detached Edwardian property came on the market today. I love the room sizes! Looks like it has been reasonably updated and it has double glazing throughout. The vendors are downsizing to move into a granny flat. So everything is perfect.

We live in a 1930s semi. What to expect from Edwardian homes in comparison? Are they expensive to maintain / heat ? Can we do to keep the gas bills reasonable?

Would you buy an Edwardian house? Or should I just forget this and look at the new builds Barratts are building on the other side of the town?

I moved from a 3 bed semi Victorian place (90sq m), which I fully renovated, inc loft insulation and good windows) to a 220sq m detached 5 bed 1980's build, and my utility bills FELL.

I loved the look and feel of the Victorian place, but my current house is 100% better in every other way.

davidmcn

bluedrop wrote: »

We live in a 1930s semi. What to expect from Edwardian homes in comparison?

Something about 20-30 years older. It won't be dramatically different.

Rambosmum

high ceiling = higher bills and harder to hear in my experience. I wouldn't change it though!

bluedrop

Rambosmum wrote: »

high ceiling = higher bills and harder to hear in my experience. I wouldn't change it though!

The ceilings aren't THAT high. Not like Victorian houses. But definitely higher than my 1930s house.

Rambosmum

bluedrop wrote: »

The ceilings aren't THAT high. Not like Victorian houses. But definitely higher than my 1930s house.

We have a late Victorian house, ceilings are 3m. We've moved from a 30s semi. And the difference is quite dramatic in terms of harder to heat but it is really lovely, and room sizes are brilliant.

hazyjo

I've just moved (last week) from a 1930s house to an Edwardian house.


I've lived in many types of house over the years. This Edwardian house is COLD downstairs. But then we do have a thru-lounge at the mo (and there are very high ceilings). There is also a log burner which we need to find out how to work which will help. The rooms will be split next year so I'm hoping it warms up a bit after that.


Do I care? No. I love my house and would trade warmth for character. If my OH and friends/family heard me say that they'd collapse lol. I am someone who likes to be in a warm house with my arms bare (and usually my shoulders, I like strapless tops at home!) and at the mo I am walking round with a top/fleece hoody on, socks and slippers and putting a 'granny blanket' (ie long cardigan) over my legs.


Upstairs is warm at least


Can't really think of any other downsides with mine. It's much more soundproof than my old house. When my OH is upstairs, it feels like he's a million miles away now. In the old one, I could hear him snoring if I was downstairs. Our old house was in a VERY quiet crescent - this one is busier. I heard more noise in the old one! We're very surprised at that. When I shut the door behind me when I get home, we're in our own little world.

theartfullodger

A genuine Edwardian House would have deplorable plumbing, no central heating, terrible insulation, no double glazing, but probably a few servants.

Ah, the good old days!

martindow

theartfullodger wrote: »

but probably a few servants.

Ah, the good old days!

They might be getting on a bit though ...

ReadingTim

There are just too many variables in the OP's dilemma to comment, and then there's personal preference as to ambient temperature. But as a rule:

• A detached house will be more expensive to heat than a semi
• A larger house will be more expensive to heat than a smaller house
• An older house will be more expensive to hear than a newbuild

Personal preference comes into it too - some people want to be able to wander around in a t-shirt and bare feet whilst others subscribe to the 'put another jumper on' way of warming up. Men perhaps feel the cold less than women too. We don't know what the OP's preferences are in this regard.

However, one way to keep bills down in larger houses is not to try and heat (too much) unused rooms and 'dead' space such as halls, landings, spare bedrooms etc. Keep a reasonable ambient temperature throughout the place, but warm up rooms you use often - the kitchen / eating area, the living room for watching TV etc. A cool bedroom actually helps you sleep better, but you might need a warmer duvet instead!