This is not an exhaustive or a complete subject. It is likely to change over time, with edits, additions and deletions, and is simply a collection of my thoughts based on many years of experience. You should follow your instincts, and you must always seek your own professional advice.
Wherever you live, you will see relatively modern housing. The outskirts of almost every town and village now seem to have modern developments and the built environment and our landscape is changing right in front of our eyes. The impact on the natural environment cannot be overstated. Natural habitats for deer, foxes, badgers and birds , just as a few examples, are being lost at an alarming rate.
There does seem to be a gap between what modern housing says it will achieve compared to what it actually achieves. The drive for quantity of new housing seems to be at the expense of quality. We really don’t know how long modern insulation materials will last or whether there is a reduction in performance as they age. We are already seeing building pathology failures due to condensation and trapped moisture – sometimes leading to severe timber decay.
Old houses are, by the very definition, old. There is no cut-off timeline for what is actually ‘old’ but in basic terms it seems to imply property pre-dating 1900, or thereabouts. While it is true to say that modern housing is built to performance-driven Building Regulations it is increasingly seen that the longevity of construction and materials is now questioned.
Old houses have character, often have larger gardens and larger rooms and were built to last. Sure, they will need some updates and improvements but this doesn’t need to be negative. It can make them even better. Houses built in the 1920’s and 1930’s have proven to be very robust indeed. They tend to be well built and with good rear gardens as they date from a time when people grew vegetables and might have had chickens and a pig.
Edwardian houses are very popular too. They tend to be of a good size and without the fussy details of high-status Victorian houses.
Agricultural buildings are very easily adapted and old farmhouses can be wonderful to live in.
The long period spanning Georgian and Victorian housing does need a close inspection as by now, following multiple owners, they are likely to have been altered and might have been repaired using inappropriate materials such as gypsum plaster, cement mortars and damp-proofing. Nevertheless, they can be good purchases.
There are many variations of historic timber-frames which can be high-risk if you don’t understand them, but they can still be good purchases if they are maintained properly. I have done other Blog posts on this topic.
In summary, buying an older house will often be a better option than buying a modern house. Go in with your eyes open, get a very thorough building survey first and don’t be rushed into committing to the purchase.
Disclaimer: Anything posted in this Blog is for general information only and it is not in any way intended to provide any advice, legal or otherwise, on any general or specific matter that you can rely on. You should always seek your own legal and surveying advice.