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County report: The older the better, say buyers

IT SEEMS we still love those golden oldies when it comes to buying our homes.

According to a study on three-bedroom homes across the UK from Propertyfinder.com which were chosen for their architectural style, Georgian housing topped the tables in every category.

Georgian, the oldest period of house surveyed, topped the tables in every category not only representing the least common, but also the most expensive and most desirable dwellings.

Houses built between 1950 and 1980 proved to be the least popular, while also making up the highest percentage of housing stock and demanding the lowest average asking price.

It appears there is a strong correlation between the age of a property and its value, with older houses tending to command greater sums than properties built in a later period.

Bucking this trend are contemporary and 1990s developments, the average price of which exceeds properties in both the 1950s to 1980s, as well as inter-war (1914-1939) housing categories.

* Georgian (1714-1837)

The results show Georgian property to be worth the most, at over £390,000 for a typical home, while also being the most popular among house hunters, with 46.7 per cent regarding it as attractive or essential in their property choices.

It is also the rarest, accounting for less than four per cent of the nation’s housing stock.

* Victorian (1837-1901) & Edwardian (1901-1910)

The next oldest, Victorian and Edwardian houses, were also the next highest on the list. House hunters can expect to pay around £320,000 and £328,000 respectively for properties from these periods.

They are also popular, attracting about 45 per cent of people, and they are also comparatively rare, accounting for only 15 per cent of total housing stock.

The marginally greater cost for an Edwardian period property over a Victorian counterpart in the areas surveyed is explained by smaller supply, together with slightly more generous proportions.

* Post War (1950-1980)

At the bottom of the table came post-war property which was built between 1950 and 1980. This was the least popular with the nation and only 8.5 per cent of people said it would attract them to a street.

Post-war property was also the least rare making up 56 per cent of housing stock nationwide, and, at just £235,000, was the lowest valued.

* Contemporary (1990s-present)

However, at over £300,000, contemporary and 1990s homes are the exception to the age/price rule. The construction of luxury apartments in prime locations is largely responsible for the premium price of many of these properties.

The relatively small supply of newer properties – six per cent of the total – may also have affected the price. Property in this category did score higher among the public’s preferences, with over 20 per cent of people attracted to it.

Although the public is currantly turned off by post-war housing it remains to be seen whether it will be topping the charts in a few hundred years’ time.

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