How much is that beautiful classic doll’s-house facade really worth? Arabella Youens asks the experts to rank the top 10 village-house styles.
What premium does an architectural style add? We asked agents that very same question and asked them to rank the top 10 village house styles. We’ve located our fictional village somewhere in the pretty, commutable Candover Valley in Hampshire. In this village, there just happens to be 10 five-bedroom houses, each with a garden of 2–3 acres, each in a different architectural style.
The values below are agent estimates for a five-bedroom house with substantial garden on the edge of a Hampshire village.
1. Georgian/Queen Anne: £2.18 million
‘A Georgian farmhouse with an extended kitchen/breakfast room sitting on the edge of a village has the widest market audience because it appeals to downsizers, families and professionals.’
Edward Cunningham, Knight Frank
‘Georgian houses still hold a saw over tastes and buyers are prepared to pay a premium for the façade, the style and the genuine article. They will continue to appeal to those who can afford them for a long time to come.’
James Grillo, Humberts
2. New-build Georgian: £2.01 million
‘No awkward layouts of old houses, the windows are draught- proof and the radiators are in the right place. Those properties in the perfect location on the edge of the village have really increased in popularity over the past five years.’
Edward Cunningham
‘These have become a lot more popular in very recent years— even 10 years ago, it would have been a difficult sell as people wanted the real McCoy, but the layouts, eco-friendly credentials and attention to detail these days are highly impressive.’
Charlie Stone, Savills
3. Local vernacular: £1.71 million
‘In Hampshire, these often started as a two-bedroom farm cottage and have been extended many times over. Assuming the exteriors are pretty, they’re very popular.’
George Burnand, Strutt & Parker
‘If the house has been extended to include a large kitchen and living space, which the vernacular style might not accommodate in its original form, buyers will respond particularly well.’
Phillippa Dalby-Welsh, Savills
4. Elizabethan: £1.68 million
‘It’s likely to be listed, so, although it looks great, the due diligence done by lawyers and surveyors today is so much more thorough than it was 10 years ago and it can often throw up complications. This means the buyer has to be brave and most, sadly, aren’t. However, if the house has been updated well and it looks in good condition, it’ll attract a premium.’
Chris Gooch, Carter Jonas
‘An imposing exterior and large principal rooms mean these houses work well for those who like formal entertaining, but they can be hard to work with and, as ceiling heights are so high, they’re difficult to heat.’
Dawn Carritt, Jackson-Stops & Staff
5. Victorian: £1.58 million
‘Victorian vicarages appeal to downsizers because they have high ceiling heights that can accommodate furniture and pictures from their previous house. However, families who need space can sometimes feel rather hemmed in.’
Edward Cunningham
‘Solid, dependable architecture that’s been built to last.’
Dawn Carritt
6. Edwardian: £1.56 million
‘Easily extended if they don’t already have a large kitchen/breakfast room, but make sure they don’t have covenants on the garden: if they’ve been built by the local estate, the chances are you won’t be able to extend.’
Chris Gooch
‘A combination of practicality and economy, as well as quality of the construction, means that, if they’re well conceived, Edwardian houses are hot on Georgian houses’ heels.’
James Grillo
7. Eco-friendly: £1.54 million
‘These deserve to be more popular than they are as buyers are increasingly conscious of running costs. However, their inability to age gracefully and the possibility of their becoming rapidly outdated as the
technology changes really weighs against them.’
Louis de Soissons, Savills
‘The appeal of these houses is on the rise and we get more and more requests for the opportunity to build a carbon-neutral home.’
George Burnand
8. Medieval: £1.5 million
‘They might make you think of low ceilings and dark timber beams, but so many have been modified over the years that these negatives have often been addressed.’
Phillippa Dalby-Welsh
‘There’s an element of rarity value—buyers are drawn by old beams, inglenook fireplaces and bread ovens. Rooms are generally smaller, so suit a family who need space for different activities.’
Dawn Carritt
9. Arts-and-Crafts: £1.48 million
‘The very stylised architectural detail of the interior and exterior of these houses results in some slightly quirky but beautifully built houses.’
Dawn Carritt
‘If designed by someone such as Lutyens, these houses will attract a premium as they’re well thought through and combine character with modern living arrangements.’
Chris Gooch
10. Mock Tudor: £1.12 million
‘Don’t discount these—they can be the canny buyer’s purchase. They aren’t listed, they often stand on good village plots and it’s relatively easy to do a façade restoration.’
Chris Gooch
* Country houses for sale in Hampshire
