What survey do I need for a Victorian property?
Moving house is an exciting but stressful time of life. The pressure could be even higher if you’re considering a historic property, such as a Victorian house. That’s where a home survey can help. Home surveys check properties for common problems.
With Victorian houses (and older), they’re even more critical since these come with issues that develop with age or stem from fewer building code standards 150 years ago. This article will explain what Victorian properties are and why surveys are crucial before you commit to the purchase.
Common characteristics of Victorian properties
The Victorian era lasted during the reign of Queen Victoria (1837 to 1901). During this time, the British population doubled, rising from 14 million to 30 million. It was also the tail-end of the industrial revolution. Combined, these mean that many homes were quickly erected with the primary purpose of:
- Providing homes in or near the industries (cities)
- Housing a large number of people in a small space
- Cheap building costs to keep up with growth
Of course, there are also larger, grander properties. You’ll typically find these out in the countryside, compared to the Victorian terraced rows that still line the streets of most old cities.
Victorian properties can be identified by several distinct features. For example, they often have a more angled roof slant than most properties. You’ll usually find high ceilings and relatively large windows, making for a cool, echoey feeling inside. Traditionally, they would have been heated with fires, chimneys and wood stoves. You’ll probably see what’s left of these surviving today.
A final key characteristic of Victorian properties worth noting is their shape. Most city homes are terraced. They’ll be tall (frequently three storeys), long and narrow, often having no original upstairs plumbing. That’s why you’ll find the bathroom attached to the kitchen on the ground floor.
What a home survey needs to look for in a Victorian historic property
As the country began its rapid growth (both in economic and population terms), the property market struggled to keep up. The UK had very little in terms of legally enforced standards, and while homes were still built with strength and general quality, some were better than others.
In fact, this was even the driving force for the creation of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). This is still the UK’s housing surveyance governing body, with a global presence.
In a Victorian property, some of the most common things we note on home surveys are:
- Damp problems
- Lack of ventilation (related to damp), especially sub-floor ventilation
- Structural issues
- Timber rot
- Asbestos (usually from later modifications or roof insulation)
No matter what, you can almost always expect a Victorian-era home to have high running costs. The high ceilings and poorer-than-modern-standards insulation mean it can be pricey to heat. While wood stoves can help offset the bills, you’ll need a ready supply of wood – something most struggle to come by.
How can GB Home Surveys help?
GB Home Surveys is a team of RICS chartered surveyors operating throughout the South-West, West Midlands and South Wales. Our staff are experts and know their respective local areas like the backs of their hands.
If you’d like to instruct one of our chartered surveyors to look at a Victorian property, feel free to get in touch. We’re happy to have an obligation-free chat about what you need and how we can assist.
Use the contact form at the bottom of the page. For a free quote (with no need to leave your contact information), check out our Quote Calculator. We can’t wait to hear from you.
