An interior shot of a Georgian house for sale in Lewes, East Sussex
IT’S easy to see why Georgian properties remain at the top of the ‘most-desired’ list of UK home-buyers.
There is something about this style which says both solid, permanent, built-to-last and yet also manages to combine delicate, feminine and charm.
The length of the Georgian period (1714 to 1837) ensures there are plenty of genuine Georgian houses still to be bought in the UK but the style has remained popular and even new homes are still built in the manner of the Georgians.
Buying genuine Georgian carries with it the heavy responsibility (and cost) that comes with listed buildings. If you so much as open a tin of paint you’ll need to check with the council about the rules and regulations. But those sumptuous Georgian colours, high ceilings and brass fittings make decorating true or mock Georgian a real pleasure.
If you’re seeking inspiration then there are a number of furnished Georgian houses that also double as museums. Most people will instantly think of Bath of course and its Royal Crescent. No 1 Royal Crescent is open to the public and operated by the Bath Preservation Trust. You’ll think former resident, the Duke of York, has just stepped outside – the pipes and port are set out, a game of cards is ready to be played and upstairs afternoon tea is prepared. The kitchen is also true to Georgian style giving plenty of inspiration to cooks living in a Georgian home.
In Bristol you’ll find the city’s Georgian House museum in Great George Street and open on occasional days of the week from April 23 to October 30. Bedrooms, a library, drawing rooms and ‘downstairs’ are all open to public view. Perhaps keeping to historical accuracy however, you should be aware there are three flights of stairs, no lift – and no toilet!
Scotland has a furnished Georgian house in fashionable Charlotte Square, Edinburgh and once again it retains the impression that the family and servants will be due back any minute. This one, however, does have disabled access, a cafe and a toilet.
If you’re looking for genuine Georgian properties then you could try Bath in Somerset, Lewes in East Sussex, Bewdley in Worcestershire, Rochester in Kent or many other of the UK’s Georgian towns. My home town of Whitehaven in Cumbria is heralded as a Georgian Gem and while I’m not sure how much genuine Georgian property remains the ‘fake’ Georgian homes do at least retain the substantial permanency most home-buyers will admire.
Below is a list of websites to inspire or source your Georgian home – whether it’s a genuine one or a convincing fake!
* Pictured is an interior shot of a five-bedroom Georgian house in Lewes, East Sussex, on the market for £1.2m.
USEFUL LINKS:
- Independent online property search
- Independent House Home section
- Independent: Private Viewing
- BBC: The Georgian period
- BBC: Restoration of Rochester’s Minor Canon Row
- Georgian Property Buyers Guide from Right Move
- Fairfax Georgian House, York
- Period Property UK: Do’s and Don’ts of Buying Georgian property
- Hinges and Brackets: Period fittings
- DirectGov: Planning Permission
- BBC: Listed Buildings
Tagged in: buying house, estate agents, Georgian, mortgages, moving house, Online House Hunter, real estate, selling house