What should I call it?

[charlieboy]

My house was probably first built about 500 years ago. It has been altered and enlarged many times since then, (as I am sure many of your houses have.)

When a building is called a “period property” this suggests to me that it is a building of a single recognised style like say Arts and Crafts, or Georgian, or Medieval.
The description “period property” does not a seem to fit my house as it is a property of many periods.

So what would be a better description?

CB

 

[TheSpid]

A house of many periods? I just call mine (roughly the same age as yours give or take) an old house.

 

[Kearn]

I suppose it really depends on why it needs a name? And what purpose it has, for what audience?!

I would only really call ours an old house unless anyone wanted to know specifically that it is a late 16C cottage with early 18C addition.

 

[malcolm]

It's interesting how houses evolve with occupants' needs and fashion. Mine was built with a timber frame in the early 1600s but has a 1920ish arts and crafts inspired facade and the rear was extended in 1840ish. At the front I have mock Tudor both inside and out with some remains of the original almost Tudor hidden between the two.

I just call it an old house. Most people glaze over if I go into more detail, but I find the history and changes fascinating. The changes are extensive and it's fun to try to understand why only a single low ceiling remains or why the staircase is so badly thought out.

 

[Pennyviz]

Just settle for moneypit?

 

[Owain]

Are you buying a knackered fixer-upper or selling a charming period property carefully renovated / with considerable potential and many original features?

 

[Cubist]

Are you buying a knackered fixer-upper or selling a charming period property carefully renovated / with considerable potential and many original features?

I was about to reply with words to the effect - the period should be defined by when the property was first built and presuming it has never been completely demolished - then I saw Owain's suggestion and prefer it to mine.

 

[Cubist]

Just settle for moneypit?

But this is probably the most accurate of them all.

 

[Flyfisher]

When a building is called a “period property” this suggests to me that it is a building of a single recognised style like say Arts and Crafts, or Georgian, or Medieval.

By that definition, I'd be amazed if there are any such properties in the country. Even if they haven't been converted or extended in another style they would likely have been modernised by the addition of 20th century things such as electricity, mains water, heating systems and all the other 'essentials' of modern life.

According to these sources (https://www.fortishooke.co.uk/what-is-a-period-property/ & https://www.savills.co.uk/blog/article/190304/residential-property/what-defines-a-period-property.aspx) 'Period property' generally means anything built before WW1.

What I find slightly ironic is that many (most?) of the properties we deem worthy of listing protection today would not even exist in their current form if listing had been in place in the past. I can just imagine a previous owner of our house applying for listed building consent to convert their original 1550 close-studded timber frame house into a faux Georgian house by cutting out great lumps of original oak timbers to make way for large new and completely inappropriate, sash windows and then rendering over the entire facade thereby covering all the original small oak mullion windows - all, presumably, in the name of the latest architectural fashion.
Funny old world

 

[88v8]

Our house was reputedly begun in around 1620, so I call it a 17th-century cottage, glossing over the 19th century rebuild and the 20th century additions.

Ivor

 

[bobby spray]

Sounds like a typical 'Frankenhouse'

 

[charlieboy]

Thanks for all your thoughts. I too usually say it is a very old house.
If I want to start a discussion I sometimes say it is the oldest house in Madeley. No one has proved me wrong yet!
CB