Period properties are homes that were constructed during a certain period in British history.
And like a fine wine, period properties just seem to get better, and more popular, with age.
Here in the South West, we’re blessed to have some of the finest period properties from the Victorian, Edwardian, Georgian and Elizabethan eras right on our doorstep.
We took to Google to find out what period features are most in-demand from buyers of these timeless properties…
The UK’s most in demand Victorian period property house features
There’s no question that since the onset of the pandemic and the subsequent lockdowns, buyers in the UK have been seeking more outdoor space.
So, perhaps it should come as no surprise that Victorian-style bird baths topped our list of the features most in-demand from buyers seeking homes from this era.
Other traditional Victorian features like bay windows, stained glass and wood burning stoves, meanwhile, remain hugely popular with buyers.
Rank |
Search Term |
Monthly Google Searches |
1 |
Bird bath |
60,500 |
2 |
Wood burning stove |
40,500 |
3 |
Bay window |
18,100 |
4 |
Stained glass window |
18,100 |
5 |
Turrets |
14,800 |
6 |
Roll top bath |
12,100 |
7 |
Parlour |
12,100 |
8 |
Outhouse |
9,900 |
9 |
Privy |
8,100 |
10 |
Drawing room |
4,400 |
Where to find Victorian properties
Source: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/205476801739540757
Bristol is home to some of the best Victorian properties outside of London, especially in areas like Southville and Bishopston.
The UK’s most in demand Georgian period property features
Georgian properties are renowned for their precise symmetry, high ceilings and feeling of grandeur.
They are also packed with stunning internal features that remain in high demand from buyers.
Skirting boards, dado rails and ceiling roses topped our list of the most in-demand Georgian features, while sash windows and decorative cornices also featured in the top-10.
Rank |
Search Term |
Monthly Google Searches |
1 |
Skirting board |
110,000 |
2 |
Dado rail |
33,100 |
3 |
Ceiling rose |
27,100 |
4 |
Window sash |
27,100 |
5 |
Cornice |
14,800 |
6 |
Butlers sinks |
12,100 |
7 |
Cornicing |
2,900 |
8 |
Bricked up windows |
480 |
9 |
High ceiling |
390 |
10 |
Basement kitchen |
210 |
Where to find Georgian properties
Source: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/359654720248439616
Some of the best Georgian and Regency era properties can be found in the South West in Cheltenham.
The UK’s most in demand Edwardian period property house features
Edwardian homes took the very best of properties from the Victorian era and enhanced it.
With dark red brick and more wooden features like mock Tudor cladding and parquet flooring, the Edwardian period may have been a short one, but it left a lasting impression on buyers.
Parquet-style flooring has made a comeback in recent years and tops our list of the most in-demand Edwardian features, with cladding and verandas completing the top three.
Mock Tudor cladding, arguably the most common feature of these homes, comes in at number seven.
Rank |
Search Term |
Monthly Google Searches |
1 |
Parquet flooring |
49,500 |
2 |
Cladding |
49,500 |
3 |
Veranda |
27,100 |
4 |
Terrazzo tile |
8,100 |
5 |
Parquet wood flooring |
2,400 |
6 |
Garden stone wall |
1,300 |
7 |
Mock Tudor cladding |
260 |
8 |
Bright room |
170 |
9 |
Red brickwork |
50 |
10 |
Ornate tiles |
40 |
Where to find Edwardian properties
Source: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/30188259989687741
The Henleaze area of Bristol features streets lined with superb Edwardian properties.
The UK’s most in demand Elizabethan period property features
Elizabethan homes are among the oldest still standing in England, dating from between 1558 and 1603 when Elizabeth I was on the throne.
Timber was a staple of Elizabethan house-building, with properties decked in vertical and diagonal dark wood cladding, often paired with sharp white mortar.
Elizabethan properties are also known for their dormer-style windows and thatched roofs – and these two features, along with beams, complete the top three most in-demand features from this era.
Twisted chimneys and curved gables, also major features of the Elizabethan era, creep into the top-10.
Rank |
Search Term |
Monthly Google Searches |
1 |
Beams |
14,800 |
2 |
Dormer windows |
14,800 |
3 |
Thatched roof |
8,100 |
4 |
Wooden window shutters |
4,400 |
5 |
Leaded windows |
1,900 |
6 |
Timber beams |
1,000 |
7 |
Porch pillars |
590 |
8 |
Half timbered house |
260 |
9 |
Twisted chimney |
90 |
10 |
Curved gable |
10 |
Where to find Elizabethan properties
Source: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/16466354877353466
Elizabethan properties aren’t as common as other period homes in the UK, but Worcester has a good selection from this era and the Tudor period.
The UK’s most in demand house era
Victorian properties remain the most in-demand with buyers in the UK.
Searches for Georgian homes, meanwhile, are dominated by buyers in Bristol – no surprise given the vast number of superb Georgian-era properties in areas like Clifton.
Londoners dominated searches for Edwardian properties, while Elizabethan homes are most in-demand from people in Plymouth.
Rank |
Search term |
Monthly Google Searches |
Most searched for by… |
1 |
Victorian house |
18100 |
Leicester |
2 |
Georgian house |
12100 |
Bristol |
3 |
Edwardian house |
8100 |
London |
4 |
Elizabethan house |
590 |
Plymouth |
Methodology
CJ Hole used Google Keyword Planner to pull the monthly Google searches for period property features from four different eras. We then looked into the search volumes for houses within each time period i.e., ‘Victorian house’. After this, we broke down the data by individual cities across 18 different regions throughout the UK. We divided these numbers by the population of those cities in order to find who was searching for those terms the most per capita, which gave us our regional rankings.
