Should You Buy an Edwardian House as an Investment in 2024?

An Edwardian house sounds like a solid property investment – the name itself brings to mind a grand and well-built property with great original features and immense curb appeal. But should you invest in an Edwardian house in 2024? I will give you the lowdown on Edwardian houses, their potential as investment properties, and things you need to be aware of before investing in an Edwardian house.

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What is an Edwardian House?

Edwardian houses were built during the reign of King Edward VII, from 1901 to 1910, although the Edwardian style of architecture continued until the 1920s. Edwardian houses are famed for their high building standards, attention to detail and quality of building materials. Builders used sophisticated methods to tackle rising damp and often raised the ground floor, using air bricks to ventilate the underfloor space. Edwardian architecture moved away from the previous dark and poky Victorian housing style and borrowed from earlier eras including Art Nouveau and the neo-Georgian period.

How Can You Tell if a House is Edwardian?

You can spot an Edwardian house by features that were fashionable during this time, such as ornate ironwork on gates and fences, large sash windows, prominent chimneys and steeply pitched gabled roofs. Edwardian architects created spacious homes with double-aspect living spaces, front and back gardens, porches and balconies, often with aesthetic embellishments like coloured ornate glass in windows and doors, hand-carved woodwork, decorative tiling and brickwork and other details added purely for visual appeal.

Property Value Trends of Edwardian Houses:

Edwardian houses are very popular thanks to their build quality, bright and spacious rooms, and extensive outdoor space. Edwardian properties are usually located in suburbs of larger cities and desirable London locations such as Hampstead Heath and Dulwich. This makes them ideal for commuters who want to enjoy some peace and privacy at home. They are popular with families thanks to their spacious gardens and are commonly converted into multi-room shared homes or student properties. Edwardian houses can be a great investment for property investors especially if they have some authentic period features, and offer plenty of scope for loft conversions and extensions.

Renting Out an Edwardian House

Period houses such as Edwardian homes can command high rental yields thanks to their popularity and opportunities for conversion into flats and HMOs. To calculate the rental yield of a property, divide the annual net rental income by the property price and then multiply by 100. Remember to factor in monthly maintenance and management costs when working out the rental income. A rental yield of 5% or more is considered to be a good return on investment. Rental yields on Edwardian properties vary greatly depending on the location, size, features, maintenance level and other factors.

Buying an Edwardian house to let can be a good investment, although, like all period properties, they can incur higher maintenance and renovation costs than a new build. Many period properties can be hard to heat and this may make it more difficult to achieve minimum EPC ratings required for rental properties.

Selling an Edwardian House

Edwardian houses are popular with homebuyers as they offer a lot to young families and people ready to settle down and stay in a property for a long time. A carefully restored and renovated Edwardian house can command high selling prices – a 3-bedroom Edwardian house in London can expect to sell for around £1,500,000, higher than the average house price of £500,000 and even higher than detached properties in London at £1,200,000.

If you plan to flip an Edwardian house, you can get the maximum return on your investment by taking the time to restore and preserve period features, and adding modern kitchens and bathrooms to give buyers the best of both worlds. Adding an extension or loft conversion is an even more enticing prospect for buyers, but this can be time-consuming and expensive so take the time to consider if this is worth your while.

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5 Pros of Edwardian Houses as Investments

5 key advantages of investing in Edwardian properties are:

The high building standards of the Edwardian era mean that the property is likely to be sturdy and hard-wearing.
They include many sought-after features including large rooms, big windows, outdoor space and decorative period elements.
Edwardian houses are often located in well-established neighbourhoods in city suburbs or other popular locations for commuters.
Their solid structures, large roofs and spacious layouts offer ample opportunities for renovations such as extensions and loft conversion, further increasing the property value.
Historic significance, the craftsmanship of the period and a sense of heritage and prestige mean Edwardian properties can appreciate in value over time.

5 Cons of Edwardian Houses as Investments

5 main disadvantages of investing in Edwardian properties that you should know are:

Like many period houses, Edwardian properties are over 100 years old and of course, are subject to the ravages of time. I suggest getting a full structural Level 3 survey on any Edwardian property to get a clear picture of the building’s condition, especially if you have any plans for extensions or conversions.
While Edwardian houses were built to resist dampness, sometimes the air bricks or gaps in the roof eaves can become blocked up or hidden by soil and paving, leading to damp issues.
Despite their reputation for being solidly built, many Edwardian houses had quite shallow foundations which can be vulnerable to ground movement caused by heavy nearby road traffic or the roots of nearby trees and shrubs.
While most Edwardian houses were heated with a fireplace in every room burning gas or coal, modern houses require a more sophisticated solution, and the high-ceilinged and roomy Edwardian property may be hard to heat adequately. Original period windows and doors might be attractive but they can let in cold air and reduce the home’s efficiency rating.
Previous renovations on the property may have done more harm than good, modern uPVC windows are heavier than the original timber and are often fitted without proper supports, leading to sagging and leaking, especially in bay windows.

If you are interested in property investment – and if you have read this far, I’m guessing you are – join me, Liam J Ryan, at an Assets For Life property event to learn everything you need to begin your property investment journey.