What is a terraced house?
Terraced houses are a familiar sight on the UK’s streets – rows and rows line many areas of our towns and cities. Once the homes of industrial workers, with limited facilities, now they are popular with first-time buyers, young couples and families, as well as being a staple of the rental market.
Here’s our guide to the terraced house – its features, layout, benefits and drawbacks – if you are thinking of buying or renting this type of property.
What is a terraced house and why are they called terraced houses?
A terraced house is a row of 3 or more houses of identical size and character. Each house in the terrace or row (except the end terraced houses) shares an internal or party wall with the house on either side. They are called terraced houses because some of the earliest examples in the UK had a communal garden terrace. There is a touch of irony here, because many typical terraced houses, especially those built to house industrial workers in the 19th century, had no garden at all.
Though small, terraced houses were often built to a high standard and offer a good quality of living space. Original heritage features such as fireplaces and sash windows are considered assets by many potential buyers of terraced properties.
What does a terraced house look like and what are its key architectural features?
There are many different architectural styles, but a traditional terraced house will typically be narrow, usually two but sometimes (particularly in more affluent areas) three storeys high. The front door usually opens directly into the front room, and on the ground floor there will be one large living room or two smaller living and dining rooms divided by an internal wall.
Most terraced houses have galley kitchens on the ground floor. Some terraced houses have bathrooms downstairs, accessed through the kitchen. Upstairs there will be at least two bedrooms. The third room upstairs (at the back of the house) will either be a bathroom or a smaller third bedroom (if the bathroom is downstairs). Some terraces will have cellars, which can add to the living space available. The back garden will be narrow but can be quite long.
What are the different types of terraced houses and their features?
Mid-terraced houses are the properties in a terrace with houses either side of them. End terraced houses are the properties at each end of a terrace, which have their own exterior wall and possibly an alleyway or path to the garden. Although end terraces only share a wall with one other house, they should not be confused with semi-detached houses, which are built as pairs. Through-terraced houses are terraced houses that do not back immediately onto another house – they run ‘through’ to a garden.
Back to Backs are terraced houses which are rarely seen these days, but which were once common in the UK, especially in industrial towns and cities. They were a cheap form of high density housing, with each terrace backing onto another and (except for the end terraces) only having one wall that wasn’t shared between properties. This was the front wall, giving the only space for windows and an external door. ‘Back to backs’ had no gardens and when first built residents had to share outside toilets and washing facilities in a yard. They were cramped and overcrowded places to live, and most were demolished in the slum clearances of the later 20th century. Some still remain though. In cities like Leeds back-to-backs are seen as part of the city’s heritage.
New build terraced houses are modern terraces that are often seen in housing developments. They retain the basic characteristics of the traditional terrace, but may have more internal space and a larger back garden. Split level terraced houses are properties that innovatively maximise the internal space, using stairways and mezzanine floors to create distinctive living areas.
What are the advantages of buying a terraced house?
Terraced houses are popular because there is always a huge supply of these type of properties, making them more affordable. Period terraced houses are usually cheaper to buy than new-build terraced houses. Terraced houses tend to be in urban areas and closer to shops and public transport links. There can be a better sense of community, with lots of people living in similar houses nearby – there are always likely to be neighbours to call on. Terraces can be cheaper to heat, because they are smaller properties, but that does not necessarily translate into energy efficiency.
What are the drawbacks of buying a terraced house?
Terraced houses have limitations too.
Off-street parking will be at a premium – some larger terraces may have a parking space instead of a front garden, but mostly residents are limited to on-street parking only. Permits are sometimes required, so visitors may find it difficult to park. Back gardens of terraced houses can be small and overlooked. While there might be a stronger community spirit in a street of terraced houses, sometimes living in close proximity with others can be a drawback. Walls are thin in older terraced houses and you will hear noise from neighbouring properties. Renovations and extensions are more challenging, as there is such limited space to work with, and there may be more planning permission restrictions.
As with any period properties, Victorian and Edwardian terraced houses are vulnerable to common issues such as damp, and may have outdated electrical systems and low energy efficiency. Problems in one house could also easily affect others, such as broken guttering and damaged roofs.
What are the main differences between terraced houses and other types of house?
Space is the main difference between residential terraces and other types of housing. Semi-detached and detached houses are larger, have greater privacy and more enclosed gardens and green space. They usually have off-street parking capacity, with garages and drives. But semi-detached and detached houses are more expensive to buy and rent. Townhouses may look similar to terraced houses, but they are larger, and have more amenities such as dedicated parking. Terraces can offer larger living areas than flats, maisonettes and studios, and have private gardens, whereas flats only have communal green space, if at all.
Why are terraced houses cheaper and how much cheaper are they?
Terraced houses are cheaper than most other types of houses, mainly because they are smaller. There are other reasons too. There is always a healthy supply of terraced houses on the market, keeping prices from rising faster than semi-detached or detached properties. Terraced houses were built in huge numbers in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and these period properties remain one of the UK’s main housing stocks. Prices will vary, but the average price of terraced houses in the UK is usually around 15-20% lower than semi-detached houses.
What should you look for when viewing a terraced house to buy
As with any house, especially period properties, if you are viewing a terraced property there are certain things to look out for. Check for signs of damp on walls or ceiling – are there any discoloured marks or flaking pieces of wallpaper, or a mouldy smell? Cracks in exterior or interior walls could be evidence of active or historic subsidence – your survey should identify this. Has the space been maximised? Living space is at a premium in terraces, so make sure you are happy with the layout.
If there is an alleyway or path between neighbouring terraced houses, ask your conveyancer to check whose house it belongs to, and whether easement (or access) rights exist. How much storage space is there? Check whether the loft hatch is accessible and if a partition exists in the loft space between the two or three neighbouring houses. Most should have, but if there isn’t, this would be a fire risk.
There are numerous other checks to make, such as:
- Age of the boiler and electrical wiring
- State of the guttering and roof
- How private is the garden? Does it feel too overlooked by neighbouring houses?
- Proximity to amenities like shops, train stations and bus routes
Let us help with your property search
If you are thinking of buying a terraced house, we can help with all aspects of the buying process. Simply get in touch with your local haart branch.