Keeping up appearances! Middle classes are paying DOUBLE for smaller period houses over newer homes because they look nicer 'from the outside' - and they don't want to feel like they 'live on an estate'

Like clothes, cars and haircuts, property has always been at the mercy of what's deemed fashionable.

Homebuyers, say experts, are increasingly prepared to pay more based purely on what a house looks like from the street outside – and often the older a home is, the higher the value it can command. 

Victorian, Edwardian and Georgian era properties are amongst the most lusted after, with new-build estates often the least desired, say estate agents.

'Kerb appeal' can be a very expensive whim though, with buyers often prepared to pay sometimes double the cost of a later-build house – with similar or even less square footage – just to say they live in a period property. 

An attractive three-bed Victorian period home in leafy Twickenham, in south-west London, for example, with 151.6 square metres of space, sold for £1,275,000 in November 2025.

Less than 500m away, on a nearby housing estate of properties constructed between 1950 and 1966, sees a less ornate five-bedroom property, with 166.4 square metres of space, currently valued at a more modest £675,000.

Period properties are all the rage, say estate agents, with Victorian, Georgian and  Edwardian properties often commanding a premium – despite often being smaller than more modern lay-outs

Newer homes are built entirely for modern living with better room sizes and shapes, driveways and gardens – but many middle class buyers say they prefer period homes 

Jonathan Mills, managing director of Parkgate Estate Agents, in nearby Richmond-upon-Thames, tells the Daily Mail that the exterior of a property can be a deal-breaker, despite it often having little or no impact on the lives behind the front door. 

He says: 'Often, it's about buying into a lifestyle, simply keeping up with the Joneses. Period homes look pretty in magazines and from the kerb-side and I think buyers imagine the people living there have the perfect life.'

'Victorian stock, for example, tends to be centered around high incomes, meaning there's good schools around them, they have nice shops; they become enclaves of "picture-perfect happiness".' 

Social media has played its part too...with photos of 'cute' terraces, grandiose mansions and elegant townhouses, often draped in clouds of wisteria, helping to swell interest.

Gentrification, the gradual upscaling of areas once considered less desirable, has also been key to the revival of our interest in period properties. 

Add in an enduring fascination with re-modelling and renovation, transforming unloved character homes into glossy modern interpretations with island kitchens, en suite bathrooms and loft conversions – and it's no wonder a pristine terrace in certain parts of the country can command well over a million.   

Mr Mills, who himself lives in a 1970s home, adds a practical word of caution though: properties built for people centuries ago – without cars – might have bags of character but their bare bones are often impractical for modern families. 

He explains: 'We've seen a huge amount of Victorian properties that have been adapted for modern life – people do side returns, rear extensions and lofts to get a big kitchen and family living space.' 

Architecturally, he says, later properties often have 'more light, more windows and squarer rooms in which furniture fits better'.

Period properties haven't always been quite so wanted though. 

Ask Baby Boomers about whether Victorian terraces appealed during their early adulthood and they might say it's the last property they dreamed of owning – because it can all feel very Coronation Street. 

The latest generation of housebuyers often feel differently though, says Hadden White, Principal Appraisals Specialist at Inigo, a UK estate agent specialising in heritage homes. 

Mr White tells the Daily Mail: 'There's certainly an increased demand in regards to Victorian, Edwardian and Georgian stock. 

'There's tangible value in original features, in good design and buyers typically are willing to pay a premium for that.'

Mr White is also a member of the Young Victorians, part of The Victorian Society, the UK charity dedicated to protecting Victorian and Edwardian heritage and says there's been a 'noticeable uptake' in younger people getting involved – with social media again partly responsible for the increased interest, he suggests. 

'A lot of people are covering renovations on social media and often sensitive renovations – where you keep that original character. For example, timber windows, fireplaces, original cornicing, high skirting-boards and original floorboards.'

Mr White suggests current interior trends such as colour-drenching – painting walls and ceilings the same shade, lend themselves particularly well to a Victorian home.  

Character for cost: A three-bedroom Victorian property in Twickenham that sold in November for £1.2million; the home has 151.6 square metres of space

Less than 500 metres away, a 1960s property, with five bedrooms – and more square metres of space – is valued at just £675,000 

Can you ever justify paying more for a property because it has a prettier facade than a much bigger new-build for example? 

If it makes you happy when you reach your front door, then, 'absolutely', says White because 'a home is not just about square footage'.

He adds: 'The history of a home is very important and I think some people look at themselves as custodians of a house for the time they live there, knowing that they'll then pass it on to the next person. You're living and breathing the history of the space, and people like that.'

Richmond estate agent Mr Mills says the sturdiness of older properties is another reason why period properties have such an enduring fanbase – and deep pockets for them. 

'The build quality of Victorian properties have generally stood the test of time, which has given people confidence in them. You find a lot of homes, for instance, from the 60s, and even going back to the Art Deco periods, they suffer from problems such as damp, mould, poor ventilation.'

After decades in the business, Mills says he's continually surprised by just how much people are prepared to pay for homes they've fallen in love with. 

Of his own patch, Mr Mills says he sees 'pounds per square foot vary from around £400 to £1200', adding: 'I'm completely surprised by property prices, generally – and I deal with them every day.'