Published: 15/03/2022
Most popular types of homesThere are a few variations in the style of the British house; in descending size order, there are detached, semi-detached, end of terrace, and terraced. In those broad categories, you’ll also find bungalows and cottages and flats, which serve unique and specific purposes. Most people. In London, the property landscape is dominated by flats, with 43% of Londoners living in one, the most of any region in the UK. Big picture, 29% of all dwellings are terraced, 42% are detached or semi-detached, and the remaining 29% are bungalows or flats.
Flats
From studio flats to maisonettes and 2-storey flats, a flat is a living area that is self-contained and in one part of a building. The building is usually split into individual flats and the communal areas are those that are shared, such as lifts, stairwells, and receptions. The word flat is particular to Britain, these dwellings are more globally known as ‘apartments’.
Terraced
Terraced houses are common in old industrial towns and cities such as Manchester, Bath and areas of central London. Terraced houses became extremely popular to provide high-density accommodation for the working class in the 19th century. Terraced houses are structurally built the same and both sides of each house share walls with neighbours.
Semi-detached
Semi-detached properties are very common types of housing. There are a lot more semi-detached properties in the UK as they save a lot of space as they are houses paired together by a common wall. Semi-detached properties are fantastic options for homeowners to extend at the back and side and retain an element of privacy too.
Detached
The most aspirational of housing types. It is supposed that we all dream of a detached house. They are private, single standing properties. They are popular in the cultural imagination, if not in actuality. Due to that privacy, detached houses are a lot more expensive and high in demand.
Cottage
More often than not, cottages have and will always be in the rural regions of the UK. Cottages were purposefully built to have thick walls to withstand the bitterly cold weather, small windows, structural pillars, low ceilings and most distinctively a thatched roof. Cottages in the middle ages were built for agricultural workers and their families. Nowadays, cottages are houses that have one and a half storeys – the top floor is a lot smaller than the ground floor and the pillars are used to hold up the structure. Modern cottages now have the same comforts of any other property that exists in the UK, including electricity and running water.
Bungalows
The word ‘bungalow’, originates from the Indian word ‘Bangla’, which in the 19th century referred to houses that were built in a Bengali style. Houses that were made in Bengali style were traditionally very small and only one storey high and detached. A wide veranda was adopted by the British as well as low roofs. The distinction between a bungalow compared to a cottage is that of style, history and the price tag.
Click here for more information on our properties.