Types of houses in England

The most common types of houses in England are as follows:

• Bungalow
• Cottage
• Flat
• Detached
• Semi-detached
• End of terrace
• terrace

Bungalow

Although people often think Bungalows and Cottages are the same, they are actually not, although some may appear the same. Bungalows are low profiles types of housing, as are a lot of cottages, but the distinction comes between the style, history and the pricetag. Generally, bungalows are a lot cheaper than Cottages. A bungalow is essentially a subset of the set Cottage. The word “bungalow” originates from the Indian word bangla, which in the 19th century referred to houses built in a Bengali style. Bungalows were created when British colonial administrators adapted the classic Indian style low roofs and porches built around them. They can either be detached or semi-detached. They’re very popular in America, where they have all kinds of styles; each distinct style is often related to particular states.

 

Cottage

Thick walls, small windows, structural pillars, low ceilings and most distinctly a thatched roof typically characterize cottages. Cottage’s were originally located in rural or semi-rural locations, although a lot of cottages have since been developed in cities. Originally, in the middle ages, cottages housed agricultural workers and their families. The term cottage denoted the dwelling of a cotter- peasants. However, that stereotype has since been washed away, as the traditonal cottage look is now sort after, making them an expensive purchase. Cottages are houses that usually come with one and half storeys. The top floor is much smaller than the ground floor, as the pillars used to hold up the structure takes up a lot of the living space. The thick, dark, classic timber pillars are usually what characterises a cottage. They’re a huge focal point of the property, as they’re located throughout the property, on display to give a classic ‘village’ look. Like with bungalows, the structuring of cottages vary from country to country.

 

Flat (Block of flats)

A flat is a living area that is self-contained with in only part of a building. Usually, a flat is situated in a building that is split up into multiple living areas for different residents.

 

Detached

A detached house is a single standing property that doesn’t share any walls with any other structure. Due to the isolation of the property, they’re usually more “private” and generally more expensive than any other type of houses.

 

End of Terrace

An end of terrace house is a house situated at the end of a terrace (the definition of a “terrace” house is below). Like a semi-detached house, only one side of the house shares a common wall, while the other is detached.

 

Semi-detached

A semi-detached house is a pair of houses joined together by a common wall. One side of each house shares a common wall, while the other is detached.

 

Terrace

A terrace house is a house that is situated in a long row of houses. They all usually look the same- pretty much identical structurally. Both sides of each house in the row share common walls with a neighbouring house, with the exception with the houses at each end of the terrace.

 

Most people in England live in urban areas. Towns and cities are spreading into their surrounding environment to cope with the increase populations. In England, an average of 7,000 hectares of farmland, countryside and green space were converted to urban use every year between 1985 and 1998. This is almost the equivalent size of 9,600 international football pitches!

This house is over 600 years old

Who owns houses in England?

More people are buying their own homes than in the past. About two thirds of the people in England and the rest of Britain either own, or are in the process of buying, their own home. Most others live in houses or flats that they rent from a private landlord, the local council, or housing association.

People buying their property almost always pay for it with a special loan called a mortgage, which they must repay, with interest, over a long period of time, usually 25 years.

What are houses in England like?

Most houses in England are made of stone or brick from the local area where the houses are built. The colours of the stones and bricks vary across the country.

Types of houses in England

England has many types of homes. In the large cities, people often live in apartments, which are called flats. In most towns, there are streets of houses joined together in long rows. They are called terraced houses.

The main types of houses in England are:

• Detached (a house not joined to another house)
• Semi-detached (two houses joined together)
• Terrace (several houses joined together)
• Flats (apartments)

Photos of the different types of houses

Census 2001: Housing

The most popular type of home in England is semi-detached (more than 27% of all homes), closely followed by detached then terraced.

Almost half of London's households are flats, maisonettes or apartments. 
Information taken from Census 2001

Cost of Houses

A big problem in England is the rising cost of houses. In 1989 first-time buyers paid an average of around £40,000, in 2001 this had more than doubled to £85,000 and in 2006 to £151,565.

The cost of housing in England has increased much faster than people's wages making it impossible for first-time buyers to get on the housing ladder unless they are in especially well-paid jobs, are able to call upon rich relatives or are prepared to buy jointly with friends.