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The Future Of UK Housing Looks Bright
When it comes to the latest gadgets, people are extremely discerning, when it comes to clothing the same, but when it comes to the houses we live in, we in the UK seem to put up with terrible conditions. We pay well over the odds for old decaying property, or modern cramped boxes made of cheap materials. Fortunately things are looking up!
There are few countries in the world as obsessed about property as the UK. It is almost a national belief that money in bricks and mortar is as good an investment as anything. Of course, with such an overwhelming national belief fuelled by "propertyganda[1] ", the property ‘market’ has become a property bubble which has been steadily growing over the last 15 years.
UK housing is mostly made up of overvalued old fashioned housing stock of 100 years vintage plus, and new cramped accommodation built as cheaply as possible. In cities like London, many buyers prefer older type properties, largely because they offer better proportions to their modern equivalents, and despite their age a better quality of build. The Georgians and Victorians built their homes on a compact footprint, but gave them the high ceilings and generous proportions which make them feel spacious. I know of a Georgian terrace town house of circa 1810 with a footprint of 90m2, set over 5 floors, has a total living space of 360m2. It also has 12ft ceilings and that feeling of space so important in a cramped city. Despite being at the end of a terrace next to a busy roundabout, neither the traffic nor the next door neighbours can be heard, but this might be down to the end walls which are over 1m thick? A modern equivalent would have been constructed to the cheapest possible price would be noisy and cramped.
Unfortunately property developers are pushed to build properties which makes them money as they build on expensive land, and this often means scrimping on the proportions and materials. Gone are the high ceilings, and gone are the good sized rooms. Small property developers have a lot to answer for too, they take original period properties and chop them up in ways that destroy their original features. If you have ever been unfortunate enough to be looking for accommodation at the bottom end of the market in London, you have experienced the cheek some property developers have as they try to pawn off rubbish housing stock. Sadly due to the lack of property and abundance of takers, they typically get what they want for their overpriced rubbish.
Santiago Townhouse, BHA winner by Alex and Edward King
Unlimited credit and the belief that investing money in housing has given us an enormous property bubble; trillions is locked away in old housing which is falling apart. We hope of course, having paid over odds for a knackered old motorcar, that when we come to sell, someone else is willing to pay more than we did for ours. Sadly the same rationale that applies to cars does not apply to houses. What we have in the UK is a supply shortfall, a belief in rising prices, and (up until recently) a free supply of credit. We have a pyramid scheme which is only being held up by the fact that interest rates are so low, so the ‘investors’ have no problems staying put on the scheme. Renters are also footing the bill of this property speculation frenzy. If interest rates rise, as they have to at some point, expect chaos in the UK economy, which is largely underpinned by the housing bubble.
This wouldn’t be such a bad thing however. Revolution needs a shift of power and rocking of foundations. Low interest rates lead to investment, and credit falls along with house prices. Well that’s the bad news, what about the good news?
Well, the good news for the future is that the antiquated and restrictive planning laws are changing for the better, and this will bring about a better quality of housing, more of it, and a more modern approach to building energy efficient spaces which are a pleasure to inhabit. What’s more these buildings needn’t cost the earth. Clever use of space management reflecting the way that we live nowadays (does anyone eat in the dining room anymore?) we can have a compact footprint dwelling which gives the impression of space, lots of glass lots of light and modern materials and making the house energy efficient and comfortable place to live. Furthermore modern buildings should incorporate parking, as modern life requires cars whereas in 1895 people didn’t have them, and garages actually wide enough to park your car inside, not just for storing boxes!
Recently GQ magazine looked at a number of areas of life which were due some rethinking. GQ Create Britain looked at a number of aspects of modern life and assessed how they might be improved upon, one of which was town housing. The British Homes Awards showcased a number of designs.
Tim Murray and Ben Addy of exciting architect firm Moxon Architects are passionate about modernising housing for the 21st Century. People should expect more from their homes rather than settling for the little shoe boxes they are currently presented with by property developers who themselves are held in check by stringent and old fashioned planning rules. The compact and modular aspects of the New London Terrace (above) shows what can be done with a small footprint and clever use of space, incorporating the best elements of 18th and 19th century design. The future of UK housing looks bright with these kind of visionaries on board, and not before time either!
[1] Propertyganda is talking up of the property market by those parties with a vested interest.
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