Published: 24/05/2019
Rectory or Manor? Barn Conversion or Cottage? Perhaps price will help you decide...
According to recent national research, old rectories are the least expensive quintessential English village home, with an average £1,075,889, or £245 per square foot on average.
Although these properties once home to clergymen offer the best bang for your buck, sitting just £1 behind are manor houses, which, on average, value at £246 per square foot despite commanding the highest average sale price (£1,431,944).
On the opposite side of the spectrum, barn conversions prove the most expensive per square foot (£316), often boasting large, open-plan living spaces.
The timeless chocolate box cottage is the least expensive property type at £606,886. With an average square footage of 1,985, the cottage is the second most expensive property on a price per square foot basis.
The most popular time of year for an English village home to sell is in Q3 (July, August and September), with manor houses, barn conversions, farmhouses, and chocolate box cottages all selling particularly well during August. Mill conversions however prove most popular with buyers during the first half of Q1.
Ralph Wyrley-Birch, Managing Partner at Mount & Minster, comments: “Despite there being uncertainty in some pockets of the UK property market as a result of the current political climate, the English love affair with a quintessential country home remains forever strong. Beautiful homes in bucolic countryside, which are accurately priced, will always achieve strong interest and will continue to command significant price premiums."
Despite ranking as the first and third most expensive property type respectively, it was interesting to see manor houses and old rectories offering the best value for money per square foot. The vicar was often considered the most important individual in the village, only second to the lord or lady of the manor, and so the homes do tend to offer ample proportions. However, the data shows that, at around £245.50 per square metre, buying a manor house or an old rectory is much more realistic than it may have once been.
It’s not surprising to see that the majority of the English village property types tend to sell during the summer months, where potential buyers are able to view their striking and historic features and beautiful landscaped gardens in all their glory during the longer daylight hours.