Do Restored Homes Sell Better?

The UK Period Property Value Report

Our new research analysed 200 three-bedroom house sales across the UK’s 20 most populous cities to understand whether period charm, original features and well-maintained brickwork are translating into real value in the housing market.

Across the UK, older properties and restoration-led renovations are being pushed back into the spotlight. Global searches for “heritage home” are up 162% year-on-year, while searches for “exposed brick” are up 56%, as buyers and renovators increasingly look for character-led properties with visible original features.

At the same time, the UK housing market remains under pressure, with annual house price growth at just 2.2%, Zoopla forecasting that property sales could end 2026 6% to 8% lower than in 2025, and RICS reporting that the average time from listing to completion has risen to a record 21.5 weeks, the longest recorded since its survey began in 2017.

To understand whether this renewed appetite for period charm is translating into property value, we analysed 200 three-bedroom house sales across the UK’s 20 most populous cities, looking at which older homes are selling fastest, where they are seeing the strongest price performance, and how well-maintained brickwork impacts sale speed and final sale price.

The findings reveal that post-war homes are the strongest-performing older property type, selling in 5.9 months and adding an average of £1,751 to sale prices, while Glasgow leads for older-home value with a £29,512 average house price uplift, and well-maintained brickwork adds an average of £3,063 to sale prices.

Key findings

• Post-war homes proved the strongest-performing older property type to own and sell above asking overall, adding £1,751 to sale prices, while Victorian homes followed with a £735 uplift.

• Glasgow, Edinburgh and Leicester ranked as the most valuable cities to own an older home, with Glasgow seeing the strongest average house price uplift at £29,512.

• Well-maintained brickwork added an average of £3,063 to sale prices and helped homes sell in 5.8 months.

• Rendered-over homes took the longest to sell, spending an average of 10.2 months on the market and seeing an average price reduction of £1,908.

Investing in a UK period property? Post-war and Victorian properties top ranking for speed of sale and asking price growth

Post-war homes rank as the best older property type to invest in, recording the shortest average time on market at 5.9 months and the strongest average price uplift against asking price, at £1,751. This suggests that homes from this period may be particularly attractive to buyers, potentially due to their layouts, availability, affordability, or scope for modernisation.

Victorian homes also perform strongly, ranking second overall and achieving a positive average price change of £735, although they take an average of 8 months to sell.

In contrast, Edwardian, 1930s and 1960s-2000s homes all recorded average price reductions between £-5,819 and £-3,613, indicating that less distinctive older housing stock may allow for more buyer negotiation, particularly where properties require updates or lack standout features.

What’s particularly interesting about this data is that ‘older’ doesn’t automatically mean ‘better’ in the eyes of buyers. Post-war homes are outperforming Victorian and Edwardian properties when it comes to speed and price growth, and that's likely because they offer a more practical layout and greater scope for modernisation, while still carrying that sought-after period feel. It’s a clear signal that buyers are looking more for character with convenience.

Glasgow, Edinburgh and Leicester are named the UK’s top cities for valuable period properties

Glasgow ranks as the strongest city to invest in an older home across the UK, with properties spending an average of just 4 months on the market and achieving an average price increase of £29,512. Edinburgh follows closely, recording the fastest sales overall at 3.5 months and an average price uplift of £18,698. 

Leicester and Nottingham also perform strongly for speed of sale, with older homes spending an average of 4.3 and 3.6 months on the market, respectively. However, both cities saw average price reductions, with Leicester recording an average drop of £2,833 and Nottingham seeing a larger reduction of £5,200, suggesting that while demand is strong, sellers may still need to adjust expectations to secure a quicker sale. 

Coventry is the highest-ranked English city to record a positive average price change, with older homes achieving a £1,000 uplift and selling in an average of 5.7 months. Further down the ranking, Sheffield shows more stable pricing, with a modest positive price change of £750, while London ranks ninth overall, with older homes taking an average of 7.3 months to sell and recording an average price reduction of £2,500 against the asking price.

Well-maintained brickwork adds £3,063 to house sale prices and helps homes sell fastest

Homes with well-maintained brickwork rank highest overall, selling in an average of 5.8 months and achieving an average price increase of £3,063. This suggests that visible exterior condition plays an important role in buyer confidence, with well-kept brickwork helping properties sell faster and retain or increase value.

Properties with partially restored and poor-condition brickwork both recorded average price reductions, with partially restored homes falling by an average of £1,568 and poor-condition homes seeing a larger average drop of £3,345. These homes also took longer to sell, averaging 7.2 and 7.3 months on the market, respectively.

Rendered-over homes performed weakest for speed of sale, taking an average of 10.2 months to sell and recording an average price drop of £1,908.