What previous alterations can tell you about a period property
Very few period properties remain exactly as they were originally built.
Over decades, or sometimes centuries, walls are removed, fireplaces disappear, extensions are added, windows are replaced and roof spaces are converted. These changes form part of a building's history, but they can also provide important clues about its current condition.
When carrying out a building survey of a historic or period property, understanding what has changed can be just as important as assessing what remains original.
Looking for the building's original layout
One of the first considerations is how the property would originally have been arranged.
Changes aren't always immediately obvious. A large open-plan kitchen, for example, may once have consisted of several smaller rooms. An unusually wide doorway could indicate that a wall has been partially removed.
Clues can include changes in floor levels, unusual ceiling details, differences in skirting boards or cornices and changes in wall thickness.
Identifying these alterations helps establish how the structure may have been modified.
Removed walls
Removing internal walls is one of the most common alterations made to residential properties.
Sometimes these walls are non-loadbearing and their removal has little structural significance. In other cases, they may have supported floors, walls or roof structures above.
During a building survey, I look for evidence such as:
Changes in ceiling levels
Cracking around former openings
Visible beams or supports
Distortion to floors above
Unusual changes in room layout
Where structural walls have been altered, documentation such as Building Regulations approval may also become relevant.
Chimney breast removal
Period homes were commonly built with multiple fireplaces and substantial chimney breasts.
As heating systems changed, many were removed to create additional floor space.
The important question is what happened to the masonry above.
If a chimney breast has been removed at ground-floor level but remains at first-floor or roof level, the remaining masonry needs adequate structural support.
This is something that can easily go unnoticed during a viewing but may become apparent during a detailed building survey.
Extensions tell their own story
Extensions are another area where understanding the property's history is useful.
An extension may have been built decades after the original house and therefore use completely different materials and construction methods.
This can result in differences in:
Foundation depth
Wall construction
Roof design
Insulation
Moisture behaviour
Cracking where an extension meets the original building does not automatically indicate a serious structural problem. Different parts of the building can move differently over time, and the pattern and extent of movement need to be considered carefully.
Roof spaces often reveal the most
The roof space can be particularly useful when trying to understand previous alterations.
Changes to rafters, additional supports, redundant chimney openings and evidence of previous roof coverings can all reveal how a property has evolved.
Loft conversions also require careful assessment. Alterations to structural timbers, additional floor loading and changes to ventilation can all affect how the roof performs.
Documentation matters too
Physical inspection is only one part of the picture.
Depending on the work undertaken, buyers may need their solicitor to establish whether appropriate Planning Permission, Building Regulations approval or Listed Building Consent was obtained.
This is particularly important with listed buildings, where alterations that might ordinarily seem relatively minor can require consent.
Old alterations aren't automatically bad alterations
Finding evidence that a period property has been altered shouldn't necessarily be viewed negatively.
Buildings naturally evolve to accommodate changing lifestyles, and many alterations have been carried out perfectly successfully.
The important thing is understanding what has changed, whether the work appears appropriate and whether there are any resulting defects that need attention.
Final thoughts
A period property isn't simply the building that was originally constructed. It is the result of every repair, extension and alteration carried out since.
Reading those changes is an important part of surveying historic buildings.
A specialist building survey can help establish how a property has evolved, identify where alterations may require further consideration and provide a clearer understanding of the building you're actually buying, rather than simply the one you can see.