Real Estate in London

Jul 13, 2014 15:45

Is there a specific term for a house like Irene's Belgravia residence? I've seen the term townhouse used in London real estate listings, but it seems to be mostly a North American phrase. I'm looking for a more specific word than just "house" for a privately-owned city home, but perhaps there isn't one ( Read more... )

topic: london

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Comments 9

elfbert July 13 2014, 20:07:23 UTC
I think townhouse is fine. The word was originally coined to set that sort of house apart from the 'country house' where a well-off family would reside 'out of season'. Townhouses were used so the family had easy access to the balls and parties in London ( ... )

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brighteyed_jill July 13 2014, 20:28:34 UTC
Thank you! This is all very helpful. I should have mentioned that this is an AU, so the social structure is a bit, er, modified. Very useful to know about layouts, etc. Thanks again!

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elfbert July 13 2014, 20:36:24 UTC
AH! No probs. Feel free to ask anything else, if I can help.

I can tell you that whilst they often all look the same from the outside, the inside decor can vary wildly, from weird super-modern to properly old 'original features'. :)

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shark_hat July 13 2014, 20:28:49 UTC
A row of houses joined like that is a terrace, and one of them is a terraced house- you'd probably want to specify something like "a terrace in Mayfair" or "a Georgian terrace" or "a terrace on a square" if you want people to picture a grand four-storey stuccoed thing rather than a small one- or two- bedroom Victorian workers' house.

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thekumquat July 13 2014, 20:56:30 UTC
This - it also makes clear that she lives in a house, not a flat, which is good to know as most of those houses have now been converted into flats. And many of the flats are hugely luxurious and expensive in themselves.

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brighteyed_jill July 14 2014, 22:09:13 UTC
Thanks! I knew there had to be a descriptive term, and this one is perfect for what I need. Thank you!

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cat63 July 14 2014, 11:48:17 UTC
Taking a small tangent, I don't know if this would be relevant for your story but in case it 's mentioned, the person dealing with a house sale would be called an "estate agent" here, not a "real estate agent"

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inamac July 18 2014, 13:48:19 UTC
The term 'town house' means two thngs in British English - neither of which really has a US equivalent.

Town House as opposed to Country House is the sort of Belgravia property that Irene inhabits - they were/are usually four-storey terraced houses, with a basement where the kitchen and servants worked, two floors for the family and an attic with servant's bedrooms. Most have been converted into flats but some still exist in their original form)and are often owned/rented by MPs or top Government officials like Mycroft.

Town house can also mean a more modern terraced house with three floors, usually with a garage on the ground floor, kitchen and living room on the first floor (US second) and bedrooms on the second/top floor. I live in a town house built in the 1960s and would never refer to it as a terraced house - those usually only have two levels.

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wellingtongoose September 22 2014, 19:47:07 UTC
Architecturally Irene's house is a Georgian Terrace with all the neoclassical features.

I have never heard anyone use the term "town house" in Britain today. Maybe I just don't know the right people but I think town house is a bit archaic. Even the people who have a country house refer to their house in the city as their "london residence" not "town house".

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