Homes tend not to have porches as you know them in the U.S., but a lot of houses have conservatories which are made up of windows in the back of the house. They catch the sun when its out and are a nice place to sit when its raining outside. The British would never sit out in the front of their house.

Why are British houses so bad?

Experts say the rush to build homes amid Britains chronic housing shortage, and the dominance of a few big building firms that use a multitude of subcontractors, are also to blame for poor building standards.

Why do British houses have conservatories?

Glass was very expensive, so having such a room was a statement of wealth and power. As the middle class grew, and glass became more available the fashion spread, and they were the ideal space to conserve delicate out door plants, hence the British calling them Conservatories.

Why are the doorways so short in England?

The foundations are set in sand and the whole building has shifted a little over the decades, which is why we have variations at the top end. At the lower end the doors are shorter as the ceilings are lower and the rooms smaller in what was (when it was built) the servants quarters and the kitchen etc.

Why don t British houses have basements?

In the United Kingdom, almost all new homes built since the 1960s have no cellar or basement due to the extra cost of digging down further into the sub-soil and a requirement for much deeper foundations and waterproof tanking.

Who is the best house builder in the UK?

Barratt Developments (Winner)Barratt Developments (Winner)Bellway.Berkeley.Bovis/Vistry.Keepmoat.McCarthy & Stone.Redrow.Taylor Wimpey.Dec 3, 2020

Are old houses built better than new houses?

2. Old homes have better-quality construction. In an older home theyre probably built with plaster and lathe, making them structurally stronger than the drywall construction of modern homes. These older materials also provide a better sound barrier and insulation.

Are American houses bigger than UK?

Small and Homely. Theres no doubt that American homes tend to be much bigger than British home; and over the decades British homes have got smaller. I do watch American DIY programmes with some envy in that just the living room in an American home is often bigger than the entire ground floor in a typical British home.

Are conservatories a British thing?

Conservatories have been around since the seventeenth century, back then they were stone buildings that boasted more glass than a normal room. They became accessible to all and started to be common place in homes across the UK.

Why are ceilings so low in UK?

In many houses in the UK ceilings are low because many houses were built hundreds of years ago when people were not so tall.

Why do old houses have low ceilings?

Why do we see lower ceilings in older architecture? Historically in New England, theres a real evolution of ceilings. In antique homes of the 1700s, ceilings were typically just 7′ tall. These older homes had lower ceilings and smaller rooms so they could be easily heated by a fireplace.

Why dont they build basements anymore?

In addition, fear of earthquakes was often cited as a reason for the dearth of basements in the Golden State. Building a basement to code upgrades your home to the safest level of protection for earthquakes, because you have a much stronger foundation for the whole house.

Why there are no basements in Florida?

Florida has a large aquifer system that spans around 100,000 square miles and provides water for many large cities. The groundwaters very close to the surface in most parts of Florida and Southern Georgia. Because of the high water table and proximity to the ocean, it is impossible to dig out for a basement.

Who is the biggest house builder in UK?

Top 50 Biggest Builders 2021: most completions2021 rankHousing associationTotal investment1L&Q£874.6m2Places for Peoplen/a3Clarion£626.0m4Notting Hill Genesis£634.7m7 more rows•Jun 21, 2021

Who is the best house builder?

Barratt wins best large housebuilder award 2 years in a rowBarratt wins best large housebuilder award 2 years in a row.Third time in 5 years Barratt wins top industry award.Dec 7, 2020

Why are American houses so big and cheap?

“[A] nation of homeowners, of people who own a real share in their own land, is unconquerable,” Franklin D. Roosevelt said in 1942. Being able to drive farther from a city center meant cheaper land, which meant more space and bigger houses.

What is a conservatory called in America?

Sunroom Sunroom, a smaller glass enclosure or garden shed attached to a house, also called a conservatory.

Whats the difference between a conservatory and a solarium?

A conservatory is different than a solarium because it has accessories like: ridge crests, finials, decorative gutters, decorative rakes, glass spacers, or crown molding. Think of this as the addition of a full room with glass all around, a great space for relaxing, dining or entertaining.