If you want a home that's long on character and accommodation, and short on the pitfalls of period living, look no further than an Edwardian house. Plenty of these spacious, airy residences are found on the outskirts of our towns and cities, and they are as perfect for family life now as they were at the turn of the last century.

What is an Edwardian house?
Strictly speaking, a building completed after the death of Queen Victoria, in 1901, and before the death of her successor, Edward VII, in 1910.

Does an Edwardian house differ from a Victorian one?
As household servants dwindled in number and conveniences such as electricity became widespread, family homes were built around a more modern lifestyle. Instead of tall terraces, with poky basements, Edwardian builders favoured squatter, semi-detached two-storey houses. Homes tended to have fewer but larger, lighter rooms, including a purpose-built bathroom.

Can I identify one from the exterior?
Yes. Never has an era been so fond of external decoration on its everyday architecture. Gable ends are half timbered (with black faux beams and white render), plain red brickwork is adorned with flourishes such as painted wooden balconies and verandas. Porches have fancy tiling or terracotta details. Windows might be mullioned and diamond-paned or timber framed with Art Nouveau stained glass details.

How about the interior?
Key Edwardian features indoors are the generous hallway, often with a carpet of encaustic tiles, and wide staircase. Parquet flooring is frequently underfoot and, on the walls, mouldings such as dado rails and plate rails, picture rails and architraves. Fixtures can include quirky Arts & Crafts-style fitted furniture such as 'cosy corners': panelled alcoves including bookshelves and cushioned benches beside the fireplace.

Will I find an Edwardian property?
Yes. This short period saw an explosion in speculative house building, so that today Edwardian homes account for a disproportionate amount of the housing market.

Where should I look?
Suburbia. As rail travel allowed the middle classes to live further from their work, they chose to base their families in the leafy outskirts of the major towns. Concentrations of Edwardian homes are found in Clifton in Bristol, Victoria Park in Manchester, Edgbaston in Birmingham, Headingley in Leeds and all over Greater London.

Anywhere else?
There is a seaside strain of the Edwardian residence, in coastal towns, for example: Bournemouth, Eastbourne, Brighton and Hove. And there are developments such as Letchworth Garden City, in Hertfordshire, built in 1903, to offer residents a healthy communal lifestyle with the benefits of both countryside and town.

What will I pay?
As ever, location is key to price, but these houses tend to be large, so there are no bargains. A four-bedroom, single-bathroom, semi-detached house in Edgbaston might be had for £495,000. A seven-bedroom, four-bathroom, semi in Finchley is £775,000. A spectacular seven-bedroom, two-bathroom semi, with original features, in Clifton, is priced at £925,000.

Do period features add value?
They can certainly help sell a property. Most desirable original elements are stained glass in and around front doors, and elegant cast iron fireplaces with Art Nouveau or Arts & Crafts tiled cheeks.

If I want to modernise?
The spacious rooms are already configured to suit 21st century living, so most buyers simply add a contemporary kitchen and bathroom or two (Edwardian homes were usually built with a single bathroom). And, as with all old houses, it's worth adding modern insulation to minimise your fuel bills. If original features have been lost over the years, the salvage yards can supply elements from fireplaces to flooring, tiles to reconditioned rolltop baths.

What to read
Edwardian House Style, An Architectural and Interior Design Source Book, by Hilary Mandleberg (David & Charles, 2001)
The Edwardian House, The Middle-Class Home in Britain 1880-1914, by Helen Long (Manchester University Press, 1993)

Where to buy Edwardian architectural elements
Mongers, 15 Market Place, Hingham, Norfolk NR9 4AF, www.mongersofhingham.co.uk.

Drummonds Architectural Antiques Ltd, The Kirkpatrick Buildings, 25 London Road, Hindhead, Surrey GU26 6AB, www.drummonds-arch.co.uk.

Cox's Architectural Salvage Yard, 10 Fosseway Business Park, Moreton in Marsh, Gloucestershire GL56 9NQ, www.coxsarchitectural.co.uk

Olliff's Architectural Antiques, St Werburg's Road, Bristol BS2 9XZ, www.olliffs.com

KATRINA BURROUGHS