1950s house in Moseley, Birmingham, West Midlands
A dream renovation project and something of a time capsule. This 1950s house in Moseley, Birmingham, West Midlands, is just on the market.
It doesn’t have a named architect behind it, nor is it an example of a particular architectural style. But it has bags of character and, most importantly, authenticity.
If you want a house from the 1950s, have a look at this one, as very little has changed in something like 70 years. Yes, this one dates back to 1953.
Admittedly, it’s not a complete time capsule of the era. This is a house that has been lived in and loved for decades and, as such, has been maintained over those years. A look at the garden tells you that. However, the updates tend to be more functional rather than affecting the ‘fabric’ of the house.
The odd radiator, a tweak of the fireplace, a new fridge and the occasional cupboard. Maybe even a light shade or two. But nothing more significant than that. This is why it is both a renovation project and a rare opportunity for someone to create a very special and characterful home. You’ll struggle to get such an opportunity again, especially if it happens to be local to you.
The house itself is large, with space both inside and out and a design that’s very much of the era, whilst at the same time harking back to 1930s house design. A modern update of that, if you like.
Which is about as ‘modern’ as we go with this one. And that’s a big plus, by the way. A glimpse of the exterior, with the original glazing and front door, hints at something special within, and it really doesn’t disappoint.
Light, space, potential and all of those original 1950s details. As I said, this is a renovation project, but there is so much to preserve here. Details that will keep this house special.
Some are more obvious than others. The light fittings, for example, along with the glazing, the internal doors, the dramatic bay window, the parquet flooring, and the English Rose kitchen. That was refitted in the 1980s and would probably need reworking once more. But it’s a good thing to have in place.
But the smaller things are the icing on the cake. That original panel for the various rooms, the wonderful 1950s media centre too. Which is handily placed next to a drop-down bar for the complete night in. Various pieces of built-in storage as well.
Not everything is a ‘keeper’, as you can imagine. The carpets will likely have to go, and the bathroom will need a rethink along with the kitchen. Some fittings have probably aged less well than others, too. But they are all minor considerations. The bigger picture here is very appealing.
Also appealing is that space, as well as the layout within. The house is set back from the road, with plenty of space for parking at the front. If you need more (or extra storage), you’ll notice the single garage with coach house-style doors.
Two doors as well, one for side access to the rear gardens through the utility room/garden store at the side of the house. The other is, of course, the original front door.
That opens into the hallway and a first glimpse of the herringbone solid oak block flooring that makes up a good part of the ground floor. There’s also a guest cloakroom/WC off here too.
Beyond that is the large drawing room, with French doors with window lights above open to the ‘crazy paved’ patio and the garden. The other side doesn’t disappoint either, with the concealed bar and period ‘media centre’ still in place. I really hope that corner is left exactly as it is. A huge selling point.
Double doors flow through to the dining room, with a large walk-in circular bay window for more garden views and plenty of natural light. An original serving hatch opens to the kitchen.
The large kitchen/breakfast room has the English Rose wooden floor and wall-mounted units, which could do with preserving and updating if possible. But that’s down to personal taste. A great space nonetheless.
The ground floor carries through to a small corridor leading back to the reception hallway, creating a ‘full loop’ for the ground floor accommodation. A door from here to the left provides access to the glass-roofed walkway connecting the front drive to the rear gardens. A large study/home office also sits at the front of the house.
A turning staircase with a large window takes you to the first floor. From here, all five of the bedrooms (each with built-in storage) can be accessed along with the family bathroom with a separate WC.
The principal bedroom sits directly above the dining room and, as you might have noticed, has French doors open to a wonderful semi-circular balcony that continues the symmetry from downstairs.
That’s it for the inside, but the outside is also worth talking about. I mentioned the front parking and garage, with the rear made up of a stone patio, mature borders and plenty of lawn. A large, part-built greenhouse/potting shed at the end of the garden, too.
Well worth investigating if you are looking in the area and have the budget. Talking of budgets, this one is just up with a guide price of £800,000.
Images and details courtesy of Knight Frank. For more details and to make an enquiry, please visit the website.
