Victorian House Renovations – How to Extend & Upgrade an Old Victorian House

Which original features should you restore when renovating?

If you’re lucky enough to be revamping an old Victorian property, the likelihood is that you will want to retain and restore its original details. Sadly, some houses have had these features removed or they are damaged, but it is possible to revive or even replicate these characteristics. Some of the most common features are:

The hallway

The Victorians had characterful encaustic flooring in hallways and porches (and ornate porches, too!), often in red and black or white and black, so hardwearing that they could still look good today. If yours are damaged, you can often find replacements on reclamation sites, while if you want to add this in from scratch, they’re easy to buy and install.

Stained glass

Using decorative panels in front doors became very common in the late 1800s, adding privacy and light to an otherwise dark hallway, whilst simultaneously bringing grandeur to the space. If you haven’t got an original stained glass door, you can often find them at a reclamation yard or auction. Paint the door in a bold colour and add some opulent handles or knockers for the full look.

Decorative plaster, cornicing & architraves

These were a prevalent feature, adding beautiful detail to the walls and ceilings. Specialist companies can help with the restoration if you are lucky enough to have originals in your home. Alternatively, you can buy off the shelf cornicing (which tends to be grand and detailed) or coving (a more plain option) from most DIY stores.

Ornate fireplaces

The lack of central heating in the past meant having a fireplace in every room, which may have been painted and updated over time. If this is the case, you can strip it back and pair with a traditional surround.

Sash & bay windows

These are the eyes of the house and a classic feature. Though old sash units can be poorly insulated and may not move smoothly, they can often be restored and repaired, so always try this option before considering replacing.

How can you tell when the windows need replacing?

If the original Victorian windows survive, retaining them will always be the right thing to do to protect the house’s character and value. They tell a lot about the history and development of the building, and probably form part of the Victorian streetscape. Bear in mind, though, that if your Victorian house is listed or in a conservation area, you’ll need formal consent to change any windows.

Fenestration that’s in poor condition can usually be repaired by a skilled joiner – and this is almost always better than replacement. The timber used to make windows before the 20th century was of very high quality and is extremely durable.

The Ultimate Rose PVCu sash window from Roseview has slim, timber-like profiles and period features

It’s no longer possible to source timber of that quality, although the latest composite construction and advanced coatings can approach the same level of performance – for a price. Older glass has irregularities and impurities that make it much more attractive to look at (and through) than modern versions. It is rarely possible to reuse glass if a window is remade.

If the frames have been lost, good-quality timber replacements, modelled on the originals, are the best option. There’s usually a similar building nearby with authentic examples that can be copied. Bear in mind, like-for-like replacement windows often can’t take double glazing. However, in all but the most sensitive situations, a degree of adaptation might be possible to allow for the incorporation of carefully considered double glazed units that fit with the character of the house.

The thermal performance of single-glazed fenestration can be improved by draught-proofing, secondary glazing, shutters and curtains. A sash window, upgraded this way, can outperform a modern double-glazed unit.

Case study Victorian home renovation in East London

When Ian Turkington first moved into his East London Victorian property, he immediately saw the opportunity to transform what was once a damp cottage with a series of small dark rooms into a light-filled home. He turned to Whittaker Parsons with a brief to create a more efficient, ergonomic and sociable space with a strong connection to the garden. Once planning permission was approved for a new rear extension alongside repairs and improvements to the original structure, they got to work. The ground-floor was remodelled to create an open-plan but zoned living and kitchen area with a vaulted ceiling, creating a striking architectural feature within the home.

Photo: Whittaker Parsons

As with many renovation projects, the more you uncover the more you find to repair. Ian discovered a series of rotten joists and realised he would also need to install a new staircase, adding an extra £7,000 to the total cost. The bathroom on the second floor also required significant work, and steel was used and painted over to create a more cohesive look that would work in harmony with the original cottage aesthetic.

Photo: Whittaker Parsons

A priority for Ian was to ensure the build would be sustainable and create a healthy home, which made the material choices critical. The new extension was constructed using Environblock, a masonry block made from recycled materials, while the windows were replaced with double-glazed units. The entire rear elevation is lime rendered, allowing the structure to breathe, and hemp-based insulation from Ecological Building Systems was specified for its carbon-negative properties.

see the home

How can you improve a Victorian house’s energy efficiency?

There are a number of ways that you can improve the energy performance of your old Victorian house – some quick wins and others that are more of an investment.

Adding insulation when undertaking a Victorian house renovation is an obvious choice, but it is important to note that period homes were constructed in a way that allowed for them to breathe, so consider which types of insulation will enable this to continue and ensure you don’t cause yourself issues with mould or condensation.

Most old Victorian houses were built with suspended timber floors, meaning there is a gap beneath where you can insulate effectively with something like mineral fibre. Adding loft insulation can be a quick win project, as this space is generally easy to access and will be a key area for heat loss in the property.

When Remi and Michelle Morgan bought their 1890s terraced house, there were plenty of original details including wide floorboards, old fireplaces and corbels in the hallway. They’ve reconfigured the floorplan and added a striking new light-filled extension at the rear of the house to create the perfect entertaining space. Photo: Fraser Marr

Installing internal wall insulation as part of a Victorian house renovation is a big job, but very effective at increasing energy efficiency. There are a number of options for this, including building a wooden frame with insulation attached, insulating plaster or insulating paint.

It is always worth getting expert advice (depending on your property and the type of materials within it) to ensure you don’t cause mould issues and/or damage to the structure of the building. Building a wooden frame is probably the most effective approach in terms of reducing heat loss.

It can cost around £7,000 for a terraced house and should save you around £500 per year in bills – but it will be disruptive. You’ll possibly need to take the walls back to the brick, and rooms will need to be plaster boarded and painted. You’ll also lose some internal space, although this will only be minimal.

Good-quality, high-performance and well-installed glazing will greatly improve the energy efficiency and performance of an old Victorian house. If upgrading windows or installing a window replacement isn’t an option, you can add secondary glazing or draughtproofing. A chimney balloon will block draughts, as will blocking gaps between floorboards and skirtings, along with adding draught excluder strips to doors, letterboxes and keyholes. Do take care not to block any air bricks, as you need to allow a fresh circulation and for the old Victorian house to breathe as it was designed to.

What are the extension possibilities with a Victorian house? 

There are three common ways to add space as part of a Victorian house renovation. You can do this at the rear, within the side return or by going up into the loft with a loft conversion or extension. At times, there’s also the opportunity to go down into the cellar to create a basement conversion.

Victorian houses were often built in an L-shape, with the scullery across a portion of the rear of the house that allowed space for a window in the back room. This side return space offers the opportunity to extend back by a few metres, often creating a large rear kitchen-living area, with a free-standing island, dining space and seating area. It’s popular to include a span of glazed doors, such as glazed sliding patio doors or bifold doors, that connect with the garden, as well as rooflights to bring light into the depth of the room from overhead.

Above: Oliver Leech Architects have transformed this Victorian house, set within a conservation area in Herne Hill. The sensitive redesign involved replacing a network of small, disconnected rooms with a stepped extension containing a social, open-plan kitchen-living-dining area with polished concrete floors. Photo: Jim Stephenson

If you want even more space, you could extend upstairs, too, increasing the size of a small bedroom or taking the opportunity to have a larger bathroom on the first storey. If you don’t want to do this now, but might want to in the future, make sure that you design foundations that can bear the load of a first floor and possibly even a loft extension.

A loft conversion is often the most simple project to carry out on a Victorian terrace, taking just a matter of weeks to complete and being the least invasive. It can easily add two bedrooms and even a bathroom to your home at perhaps a cost of around £70,000.

Whichever type of extension project you choose to undergo as part of a Victorian house renovation, take care not to extend your house in a top-heavy way, for example, increasing to four or five bedrooms without the living space downstairs to match it.

READ OUR COMPLETE GUIDE TO AN EXTENSION PROJECT

What challenges do Victorian houses often present?

Renovating an old Victorian house presents a wealth of different advantages, but you may encounter some pitfalls when undertaking a renovation project:

• There can be a lack of light – though this is helped by the high ceilings, rooms and corridors can still feel dark. The right decor and a light and airy extension can help.
• Though original fireplaces are a stunning addition, they can make the rooms more difficult to configure, especially for double bedrooms.
• Bathrooms are often located at the back of the house downstairs or through a bedroom upstairs, meaning the drainage and facilities will need to be moved to a more central location.
• Storage can be limited, so make sure to plan this in.
• Previous owners who didn’t appreciate the Victorian style might have ripped out many of the beautiful original features, meaning your biggest challenge may be sourcing and reinstating the period details that make these houses so special.