Post-War & 1960s Homes

Mid-century construction with its own materials and refurbishment considerations

Homes built in the post-war reconstruction years and through the 1960s reflect the construction methods and materials of their era — often simpler in detailing than earlier period housing, and now old enough that roofing, rendering and services are commonly due for renewal or upgrading.

The post-war and 1960s housing stock across this patch was built during a period of rapid reconstruction and expansion, generally using more standardised cavity wall construction and, in some cases, less traditional building methods that reflect the materials and labour constraints of the era. These properties are now old enough that original roofing, guttering, rendering and internal services have frequently reached a point where renewal or significant refurbishment is a practical consideration rather than a hypothetical future job — a roof covering laid in the 1960s, or original electrics from the same era, are well past the point where periodic checking and, in many cases, replacement makes sense. Flat roof extensions and garages from this era, often finished in older felt systems, are a particularly common candidate for flat roofing renewal, since felt systems of this age have generally reached or exceeded their practical working life. Kitchens and bathrooms in unmodernised post-war and 1960s houses often still reflect the original, more compact layouts and lower service provision of the period, which is exactly the kind of property where a full kitchen or bathroom renovation makes a genuinely significant difference to how the house functions day to day. Extensions on this housing type are generally straightforward from a construction perspective, since the cavity wall build method ties in relatively simply with modern extension construction.