Whether it’s striking modernist architecture or well-preserved period interiors, there is always a thrill in finding a home that has stood the test of time.
“That’s the thing about this house,” said the owner of a lovingly maintained Art Deco house in Devon, who found a time capsule in the wall from 1935.
“It has a sense that other people have lived their lives here before us.”
From a listed Georgian building with “remarkably complete” interiors to a riverside house with 1970s wallpapers, here are nine of the best time capsule homes on the market now.
Isle of Dogs, E14
£3.25m
Designed by Stout & Litchfield, this Grade II-listed house on the Thames has “untouched” 1970s interiors, with William Morris and Charlies Rennie Mackintosh wallpapers and Scandinavian-style wood boarded ceilings.
Strutt & Parker, 020 45388012.
Kingsbury, NW9
£550,000
1920s two-bedroom cottage described as a “rich in character time capsule”. There are original wooden ceiling beams, a cast-iron fireplace and a wraparound garden.
Winkworth, 020 38348172.
Ham, TW10
£650,000
Grade II-listed flat in the famous Parkleys Development, designed by Eric Lyons and Geoffrey Townsend in the 1950s. Well-preserved, with original stairwell and parquet flooring.
Chestertons, 020 81152470.
Mayfair, W1
£5.5m
Grade II-listed Georgian building dating from 1729 with “remarkably complete” 18th century interiors, including dog leg staircases and panelled walls. In need of restoration.
Knight Frank, 020 38356305.
Highgate, N6
£1.7m
There are wooden ceilings, floor-to-ceiling glazed windows and a central, open-tread staircase in this 1970s house, designed by Stout & Litchfield. Four bedrooms with 1,468 sq ft of space.
PurpleBricks, 0800 8108008.
Bromley, BR1
£1.5m
Called Stillness, this Grade II-listed Art Deco house built in 1934 remains packed with original features, including its curved staircase, oak architraves, skirting boards, fittings and fireplaces.
Jdm, 020 83136800.
Greenwich, SE10
£4.85m
Queen Anne house replete with period features (feature fireplaces, sash windows, plastered ceilings; even classical busts) and opulent interiors curated by its owners of 68 years. Grade II-listed.
Fine & Country, 020 45383171.
Sydenham, SE26
£875,000
Arts and Crafts family home dating from the 1920s. There are exposed wooden beams, feature fireplaces, a cottage-style kitchen and ornate, curved bay windows.
Stanfords, 0203 8695659.
City of London, EC1Y
Bowater House, Golden Lane Estate, £750,000
Two-bedroom modernist apartment in the famous 1950s estate with parquet flooring, a concrete cantilever staircase and a double-height pull up window leading to a south-facing balcony.
