Victorian terraced homes in Sheffield which have undergone a radical makeover for the 21^st Century have been unveiled to local people.

One of the houses in Page Hall is now more energy efficient than a newly-built home. Another is two houses knocked into one to create a five-bedroom family house. And behind the traditional façade of the third is an ultra-modern interior inspired by urban loft living space.

The project was undertaken by Sheffield City Council as part of regeneration plans for the wider area. The aim was to bring empty properties back into use and provide a showcase of “ideal homes” to encourage homeowners to consider the range of improvements which they could make to their own homes.

Housing and trade professionals are being invited to view the homes and rethink their attitude to Victorian terraces – viewed by many as outdated despite being one of the most common forms of housing in Britain.

Ultimately, local people will get the chance to own the houses when they go on the market in the New Year.

Improvements in each home include:

The ECO Terrace

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  • Now has an air tightness rating of 9.8 – lower than the current guideline of 10 for a newly-built house.
  •  Uses an innovative new insulation product which proves that even “hard to treat” houses without cavity walls can be well insulated.
  • Uses a solar panel to heat water and a photovoltaic panel to provide electricity, reducing the carbon footprint and cutting fuel bills.

Twice the Terrace

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  • Front entrance is now where the passage way between the two houses used to be.
  • Ground floor has a large family room with a kitchen, a quiet living room and a third room which could have a variety of uses.
  • Second floor has four good sized bedrooms and a bathroom.
  • Fifth bedroom with en suite bathroom in the attic.

21^st Century Terrace – due for completion by the end of the year

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  • Radical internal alterations create a well-lit open plan living space.
  • A suspended balcony in the roof area creates a gallery space for work.

The project was funded by Housing Market Renewal funding. Page Hall residents, who wanted to see the empty properties used to encourage homeowners to make their own improvements, were involved throughout.