The Househunter

A four-bedroom Georgian terrace with tiered garden, in a north London conservation area.

I do love a Georgian house, and a terrace in one of the loveliest bits of north London (with a garden) is something pretty special – even if it does cost nearly 3 million quid. OK, £2.75m, in case that makes a difference. But on the basis that not all of my lovely readers can afford to nip out and make an offer this lunchtime, let’s go for a virtual look and see if it can teach us anything about our own places and spaces.

The elegance of these terraced houses is now so widely admired (and desired) that I feel I should set the historical context, as they were much disliked when they first appeared. The 1774 Building Act was designed to codify existing building regulations which largely came into force following the Great Fire of London in 1666, when some 13,000 mostly wooden dwellings were destroyed.

Houses were henceforth to be made of stone and flat-fronted to minimise the chances of the flames leaping from building to building. Excessive ornamentation was discouraged and – crucially…