Quaint, romantic and full of historical character, Tudor homes conjure up images of days gone by -family meals at huge wooden tables and a fire forever roaring in the hearth. UK homeowners rate Tudor properties as one of the cosiest homes to live in and with their distinctive wooden beams, white plaster work and thatched roofs they are an important part of our national heritage. Buying a Tudor home can be a difficult business however and there are a lot of things you need to look out for. From Tudor to Tudorbeathen, from Medieval to Mock Tudor, thatched roofs to gables, chimneys, wattle and daub - this guide to buying a Tudor property is an invaluable source of information to those considering a home with character. To make a big topic simple, we have split this article into several easy to read sections as follows:

• What is a Tudor property
• Tudor versus Mock Tudor and Tudorbeathan
• How to spot a Tudor property
• How to buy a Tudor property
• Advantages and Disadvantages of buying a Tudor property

What is a Tudor Property?

To really understand what defines a Tudor house it is necessary to take a brief look at English architectural history. Tudor is the name given the historical period 1485 - 1603 at the end of the Medieval period. At this point radical changes came about in the style of building in England and new features and innovations were added to buildings both public and private. What we today refer to as Tudor style architecture however actually mimics a style of house that predates this period. When we refer to a Tudor house we generally have an image in our mind of a rustic, timber framed country farmhouse - rather than a gothic medieval construction. It is important to note that the vast majority of Tudor houses available for purchase do not date from the 1600s (although there are some examples still in existence) but from a relatively much closer point in time - the 19th century, when the style itself was a fashionable revival!

Tudor versus Mock Tudor

What we often know as a Tudor house therefore is not from the Tudor period at all and from a historical point of view is not 'Tudor'. Indeed the style of residential architecture typified with wooden beams and whitewashed exterior but built in the 19th century is correctly denominated Mock Tudor or Tudorbeathen. Neither of these two terms exactly roll of the tongue however so for the sake of this guide, for the mutual understanding between homeowner, buyer, estate agents and basically everyone except architectural historians we can continue to refer to the Tudorbeathan style in the most popular and generic of terms, regardless of any academic inaccuracy - as Tudor. The main difference between Tudor and Mock Tudor built after the 19th century is that the wooden beams of the latter are not part of the supporting structure, they are for purely decorative purposes - this is known as half-timbering.

How to spot a Tudor Property

Tudor architecture bears a number of differentiating features. To help you in your historic home hunting we have compiled this handy checklist of Tudor house must haves. Check the list below to ascertain whether the house you are interested is Tudor or not.

• Think about the location. Is this area (or indeed this country) known for its Tudor architecture?
• Try to determine the date of construction. Was the house built after the late nineteenth century or long before?
• Examine the external walls of the house. Is it made from brick, stucco or stone?
• Always look out for that classic timbering or half-timbering. This is strips of wood framing arranged to form vertical, diagonal and horizontal patterns on the masonry (in the medieval houses that the Tudor style imitates, this timbering was actually the frame of the house).
• Look at the chimneys. Tudor style often means more than one. In comparison to many Victorian houses built at around the same time, Tudor chimneys seem unusually tall and wide. They are often topped with round decorative chimney pots.
• The roof is an important feature in the Tudor style - it will be steeply pitched with gables.
• Alternatively if the roof is not steeply pitched it may be going for a thatched look - low, sloping and curved with a roof material of thatch, or in more modern constructions - made to resemble thatch.
• Tudor windows are often tall and narrow with multiple small panes often made of leaded glass.
• Tudor doorways are lower than normal and arched rather than rectangular.

Before you cast absolute judgement on a home, remember the following:

• A house may possess features of several different styles, combining Tudor with other styles fashionable at the time. It's up to you if it works or not.
• Modern finishing and later construction work may be obscuring original identifying Tudor features. You may be able to reverse this process - at a cost.
• The Tudor period in architecture was as diverse as any other. Some Tudor houses imitate humble Medieval cottages with low thatched roofs and plaster exteriors. Others mimic Medieval palaces with patterned brickwork and steep roofs - all can be said to be Tudor.

To give you a better idea of the Tudor style have a look at pictures of Tudor Buildings in Chester and Tudor Houses in Surrey.