I was wandering lonely from Bournemouth to Poole, one sunny day in May, when all at once I came upon a road – Shore Road.
Shore Road is adjacent to Sandbanks.
Sandbanks is an affluent neighbourhood of Poole, situated on a narrow spit extending into the mouth of Poole Harbour.
It is known for its high property prices and for its award-winning beach.
In 2005, Sandbanks was reported to have the fourth highest land value by area in the world.
Shore Road is by comparison a poor relation.
House prices in Shore Road have an overall average of £1,150,000 over the last year.
Overall, the historical sold prices in Shore Road over the last year were 35% up on the previous year and 44% down on the 2019 peak of £2,055,238.
So much for the cost, but what about the value?
To begin at the middle, the middle of the Twentieth Century, houses may have looked like this:
Or possibly these:
These Shore Road survivors have resisted the charm of redevelopment, the demolition and new build, or the uPVC over cladding, relentless render or reglaze.
So what happened to houses that look like houses?
This upwardly mobile trend, fuelled by the rakish progress on the so called property ladder, fanned by 80’s Thatcherite tax cuts, and the ever so irresistible allure of conspicuous consumption.
Architectural historian Virginia Savage McAlester, coined the term Millennium Mansion, though these houses are also referred to as a McMansion, Persian Palace, Garage Mahal, Starter Castle, and Hummer House.
Marketing parlance often uses the term tract mansions or executive homes.
Let’s take a closer look at the look of luxury, is it playful and witty pastiche or Post Modern mumbo jumbo – un repas de chien.
If you liked this, then you may like this North Foreland Estate.
Y’all come back now!
Modern Mooch 