Take A Step Back In Time With Barratt Homes

Revisiting iconic events, changing street scenes and cultural changes, Barratt Homes have celebrated building their 500,000th home by producing a digital timeline tool. The digital tool, Barratt Homes Through The Decades, takes a look at changing street scenes over the past 60 years and just quite how much has changed.

1960s

Beginning way back in 1958, when Barratt Homes was first launched, it visits the era of tie-die shirts, bell-bottomed jeans, and the iconic Mini Cooper. Tower block housing and traditional two-story homes were common. An average household was made up of 3.1 people and the average house prices was only £2,530!

1970s

The 1970s takes a nostalgic look back at its iconic music, stylish cars, and the rise of punk. Disco fever hits the country, bringing people together through their love of dance and music. The punk scene emerges, introducing brightly coloured hair, leather jackets and plenty of piercings. The average house price had risen to £19,925 by the end of the decade, as paisley décor became the new house trend.

1980s

Here the tool visits the rise of extreme fashion, dance fever and ‘expressing yourself’. Bold style and big hair hits home as perms, mullets, shell suits and fluorescent clothing became the fashion. The popularity of the Walkman rose, as people were able to enjoy a portable media player for the first time. The property market also saw a boom, average prices rising to £29,143 by the end of the decade.

1990s

This was the era of epic blockbuster films, the start of the Harry Potter story and odd fashion choices such as skirts over trousers. Parkas, polo-shirts, and noteworthy sunglasses became for many the fashion of choice. The average house price had risen to £59,939 by the end of the decade.

2000s

As the 00s brought in the new millennium, there were celebrations far and wide. Social media begins to take off as Facebook goes live for the first time. Reality TV and talent shows dominated the TV screens. The housing market also saw a significant decade, as coastal properties become more popular, and the average house price rises to £156,236 by the end of the decade. With sustainability in mind, Barratt Homes also launched a pioneering range of green initiatives with its eco homes.

2010s

The 2010s were dominated by Twilight, Frozen and One Direction. London hosted the 2012 Olympics, bringing more than 180,000 visitors a day to the Olympic Park. The 2010 street scene also saw some dramatic changes as more townhouses and apartment blocks appeared. The cost of a typical property steadily rose from £170,365 to £197,890 throughout the decade.

2020s

The tool concludes its journey in a strange time as COVID-19 sweeps the nation. Facemasks, social distancing, and sanitizing become the new norm. As COVID-19 completely changed lives and the way people lived them; housebuilders found other ways to adapt. Many towns and villages saw Covid-19 testing centres pop up to help keep on top of the spread of the virus.
Barratt Homes has pledged its commitment to being the leading national sustainable housebuilder. Looking to the future of housebuilding and its next 500,000 homes, Barratt Homes have noted their commitment to creating a positive environmental, social and economic legacy for future generations.