Have you attended an open house and wondered what style of house it is? Edwardian? Victorian? Modern?

Or have you heard other buyers specifically seeking out a particular style because they like the high ceilings or the windows that belong to the era?

Many buyers will have asked themselves this question but lack the information to determine the style without assistance. Thankfully, help is at hand.

The Heritage Council of Australia has published a booklet entitled What House is That?, which is a useful resource for anyone with an interest in real estate.

The booklet and online version provide detailed information about each architectural style.

The online version is particularly useful. It enables users to ”walk” up and down a street in the ”interactive neighbourhood” and see a range of houses.

You can click on each one and find details unique to that style: for instance, Queen Anne-style houses feature highly decorative roofs, while Late-Victorian houses will typically have picket or cast-iron fences with ornamental tops.

Once you have reviewed this information the various styles, or mixtures, of housing in our streets will become more apparent to you.

The website also provides information on how to renovate heritage houses to retain the unique features and value. It can be found at www.heritage.vic.gov.au/heritage-places-objects/what-house-is-that/index.html.

ENZO RAIMONDO, chief executive, REIV.