The Old Rectory has tremendous cachet as one of the most appealing addresses, evoking images of a wisteria-clad Georgian gem or Gothic splendour. According to Dawn Carritt, Director of Jackson-Stops & Staff, rectories and vicarages typically command a premium of between five and 10 per cent on comparable properties in the area. She comments: The popularity of these houses is as much down to their position and architectural style as it is to the accommodation they offer.Bearing in mind it is rare for a village to have more than one old rectory, demand is likely to continue to outstrip supply and underpin their price. In short, there is a certain appeal attached to owning an old rectory.

"The dominant styles employed in late eighteenth and early nineteenth century were mainly neo-classical and Gothic. Many of these former rectories and vicarages were sold off by the Church of England in the late 20th century and they have become fashionable homes, in the heart of the village, often with a view of the parish church, and with generous gardens and grounds. As the properties were originally constructed to accommodate domestic staff as well as the rector and his family, they tend to be spacious and offer a degree of flexibility.

"Additional staff bedrooms are often converted into bathrooms, while domestic offices once used as pantries, sculleries and larders, now make excellent utility rooms, playrooms or home offices. Such versatility can also be seen in many Georgian and Victorian rectories, where horse and carriage traps leave a plethora of outbuildings, ideal for converting into additional garages, games rooms or even guest cottage conversions.

"While former rectories often share many similar characteristics, a product of their historical function as well as the era of their build, they are by no means carbon copies. While Georgian rectories are generally considered the ultimate, with Victorian ones a close second, all tend to have an individual character, seldom matched by other conversions. With prices ranging from 750,000 to 3million depending on the area, the fact that they continue to outperform the market is truly a testament to how attractive a proposition they are".

Jackson-Stops & Staff currently have a range of former rectories and vicarages on the market, including a Grade II Listed former rectory in Cornwall, for offers in excess of 750,000, a four bedroom former vicarage in Northallerton on the market for 795,000, and a late Georgian rectory in Stratford-upon-Avon with a guide price of 1,500,000.