home stylesplates 01 and 02 · victorian & craftsmansan joseboyenga team at compass

San Jose Victorian & Edwardian homes

Victorian, Edwardian and Craftsman homes for sale in San Jose, live from the MLS, plus how to spot each style from the sidewalk, the neighborhoods where they stand, and what we check before you buy or sell one. The Property Nerds® have sold Bay Area homes since 1996.

See San Jose listings What’s my home worth?All Victorian & Edwardian homes

for sale in san jose now · live…
median year built, listed now…
victorian & edwardian era1870s–1910s
selling bay area homes since1996

on the market

Victorian, Edwardian and Craftsman homes for sale in San Jose

Active San Jose listings we can place in one of two older styles: Victorian and Edwardian, or Craftsman and bungalow. We read the MLS style field first, then the description, and check the year built. Pick a style to narrow the board. When San Jose has none, the closest ones nearby show up below.

typesort MLS-tagged only

Loading live listings from the MLS…

Want the ones that never hit the MLS?

Tell us the style and streets you love in San Jose and we’ll watch for Compass Private Exclusives and Coming Soon homes.

Set up a home watch (408) 373-1660

Want the ones that never hit the MLS?

Tell us the style and streets you love in San Jose and we’ll watch for Compass Private Exclusives and Coming Soon homes.

Set up a home watch (408) 373-1660

How homes land here: we read each active San Jose listing’s MLS style field and its description, then check the year built. “MLS-tagged only” keeps the homes whose listing agent picked the style. Orange pins are MLS-tagged. Some listings record a style only in fields this search can’t filter on, so a few may not appear here; ask us for a full search. Listing data comes from the MLS and is shown with the listing brokerage; confirm details with the listing agent.

where in san jose

Where to look in San Jose

Each name opens our full neighborhood guide, with live listings, a map and what to check.

01 · victorian & edwardian

Japantown & the Hensley blocksItalianate, Queen Anne and San Francisco Stick houses from the 1860s to the 1910s, in a National Register district.
Horace Mann & Julian-St. JamesThe city inventory records about 26 Queen Annes, plus Italianate and Eastlake houses.
Naglee ParkQueen Anne and Folk Victorian houses among Craftsman and revival designs, mostly 1902 to the 1920s.
College ParkQueen Anne and Stick-style Victorians under mature street trees.
Diridon & Delmas ParkThe Lakehouse City Landmark District: Queen Anne and Craftsman houses from the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Luna ParkAbout 35 older buildings in Queen Anne, Eastlake and Classical Revival styles.

how to spot one

How to spot a Victorian from the sidewalk

The drawing is a San Francisco Italianate row house over a raised basement. Hover or tap a number to match it to the list.

plate 01 of 09 · victorian & edwardianc. 1870s–1910s

fig. 1 · a two-story Italianate row house with a slanted bay and a bracketed false front, the most common San Francisco Victorian type, between its neighbors. drawing not to scale.

Bay windows
A slanted two-story bay on Italianate houses, or a squared bay on Stick/Eastlake houses, pushes the front room toward the street.
Bracketed cornice
A straight roofline ending in a deep cornice on brackets, often on a false front that hides the roof behind it.
Tall, narrow windows
Vertical double-hung windows with molded hoods or crowns over them.
Raised basement and stoop
The main floor sits a half level up over a raised basement, reached by a flight of front stairs. San Francisco Planning names raised basements as a local trait.
Applied ornament
Brackets, stickwork, spindles and patterned (fish-scale) shingles. Queen Annes add decorated gables and corner towers.
Row-house rhythm
Narrow fronts set side by side. Many San Francisco Victorians stand on 25-foot lots, most touching their neighbors.

Open the full Victorian & Edwardian plate

Also on this board

plate 02c. 1905–1930

Craftsman & bungalow

Open the plate and its live board, set to San Jose.

the nerd check

Before you buy or sell a Victorian or Edwardian in San Jose

What we check when you buy

Foundation and boltingFind out the foundation type and whether the house is bolted and its cripple walls braced. California's Earthquake Brace + Bolt program offers retrofit grants for wood-framed houses built before 1980 on raised foundations in designated ZIP codes, with registration open for a limited time each year. Cripple walls taller than 4 feet need an engineered retrofit.
Wiring generationsAsk an electrician to identify every wiring type, including any original circuits still in use, and to confirm the panel capacity.
Lead paintFor houses built before 1978, sellers must disclose known lead-based paint and give buyers the federal pamphlet, and buyers get a 10-day window to inspect. Test before sanding or repainting trim.
Asbestos before remodelingSuspect materials can't be identified by sight. EPA advises sampling by an accredited professional before work disturbs them.
Cornices, bays and false frontsCheck brackets, cornices, bays and stickwork for rot, and see how water drains from the roof behind a false front.
Legal unit countFor flats or converted houses, confirm the legal number of units and the permits for past conversions, additions and basement rooms.
Original windowsNote which wood sashes are original. Preservation guidelines generally favor weather stripping and storm windows over vinyl or aluminum replacements.
Historic reviewCheck whether the property is in a San Francisco Article 10 district, San Jose's Hensley district, a Los Gatos historic district or a city inventory, since exterior work there needs added review.

How we market one when you sell

Photograph the facade straight onBays, cornices and gable ornament read clearly in even, frontal light.
Name the style correctlyItalianate, Stick/Eastlake, Queen Anne or Edwardian, so buyers compare like with like.
Document the unitsFor flats, assemble the permit history and the legal unit count before listing.
Share the district rulesIf the property is in a historic district, include its guidelines and review steps in the disclosure package.
Note any Mills Act contractContracts transfer to new owners, so buyers need to see it.

property nerd note

In San Jose, exterior work in the Hensley City Landmark District needs a Historic Preservation Permit, and the work must meet the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards. We help buyers read the rules for a specific address before they write an offer.

What’s my home worth?Help me buy a Victorian

victorians in other cities