The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word TERRACED
I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
T
E
R
R
A
C
E
D
Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "houses like this" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case houses like this = terraced.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does TERRACED mean?
TERRACED verb- To provide something with a terrace.
- To form something into a terrace.
- Of, relating to, or being a terraced house.