Does anyone live in a very old house? Please advise me...

[IrisJoy]

Hi all

I am looking at buying a very old house (circa 1500) but I have only lived in modern ish houses.. The plumbing, electrics and boiler have just been done in the new house,and half the windows (I would do the rest of the windows). I love the house; but would it be a constant stream of repairs and things wrong with it? I don't have a lot of spare budget for repairs.

Thanks in advance for any help or advice you can give me!

Our house is 1830 at least (records only go back then). Metre thick walls, huge inglenook fireplace, full of history.

Not listed thankfully (couple of exact cottages in the village are, so who knows why ours isn’t) and was extended and fully renovated 8 yrs ago. Spent over £100k so no major costs now, just decorating etc.

Dated mine back so far to 1829, terraced cottage, originally two up, two down but now considerably extended. In a Conservation Area but not listed.

Moved in last year and have spent £15k on it so far (damp proof works, woodworm and replacing the first floor as it was sagging. Got about another £15k to spend (when I've saved up!) on not such urgent work but then it'll be no different to any other house.

If you love it and have the money or can negotiate on the price if the survey throws up anything, then I say go for it OP!

The main consideration is the additional costs involved in complying with listed status, might be worth checking with your local council how much it costs to file and restrictions in place eg do you have to use lime plaster, what kind of windows, roof slates etc - as long as you factor it in then it sounds amazing. Just be aware that solid walls aren't amazing, I have them and it makes the house expensive to heat

Rented a period property. Damp was appalling, DS (newborn when we moved in, 2 when we had to move) kept getting respiratory infections. Fucking landlord refused to do a thing. Moved out, DS (now 5) hasn't had a problem since, funny that. We still live in the area and you can still see the damp on the outside wall. Hope that landlord rots in hell frankly.

I'd advise looking round a house in winter. We looked round in summer and it hides a multitude of sins.

I grew up in a grade 2 listed house, it did cause some huge problems when the roof had issues. I was too young to really understand all I know is it cost a lot to maintain and was a sort of exceptionally beautiful but shabby house. When people ask about your childhood home I can say mine had servants quarters and a marble fireplace in my bedroom that was so big as a small child I could pretty much run along it which sounds impressive. But I would never buy a listed house nor anything exceptionally old.

The old part of my house is very simple in construction and needs very little maintenance. But it scares insurers and trades people. So a leak from a modern radiator is triaged differently than it would be in many of the UK’s homes..

IF it is listed then go and check that all of the present alterations - including windows have had full and proper Listed buildings consent. Otherwise you could be forced to restore any features that have been lost or things not carried out properly.

I would also suggest you join the Listed Buildings Owners club.

I lived in a nearly 300 year old house for 15 years. Not listed. Good points? It was cosy, comfortable and I loved it, despite its many faults, which were drafts, damp, constant maintenance. The biggest problem was that even a small job regularly turned into something big, because of what you discovered when you started delving anywhere into the structure of the house. Rotten timbers, woodworm, even a huge lump of plaster falling off the wall when hanging a picture. Unless you have deep pockets, don't. And especially so if it is listed.