To hate people going on about how beautiful my house is

[DyslexicScientist]

When its absolutely freezing inside, costs a fortune to heat and its still not particularly warm or comfortable! This is for about half the year. I've done lots that I can do but it is listed.

I dream of building a modern but boring house. I've packed my suitcase and am staying in my friends modern house this weekend and I'm really looking forward to it.

Anyone else suffering in an old house and having to deal with people just commenting on how nice it looks despite bing very impractical?

The title of this thread is not exactly adequate, but I sympathise. I lived in a beautiful 1900s terrace before I moved to the current 1960s house on an estate. The period house was characterful and even not so expensive to heat, however the to do list was endless and budgeted for thousands of pounds. I clearly got fed up.

After minor repairs and redecoration to taste in my new house, my to-do list contains exactly 1 item (lick of paint where old curtain rail was removed). No damp, no slugs, no rats, no musty smell, no rotten floorboards, no crumbling fireplaces, no row of terraced houses overlooking my back garden, no falling plaster, no wonky floors and strange angles, no cracks, did I mention no damp???

People love Victorian houses but you need to be rich to upkeep.

I have lived in places with massive rooms,high ceilings and huge windows, in the winter I wore a hot water bottle and a sleeping bag most of the time

Now I live in a very well insulated place with sensible sized rooms, in the winter I put the heating on for about 10 minutes before I get too hot and I have to turn it off.
(mind you I do have the menopause )

Moving from two period properties in succession was a very good move for us. Both Victorian. Both cost loads to maintain. Now in much newer house. It's much warmer - and we get the sun all day when it's out - bar one small room. Windy here though (hill), but you can't have everything!

holy maloney how mumsnet is indeed a nest of vipers. Its changed beyond recognition imho.

So what can one post about?

OP don't listen to that rubbish up there. You have what you have but you're freezing cold.

Is that a sin ye nay sayers? No I don't think so either. ffs.

I grew up in a lovely big old house, full of character and absolutely freezing. You never get used to it.

Now I live in a lovely big warm house with double glazing, central heating, heated towel rails, insulation and the heating on low(ish) for at least half the year.
There is nothing more beautiful than that.

Btw, does anyone have an answer to slugs? Have dog so slug peLet's not possible. And burglar alarm so resident hedgehog not possible either.

Pellets, dammit.

Themodernuriahheep Sticky copper tape. Stick it down around access points. Wire wool to shove into holes they may get through. Also stops rats/mice.
bottoms of doors add those brush strips.

Betty, Brilliant. Thanks so much.

Was told be an Irish architect that the only long term way would be to put sea sand in our void... But given it floods every year my betting is that after two years, the salt would be no use any longer. Will tell DSis as well as she has same problem.

Am fed up with getting slug underfoot at night, discovering slug in kettle.

Yep non argument there about the bbc. Although maybe I'm part of the cause, I haven't had a licence for years. Spending tens of millions buying in formats (the voice)

These doctor shows could fit onto a vine with all the bits worth watching.

I was going to say salt for slugs which I think might be cruel
but that worry went out the window when I stood on a huge slug in the middle of the kitchen floor with bare feet one morning...this was a rented period property - I put the salt along the outside of the door under the thresher (? bit that sticks out near the bottom)of the door so it didn't get rained away for ages....no more slugs coming in...

Unlucky, with you there. But salt bad for dumb dog.

We looked for an old period house and rented a nice one for a while which had been nicely renovated. But when it came time to buy we weren't sure. Wanted space and at the same time warmth and modernity.

All the older houses had alarm bells ringing. All the new builds were terrible. Badly designed, tiny and horrendously overlooked.

We went to see a renovation of an old farm house, it was nicely done but we had nagging doubts about how warm it would be and the upkeep. 5 minutes after leaving we found a plot just down the road from the old farmhouse and have build exactly what we wanted, new.

It's double the size of local new builds, cheaper and has all the modern stuff like good insulation, underfloor heating etc whilst the nice things like log burner and country kitchen etc.

In summary, if you can, build.

Lucky you LordBrightside

My ds told me yesterday (he's 20) that I should have been an interior designer. He goes into well off peoples' houses but he considers ours lovely and so do his well off friends

I hope I put the apostrophe in the right place in peoples' or is it people's?

Am I on the right threat?

... thread

Monty27 Agree with you! You are not allowed to moan about things if you are lucky enough to have nice things!
I do not own my home however j feel for you op!
My house is not an old house, but it's bloody freezing right now! Tried everything, now im just sleeping in thermal socks and a jumper!

I do 'own' it, only a small mortgage that costs £500 a month. however, I make the most of what I had and add to the worn out stuff with imagination. Its blardy freezing though and I can't afford to do much about that. Make the most I say of it I say. At least it 'looks nice' apparently.

It's perfectly possible to live an an old house and not be freezing cold.

Our farmhouse has parts that date back to the 17th Century. We've done a lot of work on sealing up gaps where draughts could get in, have a lot of sausage draught excluders, a wood-burning stove, double glazing, thick curtains etc and the house is perfectly warm - even during the cold snap we've just had.

And it's a really lovely house full or original character with old stone floors, fireplaces, wooden panelling etc.

My house isn't old old its 1930s and I just don't have the money to do anything about it. I do the draft excluders and stuff and close curtains to keep the heat in as much as possible.

Anyway I don't hate it when people admire it, I just feel a bit wishful that it was decorated better and warmer.

Where do you all buy daughter excluders? I've been looking but don't see any I like they're all floral stuffed sausage dogs?

I'm in the market for one of those too.

Where do you all buy daughter excluders? Lovely damn-you-autocorrect!

I got mine a few years ago from Ian Mankin - they are a good size & weight.

Like this: www.ianmankin.co.uk/vintage-stripe-2-dark-navy-draught-excluder-9091-p.asp