Do you live in an old house?

[NaturalBaby]

Can you give me an idea of what it's like please?!

We live in a fairly modern town house built in the 70's and our previous house was new build. We've found a cottage built in 1850 ish and have fallen in love with it, but are trying to work out what it's going to cost to live there. It needs modernising - new kitchen and bathroom, has a mixture of windows from single glazed to secondary glazed, working fire places (the front room was toasty with the fire going) but other rooms feel cold. I would be happy to live in it as it is for a while before doing any work, but am worried about a constant list of jobs that will need doing.

[NaturalBaby]

I don't think the vendors have bodged jobs - they've lived there for 30 yrs and seem more concerned with books and music but seem to have looked after the house well.

I had to stay away from the amazing log burner and try to focus on the windows and flat roof. I quite like the wonky walls and floors!

DH is going for a chat with the vendor to get some history about the property.

We have dc's under 5yrs old so don't want major building work done - a small extension on the master bedroom at most.

[teacherwith2kids]

Not if you have no contingency, no.

However, you may be able to create a significant contingency just by having a really good survey done by a firm specialising in older properties. Our survey released a contingency of c. 10% of our original offer, because the list of 'invisible' things that needed doing (new wiring, new plumbing to replace the lead, new heating, new windows [they buckled in the wind]) was so extensive. We got every one of those jobs costed up by decent local trades recommended by the estate agents (who had the sense to realise that they were never going to shift the house otherwise) and knocked the whole lot off our offer.

Result, of course, was that we moved into the house having spent the contingency on the significant building works needed, but with acres of bare plaster and ripped up floorboards that we hadn't bargained for...

It also depends on your expectations. We expect houses to be cold (our heating thermostat is set at 17 degrees, and it is only on for an hour twice a day), draughty, damp but characterful. If you have always lived in newer houses which are warm and dry, you would regard our house as unliveable in. We just wear more clothes than average...

(If you need to replace your windows, btw, and you do have damp already, then get that properly looked into and take recommendations. Sealing in the damp through having modern double glazing and much less ventilation is an invitation to mould.)

[wordfactory]

Old properties do cost.

Not just the heating/leaking but also, everything that needs replacing can't just be bought off the peg so to speak.

[Fishandjam]

Aargh, just seen about BPOs - we had those too, the fuckers. Nothing very dangerous (though the lack of bannisters on the stairs often gives me palpitations with two young DCs to factor in), but lots that's badly thought through.

[Fishandjam]

Re survey, find a firm of surveyors which specializes in older properties. Don't just go with the firm your mortgage lender gives you. Our survey read like War & Peace but the surveyor actually rang us before sending it, to talk us through it and to tell us not to panic.

[TinyDiamond]

ours is 1850s, 2 up/down terrace. its all double glazed, gch, even with all radiators on I am still cold all of the time.

[nocake]

Stone cottage built in 1865 on four storeys including a cellar. Every maintenance job is harder because the walls aren't straight and some of them have the original lime plaster. The previous owners were bodgers so that has added to the difficulty but we managed to completely refit the kitchen (rewiring plastering ceiling, new units etc) for £6k so it can't be too bad. It is harder to heat but we have sealed unit double glazing so we can get it nice and warm.

On the plus side, it is a beautiful house and we love it.

[Jux]

Queen, oh the joy of the bodging previous owners! We know it well too. Every single thing we do we have to work around or correct what the Bodging Previous Owners have done first!

Then, when we wanted to change the taps on the bath because these were so old and manked up I couldn't turn them, the first plumber said he couldn't do anything because the pipes were lead and we'd have to put new pipes in which is technically true. Luckily, it was the bathroom way upstairs (old servants' rooms) so we've left it.

We've just put a new bath in the 1st floor bathroom. Everythhing is a bodge. Our friend is doing it, and every stage of the job has taken him at least a full day due to previous bodging. He'd said he'd have it done in 2days. Started before Xmas and he has done 6 full days so far. Still not finished.

We laugh about BPO's now.... they pervade everything. And our kitchen ceiling is falling down

[NigellaPleaseComeDineWithMe]

Queen we had the same with the previous owners and some before that too I'd guess!!

[PigletJohn]

It will be cold and/or cost a lot to heat.

You can retain original windows and fit secondary glazing which can be undetectable from outside. If you like net curtains it can be almost undetectable inside too.

Obviously, everything will cost more and take longer than you expect.

[Jux]

Pay for the best survey you possibly can, to start.

Think of all the things you want/need to do to it. Have a meeting with the Council Conservation/listed zbuilding Officer (if it is listed or in a conservation area ). Then you'll know which of your wants/needs are allowed and which aren't. We spent an hour with an Officer who was tremendously helpful. As we're only Grade II the things we needed to do were fine, but there are a couple of things we'd like to do (should we ever be able to divert enough money to pay for them!) which could be a little trickier.

Then look at how much it'll cost to do the things you need to do and which you are allowed to do. double glazing original windows could be a problem, for instance. And if the previous owner has done things they shouldn't without Planning Permission, then you may have to rectify them. That's the problem with Listed Buildings and why it's very important to check.

[QueenofPlaids]

My house is probably about 220 years old, but because it's was a private estate house I can't be certain as there were no deeds until 1905.

I love it, but it's £££. We budgeted about £20k to do kitchen, 1 bathroom and a lick of paint / odd bits of furniture. We're at £60k and counting. This is a family 4 bed which doesn't have particularly large rooms. As others have said, expect surprises.

Do not rely on the survey to show everything, but do get the best survey you can. Ours showed no major issues. We had woodworm and had to rip out all of the rooms / flooring to deal with it, dodgy windows downstairs, damp, to name but a few. All of the work planned for 'some point in the future' had to come forward.

Admittedly were extremely unlucky and the previous owners were arseholes who bodged everything and we had to deal with the fallout but you will find something. Whatever you do, ensure you have some contingency.

You say it needs work. How much are you willing / able to DIY? (Every weekend wielding power tools is not great fun even if you had the skillset.). If you ar happy to muck in a bit to cut costs that can help. If you would 'get someone in' to out up a shelf or paint a room, you might struggle if the budget runs low and you find yet another job.

Also I don't know if you have DC. We don't so we could effectively live in a building site for a time, but it would have been impossible with kids.

Sorry to sound negative, but your post reminded me of myself a few years back and as much as I love my house now, if I was doing it again I would either have saved for longer or bought newer house as there were a couple of years of hell getting here!

[RooneyMara]

yes always old houses but not that old. Mostly Victorian.

Check stuff like whether the ceilings are plaster/lath etc

what walls are made from

what the electrics are like

all this should show up in a survey I think.

[Fishandjam]

PS we have a big woodburner and it's wonderful.

[Fishandjam]

Ours is two old one-up-one-down workers' cottages, knocked through and with an extension built on. The original part is 1820 or thereabouts. There are virtually no foundations so it's all a bit wonky due to settlement over the years, is a bugger to heat cos the walls are so thin (and heating oil is so horrifyingly expensive). When we moved in we had to damp proof, woodwork treat and replace a bust lintel above the front door, but nothing major. But it's a nice old-feeling place and has loads of garden with a field at the back so we're not overlooked. I love it!

[AnnaBegins]

Our house is only about 100 years old but we are about to move to one built in early 1800s!

I'd agree that structural integrity is the most important thing. If you put (nice) double glazing in the rest of the windows that would help with heating, our current house is easy to heat but my old rented house of a similar age but single glazed was a nightmare!

Check what changes and additions have been made in eras when building regs were less strict/followed less often. E.g. extensions done in the 70s are notorious for having poor foundations, according to my ex-builder dad.

Check that the roof is sound!

And don't get too worried by the scary wording of surveys etc - get the surveyor to talk you through what is actually an issue and what isn't - surveys of old houses sound scary but sometimes aren't once you get through the surveyor speak!

Woodburners are amazing - the rooms with a chimney running through them should also get heated once it gets going.

Good luck and lucky you! House sounds lovely.

[NigellaPleaseComeDineWithMe]

Surveys never show up everything as ma ny problems are just hidden!! Also you get to learn a few trades to help reduce costs and find people who can do the various tasks. Also a few older trades like working on older properties and can be very helpful with tips and sometims throw in extras etc.

In the short term if the house works then you can live with it. We moved in here and in the 1st week removed the horrible 1970s stone fireplace the owners puty in - it took a couple years to repalce it with a proper stone mantle and log burner - so worth it in the end!!

[NaturalBaby]

Our biggest problem will be no contingency funds - it will all go into buying the house. That's going to be my biggest concern. Will a survey show up everything?!
It's not listed and there are no TPOs on the trees.

[NigellaPleaseComeDineWithMe]

The problem you may find is that when work needs to be done you'll find more problems that you / the builder first thought of!!

Main part of the house 1820s, with various added on bits over the years. Has a full basement so it's effectively 3 storeys but you only see 2 from outside (big window wells). Quite a bit of work was done here but done badly so have spent many a year updating and putting things right.

Example we had stairs / landing replaced and the joiner was shocked when he found out what was holding up all the old stairs! Had to have ne wbeams put in, extra lintels etc - so any relatively straight forward job just becomes bigger. So best to have reasonable contingency funds for any job you do.

Most modern we have ahd is a 1960s built flat roofed place which also took up lots of money.

Got most of the house reasonably sorted now - still prefer older to new build.

[drjohnsonscat]

Mine is 1820s but I had it almost gutted when I bought it as it was in such a terrible state. Every joist, window and door has been replaced. We are in a conservation area but not listed so I have sash double glazing. I also had the walls internally insulated.

As a result it's really warm and draught-proof. The whole thing cost an arm and a leg to do but worth it as it is comfortable and quite low maintenance atm.

[Astelia]

Also check for TPOs on trees in the garden and also on ones which could possibly fall on the house.

[babamummy]

Live in an old house of varying age- oldest bit is about 1650. They're always seems to be something to do but that is also partly down to moving to a bigger house. Just about to have our roof redone(££££) and getting some extra insulation put in whilst we're there which will hopefully bring the heating bills down.

Our last house was a cottage c. 1800 with no central heating (very naive and believed the previous owners when they said that the wood burner kept it warm). Lasted one winter before we put in central heating.

I love living in old houses but occasionally fantasize about how much easier a new build would be when watching grand designs.

[SaskiaRembrandtVampireHunter]

"First question would be: is it listed? If yes, I would think hard about buying it as it will make some of your plans harder."

Yes, listed status can be a problem - but also check the house isn't in a conservation area. I used to work for a building firm in a town that had several conserved areas and there were often problems when it came to replacing doors and windows, repairing a roof, or adding any kind of extension.

[NaturalBaby]

It is called a cottage but has lots of big windows and high ceilings in places. I don't think it's listed, that's on my list to check.
There was a lot of condensation on the windows so will ask about damp.

I really loved living in a brand new house, and am worried we'll never be able to make this cottage ours as it has so much character from the current vendor. It just needs opening up or tweaking a bit with all the little bits added on and it's impossible to know which walls and doors we can move at the moment.