Stone cottage - lifetime of pain?!!

[SunnyUpNorth]

We have looked at a traditional stone cottage in the Lake District that we are thinking of buying.

I’ve always lived in Victorian houses so it’s a bit of a departure for me from what I know. I understand Victorian houses have their own issues.

the cottage seems in reasonable condition but we did notice a lot of damp around the windows - bubbling, peeling paint etc. I’ve now gone down a rabbit hole about traditional lime plaster and render etc (the house is rendered on the outside) and I’ve no idea what materials have been used on it to date. Is it going to be a total money pit? We would get a full structural survey if we go ahead but I feel like we are would be taking on something that we don’t know how to handle. Or am I totally over thinking things?

Your Old House UK - Repair and Conservation - on Facebook. Brilliant source of information.

All I can say for sure about stone is rebuild costs have gone through the roof, far more so than brick-built. Insurer wanted at least £1370 a year (quote was still to be fine tuned) on a £465k purchase, because they reckoned a 2023 rebuild would cost £1.2 million.

That said, I still love them, and still wouldn't absolutely rule them out.

@KievLoverTwo it was actually looking at that group that started to put the fear in me!!

They often put the fear in me too, but not quite enough to buy a run-of-the-mill new build with tiny rooms and neighbours that can see into your postage stamp garden from three directions though.

I love older properties.

If you get a L3 survey, it's going to be the best you can do to manage those concerns.

I know exactly what you mean though. I've been battling the same demons for a long time.

I love old houses too, but stone cottages are an unknown quantity to me. I was looking at posts earlier of people being quoted £25k to repoint a stone house so god knows what it would cost if we had to re-render it!

I also wasn’t aware of having to use special paint on lime plaster. Now wondering if I would have to sand off all the existing paint….assuming they have the correct plaster currently and we don’t need to re plaster the whole thing!

I personally wouldn't, my friend has one and all their stuff is constantly getting mouldy.

It does actually seem quite dry except for an issue around the windows. But they have old pvc windows so I’m wondering if it might be an issue with the fit allowing water ingress.

we had a really good poke around in understair cupboards etc and saw no other signs of damp. No smell either and I’m usually like a sniffer dog with a scent of damp!

Yeah, but on the flip side of that, you can also go on specialist training courses and teach yourself how to do it at a fraction of the cost.

What's becoming increasingly clear to me after following that group for quite a while is: don't just get someone in, see if you can learn the skill and do it yourself.

Not just for stone houses tbh. Works are becoming so unaffordable for so many, that we may not be left with much of a choice.

Rather than the fit, it could be that condensation from the windows have nowhere to escape, because render/the wrong sort of paint is a barrier for moisture to escape into the elements outdoors. Stone houses were designed to let water seep out. They don't really cope all that well with modern methods, e.g. double glazing causing a higher internal moisture level (especially not if basically a waterproof barrier has been added to the exterior).

Our house is stone, I think it's wonderful and not a pain at all for us. It feels more solid and homely to me. We did strip some of the bubbling paint off and used proper breathable paint when decorating but other than that we've had no issues. Surveyors will do a damp measure and that will give you an idea if it is a bigger problem, or just something that needs caring for. I've always been the type to open windows and let the fresh air flow so that probably helps too. Surveyors do err on the negative side though

What height is the ground level, and floor level? And what are the floors made of?
Personally I’d avoid anything where the ground level isn’t a foot or so below the floor level.