First Home 50:50

[mattice]

I first joined the forum in 2009 whilst researching a few projects for our first 'period' home. Four attempted house purchases (perhaps we're unlucky) and almost four years later (perhaps we're choosey), we completed just before Christmas!

Why 50:50? I guess the picture gives it away. The original cottage has been extended, possibly unsympathetically, in the last thirty years or so. The original cottage we've had estimates from 150-300 years although we'll have to do some local research to see if we can get a consensus.

The 'surprises' still keep coming thick and fast and I have so many questions, however I'll hold back.... one project at a time

Our first project is to prop up the roof after some supporting walls were removed to 'open up' the hall and landing some time in the past, closely followed by ventilating a cellar/under floor void that we discovered whilst fixing the roof. More on that later I'll drop a few pics with progress.

Despite not having a house I've enjoyed my trips back to the forum over the years, hopefully now I can give a little back.

 

[Feltwell]

Welcome Mattice - good to see that a long-time "lurker" has found their new home. Whereabouts are you?

I trust the roof fixing was done before you took that picture! We were mad enough to start re-roofing our house in October a few years ago - we were incredibly lucky with the weather however.

I hope not too many of your "surprises" post purchase have been unpleasant ones. It seems a little odd that the builder of the extension had taken trouble to match the details of the original house - such as the shallow arches over the windows - but didn't match the bricks, when the originals don't look too hard to match to me. If it bothers you, maybe worth looking at firms that do brick tinting? From what I've seen it can be surprisingly effective - although no doubt what is a purely cosmetic job with cost attached would be way, way down the priority list.

Before anyone else says it - more pictures please!

 

[mattice]

Hi,

Thanks for the welcome - We're in worcestershire. I think our survey report said, roof structural work before the end of the year or before it snows! We missed both :? Anyway, we're still standing. It's a relatively simple project to prop up a sagging purlin that has snapped a truss.... vertical post down through both floors into our surprise (half height) cellar - a nice surprise - not for the wine storage potential, but access to the base of a rather damp wall which we now know is caused by lack of ventilation in the cellar! At least it wasn't a pond. Job two - air bricks - although will be fighting with the ground level...

It is peculiar about the bricks, you can't see it but they spent some time matching the undulation and tiling on the roof - unfortunately the bricks are a different bond so they will always look different so I guess we'll keep them different! I suspect it was a job lot as there are a few other similar properties within a few miles of us ;-)

More pics later

 

[88v8]

Welcome.
Yes, at first sight the extension looks far from disastrous. A shame they took some trouble with apparently matching the windows and roof, then laid the bricks in stretcher bond. Perhaps they just didn't think about it.
When we had our house extended in 91, most of it was pebbled, as original, but the one visible brick wall we had done in English garden bond with struck headers, so it didn't look too obvious.
Never mind, after a while you probably won't notice it.
Look forward to more pics.

Ivor

 

[LadyArowana]

Good to see you return, glad you eventually secured a nice period place. I quite like that the extra part isn't identical. I'm sure it will be an interesting project.