Victorian detached houses.

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Are they generally a money pit to run and maintain, and always a work in progress ?

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hyphen said:

I was assuming the discussion was about the normal detached Victorian houses you find scattered amongst the semi & terraces around London, as opposed to anything larger.

It is, and it's not anywhere near the smoke either. Had a close look at the slates using binoculars and they didn't look too terrible. I'd have hoped not using Welsh slates £15-20k if it ever needed doing.

Edited by blade7 on Sunday 11th December 15:54

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Welshbeef said:

blade7 said:

It is, and it's not anywhere near the smoke either. Had a close look at the slates using binoculars and they didn't look too terrible. I'd have hoped not using Welsh slates £15-20k if it ever needed doing.

Why would you even consider Chinese slates over Welsh?

Cost, and I wouldn't use either. Had a small barn roof redone last year, reused the originals for one side and the fibre copies for the other side.

[blade7]

AFAIK the roof is OK, I'm just weighing up what it could potentially cost in years to come. I'd be surprised if the imitation slate didn't last 20 + years though.

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hyphen said:

As the house has been standing before most of us were born, and will be standing long after we are gone, subject to a surveyors all clear, I wouldn't worry.

Is it in need of a bit/full modernisation, or is it already done up?

It needs around £30k spending on it, that is reflected in the price though.

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snowandrocks said:

I think the 24C constant temperature might have had something to do with it! Christ - our thermostat is set at 20C all year round and that's enough for shorts and t shirts most of the time!

Same here, and the heating is off at night and when we're out. I've read of people with large Victorian places shutting up rooms and wearing thick jumpers in winter.

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easytiger123 said:

Just because a house is Victorian or Edwardian or whatever doesn't mean it was brilliantly built by wonderful craftsmen and just because a house is new build doesn't make it some flimsy box.

I'd expect a big detached Victorian house would have been built for someone that had a few quid, and unless they were tight they'd have used the best materials and builders available 100+ years ago.I don't think builders were better 100 years ago, I expect they knew their place and turned up every day though .

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sealtt said:

Electricity is £200 per month which sounds about right given a couple of electric heaters in the annex and lots of lights and electronics.

Ours is less than half that in an 80's detached. Unfortunately we got out bid on the house that inspired this thread .