Keeping warm in an old listed house with high ceilings and single glazing?

Justamum

hereigoagain22 wrote: »

EVeryone I've mentioned this house too has been trying to put me off saying that it'd be far too cold for me and the kids and I wouldn't be able to afford to heat it. But I already have my heart set on it!!

It might be a lovely house, but there's nothing more depressing and miserable than living in a house which you can't warm up no matter what. We are in that boat at the moment. We do have double glazing but in a lot of the windows draughts still come in through them. Also in a lot of the windows there are gaps around the wooden window frame so we are really suffering at the moment. We have the heating on 24/7 but to be honest it's not really doing anything. Even wearing extra jumpers and/or living in your dressing gown still doesn't help. Keeping your feet warm is a real difficulty - even thermal socks don't help.

ETA - There's obviously a reason the rent is so cheap for the area - he'd probably find it impossible to rent out at a normal rate.

BitterAndTwisted

Housing benefit might cover the rent at the moment but what happens when Universal Benefit comes in next month? If you're dependent on HB where are you going to find perhaps upwards of £70 a week to heat it in winter?

It's one thing choosing to live in a cold house while trying to heat it as best you can and another completely not being able to heat it at all. Heating only the one room you are all in with thick curtains at the windows etcetera are all very well but the downstairs being open-plan would make that almost impossible.

Your mention of an SAT means to me that you are in Scotland, and living that far north without adequate or affordable heating would probably make me want to end it all, layers of fleeces and thermals 24/7 notwithstanding.

hereigoagain22

^ Haha, but we are used to the cold up here in Scotland?

I'm going to have a look and then decide.

I'll actually be better off when Universal Credit comes in, I could afford £70 a week to heat the house even for 6months of the year in worst case scenario but obviously I'd rather be spending it on other things!

I do have other places to look at this week for similar prices but they only have 2 bedrooms and I already know we couldn't manage with 2 bedrooms. Both my children are horrific sleepers (I've done everything possible) and wake each other repeatedly during the night and need to be as seperated as possible. My youngest shares with me currently and sleeps well from his bedtime until I go to bed and then he's up the rest of the night. 3 bedrooms would make our life so much easier but finding a place is so difficult.

I'm in the middle of drawing up another SOA for the house and budgeting for a huge electricity bill. Then going to weigh up the pros and cons - compare the SOA to a house with more expensive rent but cheaper energy bills or a cheaper one but out of town so travel costs for work etc. In the end the only thing I can do really is stick with gut feeling!