Buying an Old (1858) Terrace

needaneartolisten

Hello! This is my first post

I'm in the process of purchasing this old terrace property. It is 2 story at front and 3 to rear. I had a buildings survey completed.. heck these things scare the heck out of me. I have a couple of questions which i've tried to google but not finding what I need.

1. I didn't see this when viewing but It looks like there has been historic subsidence as the rear wall (across the party wall) has cross ties, a bulge and hairline crack. The property walls are 450mm stone.
Is this something to be concerned about? I wanted to add a Juliette balcony to second floor at rear. How could i find out if the wall would be compromised?

2. I want to bring the kitchen up from the basement. How can I find out where the original kitchen was? I've tried looking on Rossendale Council website under planning but it's a minefield Can anyone help me

3. There is active woodworm in old rafters in attic. Obviously treatable. However, only half the attic space is accessible due to design. Its a Mansard Roof? Has anyone come across this design before as I'm concerned that will need to be treated too

4. All the walls are horse hair lath & Plaster. Would you recommend having the walls re plastered or leave as it is?

FreeBear

needaneartolisten wrote: »

4. All the walls are horse hair lath & Plaster. Would you recommend having the walls re plastered or leave as it is?

Only ever go over lime plaster with another layer of lime plaster. Do not be tempted to use gypsum plaster. It is a lot more rigid than the underlying lime plaster and there is a good chance it will crack and flake off in time. It may also trap moisture within the wall and cause other problems. If you are trying to cover over some historical hairline cracks, use a thick lining paper.

Same for any external work - Use a lime mortar for repointing, not cement.

Doozergirl

1. It's an old house and sometimes they do move. You are best off consulting a structural engineer about your juliette balcony. Wall ties might need moving or part of the back wall may need to be rebuilt if it's loose as a result of the movement. Knocking a hole in it can have some knock-on effects of things needing fixing.

Is it in a conservation area or a listed building? You might need permission from the local authority.

2. It won't have had an original kitchen in the modern sense of the word. Just put the kitchen where you want it, bearing in mind that you'll
Need access to the Soil Vent Pipe.

3. Maybe the ceiling needs to come down in the room below in order to access that woodwork for assessment and treatment.

4. You will probably find that the plaster starts coming off the wall in sheets if you start stripping wallpaper. Nearly 200 years is a long time for plaster to stay on a wall. It dries out, starts to crumble and loses its adhesion.

The house has got money put written all over it. It needs to be a good price!

trailingspouse

Not sure what Doozergirl means by 'It won't have had an original kitchen in the modern sense of the word'.



In 1858 there absolutely would have been a kitchen in the property - possibly an open fire with hooks etc for hanging pots over it, but still a designated space for cooking. And likely in the basement!! At some point a kitchen range will have been put in - look for tell-tale signs on the walls where a fireplace or range-sized gap has been blocked up. In my house there's a range-sized area blocked up with breeze blocks, down in the basement - and next door still have their kitchen in the basement! The positioning of your chimneys might also give you a clue. And where does the mains water come into the property? When mains supply was first laid on, it was generally only into the kitchen, so that might give you another clue.

Doozergirl

What Doozergirl means by "It won't have had an original kitchen in the modern sense of the word. Just put the kitchen where you want it" is exactly what I said.

The kitchen you describe would looks like a modern kitchen or use anywhere near the amount of equipment or space required today, so is largely irrelevant in a renovation. You're not going to be recreating it, so they should just put it where it suits them, not someone 200 years ago.

I am aware that people cooked and ate food in the 19th century...

FreeBear

Doozergirl wrote: »

What Doozergirl means by "It won't have had an original kitchen in the modern sense of the word. Just put the kitchen where you want it" is exactly what I said.

Back in the old days, the kitchen would have been well away from the main living areas, and would be staffed by cooks & servants. Modern living (for the vast majority of us) has meant servants are a thing of the past, and cooking a meal tends to take place in the same area as eating - Some call it "open plan living".

Kitchens only need water, electricity, and a relatively small drain - Optional extras would be a gas supply and an extraction vent to the outside. With the minimal requirements, it is fairly easy to move a basement kitchen to the ground floor. Heck, if you wanted the kitchen on the top floor, and there is access for plumbing & electrics, as Doozergirl said, stick it where you like.

needaneartolisten

What about removing all the lath and plaster and starting from scratch? Just the thought of it..:(

cattie

needaneartolisten wrote: »

What about removing all the lath and plaster and starting from scratch? Just the thought of it..:(

Just the thought of it would have me running a mile. Find yourself another character property that doesn't have such problems. This house sounds like a real money pit.

Bossypants

needaneartolisten wrote: »

What about removing all the lath and plaster and starting from scratch? Just the thought of it..:(

Living in old houses works a lot better for everyone if you can accept that they are old houses. The way they built back then was in some ways fundamentally different with the way we do things now, often in an incompatible way. Trying to just make it a modern house, without regard for those differences, is likely to cause you a lot of trouble and expense, and the outcome would likely never be fully satisfactory anyway.

If you decide to go with a house like this, try to love it for its differences rather than be frustrated by them or try to correct them, it will likely make your time there a much happier one.

FreeBear

needaneartolisten wrote: »

What about removing all the lath and plaster and starting from scratch? Just the thought of it..:(

Removing lath & plaster makes one hell of a mess. And as mentioned earlier, old buildings, especially ones with solid walls benefit from the use of lime plaster. Modern materials really are unsuitable for older buildings.