Owning an old town house

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I live in one in Royal Ashbrooke in conservation area.
Love it, but it has took some tie and money to get to this point. New heating, new double glazing (in wooden sash frames = £££££), cavity wall insulation from the inside cos we couldnt damage the brickwork, repointing with lime mortar......
Huge rooms, lovely architectural features, basement. Love it.
 


toxic tracksuit said:
I live in one in Royal Ashbrooke in conservation area.
Love it, but it has took some tie and money to get to this point. New heating, new double glazing (in wooden sash frames = £££££), cavity wall insulation from the inside cos we couldnt damage the brickwork, repointing with lime mortar......
Huge rooms, lovely architectural features, basement. Love it.
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How do you know it needed Lime Mortar? I was thinking of getting mine repointed but not sure whether to use normal or the lime.
 
TheWanderer said:
...like the ones down Ashbrooke.

Anyone live in one, currently happy with where I am at the moment but would like a move in 4-5 years when the bairns are through primary school and into senior school and would love to live I something with a bit character.

Seem to get an awful lot of house for your money, what’s the downsides?
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Lived in that area when I lived in Sunderland, certain streets are great but as mentioned a lot of them are now HMOs and it shows.
 
Gillythedilf said:
That daft loft conversion thing isn’t worth a shite.

the thing on the back ,unsure.
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I went to see one a couple of doors up when it came on the market about 18 months ago. Figured 3 bedrooms and can stick another in the loft. Got there and found the small bedroom with the corner window would get a cot in but when your kids gets to about four it's fucked for having a bed in there. And there was no way a loft conversion was going to work. Wass back gardens though.
 
I know a few lads who've lived in these Victorian townhouses, all say never again.

Pros -
Huge things
Loads of space
Grand looking
Great for parties
Normally staggering distance from town
Huge lofts ripe for conversion or turning them into luxury storage.

Cons -
Freezing and difficult to heat, one house had 16 radiators and it was still cold.
No cavity walls to insulate
Drafty
Retro fitted heating and electrics.
No front garden
Back yard instead of a garden.
Parking issues
120+ year old building work leads to the place needing constant maintenance.
Likelihood of the house next door being turned into a HMO or rented home to large unruly family quite likely.
 
a1970man said:
I know a few lads who've lived in these Victorian townhouses, all say never again.

Pros -
Huge things
Loads of space
Grand looking
Great for parties
Normally staggering distance from town
Huge lofts ripe for conversion or turning them into luxury storage.

Cons -
Freezing and difficult to heat, one house had 16 radiators and it was still cold.
No cavity walls to insulate
Drafty
Retro fitted heating and electrics.
No front garden
Back yard instead of a garden.
Parking issues
120+ year old building work leads to the place needing constant maintenance.
Likelihood of the house next door being turned into a HMO or rented home to large unruly family quite likely.
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Our first house was one although not in Sunderland. I agree with pretty much all of the above. Took a few years and a decent wedge to get it "modern". My main gripe was there was still always something that needed fixing, and whatever did need fixing was never easy and always led to numerous other tasks that needed doing as a result of fixing the first thing.

In a 4 bed newish house now and I dont think I`d ever go back to an old house.
 
toxic tracksuit said:
I live in one in Royal Ashbrooke in conservation area.
Love it, but it has took some tie and money to get to this point. New heating, new double glazing (in wooden sash frames = £££££), cavity wall insulation from the inside cos we couldnt damage the brickwork, repointing with lime mortar......
Huge rooms, lovely architectural features, basement. Love it.
Click to expand...


who did you get the double glazing for the sash windows from mate? only had one quote so far for ours from a company in cramlington, doesnt seem to be many round here do them
 
timeforheroes1 said:
who did you get the double glazing for the sash windows from mate? only had one quote so far for ours from a company in cramlington, doesnt seem to be many round here do them
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Edmundson Building & Preservation did ours.

Try NE&C too, they had sash on their website but not sure if they’re wooden or not.
 
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