Property Development How To Restore An Old Property

• < Previous
• Next >

8. Riverside Cottages Ripe For Renovation Are Very Hard To Find (Image 8 of 19)

Here's Kevin McCloud's quick tips for restoring an historic building -

'The reason we buy, like and own old buildings is because they have charm, they have character. And that charm and character is not some kind of weird, mysterious soul, it's not a ghost in the building. It is the accrual of thousands and thousands of tiny details that make up the historical narrative of that place. And so there is a balance to be struck between conservation, care and repair, the reverential treatment of old buildings and modern needs, modern comforts, modern requirements.'

View the 14th Century Castle Grand Design in Yorkshire >>

'There are all kinds of complications from ancient monument consent to listed buildings issues to planning permission, but with an existing building the constraints can often be really damaging. Churches, for example, do not convert easily.'

Take a look at the Birmingham Church Conversion Grand Design >>

Kevin's golden rules -

'Make sure that you are able to illustrate the story of the building; that you are not wiping the slate clean and starting again.

'When you are planning on doing things to buildings that are contentious in some way, such as knocking through a wall, make sure that whatever you do you explain it in ways that suggest that it's reversible, that you could put it back.

'You need to have very deep pockets and the terrible, terrible thing is that unlike new buildings it doesn't stop when you finished. Every year you live there and own it you need to spend more and more money.

'Old buildings are a bit like old relatives, they need a lot of upkeep, they need a lot of love, they can occasionally reward you and they can be quite smelly. The only difference really is that you can't put anything in their tea!'

Kevin McCloud is architecture guru, eco housing expert and presenter of Channel 4 self build programme Grand Designs.