So, we moved.
We bought us a ‘doer upper’. A Victorian doer upper to be precise. We moved here two years ago, with the romantic fantasy of revitalising our tired old relic (complete with her 1970s decor and 3 bar electric fires) and turning heads by giving her a face lift, a boob job and a deep-pore facial. Frankly, hanging baskets were never going to cut it.
Right. Let’s just say that I found my first grey eyebrow hair yesterday.
Allow me to illustrate the scope of the task we have undertaken.
This (right) is soot. When you take down the ceiling of a very old house, you will find that there is lots of it. If you’ve got a hole, it will find it. In your plastic decontamination sheet that is. I sealed in the old fella with duct tape – it was like a scene from E.T. and yet there was soot in my knickers. Whaaaa?!
Above is the ‘Before’ picture at the rear of the house, complete with what might have been described, in polite Victorian circles, as an outhouse with a view.
And this was the view of the front garden, before and after some hard work. As you can see, it’s still a work in progress.
Once we had put the rear half of the house in a skip, along with my nervous system, I felt strangely better. It was time to renew. And renew we have. Although still a work in progress, our old house is becoming our new home, and we have left another generational imprint on the life of this wonderful building, which will outlive the lot of us.
Next up? THIS!!!! 
I am hoping that the Garden Fairies will come and transform it into THIS!!!
What? You’d be amazed what a good tradesman can achieve.
More takes on the theme ‘Old’ at Sticky Fingers
We are just at the start of that process. We’ve just moved into an Edwardian ‘villa’. This place is stuck in the 80′s. Nasty cheap kitchen, oil heating, fireplaces blocked up with cardboard, and tacky DARK WOOD PANELLING in the dining room. Oh and brick. Brick fireplaces.
Who te he’ll ever thought that a brick fireplace was a good idea?
Needless to say the kitchen, dining room and the utility room are being the first places that are going to be gutted. Just hope I don’t go grey in the process…maybe the soot will help…
Good luck to you! I will pray for the abatement of grey!!!
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You pulled the back extension down? . It looks good though. I did this sort of renovation to 2 houses with my first husband. Whilst it can get tiresome, it is great exercise and I enjoyed it all really.
Oh yeah, we knocked down about a third of the house and rebuilt it. I have a pathological loathing for dust now.
Looks amazing so far and the house if just beautiful from the outside anyway. I live in a Victorian terraced house which my partner renovated a few years ago, and he soon discovered that as you take plaster down it brings walls down too!! Worth it though for the end result as yours is/will be too x x
You’re so right about the plaster. Would have been a lot less hassle to paper over it and cross our fingers!!!!!
Beautiful home. Love what you have done with it. I grew up in houses being either renovated or built. Mum & Dad were self builders and would never buy a ‘normal’ house to move straight into, lol. Great post x
You must have had the permanent taste of brick dust in your lungs!!!!
What a great house, If I could, I’d be your garden fairy. Love my garden and cottage garden styles.
Like the sound of that!! Bring your shovel
I’m very much an amateur, but learning all the time.
I have another blog at http://thesecretallotment.wordpress.com/
if you want to see my garden and greenhouse.
Wow – that is one errrrr, project! Looks like a beautiful home though and just think one day when it is all done and you sit back and look at it, it will all be worth it.
I so hope that day arrives whilst I’m still young enough to enjoy it!!!
wow what a task! I’d love to do an old house up from scratch. It looks lovely x
Thanks Gina….don’t do it!!!!!!
What a beautiful home, made even more homely by the time you’ve invested in it I’m sure!
Thanks for that Laura. One day it will be finished. At least it’s something we’ll always have to talk about!!!
Lovely post and good luck x
Thanks, I may well need it
Love what you’ve done so far!
Thanks, very kind of you!!!
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