Your Home

• Repair rather than replace.  It is almost always a better investment to repair original windows, doors and other architectural features than to replace them. In so doing, you will not only be preserving the character and appearance of your house, but also its value.
  Ill-considered changes can destroy the look not only of your own house, but of the whole street.  Repairing windows can also help to make the house significantly warmer. Replacements, if unavoidable, should copy the original designs for the house exactly using traditional materials and finishes.  Keep the original size and proportions of window openings and glazing bars as even small variations can have a damaging effect.
• Original materials, ornamental details and design features add to the value and character of your house. Chimney stacks, moulded bricks, porches and tiles are often the most attractive and distinctive elements and they help to interest prospective buyers. They can be expensive to replace, so they should always be retained and repaired.  Internally, cornices, picture rails, panelled doors and chimneypieces are important domestic features which enrich the house and help to sustain its value.
• Don’t cover the walls of your house with render, pebbledash, paint or stone cladding unless it is part of the original design.
• Poor repointing ruins many houses and can cause dampness.  Pointing should always be carried out by a skilled specialist.  The mortar and joints should match the original and should always include lime. Flush pointing is usually best and “weatherstruck” is almost always wrong on older houses.
• Don’t remove gardens, fences, walls and hedges which are often part of the co-ordinated design of a residential area.  Always consider very carefully the effect of paving over gardens for car parking. This reduces bio-diversity and as rain falling on paving cannot soak in, the risk of flooding is increased.
• Extensions should generally reflect the style, proportions, materials and details of the main house.  They should never be so large or prominent as to dominate or compete with the house.
• Loft conversions should be done taking care not to change the overall roof shape. Dormers should be designed so that they are integrated into the overall design of the house as a whole in their size, form, shape, materials and details.  Traditional flush-fitting rooflights can offer good inexpensive alternatives.
• Porches and garages should be designed to blend in with the original house. 
• Satellite dishes should be kept off the front of the property, and located unobtrusively.
• Reduce your carbon footprint and save money.  Old buildings can be made more energy efficient without harming their appearance and character.  By far the most effective improvement is to install a high efficiency condensing boiler with individual thermostatic controls on all the radiators.  Windows can be improved by draughtproofing and by using curtains, shutters or blinds it is often possible to achieve the energy efficiency standards sought for new buildings.  Flue dampers or special balloons in the base of the flue can reduce or eliminate heat loss through chimneys.

Useful reference

Collins Complete Period House published by Collins in association with English Heritage, 2008