This year is (almost certainly) the year to start Doing The Plan to fix some of the bigger things we need to fix in this ole house. I’d like to reduce future bills and reliance on fossil fuels. Do we insulate? Get solar panels? Get a heat pump?

I don’t know where to start with planning repairs and retrofit for our house. We don’t actually have a plan yet, and having an actual plan is a really important part of doing a plan. The aim is to have a cosy, weatherproof, eco-friendly home. We need to get some work done to fix and improve the place. We’ve had fun making a raised wildlife pond and composting, and putting in stepping stones but it’s time to look at the house properly.

I think we need advice on what to tackle first, and how to intervene most efficiently and effectively.

So I emailed a few local eco architects:

I am looking into options to fix and improve our property. It’s a 3 bed semi, with limited vehicle access, and I would like to maintain, improve, extend and make the most of the space. I’m thinking in terms of a few small projects over a few years, and looking for advice on how to plan them so they come together well and make best use of what we have. 

Our house has a side extension with crumbing walls, and there is damp in the upstairs bedrooms. Some of our neighbours have had their gable ends clad, and I’m wondering if that would be an effective way to fix the damp. The paint and render is in poor condition. The windows and doors are double glazed PVC that is going cloudy, and we have a gas heating system. 

I would like to add a garden room to extend from the double doors of the dining room. We have a largish garden that slopes downhill, and we have no vehicle access to the house so need to use lightweight materials, and I want to be as environmentally sensitive as possible within a tight budget. Over the next 5 years I want to address the issues and improve the house, with a potential budget of around 50 – 70k over this period. 

I would like an eco-architect’s help with a masterplan to put these pieces together bit by bit. I guess I need advice on what to tackle first, and how to intervene most efficiently and effectively. Is this a project that you would assist with? Or could you point me towards someone that might consider this sort of budget and timescale?

One replied:

…at this budget level, despite the best and most admirable intentions to be eco-friendly, the pressure to cut costs almost always results in using cheaper, more environmentally damaging materials. Improving properties in the current climate is shamefully expensive… I feel it would be unfair—and frankly, immoral—for me to design a masterplan for you knowing it couldn’t be realistically delivered within your price range.

A couple of others offered time to talk or to produce a paid report.

I’ve contacted my local council for retrofit advice and did the ‘gov.uk’ improve energy efficiency test. The gov website can look up your house’s EPC (energy performance certificate) and check out how suitable it might be for various eco upgrades such as insulation and solar panels. It suggested we can save £800 per year if we invest about £8000 in eco retrofit. https://www.gov.uk/improve-energy-efficiency

I still don’t really know where to start with all of this.

I get overwhelm when I start thinking about scaffolding and damp and getting it wrong. I’m probably not going to post pictures of our household damp, but we did have to take pictures of black mould and email them to the loft insulation people when the house got damper after we added thicker loft insulation. They are a good, registered proper & helpful insulation company and they helped to put it right. They have mostly fixed the problems by adding insulation into the parts that were missed and improving ventilation, but it wasn’t a great start really on our ‘eco upgrades’ to this ole house.

A 1950s house was built to be heated by fossil fuels I suppose.

So, I have a lot of lists scattered about, and a call booked with an architect. My mousemat (an old cat calendar) is covered in notes, and the lucky robin coaster will be hosting many mugs of tea while this lot is under consideration and discussion.

I can think of so many other things that I’d prefer to spend money on, such as holidays, cake and champagne. But I’d also like to retire within ten years (before I turn 60) and have a warm and cosy home to enjoy that is weather proof and solar powered, cheaper to run and less reliant on fossil fuels.

Here we go, I suppose. 🙂