Our Blog...

[paddytt]

Hi All

Thanks to everyone for the advise and help to date. We thought it would be fun and interesting to have a blog of our endeavours - so here it is! Hopefully useful for others in the future, and hopefully all that great advice will continue to flow...

http://thethatchedhouse.blogspot.com/2012/01/our-new-pad.html

regards

TT

 

[Feltwell]

Very nice looking house you've got yourself there, and I look forward to reading more as it progresses.

 

[Penners]

Lovely, Paddy. I presume that's the Hengrave near Bury St Edmunds?

I particularly envy you that apple walk, if only for its photographic potential!

 

[JoceAndChris]

That is such a very pretty house. Thanks for sharing!

 

[robgil]

Iknew I recognised that roofless house, I passed it the other day on my way to work.

 

[Zebra]

Wow. What a pretty house! But what on earth is that on the walls in bedroom 2?

 

[Penners]

On the right-hand wall it appears to be the FT.

Handy if you can't sleep.

 

[vicky whitworth]

Pretty, pretty fireplace and finger plates in the drawing room. Looks a bit bedroomy though for a drawing room. Have the rooms been shuffled round at some point? I love the wallpapers - crazy.

 

[paddytt]

Pretty, pretty fireplace and finger plates in the drawing room. Looks a bit bedroomy though for a drawing room. Have the rooms been shuffled round at some point? I love the wallpapers - crazy.

Yes, the two rooms on the east elevation were converted into the estate office and drawing room in the 1920's or 30's. Unfortunately they also converted the inglenook into a passageway for access and then fitted the fireplace. It's really not in keeping with the house, so we have plans...

There's one roll of the wallpaper left if anyone fancies an eBay auction?!

Regards

TT

 

[Keithj]

You have been one busy chappie! It looks great!

How did you just happen to have a thatcher available to start work as soon as you moved in? My niece was told there was a 5-year waiting list to have her thatch redone.

It sounds as if you have a helpful CO (I've not met one yet who isn't), but the usual surprises from the planning dept have arrived. Ours was "if you change the roof tiles, you must comply with the 2011 thermal insulation standards". It later transpired that insulation to those standards won't fit Tudor roofs, so we were let off.

 

[paddytt]

From what I have learned, many old houses can't have certain modern materials as they simply don't fit.

Reference the Thatcher, you need to get at least three separate quotes and discuss with them what you want, when you want it and what you are prepared to pay, as with any job. You might get lucky, we did! Be firm, friendly and fair, and remember, it's your money.

Our Thatcher tells me that the others always say there's a long waiting list... I'm guessing that it's all part of the negotiation, they probably think you are less likely to negotiate on the price if they appear in high demand.

Tell your daughter to get it done before it lets the rain in!

Good luck!

 

[Keithj]

Indeed - all part of the learning curve. We know, we learned all this stuff, and we have a good technical adviser (as well as the fine folks on here).

Niece had her thatch done some years ago - unaccountably, the bloke suddenly had a cancellation (or a thatched house he was scheduled to do burned down, or something). Yes, of course.

 

[Penners]

Reference the Thatcher, you need to get at least three separate quotes and discuss with them what you want, when you want it and what you are prepared to pay

Hmmm - in theory you are, of course, absolutely correct. In practice, however, you're more likely to find yourself begging the thatcher to try and fit in your job some time before the end of 2013 (or later). And I'm afraid they'll tell you what they charge, rather than you telling them what you'll pay.

 

[paddytt]

Ok but that's absolutely not my experience. Quote to starting job was 10 weeks and price matched to cheapest quote. No theory at all.

Luck of the Irish? or maybe nobody wanted their roof stripped in winter, but we've had good weather so far!