Old stone cottage advice

swailer

I'm debating whether it would be feasible to put in an offer on a ancient cottage belonging to distant family. It will be going on the market in the future. It is being lived in but is not really habitable. The walls are field stone with a rubble fill, about a metre wide, plastered both sides. The roof is sagged corrugated iron and the windows are all rotten. I don't think there is a dpc and I know the house suffers from damp. Who would be the one professional that could advise me on what would be needed to make it a home. Architect, engineer, conservationist or demolition squad. Any advice appreciated. It's in wicklow if that's of help

BryanF

You should be buying this as a site, on purchased on condition of planning approval. You should be looking for a local Arch to steer you through the local housing need sf1 form, design and construction issuing at this stage.

Chuchote

Depending on what you want to do…

Friends bought stone cottages and when they renewed the french drains around the outside and running off the water, the damp disappeared. Not advice, just a pointy-outy; I haven't done this myself.

Another thread: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057573912

The 'breathable coatings' people are talking about tend to be lime plaster, I think (An Taisce will advise); you can whitewash and if you like add a dye to the whitewash, and if you add milk solids to the whitewash it won't flake away. Whitewash is a nice surface if done like this; the double-refraction effect means it gives off a deep, rich light, especially at dusk.

swailer

Thanks for the replies, I had researched French drains and would feel this could work alright. As per planning, surely it would not be necessary if I was repairing it and maybe a small extension below 40sq m? Am I wrong? Its on an acre so the garden is big enough. I'm living in the area 15years and the house is my grandparents in law but I don't work rurally so presumed this would be an easier approach without planning as I'd be sceptical of meeting local needs.

fits

Yep I would be engaging an architect. We are hoping to renovate and extend an old cottage and the council are very positively disposed towards it even without local needs, but we are not in Wicklow. The architect has walked us through all hte steps required.

swailer

Would it be a good idea to dig a trench to let the architect see what foundations, dpc are there or would that fall under the itinerary of an engineer?

fits

talk to them first before you do anything. you could get a conservation specialist engineer to look at the cottage, but they wont be as au fait with how best to get a house for yourself out of it with the planning process etc.

BryanF

swailer wrote: »

Thanks for the replies, I had researched French drains and would feel this could work alright. As per planning, surely it would not be necessary if I was repairing it and maybe a small extension below 40sq m? Am I wrong? Its on an acre so the garden is big enough. I'm living in the area 15years and the house is my grandparents in law but I don't work rurally so presumed this would be an easier approach without planning as I'd be sceptical of meeting local needs.

This is a derelict dwelling, assumed to be without waste treatment
You need planning.

swailer

What could the remedial action be if there was no waste treatment? Would you be talking excavating the contaminated area and fitting a septic tank?

BryanF

swailer wrote: »

What could the remedial action be if there was no waste treatment? Would you be talking excavating the contaminated area and fitting a septic tank?

Forget remedial action/contamination etc:
The engineer you engage to provide report to planning authority will advise.