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Moving into a 100 year old house with D1 BER. Bad idea?

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  • 25-09-2020 5:53pm
    #1
    JackieChang
    Registered Users Posts: 1,494 ✭✭✭


    I have a viewing for a house that's 100 years old. Checked the old ordinance survey maps.

    It's one of those ancient tiny hobbit houses built for people 3ft tall.

    I'm worried about how freezing it's going to get in winter even with heating on.

    Check the thickness of the walls here: https://pasteboard.co/JsK3v68.png

    It's probably damp as hell. However the interior pics look nice. I think it's been recently renovated. Of course I'll be sniffing around for signs of mould.

    Is this a bad idea? 100 years old + D1 energy rating is surely a recipe for disaster and mouldy clothes.

    Is there any way I can tell if the house has been insulated? What other things can I check for to make sure it's ok to live in? It's a letting agency so they probably won't have these details.

    More pics here: <SNIP>


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    #2
    Spanish Eyes
    Registered Users Posts: 15,912 ✭✭✭✭Spanish Eyes


    That place looks amazing. I wouldn't over think it at all, you are renting, not buying. Do a one year lease and see how it goes.

    My sister also lived in a so called Hobbit House in Friar's Walk having left Dublin for loooooovve. It was a gorgeous little house, and never cold.


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    #3
    jlm29
    Registered Users Posts: 3,818 ✭✭✭jlm29


    Old doesn’t necessarily mean cold and damp. Our house is a good bit older than that and not cold at all. The walls are so thick it actually holds the heat really well. I’d have to be careful about drying clothes indoors in winter, (as in not do it too much) that definitely woild cause the walls to be damp if I was doing it all the time, but that’s probably true of a lot of new houses also


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    #4
    TheChizler
    Registered Users Posts: 9,437 ✭✭✭TheChizler


    D1 ain't too bad. I moved into a 90 year old house with an F BER and it already had pumped cavity walls.


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    #5
    jaffa20
    Registered Users Posts: 4,516 ✭✭✭jaffa20


    A 100 year old house with a D1 energy rating definitely has insulation. Most would have a G rating.


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    #6
    thomas 123
    Registered Users Posts: 2,715 ✭✭✭thomas 123


    I’m no expert but the windows look new (no more than 20
    Years old so double glazed) and the walls and ceilings look well done, I can’t imagine anyone would go to that much effort without adding some insulation.

    A D rating is not awful considering the stuff you need to do to get an A (live on the starship enterprise lol)


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    #7
    Interested Observer
    Registered Users Posts: 13,023 ✭✭✭✭Interested Observer


    I live in a 100 year old house (built between 1915 and 1920) with an E1 rating and yeah you'd know you're not in an A rated house but it's not that bad either. We give the heating 1 hour blasts a couple of times a day in the winter and it's fine. And we have the worst windows I've ever seen, there is an actual breeze coming through our bathroom window.


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    #8
    Donald Trump
    Registered Users Posts: 19,170 ✭✭✭✭Donald Trump


    As long as you aren't making any serious enemies or attracting serious weirdos online here then you should be fine


    If you are doing either of the above, and you take that house, be aware that you have basically posted your future home address online. You might want to consider deleting exact details.


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    #9
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 3,505 ✭ [Deleted User]


    My parent's house is a similar age and has thick walls and honestly a little bit of heating goes a long way in a place like that.

    I bought a house this year with a low BER, and when I spoke the the structural engineer after his survey, he explained that the BER shouldn't spook us too much when it's an old house. He said the BER is very much a checklist and is best applied on new builds. On an old house they'll mainly be looking at superficial stuff like the rating on your boiler/appliances, the glazing etc. (I can't remember exactly what he said) and you're either up to grade or not. It's very tough to get A rated on an old house.

    Having moved in, I can vouch for the power of living in a small terraced house. We haven't had any seriously cold nights yet but honestly the house is generally quite warm. I've put the heating on once and the standard 1hr timer is far too long, the place heats up quickly and holds heat well.

    The only thing I would say is that with a place like that you do need to make sure you open windows daily. If previous residents haven't done this there is a chance of mould, but sure you know yourself to look for bubbling/peeling paint, have a look around any extractor vents, the sealant/grouting in the bathroom, around windows etc.


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