I bought a neglected Georgian Rectory - First walk through

God bless people who rescue old houses and renovate them with care for the original concept.

This restoration is going to hold my attention. Please do NOTHING until you get hold of the original plans. Next to an experienced restoration architect, they will be the best set of guide posts you can possibly get. Please do not be tempted to take on this beautifull house alone. Do not ignore the cellars.They are holding up the whole house.

As someone who has renovated a 1789 house my advice is spend the money on an architect. It will save you money in the end.

You are not an idiot, you are a man with a vision. The other commenters here have left some good advice. Get all the help you can from those who have done this type of work. It will fabulous to see the transformation. I will be watching the progress, thank you!

I foresee a blossoming relationship with your local skip hire firm. The ripout is going to be epic.

Hi my name is Pierce Wade and I live in Ireland. In regards to your windows the ones with the shutters on you will still have the original sash boxes in place so all you need is new sashes and parting beads staff beads ropes and weights could still be there. Strip the old paint off the boxes do any repairs and fit the sashes. See if there is one of the original windows in the house to match the size of the glazing bars or astragals bars as there known as. You can also double glaze them and still putty point them just like the original windows. If you need any more information get in contact with me I’ve been doing this type of work for 47 years 👍🇮🇪

Hi, I'm a Rector's Wife (although my husband now has a slightly different job) and I'm delighted to see you wanting to rescue and restore this beautiful old home. A lot of these lovely old buildings were sold off a while ago because the church couldn't afford to keep them. Heating costs were huge and without investment in insulation etc. they were BEAUTIFUL in summer, but freezing in winter with the Rector and their family only affording to live in and heat a few rooms. They were also often used for church and community events, especially using the garden in the summer. Pop along to the church nearby and ask about the building for more history and someone there will know. 🙂 Plus, with no servants (a lot has changed in 200 years!) keeping the house and garden in a generally reasonable state would more or less be a full time job in itself. Tread gently in anything you do outside because the gardens are often havens for wildlife and living alongside so many animals is an absolute delight. The brick addition is probably church-related in some way - possibly a study and toilet as in recent decades it has generally been realised that having everyone walking straight through the Rector's home at all hours of the day or night (people in crisis don't often stick to a 9am-5pm!) might not be helpful or appropriate, especially if the Rector has young children. We have found a beautiful sense of peace in these homes... I hope you will too. (On a practical level experts are your friend and the 'measure twice, cut once' mentality of check and double check before you do anything will probably save you a huge amount in the long run.) Enjoy...

As someone who has renovated and lived in old homes here in the U.S. for many years--my present home was built in 1843--let me give you one piece of solid advice. The best money that you will spend will be spent on forging an alliance with an architect whose specialty is historic dwellings. He will provide the needed referrals to builders, restorers, suppliers, etc. that you will need throughout this project. DO NOT TRY TO DO THIS ALONE. That is absolutely a fool's errand and wasted money--and likely disastrous results. It also sounds like you need to think through what you want the finished dwelling to be--a single family home, two large flats...What? So take a deep breath, sit down, start doing research and making lists--and do not raise a hammer until the basics have been ironed out.

I used to be involved in historic preservation, trained at the National Trust for Historic Preservation in Washington, D.C. over 20 years ago as part of their Main Street Program. When I assisted building owners who wanted to renovate their buildings I always recommended getting in touch with your local Historic Preservation Commission/Board or whatever you would call them in the UK. They can help you with guidelines, grants available, etc. Best of luck, I'll be watching for you.

You should start with the annex. It is a smaller project that when finished could be used as a living space or break room while you are working on the main house.

I grew up in a Victorian mansion and your small steep stairs look like that house's 'back stairs' or servant's stairs. Not saying that's what they are, only what they LOOK like. What a lot of work you've got to do....And how fun!

You have 1. Rising Damp , 2. A roof problem with damp on the top floor, maybe flashing or falunching on the chimneys, or pointing or missing tiles, also check the gutters. 3.The single story flat roof has been leaking and has caused damp throughout the extension building. It needs complete investigation, probably taking off and renewal, looks like it has been empty for some time. The plaster will need stripping out to get rid of the mould, what a builder wouold call guttig. 4. A georgian building has no damp course, so that will need to be addressed, a section at a time get someone to assess the outside of the building . The heating and hot water systems are pressurised, I could see at least one pressure vessel. Before anything else I would open up the chimneys and that will let air through the building, helping with the damp problem, then get someone to test the chimneys to see if they are drawing or there is a problem somewhere that needs to be addressed. My opinion is you need a complete structural survey and advice on the first steps to take after opening up the chimneys, get a qualified structural surveyer . Expensive but worth it. there is no way anyone can tell you everything from a video as short as this.

Admiration for anyone who rescues beautiful old homes. This indeed looks like an enormous amount of work, and I imagine how eager you must be to start tearing the ugly parts away. Thanks for inviting everyone along for the ride. No matter how long it takes, one step at a time will get you there.

Being a lover of Georgian architecture I know that the bay windows aren't original. Georgian buildings were generally built symmetrically. PLEASE consult with a Georgian society for advice. Very good luck with your renovation x

You only need 3 things: 1. An architect 2. A builder with restoration experience. 3. Deep pockets. Done and dusted. 🤷‍♀️

That little brick annex would be a great small apt for a parent/in-law with back courtyard/terrace. Love that!

I shall add a couple of comments to all of the good advice below. Any rectory had a private side for the Rector (who might hold that title or might have been a Chaplain or other rank) and his family. Then there was the public side where the Rector had his office and where church business was undertaken, rents paid, etc. The public side was also the servants' entrance. There would have been links between the public and private sides. Rectories tended to follow similar building plans and so it would be a good idea to find out what diocese (an area controlled by a bishop) your rectory came under then you should be able to find out about the original architect. You have a stone building and that brings with it a whole host of problems especially where modern materials have been built over the stone. Check with English Heritage as to whether or not this is a Listed Building because if it is then you need a specialist architect who has links to all of the old trades and that includes metal workers for rebuilding your windows. I do not know how much you have paid for the building but I hope that you have very, very deep pockets.

Wow! This will be a beautiful house rather than 6 dingy flats. Look forward to following this.

If this has never been used as a period movie setting, it should be. Once restored, oh my!!!!

The second stairway would have been the servants' stairs, and the loft rooms their quarters. They're probably original, so worth saving. The main stairway would have been something more grand. I love the "fire escape" - not quite up to code. ;-) I just ran into this site, so I will subscribe to witness your progress. There's some excellent advice in these comments, and I'm sure there will be more as you progress. Are you an idiot for taking on this project? Of course you are, and we're all so glad! This can be another architectural gem that has been rescued from the developers. Picture the site filled with cookie-cutter apartment blocks, devoid of vegetation and with just enough space for tenants to park their cars, and you'll know you made the right decision.