This is the day we really need to go home. The Stuff Doer needs to do some work (the type he gets paid for). There’s so much more we want to investigate but, hey lets pace ourselves. We’ve cleaned up the worst of the muck and done a couple of dump runs shall we have a tidy up and write some lists?

Not on your life. Someone really needs to follow that beam up into the bedroom above! Oh, and whilst we’re at it lets have a poke around the dividing walls and see where the beams go to.

Well, next to be uncovered is the roof line of the cottage before the brick layer was added. We’ll need to do more research but it looks as though the building could once have been thatched. Again if anyone has any ideas drop us a comment.  (And here for a  more in-depth look at how we’re investigating the building’s history)

Just so no room remains untouched, the old roof timbers see the light of day

The beams (purlins) in the bedroom, which we thought looked a bit odd, turn out to have been clad in plasterboard, plastered over (roughly) and painted brown. This, though, is good news for us as every inch of head height counts as we would really like to put in a passage to properly separate the third bedroom.

Anyway we eventually do a final tidy up and head off home.

We’re desperate to get back. We’ll be there in a couple of weeks with no kids. After all we missed our anniversary few days away (why pay for the flat at Sandsend when we’ll have our own cottage by then!!!) and our Christmas treat was delayed. So instead of a few nice relaxing days on our own, we’ll be working like dogs. Never mind, I am insisting on one night out at The Beach Hotel in Sandsend so we can at least pretend we’ve had a holiday!

Monday dawns (flat airbed ensures I see it yet again) and I face another day of stripping. Stuff Doer has allowed himself to be talked into removing the only straight, sound wall in the house as an exposed stone wall on the stairs will look really nice. The only argument against doing this is that “It would have been lime plastered originally” but more on this later.

Wrecking (apparently they’re really called prise) bars in hands, work commences. Plaster board removed we find the stud work. Not new timber, but it looks like we’ve found the frame for the “hidden cupboard” and the date when it was removed. Beneath the stud work is gloss painted gypsum plaster and ,very helpfully, written on it a message from nearly 30 years ago “24/08/84 a sunny day, enjoy this house”. As the plaster needs to come off we can’t keep it so we take a picture which will be framed and hung where we found it.

Hidden message under the plasterboard, "Enjoy this house".

Now for the dirty bit. We shut all the doors to try to minimise the impact on the kids and Stuff doer and child number 2 set about removing the plaster. When the plaster is removed there is evidence of a leaky chimney, soot stains where the wall meets the chimney, which is quite scary when you think how many years those gas fires must have been burning in there. We also find that the wall wasn’t originally plastered, but there are signs it was once painted. A bit of a scrub and it will look lovely.

I decide to take the kids to the shops, they’ve been really good and have seen a toy they want to buy, and I feel my shoulders need a break from the cardboard stripping. I can’t leave him alone for two minutes! We arrive back and the downstairs gas fire’s out along with the plaster on the chimney breast it stood against. Now this has thrown up another set of questions. We find a 50’s opening, above that a standard fireplace opening, a little larger and then evidence of an arch above that where a range would probably have been. So far, so normal. Above this though there is irregularity in the brickwork with the impression a triangular section has been infilled. If anyone has any ideas after seeing the pictures please get in touch. We’ve got loads of books out of the library, including ones that they’ve had to order in specially, but we would be grateful for any advice we can get. Up to now we’ve decided to go with the “Yorkshire Arch” as it will house a stove nicely then we’ll just paint the brickwork so everyone can see its past.

More on the fireplace – Investigating the Building’s History

Discovering more of the original roof structure in the bathroom

He’s still not happy! There are still rooms to be investigated. So, after dinner, the bathroom’s next. Now this is a surprise. Stuff Doer finds paneling on an exterior wall. The only stuff we’ve found so far are room dividers ie. our “walls”. It’s not in the best condition though so Stuff doer shoves a screwdriver through a hole and discovers that the bathroom can be a good three inches bigger than it is. This is just too tempting so he removes “just a couple” of pieces of paneling. This is hiding an amazing beam. We knew there would be one as there is one in the bedroom at the front of the house, but this has been plastered up to and gives no indication of the true size of the beam. I say beam, it’s more of an oak tree that’s been flattened off a bit on one side! It gets more exciting every day. What will tomorrow bring?

We’re really interested to know  the history of the cottage we are renovating.  We need this information to inform the decisions we have to make.   

We’re prepared to put the effort in to getting this done right. This will involve loads of research and investigations. 

CAN YOU HELP?

Any thoughts, comments, advice, suggestions or encouragement will be most welcome. Please add your comments below. (click the article title first if the box isn’t there)

For those that haven’t already seen the associated pages covering where we are up to, here is a good starting point for details of the cottage renovation.  A list of the cottage renovation related blog posts can be found here.

If you want updates of progress via Facebook , there’s an iDoStuff page, just click “like” to get the news feed.

Thanks in advance for any input you can give us

“Stuff Doer” Andy , “Other Half” Wendy.

Sunday dawns. I know, I saw it. I have decided I’m too old for sleeping on a flat airbed. But waking up here is a joy, it’s like we’ve always been here, it’s home already.

So after coffee on the patio taking in the stunning views, I drag myself away to the kitchen to prepare the evening meal whilst listening to The Archers omnibus. I now decide it’s time for everyone else to get up and make a start, so I put on the bacon with the doors open (guaranteed to get my lot downstairs).

Where do we start? There’s so much to do but it’s all very exciting so we’re a bit like a dog with two tails.

We know that the plaster next to the front door needs to come off and we’d also discovered the paneling below it didn’t match the original paneling that had been used to divide the rooms up, so it’s decided that this shall be removed as well. We’re planning on leaving this stone pillar exposed. Lots of dust and mess later and ta da, a beautiful stone wall that just needs pointing.(I’m sure the Stuff Doer will go into all the technical bits about lime plaster etc. later).

Stone wall behind panneling ( Stuff doer notes "Just needs" in the above paragraph)

We then decide it’s time to investigate the upstairs living room and see what needs doing in there. We know there are some questions need answering as there’s a strange door in  the bathroom and nothing corresponding with it on the other side of the wall, so this is where we start. Strip a little wallpaper off to find the edges of the hardboard that we’re pretty hopeful covers all the walls, less wallpaper stripping you’d think, but you’d think wrong. Under the hardboard is many layers of wallpaper! Not just wallpaper but under all the layers  is a thick layer of CARDBOARD. Oh joy, absolutely hours of stripping. Even so this normally banal job throws up the odd surprise and we manage to retrieve a trade label applied to the cardboard.

Stripping back the wall paper to discover a despatch lable to (possibly) Ford and Sons of Flowergate, Whitby and hessian that covered panneling and a spare door.

So far, so usual. Then Stuff Doer finds something we didn’t expect, hessian stretched taught and nailed over the old door then wallpapered over. Not just that, but evidence that the old paneling is still there so stripping is resumed with renewed vigour. Yes, result, it’s all still there. Lots of work, but no wall skimming as we’d first imagined. This means this is a job for me (hey how did that happen?) no specialist skills required, just a straightforward restoration job.

But still, more surprises. Another piece of hardboard removed and reveals the man responsible for it (still can’t quite believe it wasn’t my dad as so many panel pins had been used) Mr William Nelson and son 1959 signed on the wallpaper. Luckily it’s been signed above the door which has been hessianed, so we’ll be able to remove it intact and display it for posterity.

We’re trying to date the layers we find, so please comment below if you have any ideas (click on the article heading if the comment box isn’t there).  More details will be over on idostuff.co.uk  site 

 When we put in the offer for the cottage, we didn’t tell the kids. The youngest two had viewed it with us and had fallen for its charms. We didn’t want to jinx anything. Our own disappointment, had things gone wrong, would have been too much to bear (never mind crestfallen kids). Then child number two (they’re still children even if they think differently) read a letter that we’d carelessly left lying around and sussed the situation, so she and the eldest were sworn to secrecy. Christmas looming and still no completion (it’s complicated, but never have we known the purchase of a vacant property take so long) we decided to bite the bullet and wrap up a picture of our cottage. Much screaming and hysterical laughter ensued, second child filmed it, then promptly lost it, but when we can retrieve it we’ll post it on here.

So, the first day of the half term arrives. Leave dog with my mum, load up the kids and sleeping bags etc. and off we go. Whitby here we come!

Two youngest excited to get in, look round and see what they can remember. Second child can’t wait to have a look as she’s never seen it. She’s had her tour and looks distinctly underwhelmed, even though we’d warned her it was a bit of a state and she’d seen some photos. After all, the cottage has been stood, pretty much unused, for approximately 10 years. Cue a wander around Whitby for child number two, while we and the youngest ones got stuck in with the scrapers.

Then the discoveries come thick and fast. I’ve had to buy a diary to jot things down in as they appear. Second child is suddenly enthused as the history of the place begins to unveil itself and she promises herself a trip to the museum at the first opportunity.

Kids Wall Paper Stripping and finding hidden doors.

One of the first things we discover is, while stripping wallpaper, a sealed over cupboard. I say sealed over, I mean under the 80’s wallpaper is a layer of gloss paint on top of about 60 years of wallpaper. We did manage to salvage the Edwardian layer and even get the registered design number of, what appears to be, the first layer of Victorian wallpaper underneath that. (more research needed on that). The cupboard has no other side to it, that’s been removed and boarded over in the room behind it. What was it for? We honestly don’t know at the moment but neighbours have mentioned “sleeping cupboards” for privacy. We’ll hopefully find out more when we start stripping out the bedroom behind it. We should be able to find evidence of how deep the cupboard was. Whatever it was I think it’s likely to become a “secret door” that I’m sure our and other people’s kids will enjoy.

Evening refreshments for the enthusiastic helpers

So that’s the end of day one. Youngest two go to bed, quite exhausted. Second one is treated to a can of cider for all her hard work and is appointed Official Historical Researcher. Stuff doer is rewarded with a few cans of beer, myself a bottle (or nearly two) of wine. It’s a good job, there would’ve been no sleep at all otherwise (we are in possession of a rapidly deflating airbed!).

You can Ask us Questions and Leave us your Comments below (click on the article heading if the comment box isn’t there).  The Stuff Doer will be filling the details on the Main Website

Well, at the beginning obviously. You’ve already read about us finding and purchasing the cottage so I’ll begin with our first visit, which resulted in the video guided tour. (see the video here)

The sale of the cottage completed on the 6^th February. We decided to make a flying visit to Whitby to pick up the keys (by flying visit I, obviously, mean a 5 hour round trip) on the 7^th. We needed to check out the property to have a look at what would be needed to stay a few nights there with the kids during half term.

You have to remember that we had last seen the cottage in August 2010, almost 18 months ago! A ten minute open viewing with only a cursory look at what work may need doing, but we fell in love with it and made our offer over a year later. No second viewing. This, we have to stress, is NOT the way to successful property investment.

So, lunchtime in Whitby, after driving through rather dense fog over Fylingdales Moor (we couldn’t even see the Hole of Horcum, we stopped and checked) we parked on the West Cliff and walked past our cottage on Cliff Street to Astins to pick up the keys. Here we finally met in person “our” estate agent Nick, who had been Mr. Helpful himself. He even offered help in the future with local knowledge, contractors etc.

Back up the hill and we’re at our new (rather shabby) front door. Keys work fine sticks a bit at the bottom though, one for Stuff Doers list, but no matter I’ve picked the colour it’s going to be and dug out the antique knocker that’s going to furnish it.

Into the lobby, it’s not grand enough to be a hallway, with its blown plaster next to the door. At least that was one thing we’d remembered, then through into the downstairs living /dining room. Yes the wallpaper was as bad as we’d remembered, but once we’d removed the cover over the door window it was much brighter and opened up a view we didn’t realise we had.

Then through to the kitchen, the biggest surprise, it was a good bit larger than either of us recalled. This is great news. I’m aware that most people don’t go on holiday to cook, but some people (myself included) want a well equipped kitchen. Plus this cottage will also, for some of the year, be our home so I can now let my imagination run wild and think of ways to justify having a range cooker!

Everywhere else in the cottage is pretty much as we remembered it. We discover that we can put a proper passage on the walk- through bedroom, rather than the moveable privacy divide that we’d envisaged.

In the upstairs living room we discover what we think is a Victorian marble fireplace with a rather hideous gas fire plonked in front of it. Stuff Doer decides to have a quick look to see how easy it’ll be to remove but said fire isn’t actually attached to anything other than the gas pipe. Here’s one thing that can’t wait until our next visit. I can smell gas and we really don’t want to leave the gas off for a few days on one of the coldest days of the winter so far. The “elbow” on the gas pipe doesn’t work, the more it’s turned the more gas escapes, so off to the DIY shops round the corner to do a permanent fix. So, we’ve made a start already and we’ve only had the keys for two hours!

Yaaay! Finally picked up the keys, a good 18 months after viewing said cottage. It’s still as beautiful as when we first discovered it in August 2010.

Now, please bear with me whilst I thank folk who have made our dream come true (our  experience may help you achieve your dream too) Many thanks to Phil at PG Mortgages & Loans. We can’t stress enough that, when in an unusual financial situation (in our case self-employed), it’s really worth spending a little on using a professional to search out a mortgage provider. Stuff Doer spent two days trawling the internet looking at (what we thought) where all the available options. For a few hundred pounds Phil saved us thousands in arrangement fees and failed mortgage applications. I’m sure Stuff doer will go into this in much more detail than I could possibly be interested in, this was area of potential DIY he opted out of.

Also Coventry Building Society for, after seeing the detailed information, being able to see the bigger picture (great if you’re self-employed). I have to say, we couldn’t have wished for a better mortgage provider or their free legal service provided by Fast Track.  It’s loads better than any other company we’ve had the misfortune to deal with! Also big thanks to Bill (DAL), our best ever plumber, who put us on to Phil and encouraged us to proceed with this project. “Go for it, you only live once”.

Diamond in the Rough

So, now to our cottage. It’s a few hundred years old (buildings on the site on 1740 map!) Please have a look here for a  first look at the cottage for a guided tour.

As previously stated, we first viewed the cottage in August 2010, we BOTH fell in love with it (not just me!). As you’ll see, from previous posts, the cottage was removed from sale soon after our first viewing. It went back on the market just before we went on holiday in August 2011. But, obviously, I’ve saluted all the magpies in the right order, and we were able to put in an offer, which was accepted on 17^th August 2011.

We finally got the keys on 7^th Feb 2012 (we completed on my best mate’s birthday on the 6^th)

We’ve worked hard and we’re fortunate to be in the position to appreciate the opportunity we find ourselves with. Not only is it a fascinating project but a beautiful (one day) holiday home and a massive learning curve. We hope you’ll join us on our journey.

To keep up to date “like” the iDoStuff Facebook page and we’ll keep you posted with any updates.

We have another Sliding Sash window fitted!

Now I’m sure there are other little nudges (more on those later) than my ramblings on my bit of the blog, but on Friday I was requested to start preparing for the insertion of another window. Well I wasn’t waiting to be asked twice, so, after finding masonry chisel, lump hammer and prise bars (eventually, that garage is like a labyrinth) I make a start.

I’m the daughter of a stuff doer. His particularly annoying trait was being overly thorough. eg. Use six nails when only two will do, or use a five inch nail when an inch and half tack will do. Problem, my Dad had put our present windows in and he obviously didn’t want them to fall out! This will cause Stuff Doer some problems as we want to keep the old windows as intact as possible as we want to use them in the tree house that’s being planned for the woods.

So what should have probably taken an hour or so, 3 hours later, after much cursing of aforementioned dad, the old boxing and beading had been removed and we were ready for the old casement window removing..

Obviously not the next day. There’s other stuff to do, like getting a load of logs in from the woods, but hey, I’ve waited two years since the last window was put in so I’ll go and do some manual work and help get stocked up for winter (he’s not getting an excuse to play, sorry work in the woods tomorrow as well).

Saturday Night and he’s made some final tweaks ready for the next day. Now we’d already found out on Friday night/ Saturday morning that what we thought was a black dust sheet acted more like a net curtain with light behind it, so we carefully went to bed in the pitch dark (we don’t want to upset the neighbours) to be rudely awakened by the sun next morning.

The day had dawned. Progress was finally going to be made. He’s took some photos of the sash window installation and I’m sure he’ll be putting it on his blog shortly.

 Maybe my ramblings are going to be useful to me too.

I can't complain, MUCH, even though the front room has been taken over, it is progress

Part of series on Techniques for Motivating Other People the way you want, without manipulating others or being devious…. Honest.  For more motivation tips and tricks see the “Stuff from the Other Half” category

You’ll have seen from the DIY LOFT CONVERSION blog  that we had a slight sense of urgency due to not enough bedrooms ( or it could be that we had enough bedrooms and too many kids!). Now Stuff Doer was under pressure to get the loft conversion done (from the kids, he never knows when I’m turning the screw). Now he did decide that, as you can’t see the newel post from the main body of the house, that plain and simple would do and be the quickest option. Now, I haven’t waited for years for the loft conversion just to let something not be 100% how I want it for the sake of saving Stuff Doer a few hours work and some thinking time.

So, what to do? We all know our Stuff Doer is a bit pedantic, that’s why stuff takes so long to get done. But things getting done just how you want them (ie. The Right Way) is supposed to be our reward for all our tolerance and patience so we must appeal to this tendency of theirs and use it to our advantage.

In this particular situation I pointed out that, eventually, the loft conversion will become his study. I’ll get the extra living room back, and he’ll be walking past and touching this newel post for as long as he’s still working! Every time he walks past that newel a little bit of him will regret that ( for the sake of some Heath Robinson thinking and a couple of hours work) he didn’t do it properly in the first place.

Result? Holding up pieces of cardboard behind the original newel while a shadow is cast onto it to make the pattern, 14′ foot and bike inner tube powered lathe cobbled up in the garage and a few hours later what am I in possession of? Probably the first newel post turned on an un mechanised lathe in a couple of hundred years.

Turing a newel post with some basic equipment and lashed together lathe

The best of this method, is that you get what you want and your Stuff Doer is grateful that they were persuaded in the first place.

I can’t stress enough that, except in the odd extreme situation, you’re better off with a carrot than a stick. (more on extreme situations and how to deal with them later)

( A Brief introduction to How to make stained glass panels, coloured glass and leaded panels. On your own, with out others interfering!)

Living with a Stuff Doer is sometimes difficult for unexpected reasons.

Sometimes we want to do our own stuff. For a Stuff Doer this is sometimes a hard situation to accept. It’s OK when it’s stuff that you’ve always done, like making sure food comes out of the unfinished kitchen or that Christmas happens, but when it’s something that they quite like the sound of (stained glass making)  it’s a whole new kettle of  fish.

This is when we other halves have to be careful as Stuff Doers have there own little tricks to get their own way and get in on the action.

Now, if they were sophisticated, as we other halves are, they would be more successful. Stuff Doers have no patience. If they had they would wait to be asked for help and not sneakily elbow in and start doing stuff whilst you’re doing more research (at Stuff Doers suggestion) into YOUR project.

The stained glass is MY baby. What was particularly annoying was that I’m not proud, I can and will ask for help (let’s face it this is about how I get stuff done).

Part way through cutting coloured glass for a leaded glass window

So we come to the stained glass, the amount of time we’ve had the stuff ( ie. Coloured glass, lead came, glass cutters etc.) needed to create the panels and why they re still not done.

Now, obviously the Stuff Doer has muscled in at some point and I was Bl***y furious! Not only took over, but posting it on his blog (His posts on stained leaded glass making start here). So we have a delay while I refuse to have anything further to do with MY project (sometimes we other halves have to be stubborn).

Where we are now. Obviously the project is back on as Stuff Doer has backed off (he’ll now be able to put up his practical postings (Andy: thanks dear) ) and we’ve started cutting the actual coloured glass. Notice the WE, I’m not selfish and I’m more than happy to let Stuff Doer do the fiddly bits as the “nipping” of the glass goes through me a bit!