Turning a Victorian Terrace into an Eco House

A guest blog by author Judith Leary-Joyce

I live in a house much like yours. We did what you’re about to do. What can I tell you?

The building bit is challenging – dust everywhere, house full of work people and no space to cook a decent meal. But the outcome is amazing and worth every little bit of inconvenience!

Our 1901 Victorian end of terrace was horribly cold. I’d layered up in cardis and fleeces every day and still complain. The sun comes into the front for a while each morning. It never touches the centre of the house and only reappears for sunset at the back. But this has been our home for 43 years and we love it. It’s nurtured two kids, three dogs, a cat and now grandkids and grand-dogs; gone through celebrations and trials; and lived through three major renovations stretching and growing into the garden.

Large change number four

I’ve feared for the world for so many years. But at last I could see a way to take direct action that would be a legacy for my grandkids and all kids of the future – to make a home that didn’t deplete the environment. So eco it had to be.

We started with an architect designed extension that included thick wood fibre insulation and triple glazed windows. An air source heat pump would sit on the new flat roof and one day we vowed to have solar. That was the plan, but then the architect said, ‘that’s good enough, because the rest of your house is so leaky.’

If he’d known me better

‘Good enough’ - nothing drives me to action more than that phrase. I started nagging – what else did we need to do? He was giving up just as we were just getting going. Now we realised, we weren’t prepared to accept a leaky house.

It was a great spur to action but definitely not the easiest way to proceed. If we’d understood the full extent of the task, we’d have looked for specialist builders. Mind you, it may have been a good thing – I’m not sure I’d have started if I’d really known. But once we were in the middle of the mess it was too late to go back.

Our builder was a reliable local guy who’d done my daughters house, using the same tradespeople he always used. He turned up every day on time, working steadily and that means a lot to me. I hate wondering if anyone’s coming in today. But it did mean he couldn’t advise us – we had taken him totally out of his comfort zone. We were all on a steep learning curve and I needed to step into project management.

If I’d known then what I know now, the job would have been so much easier. Instead, it became a whole journey of discovery. I become a building bore, spending every waking moment researching, talking with the builders, making lists and planning. The end result is a cosy, comfortable house that isn’t costing the earth – or us.

The idiots guide

There is another end result. As I trawled the web, I often longed for an ‘idiots guide to eco renovation’. All the information you need is there, but you have to be really determined to find it. And it’s often very technical – which is definitely not my bag.

So once we were comfortable again and I could pause for breath, I began to wonder: if an idiots guide is needed, perhaps I should write it.

I contacted the eco architect who had helped me in a tough spot and asked if she or one of her team would support me. A wonderful young woman, Julia Healey, agreed and read every word I wrote. She corrected, adjusted and suggested, adding in valuable information and ideas. When I moved out of her expertise – windows, doors, air source heat pump and solar – I found other experts to check for me. And gradually over the months, I got it done.

So now the Beginner’s Guide to Eco Renovation is up online. It’s not a technical book, it’s too chatty for that. It’s meant as an overview, so you can understand the principles of eco building and be ready to ask the right questions. And it has lots of stories from our experience, including our mistakes. https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0993077234/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_image_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

And the end result?

We compared KwH’s used during the last full year of the leaky house to KwH’s in the first full year of the eco house.

We saved 75% of the energy used, leaving just 25% to be paid in the eco house.

Our EPC jumped from D to B

We are warm and comfortable both in cold and hot weather.

Regrets? Only that if I’d known more we could have done an even better job.

So enjoy the ride and read the book if you want to understand more. You’re in for an adventure and the outcome will be well worth it.

Judith Leary-Joyce

Author of Beginners Guide to Eco Renovation