Stories & Notes from the Renovation

I’m documenting this whole renovation as honestly as I can — the discoveries, the mistakes, and the problems you only notice once you start pulling an old house apart. These articles bring together everything I’m learning along the way, from tackling damp in a 1930s solid-walled home to figuring out drainage, electrics, layouts and materials that actually work for older UK properties.

If you’re renovating a similar house, you’ll find a mix of personal updates, deeper dives, and the occasional guide where a topic really needs breaking down. My goal is to make it easier to understand how your home works, and to share the kind of practical, real-world renovation info I wish I’d had before starting.

All Damp Render

Damp Render

Damp in Old Houses: What I’ve Learned Fixing My 1930s Home (so far)

Massive cracks in the cement on my house

Damp Render

Why I’m Removing the Cement Render on My 1930s House (After a £20k Quote I Can’t Afford)

Damp

Uncovering the Hidden Cause of Damp: Removing Concrete Steps Blocking My Air Bricks

Everything I’ve learned (so far) fixing damp in my 1930s house

I’ve been pulling together months of damp research and fixes into an illustrated PDF. It’s around 15 pages of everything I’ve learned so far. It’s my first time making something like this, so it’s not perfect, but hopefully it might help someone with an older home.