My guides

Written for owners and buyers of old buildings: the questions I answer most often, set down plainly.

What a home survey costs in Norfolk

Most surveyors will tell you a fee depends on the property, then decline to say what that means. This is what the bands actually are, what pushes a quote up or down, and where the money goes.
Damp in old buildings: cause before cure

Damp isn't a diagnosis, it's a symptom. It's always worth understanding what is actually causing it and resolving that, because making the mark go away isn't the same job, and it's usually the wrong pick.
Maintaining an old home

Old buildings are not fragile. The ones that have stood for centuries survived because, for most of that time, somebody kept the rain off them and kept them aired. Maintenance is the cheapest and most effective conservation there is.
Owning a listed building: first steps

One of the real pleasures of old-house ownership and one of the few where getting the basics wrong is a criminal matter, not just an expensive one. The principles are straightforward, and most owners only come unstuck because nobody told them the rules existed.
Which home survey do you need?

The right survey depends on the building in front of you. This is the companion to the survey chooser; the reasoning underneath the questions, so you can understand why a particular survey suits a particular home.

Choosing a survey — RICS

If you're buying or selling and working out which survey a building needs, start here.

Resource	Why it’s useful
RICS Consumer Guide: Home Surveys	A plain-English explanation of the RICS survey levels and what each one does, and does not, cover.
RICS: Helping You Choose the Right Survey	RICS's own guidance on matching the level of survey to the building and your intentions.

The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings is the place to turn on the repair and maintenance of traditionally built fabric.

Resource	Why it’s useful
SPAB Technical Advice Notes	Practical, conservation-minded notes on repairing specific elements of old buildings.
SPAB Technical Advice Line	Free, independent telephone advice for homeowners and professionals (weekday mornings).
SPAB Knowledge Base	A growing library on conserving historic fabric, including the preventative maintenance that quietly saves the largest bills.
SPAB: What is rising damp?	Why true rising damp is rarer than commonly supposed, and routinely misdiagnosed in old buildings.
SPAB: Breathability and old buildings	What 'breathable' construction means, and why impermeable modern repairs trap moisture in old walls.

For owners and custodians of listed and older buildings: what listing means, and how to look after the building well.

Resource	Why it’s useful
Historic England: Your Home	Maintaining and living in an old building: a sound starting point for any owner of a traditional or historic home.
Historic England: Living in a Listed Building	What listing actually means for Grade I, II* and II owners, and what you can and cannot do without consent.
Historic England: A Guide for Owners of Listed Buildings	A downloadable owner’s guide covering listing, consent, and common problems such as damp.
Historic England: Damp in Historic Buildings	Diagnosing the cause of damp before treating the symptom, and why getting it wrong can make an old building worse.