Just a thought for you to consider... As long as you don't have an endless amount of money to restore this house, AND as long as you have been so kind as to share your restoration journey for people to enjoy, you should be aware that some of your followers might be willing to support you in ways that are small to them but could mount up to be significant for you. I've seen other content creators use such sites as Buy Me a Coffee, Patreon, or Ko-fi. I don't know much about these support venues, except that I know a lot of content creators use them. I have supported a content creator that had to drop Patreon and move to another site due to poor technical support and other difficulties with their account, but a lot of folks still use them. The other sites, I've heard no complaints about. You could also do channel memberships and an Amazon Wish List for supplies that you need. Anyway, offering something like this to your subscribers, might make it possible for you to do this job quicker than if you tried to finance it yourself, and there are many folks who appreciate people like you who buy and rescue historical buildings like this one. Good Luck! 😃

The fact that the estate agent didn't do a great job with the marketing of the property and you only stumbled upon it by chance means the place was meant to be yours. I am looking forward to seeing you and Charlie restore this property into your new home.

Invest in a wallpaper steamer to get the wallpaper off. Plant some young trees around your border for future privacy. They grow quickly enough on a long renovation. The damp will be from the continued condensation and you could invest in a good dehumidifier to remove the excess moisture. We left one running for 6 weeks to remove the damp in our house. It works. Always get the largest skip available because it saves money in the long run. Start looking at auctions to replace the original features. You will find real bargains. Furniture too because people don’t have houses big enough now to take the antique furniture. Do some research on grants available to help with the cost to restore it to its original splendor. Cut a small hole to view inside that ceiling because it looks like the rest of the original features are behind the current ceiling. You don’t need loads of money when your hearts are intent on restoring the property. Just learn as you go along. Craftsmen are happy to advise and impart their expertise to help you succeed. The windows you could get sponsorship for and they use the photographs for their promotions. Every little will help. Looking forward to watching the progress as our successful restorations come to the end of a 7 year labour of love. Take lots of photographs to look back on to see how far you have come when you feel low. It will encourage you to see the light ahead. Good Luck. 😊

If you want to replicate the ceiling rose and cornices make a plaster mold of them. It would bring every room such benefit.

You had luck yes, but also the vision. Ignore those people saying they’d outbid you - you won and they didn’t. It’s gorgeous and I’m so glad you are converting it back to a family home. The roof looks great, it just needs cleaning and repointing ridge caps etc.

FYI-if the roof isn’t leaking don’t fix it, clean it, chalk around the chimney, fix any fascia rotten boards and you’re good to go…try not to bring any more vents up thru it…the fates brought you here you are truly blessed.

So glad to hear you plan to make the Rectory a family home again.

Since you love the garden, you can use those grass clippings to start a compost system. Many people use old pallets to set this up and it's all free after that...cardboard, grass clippings, etc., it all free and your garden will thank you.

Greetings from Normandie. A suggestion for you, change your channel name to 'The Georgian Rectory". I believe you will gain more followers and boost your channel's presence. Yours is a wonderful building that has been treated very badly in the past. It needs dedication and passion and you and Charlie have this! On screen, you are a delight! Also and alas you are correct about electricians. Every electrician we have ever met is a millionaire lol.

Wow. What a wonderful find. We've been in "The Old Rectory" in a Lincolnshire village for 15 years now and were lucky because we are only the third private owners since the diocese of Lincoln sold the building in the 1960's. 1839 so classed as Victorian but it's pure Georgian. The electricity is mental, the plumbing from another worldscape, the roof leaks like a holey bucket, it's freezing in winter...and cool in summer. The 2 acre garden is an entity unto itself. Cellar has been half filled. Attics are bonkers BUT we ADORE this home. Original deep skirting, cornicing, gas mantle fixings, cast iron fireplace in an attic room, indoor shutters and original sash windows. We uncovered a glorious York Stone mantle behind the ugly 50's style gas fire and every room still has it's original fireplaces. The place is a challenge (or more) a day but worth everything. Good luck. Enjoy what you are doing. Much love...Jackie xxx

The house has good bones and you are the lifeblood it needs...

It's awful how lovely old buildings are turned into flats in Britain. It would be lovely if more people like you bought and restored them.

I would agree that the roof looks really good. I would ask lots of awkward questions if a roofer tells you otherwise. It also has vented slates (a row near the eaves and a row near the apex). These are modern, to prevent damp by increasing airflow up the inside of the pitch. First thing I would do is check the vents aren't blocked (especially near any damp). Also, if there is any roof insulation in the loft rafters near the eaves, check it is pulled back from the edge. There should be a gap to allow air up the inside of the walls into the loft space. If insulation is in the pitch, (above the loft space) check it could also block airflow. People these days are obsessed with blocking up all the gaps/drafts that these older houses rely on to prevent damp. Also check the gutters aren't clogged.

My favorite channels are those where people learn to do something and we share their progress. I think you are right this building needs a loving touch to be its best again.

This property was meant to be yours! Looking forward to enjoying watching your progress! ❤ XXX

Hiya Emma, I've just watched this episode, and to be honest, I am quite shocked that some people are actually asking for information about your personal finances??? To me, that is no ones business other than your own, so please don't ever feel you have to explain your financial circumstances to anyone. The only advice I would offer is to try and put some boundaries in place as to what type of personal information you give out. You do have to be so careful these days. At the end of the day... let people ask whatever questions they want....it doesn't mean you have to give them an explanation. Really enjoying watching your new chapter unfold xx

Sounds to me like this old house was just waiting for you to come and rescue it. I was thrilled to have stumbled across your channel this morning and have seen all the episodes so far. No doubt you and Charlie have a lot of work ahead of you, but please don’t get too discouraged. Wish we could come and help remove some of that stuff on the walls (I live in the US), I’ve removed simple wall paper before, but that stuff looks like it’s going to put up a fight. Looks like you have a lot of viewers to cheer you on. So nice to have met you today!❤~Barbara from Maryland,USA

Talk with an electrician BEFORE you start running cables or else you will have a job to find someone to test and sign off. Talk first and they will give you guidance, knowing that you will go to them for the final work. There are MANY regs that you won't be aware of. Same on plumbing. Befriend a plumber to work with you. We have done what you are about to do. It's amazing what you can learn.

Thank you for your candid comments and responses. We look forward to seeing your progress, nice to meet you. This will be an exciting project and journey. Gordon and Diane from North Essex.

My husband and I have been married for 50 years and have remodeled eight houses, the latest one when we were 70 . I'll share our motto with you. "Take out anything that isn't a nice house." Knowledge and experience helps but one way to get that is by doing. Good luck, I will watch.

Always trust your own opinion/eyes/judgment first. A lot of professionals want to make a lot of money. Several times in the past I was quoted for extensive works where only minor, or even none, were actually needed. Books and KZfaq are your friends. Research and research again. Above all enjoy it.

Two suggestions / ideas for keeping the grass at bay: 1. Get a lawn mower tractor. It may seem like a large investment, but go look for a used one or something, because with all that land you will need it. Depending on the type it will also come in handy doing lots of other stuff. 2. If possible try to contact the farmer or whoever owns the land where the horses are and see if he can go over your lawn with a big tractor and mower once in a while until you are finished rebuilding and have time to tend to the garden. Maybe even make a makeshift access to your garden from that field so he can just do it quickly...

We looked for an old house to restore in Lincolnshire back n 2012, auctions were the best source but without fail the best period houses with land and needing restoration went to developers and the price went into orbit based in building in the gardens. You were lucky to get this. We got our restoration project in the end and I did most of the work myself…so speaking from experience it’s going to be very expensive….£100k will be eaten in the blink of an eye! Don’t worry about the roof and don’t always follow advice from ‘experts’. Virtually everything will have asbestos in it the 70s part of the house, floor tiles, lagging, wall boards, you have a large land area…remember asbestos is best put back where it came from…the earth. I would contact the housing association and they should be able to send you the ‘asbestos resister’ for the house which as a business they are legally required to have had put together.

One step, one job at a time, little by little you will have a beautiful home! I will be watching every vlog you post and be cheering you on! The house is huge with so much potential…until the next vlog, take care!

So pleased u taking it back as a family home it needs love. Good luck 👍👍👍

Great video again! A few things, from 20 years of renovating old houses: 1. I don’t think you’ll find any hazardous class asbestos, judging by the age of the council fit out? Possibly just in the floor tiles. 2. The roof looks great! My father had been a builder and roofer for over 50 years, and always says the same thing about slate roofs: Slate has been used by humans to roof structures since the Mesolithic period, because slate is lightweight, waterproof and will last millennia! Just look for cracked slates, and check the timbers in the loft space. You only need to replace broken slates, not the whole roof. Go with your surveyor rather than a roofer, as a roofer will encourage you to re-roof. 3. You should make a lot of money back in scrap on your wiring and plumbing, although a good plumber will re-use as much piping and fittings as they can. Your sparky might do the same if the wire is within regs. 4. That ceiling rose is beautiful! I suspect that a false ceiling around it! So you might find something amazing above!! 5. There are a few really good wooden window specialists, building Victorian style double glazed wooden windows, who are still cheaper than uPVC from companies like Everest and Anglian windows… 🪟. We paid £1200 per large wooden sash window (4ft x 5ft 6ins) with Jim Cordner windows, compared to £2100 quoted by Everest. 5. Behind that fireplace, might just be something older?! We discovered a huge chimney breast behind a 1920’s tiled fireplace, in our current house, and do the same in our first house. Best of luck with it all, I’m sure it will be beautiful and will give you a great sense of achievement! We are on our 4th restoration, with this one being completely derelict when we bought it, and already are talking about a 5th one 😂

Emma, thank you for sharing who you & Charlie are and your plans for the property ‼️ I will enjoy watching your adventures while making it your home 🏡 Best wishes from Maryland, USA

Suggestion for your sanity and future. You are faced with what appears a daunting project. Don't stress. Just focus on one job at a time. Pick a room and finish it. Then stand back and ask yourself "what could I have done better?". Move onto the next room and apply the things you learnt from the first. If you do this then pretty soon all tasks will fall into place. I worked in a high stress industry and soon learnt how easy it was to become over whelmed by the multiple jobs at hand. One job at a time is the answer and will avoid not being able to "see" the tree's for the woods. I wish you every success in your endeavors and consider you very fortune in gaining a place like that. So much can be done to enhance the character of the building. Best wishes from the Antibodies down under.

Thank-you. I was one of those asking where you are....and it turns out you are literally a few miles up the road from me! Noting the auctioneers....mmm, kinda surprised at the job they did. That said, I believe you make your own luck in this world when it comes to property. If others didn't see it they weren't looking hard enough, so well done you. Good that it's not listed. I guess you'll have to make decisions about whether to return original fixtures/fittings. One rule of renovation, well two really...everything takes longer and costs more than you think. I speak from vast experience. Good luck and enjoy the process 😊

Hi Emma. It is wonderful to meet you! 😊 I hope you get a nice comfy seat in your shady horse-watching area.

If the budget will stretch , then get a ride-on mower. If you get one that collects the grass you will feel much more able to keep on top of the garden without killing yourself or taking all day away from other tasks. Some expenses are worth it.

Your honest answers to the questions help build support for your enterprise....it will be a huge project but you've rescued a piece of history. Thank you for that.

.....if you have a tiny amount of money in the kitty, forget the house, buy a used ride-on mower. ☺Oh my gosh, I'd be crying doing that raking every week or two. Looks like a lovely area. Look forward to watching the progression. I think you'll both learn soooooo much throughout this venture. It will all be worth it in the end.🤗

I expect the housing association sold it because, especially since Grenfell, fire regulations are understandably much stricter these days and it would’ve cost them a fortune to upgrade the property.

Nice to get to know you better 😀. Having been an avid follower of the lads in France renovating neglected once magnificent homes and of course Dan and the burnt out Chateau I’m so glad to see you two reconverting this, lets face it bastardised flat conversion, back into the family home it once was. Best of luck from the other side of the world. 😀👍 Cheers Chris.

Really interesting to see the progress, thanks so much for sharing your dream, I'm 53 years old now and brought a late 1700s 2 semi detached cottages to turn into one 10 years ago to renovate in Suffolk, its looks like a third of the size as your property, ( floors falling through, ceiling falling down, walls crumbling, damp and in a very bad way !) im not rich but its been so worth the 10 years of very hard graft renovating this, ( yes not a lot of money coming in her here hence the long time ! ), I'm just coming to the end of the renovations now. Please dont get too overwhelmed by the work, it will be so worth it for you in the future i promise you, you will not regret it. you will be living your heaven in the future ! like i am now. Good luck and thank you for your uploads. blood sweat and tears to come !!! but the future is going to be great for you !!!!!!!!! take good care

Beautiful home and garden! I think it would be fun to research the history of the home, maybe you can find old architect drawings or someone local has pictures of the inside before the features were removed. I can only imagine how fulfilling it would be to restore it to its former glory! Even if you can't replicate the features that were ripped out, you can research that style and incorporate it to make it appear as if it was never removed. Everything will be a "live and learn" moment beginning with the mowers who did NOT bag that grass! Such an exciting time for you! Take it one step at a time and go with your gut/instinct. Thank you so much for including us on your journey. Cheers from Kansas 🌻

About 15 years ago, my wife and I renovated / restored a 100-year-old in the Japanese countryside. We hired professionals to do earthquake safety foundation work, but have done most of the rest of things by ourselves. My advice is that you can. probably do more than you think you can. You save a ton of money and it's fun. The only thing is that it's slow. (Pick two: done quickly, nicely, cheaply.) Good luck and I will keep watching and cheering you on.

Emma, the ceiling with the ceiling rose looks like a suspended ceiling you may find further original features if the ceiling was carefully removed.

Cannot wait to see the renovation, good luck with making this house into a home for you both.😊

Emma, thank you for sharing your plans for the home! I hope it will be restored to its glory and be loved by you and your family once more! It has to be a very simple and beautiful home and gardens!

I too would love a walled kitchen garden! How wonderful that would be. I really love all the bird songs surrounding you as you sat outside :-)

Loved your video Emma, I am sure that someone has already mentioned this, but recycle whatever you can, and sell what you do not need, all that unwanted copper pipe and copper wire in the electric cable could bring in some cash. Our old house is much different to yours, but we saved a fair amount of money on skips and stone, as we had to make a retaining wall for steep a bank that we had in the garden, we used gabion baskets, faced up the front with nice stone and the back was filled with building rubble, broken sinks, tiles old lintels, our neighbours contributed as well with all their junk odd bricks and rocks. Do not make the mistake off getting yours doors dipped, they never look the same. I stripped all the doors on my house with paint stripper and a hot gun, just be careful that there is no lead paint! Its not just asbestos you have to beware of! repairing the sash windows, replacing the sash cords is easy and gives you a great sense of satisfaction! Top tip I was told when doing up the windows is to use greenhouse glass or I think they are called Dutch Lights, the glass is imperfect, which sort of matches the original glass , if you have one odd pain of glass and you replace it with normal modern glass, it stands out like a sore thumb! Downside of course is that it is only 3ml thick but certainly for an outbuilding. Good Luck!

Even though it will be an expense, I encourage you to hire an architect to make a plan for you. It will provide a way for you to prioritize jobs and make certain you aren’t doing work you will later have to pull out to accomplish other work. It’s so fun to see you take on this project.

When I saw the amount of work needed for the garden grass I envisioned letting some borrowed sheep do the work for you ! Lol Love what you are doing . Thanks for introducing yourself !

My only advice so far is regarding the lawn, get a mulching lawn mower, cut it more frequently and leave it slightly long and then you won't have to rake. Best of luck, I'm looking forward to your renovation adventures. You can learn to do almost anything it just depends on how long you want to take to do it.

Check for lead based paint, lead pipes too

Remember most trades have one vital objective... _to make money._ Always get multiple quotes and *always* insist on a proper written contract before agreeing to go ahead with any work.

Thank you for such a down to Earth explanation of what you are doing with this house. I look forward to seeing it come together!

That was really interesting - thank you. You come across well on canera (very natural and relaxed) and also very likeable. I didn't find it too much talking as you had said it was a Q and A so that's what I expected. I feel much better informed about the whole project now and look forward to following the journey. Loads of luck with it.

I am so excited to watch a renovation commence from the first walk through! I'm so glad this popped up in my feed. You are in luck that it isn't listed, so you aren't constrained. Honor it's history and the vernacular, but bring it into this century. I'm in New England and have done a whole house renovation of a plain Jane, 1880's New Englander so I appreciate how daunting it can be. Let the house speak to you once the garbage is torn out. Watch the light and how it changes through the day and it will tell you what should be. What a great score of a house, and what an opportunity! I hope you have popped the cork on a good bottle of wine and walked through, savoring this place!

Most of the channels I watch or have watched are people like yourself who have never built a cabin, never DIY'd a house and one from the 1800s, etc, but they did and the end results were amazing. I'm watching 1806 Stonehouse and he's still working on his home after 5 years, but it's been a heartfelt project and the whole family has been helping. It's wonderful. I just thought of this other channel called, Turning an Old School into our house. You'll do absolutely fine and will be all the wiser for it. I'm sharing these because of all their tips and tricks they have learned just might help you.

The garden is wonderful and will bring you much joy over the years. All of tha grass you raked will make great compost, too!

All the best - take your time. If you haven’t already, I’d recommend visiting Georgian and early Victorian houses for inspiration and guidance. Good luck, can’t wait to see the house evolve.

Good afternoon, Emma. I live in the USA and all that grass would make fabulous compost for a vegetable garden. I dug up a small area and planted 4 tomato plants and used the grass clippings as mulch. It really enriched the soil in the first year. You have a much larger garden than what I had. It will be exciting watch you fix up this house. The back of the house is stunning. I love the windows and can see plants in them. Stay healthy and safe.

Nice to meet you Emma. I'm watching from the New England area of Australia, an ex-pat from Norfolk. I'm looking forward to watching you both bring this back to life and bring love back to those old walls. I love watching all sorts of restoration videos: homes, furniture, antiques, toys etc. Enjoy the process ❤

You need to watch Escape to Rural France, one man Dan took on a derelict Chateau on his own. I believe KZfaq and his followers are helping pay for it. It nice to see a beautiful house come back to life here in England. Wishing you lots of luck for the future.

Very relieved to hear you have an inspector coming in to look into asbestos. Wearing a respirator is not enough when you’re doing renovations that disturb anything containing asbestos. Watched a KZfaqr that had to have asbestos abatement done (Max & Occy is the channel) & the building was tented off in plastic, the workers had full suits that sealed at all openings, fully hooded, etc, plus a respirator, to ensure that asbestos fibers didn’t escape while they were working. It’s a really big health concern that isn’t covered by just a mask, and not just for you, but anyone who is around you with clothes worn while working, etc. Excited to see what’s to come. Love what someone else suggested about making The Annex into a temporary residence/small flat so you can get in there quickly (presumably paying rent elsewhere, so can stop paying that sooner), then can work through the main house at a reasonable pace without stressing about timelines. Watching from Toronto, where we don’t have anything remotely like these gorgeous old houses you have over there.

Congrats on buying this noteworthy mansion! It will be fun to work through all the upcoming projects with you! Working with the historic commission is not FUN! Get moved in soon so you can be on site and start making plans. You can get lots of tips by reading what others have gone through, how they worked through it, and learn from their mistakes! Now count your blessings, don't get discouraged, take a well deserved break once in a while and stand back often to admire the progress as you finish each task. Hugs from the States (Michigan, with similiar weather to yours!)

The roof looks in beautiful condition, so you may need to be cautious about any roofer 'quotes'. I think most of your mould problems are a result of years of condensation. Having the place divided up the way it is has limited cross ventilation, and there probably hasn't been enough dry heat either. The kind of heat those fireplaces once produced! Meantime, I'm with whoever suggested renaming the channel to include "Georgian". The appeal of anything Jane Austen, can never be overstated .. haha!

If UK mowers have mulching blades, it's worth investing in a few such blades, considering how large your garden is. You won't have to rake grass, the finely shredded grass will quickly compost and add their nutrients back into the soil.

Hi Emma Charlie Blossom & Muttley, I think it's great you have taken on the task of renovating your lovely Georgian Rectory. All the very best of luck, I will look forward to watching your progress. Regards'

Appreciate the update, loved the grass dive at the end. Best of luck to you!

I can't wait to see what you do!

Thanks for sharing this.

Hello, I have no good advise to give. I just want to let you know, that my husband and I bought and renovated a 1925 house in Bavaria. We have lived here with our family of six for the past 13 years, and it was all worth it. The house is continually needing work, but it feels so worth it. I hope that all is going according to plan and I am looking forward to seeing you making it yours. hugs, Maria

I stumbled on your channel, and I'll be watching from the states. We have many renovation shows here. One of my favorites is HomeTown from a couple in Mississippi. They started with a small budget and redid their kitchen. My favorite saying they have is "find a way to have what you want." It doesn't ever have to be perfect or expensive, but so many options are available for close enough that will bring you joy. My neighbor spent $80,000 on a kitchen redo. I spent $32,000. In reality, they don't look a whole lot different, and they both equally cook home meals. Also, the wall paper: slide your scraper between the top and back, brown, layer. Then soak the heck out of the back. It'll scrap off. Nothing needed. It may rip some of the wall, but patching and drywalling is easily done. One last thing, there may be restoration majors in history/art programs at the local colleges that are always happy to come share what they know if you let them record the time with you. Sometimes, they can even show you restoration techniques. Google and you'll find some local craftsmen. A few of the right people can be a lifesaver!

Very interesting! Looking forward to watching your adventure!

So happy I found your channel. Look forward to following your progress. Thank you for brining us along.

This is going to be such a fun project. Two tiny little suggestions about your videos. I’m sure you’re not aware that you make an odd noise with your lips when you pause between words but it detracts from the video. And you might want to change the angle at which you video your face. We are looking right up your nose! It’s a lovely place and you’ll get lots of help from this community.

I'm so excited for y'all!❤ This is very exciting to watch!

Thanks for sharing so much🇦🇺

Really enjoyed this update and of course looking forward to your future progress!

I just Subscribed the other day and I am already surprised how much clean up you have done. It is looking great and I look forward to following your process.

You are so easy to listen to. Thank you for the background information.

The cut grass is perfect for starting a composting area, you'll need it when you get the garden going, and you'll save yourself having to haul it away. I can't wait to see your property being brought back to a family home, it's really beautiful and with the right passion, vision and hard work you'll end up with a gem. 👍

I just discovered your renovation channel and was immediately captured! With so many choices on youtube, sometimes there's a je ne sais quoi that speaks to you. I will be following you from a seaside town in Massachusetts USA! I wish you the best!

Best wishes to you both from Australia

Great to meet you Emma.

Love the house. Thanks for sharing the tour and your progress.

You are delightful!

You are gifted. May the Lord bless your new journey, and keep the content as real as this one. We are enjoying it too.

Can’t wait to see all the projects in your new adventure! So exciting and brave!

I love these videos. Keep up the great work!

When you’re further down the line it would be great to see some Georgian features back in place. There are some great places to buy old bits and pieces. Another series of videos for you to make. ❤

That place was meant for you guys! My thoughts would be to sort the 'add on' first. You can then live there whilst undertaking the rest! Good luck guys, I can't wait to see what you do! Oh and love to Mutley ❤😊xx

I’m looking forward to seeing what you do. Just a small tip. When stripping wallpaper put a layer of newspaper on the floor before you begin. It’s so much easier to clear up!

Great video, lovely to meet you Emma. Looking forward to your journey.

How exciting to find your video as a suggestion this evening 😊 I have just watched all the videos you have posted so far!! I can’t wait to follow along with your journey to renovate this beautiful home 😊 good luck to you both what an exciting adventure!!!

Consider making the Annex habitable so you can reside there while working on the rectory! It will reduce the pressure of feeling like you must reach completion before you can relax! Enjoy!

I’m excited to see the changes over time.

I am very excited to see what you go with this home.

I just had to subscribe! I am excited to watch you start this large undertaking. With hard work and such a good attitude you will do well. Looking forward to seeing your next video. From Idaho, USA

Absolutely love this video getting to know you getting to hear about your plans very enthusiastic about it. I really can’t wait to watch it. Transform into the beautiful that you deserve. Thank you so much for sharing yourself with us. I look forward to watching all the videos.

Thank you so much for all that information. I will eagerly be following your progress, from South Australia. Can't wait to see you transform this beautiful old home.

Interesting video, thanks for taking the time to make and share it. 😊👍

Admire you guys and your forthcoming journey. Great to see some honesty and commitment to the orocess and delivery of your project.

Good luck with this home, I’m looking forward following you guys

Love your fur baby. Wish you luck with this huge project.

This is definitely my favourite video so far it’s so genuine