Doing up a derelict house

John and Mary King dreamed of escaping from their poky inner-city flat and setting up home in the country. They longed for fresh air, green fields and the sound of birds. Seven years ago they saw a chance of making their dream come true. ‘We were driving along a narrow country lane’, says John, ‘when we spotted three houses in a short terrace which must have been farm labourers’ cottages in the past. There was a FOR SALE notice outside. No one lived there, of course, because they were in such a terrible condition, virtually derelict, in fact. Even without getting out of the car we could see that tiles had slipped off the roof, so rain was getting into the houses. The gutters were hanging down and almost every window was broken. Inside, things were even worse. Doors were hanging off their hinges, several floorboards were rotten, birds had made their nests everywhere and there was even a tree growing inside one of the houses. Obviously, they had been deserted for years. The houses were quite uninhabitable, but the position was idyllic, with uninterrupted views over the surrounding countryside, so we contacted the estate agent and made the owner an offer which was accepted immediately – I think he was glad to get rid of them’.

It has taken the Kings seven years of hard work to create the beautiful home that they live in now. They knocked the three cottages into one in order to create spacious rooms. ‘The inside has been transformed’, says Mary. ‘We started from scratch and changed things to suit our own taste but the outside hasn’t changed much and still retains the character of the original buildings. The worst problem was with one of the end walls. The surveyor advised us to knock it down and build it up again on new foundations.

Fortunately, we were able to re-use the old stones so you can’t tell the difference. We did most of the work ourselves because we prefer to do it that way, and it’s cheaper, but occasionally we had to call in professional help’. At first, the houses had no water and no power and because of its isolated position it was necessary to dig long trenches for the pipes and cables that link the house to the mains. ‘It was like living on a building site,’ says John,’ and it cost a fortune. In fact, we spent much more on repairing and restoring the house than we did on buying it. It’s definitely been worth it, though, in every way. I’d much rather live here than in a city’.

However, the Kings cannot enjoy the fruits of their labours yet. They have devoted all their energy to transforming a ruin into a dream home, but the garden, still a tangled wilderness, needs their attention.

1. The Kings didn’t want to leave the city.

2. The houses they saw while driving along a country road were in good condition and not for sale.

3. No one lived in the houses for a long time.

4. The Kings didn’t want to buy the houses.

5. It was very easy to buy the houses.

6. Now the Kings live in three separate houses.

7. Both the inside and the outside of the houses have been changed.

8. The surveyor advised the Kings to break one of the end walls and build up a new one.

9. The Kings did most of the work themselves but sometimes they had to ask for professional help.

10. The Kings enjoy the fruits that grow in their garden.

Total: 10 points.

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