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[purdey]

I am ten minutes from Platres.In the Kouris valley and it is bloody cold in the winter.I had a re roof done with pan tiles and all the roof re timbered.My original beams stayed but thy added a further 12.Total cost 4000 Cypriot.It also had to be inspected and approved by the Historical buildings inspector from Nicosia.
There are grants available for old houses of special interest,it can be up to 40% of the total cost,you do have to use recommended builders though...

[RichardB]

Nice area Purdey

We're quite a bit higher than you and on the other side of the mountain just down from prodromos.

I'm not complaining about the price just saying what i feel, giving regard to your original posting. A lot of people have a romanticised idea about living in a traditional cottage in the mountains but as you are probably aware its not an easy life especially in winter.

Just got the upstairs bedrooms and a better heating system to sort out now then I can cut down a bit on the graft. Though most of the work upstairs is pretty cosmetic.

[purdey]

You are alot higher than me.You need a big AGA,or a huge woodburner.I was lucky finding the guys I found,it took me two years to get a good team together,plus I had to keep the local villagers in the loop at all stages,and give them some work.
I agree it is a romantic thought having the traditional,but be honest it is well worth it....

[RichardB]

Yes we're probably going to go for woodburner.

Forgot to mention we also had an internal staircase put in cos I got pretty hacked off walking outside around the house to get to bed.

You dont get that with a new build do you

But it will be worth it long term

[purdey]

I had to have two spirals put in,we had ladders for two years.Old houses will always be in demand,I just wish they would not knock some many down...

[Sega]

Out with the old and in with the new.

Newer houses are better insulated, don't need repairs (if your builder did his job right), come with a one-year builders guarantee (if their honorable)

New houses are still not insulated properly but they will be once the new EU regulations come into force ~ at the moment they are concrete boxes thermally inefficient in both summer and winter .

Now if you compare new with old ( stone built ) you would probably better of with the older stone built house depending on the thickness of the stone.

Bill

Have they not come into force yet?

[nhowarth]

Have they not come into force yet?

Yes, they came into force last December (buy I can never remember if it was the 16th or 21st). Since that time, all new Town Planning applications must conform to the new regulations.


But going back to the original topic of this thread. Yesterday I was in an old village house in the village of Foini (it's now an excellent restaurant). Its owner told me that it had been built in the 1930s by a man and his wife.

It was made of brick and stone and the the wife had made the bricks in the village. Her husband had done all the stonework and both of them worked together on the brickwork, etc.

The house is now over 70 years old and shows little signs of its age.

Cheers,