An old Client of mine has asked me to look at a couple of 1930’s houses to-day, which is fine – as I’ve not much else to do! Anyway the first was in fact a house built in the early 1950’s, a bit unusual for Henleaze! Big, big bedrooms, although only three, big, big reception rooms, but only two and a big, big garden, of course, only one. But my Client has big, big, big plans for it all, so let’s wait and see…

The other house was for investment purposes - is it a good time to buy? – but it has already been extended, and extended and extended, so perhaps the vendor has extended himself too far…   more »

This was a fairly large mid terraced house in Horfield that I saw to-day, but it did need a heck of a lot doing to it. Structurally it was reasonably sound, but internally it has just been let go! No one has bothered. The gas boiler almost blew up when I turned it on, for a moment I thought that I was in Afghanistan! The electrics are iffy as well as the heating. I won’t mention the kitchen and bathroom! The garage needs re building. I nearly missed the house because the vendor hadn’t bothered even to have the hedge cut; it’s surprising anybody ever saw it really, and when they did…   more »

I was looking at a fairly large house in St. Andrew's today. Nothing exceptional about it; I often think that there can not be much intrinsically wrong with a house when the owners have been in occupation for thirty or so years! They used fully the upper floors, but the basement did suffer from damp and it does need 'renovation'. Whilst the upper levels just need a bit of up dating, my Clients could just move in and carry on, you see it wasn't that bad! St. Andrew's is a fairly quiet area, close to Gloucester Road and to good, well relatively good shops and a 'bus service, but car parking is a bit of a nightmare! Who's the patron saint for parking???

This is a bit like a Marks and Spencer sale – two for the price of one, or something like that! This detached bungalow was built in the 1960’s or thereabouts and was occupied until now by the vendor, who became too elderly for it. It has been extended this way and that, and of course now it needs what will eventually be TOTTAL modernisation, although I rather liked the lowered perimeter of the living room ceiling with it’s concealed lighting! I fully expect that my Client will re-plan the whole accommodation, so that the extended first floor will be approached from a new set of stairs. The garden is (probably) a joy, but of course it will need maintenance (not such a joy). Oh!, the two for the price of one – you can see the TWO Severn bridges very easily from the living room and elsewhere…

The property that I have just been to see today and again tomorrow is large -so two days there! It too is a Grade II listed building, but the Conservation Officer, back in the 1970's was not as astute as they are today and let loads of 'infringements' go by – concrete tiles, plastic gutters, open tread stairs etc etc etc! It was all a bit of a 'mix and mash', but it all seemed to go together even though the dwelling was in two parts. My Clients will want to bring them together and there is consent to do so. So, with that and the fact that In found it generally in acceptable condition, means that he should have no qualms about proceeding. Good...

What a shame that most of the elegant houses in Queen Square have been converted into Offices. I have just been to look at one such property, a handsome mid terraced house, a Grade II Listed Building. There are one or two now used for their original purpose, but if they 're like this they will have no 'garden', as such. The 'garden' here is now a car park for offices in Prince Street. Oh well! The offices have all been 'renovated' – if that's what you call a lick of paint; it's a pity that the 'developers' didn't see fit to replace the ancient old boiler, renew the sanitary ware and replace the kitchen; they didn't even clean out the units! Still, my Clients will only have to leave the offices in the same condition as they take it on, so I suppose they too can leave as is! Knowing my Clients, however, I expect they will leave it in better condition than they found it. A shame developers don't see ahead...

I looked at a few conifer trees growing against, well in this case close to, (within a meter) of the side wall of a modern house today. There was no real loss of light, because there were no windows in the immediate vicinity, no structural damage, as far as I could see, so no real loss at all. All a bit boring really, so I’m looking forward to next week; so far an old office building in Queen’s Square, a Victorian house in St. Andrew’s and a court house just north of Bristol, that’ll be fun…   more »

Well it rained and it rained and it rained, but did I get wet? No, because I’m so used to the rain that I have FULL waterproof clothing for such occasions, and these seem to be on the increase! It doesn’t stop me from becoming a bit pee’d off with the weather though, like I imagine everybody else, but it can foul up my electronics, not mine ‘per se’, you understand, but the battery operated equiptment that I use. Anyway, enough of moaning, this thirty year old purpose built flat was in good condition, it was light and airy, spacious and with good fitments, but, oh dear! parts of the roof were not. The Management Company, here, the collective owners WILL have to do something at some time in the near future, because, negligence does not equal maintenance. You have to SPEND money to keep property maintained and in good condition. You can't just spend money on the visible areas, making them nice and shiny and hope the unseen areas will automatically remain sound...   more »

I have just inspected a fairly large mid terraced house built about 200 or so years ago (I think, at present, until I have examined my books on the subject), just off the centre of the City, on land reputedly owned by Carthusian Monks who had an orchard there – but that was a very long time ago! It was, I suspect originally built on three floors with a cellar, but at some stage before the last war a third floor was added. Then the Luftwaffe tried to bomb it, but it remained standing, and then it became lawyer’s offices, when no doubt it became a 'Listed Building'. It was recently converted back into a private dwelling and pleasant though it is, and there was little wrong with it, I rather felt that it lacked something, that little”je ne said pas…”, but hopefully my Clients will sort that all out. They may even plant a small apple tree…   more »

I’ve just been to see a newish town house overlooking the docks. Not a lot to say about it though, except it did have – does have an excellent aspect, and a garden and four bedrooms and two parking spaces, so I’m told, and a double garage and double glazing and if you wanted more, some slightly curved walls, but there was a bit of a ‘pong’ of the drains. I think that the one way valve gets stuck open on occasions; hopefully that’s not too often…   more »

I was asked to look at a house built in the early 1060's today. As usual I arrived a bit late,but the Vendor was pleased enough to see me. "So your still working, then?", he asked. It transpired that I had acted for him about twenty years earlier! He re-told his storey about being taken to court by some miserable 'Jobsworth', a Local Authority demi-god, (most of them are who work in the 'conservation' departments) who took objection to him repairing the now grade II house in which he had been born, and his father before him etc. I like farmers, because they say what they mean and don't take to fools gladly! Anyway this house had been designed for him by a local Bristol architect. A little bit 'avant garde' for the local (Woodspring) planning office, who did not like the idea of stained cedar wood panels below windows! "Ok", said the architect, "we'll use faced brick". They didn't like faced brick either, so they went back to stained cedar wood panelling, and then forgot to put an 'agricultural tie' on the new build. HA ha ha !!!!!!!!!! what some w...... - wallies!!!!!!!!!

However, the house was so well designed, nearly fifty years ago, that it could almost have been built yesterday - including the underfloor heating. No problems here, and I am very pleased for my clients. However, I don't envy their architect - he has the job of designing an extension that in my view have to be BETTER than the original... over to you Sam..., Oh - and best of luck with the planners...

As I said yesterday, I went off to see a garden flat in Knowle to-day. It was clean and pleasant and the property as a whole was in reasonable condition, but a zinc valley gutter leaks, so it will be necessary to replace both of them (there are two, but only one is holed) and whilst your at it, you may as well re-bed the ridge tiles! The present owners aren’t very keen on fresh air as most of the windows to the living room bay were paint jammed. No real movement, despite the ‘war glass’ in one of the sashes. Bit of damp penetrating from the shower, but nothing too nasty! Nice garden; it faces south so they can either keep a few hens for eggs, providing they re-build the fences, or grow their own veg and help beat the credit crunch…   more »

If you are following this, then you will recall that after my visit to the dentist at the end of last week, I had to make an appointment with the hygienist, which I duly did! I arrived today and she set to work; it was all over very quickly and when I went to pay, who did I see, my lovely dentist, she was there, not checking up on me, just there…Now it’s back to work with a vengeance, a flat in Knowle, an ultra modern house in Clifton, a house in the country and a Georgian house inn the middle of Bristol, next week, God willing and a following wind, oh! and the American election…

I have just been to an area about three miles east from the centre of Bristol, known as 'Kingswood', named after a wood, presumably after one of our kings, possibly Henry Vlll, perhaps owned it, or rather it was passed down to him, as I believe that the area was a 'royal forest' way back in Saxon times, but... It was a past coal mining area too, although the modern terraced house that I saw had not fallen into any coal mine or pit! It was originally built for the Local Authority, and like most ex-L.A. property, it was fine. A bit of a small garden, no forest growing here, and no coal that I could see…   more »