Hi all,
I've recently bought a mid-terrace 2-bed (one upstairs in the eaves (?) the other a bed/diner/study/whatever downstairs at the front with a bay window), and am now running around tidying it up quickly before I move in. The survey put it down as built in mid-1930's, with stone (mostly granite afaict) walls, and a red-tile roof. Reading some of the messages here, I'm not likely to dive in for the amount of diy that some are doing, but I'm starting slowly along that road :)
The only major thing on the survey seemed to be the fact that the roof was supposedly original, which didn't really put me off, but perhaps should have done so ;) There are no obvious leaks, but there are a few tiles which are cracked or askew. I noticed a patch above the front bay window, inside, where some paint had peeled off (but does not feel damp atm - and it has rained relatively recently), and while starting to decorate the upstairs bedroom I noticed a few patches where the painted wallpaper is either 'unstuck' with a solid flat surface underneath, or perhaps worse is feeling rather 'soft' underneath - this around the window frame in the dormer bedroom at the front, and also around a velux window in the sloping roof at the back (in the top hall). Are these really bad warning signs that I should get seen-to asap, or is it just to be expected? I'm planning on getting some quotes for a roof 'checkup' in any case, but slightly worried about what that might lead to!
Also, does anyone know if there are any guidelines/laws about location of (freestanding) cookers in a kitchen? The previous owner had an electric oven (which they removed) near the door into the kitchen, and a fridge freezer up against the window into the garden (blocking out quite some light!). I'm thinking of swapping the positions of these two, possibly changing to a gas cooker. I'm guessing that the gas pipes to the CH boiler upstairs pass behind where the fridge-freezer currently is, and hoping that it would be possible to 'tap off' a supply for a gas cooker. However I'm concerned that having an oven near these (blocked-off) pipes is potentially risky, and the new oven position would put it up against the window with its wooden surround - another potential problem. Am I just being paranoid? :)
Looking forward to people's ideas/comments, (TIA)