Highland Steading.

[saveasteading]

Looking forward to discussions and knowledge exchange with you all. It seems like a very practical and helpful Hub.

I am particularly interested in the conversion of steadings, but have a lot to learn. I have extensive knowledge and experience as designer and contractor, but in England, newbuild, commercial. However this project will be private, renovation, Scotland, so I have  a lot to learn.

[Cpd]

Welcome from Argyll on the west coast of Scotland. I took on a rundown property 10 years ago and am still trying to dig myself out.....  admittedly I look at it as a daily hobby rather than something that HAS to be done in a certain timeframe... well that’s what a started saying after the first 5 years in..... 

[Bozza]

Welcome.  If you are looking at old steadings for conversion to a dwelling, the foundations often consist of big stones.  As a result folk who try to over renovate them often come a cropper.  I bought an old 19th century built granite cottage which seemed ok structurally but I applied to demo & rebuild.  When I demolished the cottage I was amazed at how easy it came down.  Had I not got pp to demo, and had tried to renovate / extend it, it would have cost a fortune no doubt, especially if I was trying to bring it up to modern standards.  I felt bad/guilty about demoing an old cottage but if I hadn’t overcome my own emotions on that I would have been very stressed and broke by now.  And probably homeless.

 

So point being unless money is no object be aware that what may appear a simple steading reno might be not so straightforward.  I have linked a local architect who does amazing modernisations of traditional steading etc where I am.  May be some inspiration for you.

 

https://www.akenyonarchitects.com
 

She shows that you can combine keeping a traditional structure with contemporary architecture / standards.  Presumably if you have plenty of cash & contingency.  If your budget in not finite one way to “saveasteading” would be to save the old building as use as a garage/office/party room, and pop a tasteful new build next to it.  Another way is to incorporate an existing wall or whatever into a new structure.  I think they call it a box in a box or something.  Architect above does that.

 

I had nearly bought a steading to reno (using above architect) but opted for the nearby cottage demo & rebuild.  With hindsight it was a near miss, the steading.

 

 

 

 

 

[saveasteading]

Thanks. All good points.

That Architect recommendation looks good. However with a daughter who is a Chartered Architect, and me Chartered Civil Engineer we hope to bring our own skills to this,

Cash not limitless by a long way. But our business has been in 'design and build,' with  finding solutions to problems a speciality.

And with any luck we will find local builders who can make the tricky steading stuff look easy.

This steading is better than most, and there is relatively little repair to do. The roof timbers look very new, and I haven't worked out whether they are, or it has simply been good maintenance.

still a  lot to do though, and box in box is indeed the answer. 

[ToughButterCup]

On 17/04/2021 at 16:39, Cpd said:

....  admittedly I look at it as a daily hobby rather than something that HAS to be done in a certain timeframe... well that’s what a started saying after the first 5 years in..... 

 

That's what our build has become... a daily hobby. And when there's money and well regarded trades folk to spare, a lot more energy is injected into the project. 

Simply taking the mower out of the shed at weekends is a few years away methinks. But that, ah that'll  be bliss indeed.