Colchester, Maldon Road

This home built in 1902 has the following improvements:

Insulation: Loft insulation and water pipes. Recently internal insulation of some external walls, floorboard gaps have been sealed, hot water tank has had a thicker jacket installed,radiator reflectors fitted on outer walls.

Glazing: Some Double Glazing installed in 2002, draught proofing including hanging heavy curtains over front door, secondary glazing added to three rooms.

Heating: A condensing boiler was installed in 2007 and thermostatic radiator vales in 2002. An open fire (wood fuelled) was an original feature of the house.

PV panels used to run the pumps in the wildlife pond.

Lighting: LED lights used in kitchen and for external lighting.

Water: Several water butts, Cistern water saving device ‘Hippo’, Rainwater Harvesting and water efficient appliances used.

Lifestyle: The garden (and allotment) is used to grow food in a wildlife friendly manner using water efficiently and home composting. Recycling using available facilities. Electricity is supplied by Good Energy.

Rob and Alison say:

We are trying to make a lovely Victorian property more sustainable, to help reduce our carbon footprint. It’s a slow process and easier said than done. We feel we’ve made some significant improvements, some at quite low cost. There have been missed opportunities and if we were starting over we’d probably do it differently, for example, insulating much more before decorating, when we had the chance".