BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO RENOVATION PART 13: Updating old heating systems

If you were the producer of a new Netflix drama entitled House of Horrors there’d be a strong case for the plumbing system to take the starring role. Scene one would open with mysterious clonking noises and anguished groans emanating from airlocked pipes. As night falls, torrents of rusty water spurt from timeworn taps. Old floorboards buckle and creak under pressure from a dysfunctional heating system. Finally, the gripping climax; a blocked sewer sends foul waste erupting back through the house just as a burst water pipe unleashes a spectacular deluge through disintegrating ceilings…

This catalogue of plumbing disasters could serve as a cautionary tale for anyone considering buying an old property. But the real horror show with renovation projects tends to be financial — and this is where realistic budgeting is crucial. From the outset, assess whether the plumbing system is salvageable, and decide