My house is a lot older than me. It was born in 1880. I like to think of it as a wise old teacher and it's certainly taught me a few lessons.

In the three years I have been custodian of this Victorian miner's cottage I have learnt that an old house requires quite a bit of care and when things go wrong, they will do so often and expensively; that since I have no control over the various elements of the house that break, or need a major repair, I may as well stop stressing about them; and that pay day never seems to come around quickly enough.

Here is a rough tally of what I have spent so far:

Early in the first winter, during the coldest week of the winter actually, the boiler broke, so I had no heat or hot water for a week until it could be replaced at a cost of £2,500.

During the first heavy rains of that same winter I learned I needed a new roof at a cost of £2,800.

Even after the roof was replaced, water continued to stream in around one of the chimneys. A patch-up job I was led to believe would fix the problem didn't work. The fresh wallpaper and newly plastered and painted ceiling in the spare room was ruined again when water came in down a wall and through the central light fitting, soaking the bed. I was told I needed to replace the valley gutter between my house and my immediate neighbour. It took six months to save the required £1,700. Internal repairs, meanwhile, were £500.

During the second winter the fences in the garden blew down in a storm. I tied one of them up with string, but they were rotten. New fencing.... that was another £1,100.

I know the expense is not over yet: I have already put in a bath tub but will soon have to do something about the rotten bathroom window. I am beginning to be suspicious about the wonky kitchen floor and the damp patch appearing behind a light switch...

Don't get me wrong, I love my house and, even though it has kept me poor in pocket, I am all the richer for choosing to take on such a cranky old lady. She has personality in spades and all my friends love her.

Which brings me to a sad point. The house nextdoor has been empty for 16 years. That's no way to treat an elderly lady who has, I’m sure, as much to teach a new occupant as mine has taught me.

KE, Bristol

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