If you’re planning on doing a home renovation, especially on an older property, it’s worth knowing one thing early on… unexpected issues are normal. It's how you and your builder deals with them that makes all the difference.
During a home renovation, it’s very common to uncover things you couldn’t have predicted at the start, or that didn’t come up during surveys or viewings.
What matters is how those issues are handled.
At one of our current projects, Acorn Cottage in Shropshire, this has been a big part of the renovation process.
The Reality of Renovating an Older Home
As the project has progressed at this 200-year old home, we’ve come across a number of typical challenges. Internal timber beams showing signs of woodworm. Materials that needed further investigation. Drainage concerns linked to the site conditions.
More recently, we also identified asbestos within the concrete soffits. This is a fairly common find in properties of this age, but it needs to be handled properly.
Rather than passing that responsibility back to the client or pausing progress on site, we arranged the asbestos survey, brought in the right specialists, and managed the process to make sure it was dealt with safely and in line with regulations.
It's important to note that these aren’t unusual findings on projects like this. We often come across things like hidden structural movement, outdated wiring or plumbing, poor insulation, or previous alterations that haven’t been done correctly. It’s just part of working with older buildings. You’re not starting with a blank canvas, so there’s always an element of uncovering what’s really there once work begins
Working Through the Unexpected
Ground conditions have also been challenging at Acorn. The property sits on a high water table, which affects how drainage needs to be approached.
We also discovered the original septic tank had been damaged by tree roots, so it needs replacing. Instead of a standard solution, we’re now designing a more specialist sewage treatment system that works with the site constraints. In this case, a vertical borehole system rather than a traditional horizontal layout.
These are the kinds of things you don’t always see at the start, but they’re critical to getting the project right long term. It’s about dealing with the issue properly, not just finding a quick fix.
Why Communication Matters
When things like this come up, communication with clients becomes even more important.
At Acorn Cottage, everything is documented, photographed and shared with the client in our weekly Friday update reports. What’s been done that week, what’s been found, what it means, and what happens next.
It means no surprises, no chasing for updates, and no uncertainty around what’s going on.
The client stays fully informed, without having to manage the process themselves.
Taking the Pressure Off the Client
One of the biggest challenges for homeowners during a renovation isn’t just the building work, but everything around it. Surveys, specialists, decisions, and the unexpected.
Because we take care of coordinating all of this (whether that’s arranging asbestos surveys, bringing in consultants, or working through drainage solutions) weo keep the process as smooth and manageable as possible.
The Difference Isn’t the Problem, It’s the Process
Every renovation comes with unknowns.
The difference isn’t the problems, it’s the process behind how they’re handled.
At Acorn Cottage, that’s meant a proactive approach, clear communication, and a structured way of working from start to finish.
And ultimately, that’s what allows a project to move forward with confidence, even when things don’t go exactly to plan.
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