An old market town
Hitchin has been a market town for centuries, and the streets around the market square, Bancroft and Tilehouse Street have a mix of timber-framed, Georgian and Victorian buildings. The centre is a conservation area. Out towards Walsworth, Purwell and the edges of town, the housing is mostly Victorian, inter-war and more modern family homes.
Timber-framed and Georgian houses
Older buildings like these need breathable finishes. Modern plastic-based paints on old lime plaster or timber framing can trap moisture and cause damp and flaking. I use paints suited to the material, and take care with old joinery that has been painted many times before.
Restoring period finishes
Original grained doors, marbled fireplaces and decorative paintwork turn up regularly in Hitchin's older houses. Often they've been painted over, or are worn in places. I can match and patch existing graining, or recreate a finish from scratch. See wood graining and faux marbling.
Family homes
For more modern houses, the usual work is full redecorations, kitchen cupboards, wallpaper feature walls and exterior woodwork. See kitchen cupboard painting and wallpaper hanging.
Letchworth and Baldock
Letchworth, next door, was the world's first garden city, begun in 1903. Many of its early houses are Arts and Crafts cottages with roughcast render, steep roofs and small-paned windows. Much of the town is covered by the Letchworth Garden City Heritage Foundation's scheme of management, which can control external alterations, so check before changing exterior colours there. I also cover Baldock and the villages around Hitchin. For a price, send photos and a description on WhatsApp.
Other areas I cover
Hertford, St Albans, Stevenage, Watford, Welwyn Garden City, and the rest of Hertfordshire.