This book is designed as a companion for anyone who plans to maintain or restore their home with full regard to its period, style and surroundings. It is not a DIY manual, indeed the author stresses the importance of qualified advice and experience, but a step-by-step guide to the problems of choosing, buying and maintaining a period home, with emphasis on ways to spot trouble in advance, and not ruin a building by unsympathetic restoration. There are chapters on construction in earth, flint, stone, brick, chimneys, stairs, doors, windows, damp, rot and architectural salvage. Additional sections cover the legal aspects of ownership, the maze of grants and planning legislation, and guidance on adaptation and conversion of non-domestic structures.