The temptation when refurbishing an old Looe cottage is to default to modern materials throughout. The temptation is wrong. Breathable lime renders and plasters, where the original fabric calls for them, are not a heritage indulgence — they are how the building keeps drying out.

Replacing breathable systems with impermeable ones traps moisture, which damages the masonry, the timber and eventually anything finished against them. The cost difference for getting it right at refurbishment is small. The cost difference for retrofitting it after a few wet years is large.

For Looe and similar Cornish coastal stock, ask the question early and ask it properly. The cottage will thank you for decades.