Property Advice: Heating solutions for a house built in the 1960s

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Woman painting her old brown kitchen to blue modern color. Improving home is the main hobby for lockdown days.

Hi Brigid,
I bought a 1968 three-bed semi-d; it was built with mass concrete back then.
The kitchen and bathroom were extended with no proper insulation even in those floors, so those rooms are extremely cold.
There is no toilet upstairs and no way to add an en-suite, unless I take away a bedroom. The windows and doors are 25 years old so need replacing. The heating system is a mix of an open fire in the sitting room with no radiator and oil for the remainder of the house. There is no rad in the kitchen either. I have enquired about a retrofit but cannot afford it.
Can you please advise me on what to do? Every time I make a decision, a plumber/builder guy will knock it. I am at my wits’ end as the winter is approaching, and I really need to decide on a proper heating system.
By the way, the oil burner is years old as are the five rads in the house. I really want to stop having the hassle of dragging bags of coal around and cleaning out fires. Also, I would still have to get a new kitchen fitted (small) and replace the ‘Mrs Bouquet’ style décor.
I could do a lot with a little cash if it made a difference price-wise every few months. I don’t drink or smoke so I can save. I am 56 and living on my own, so just one income. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
— Sylvia

Hi Sylvia, thanks for getting in touch with us. If it is any consolation at all, know that you are not alone. There are thousands of people across the country that are nodding at your question and living with your issues. Housing stock built prior to the building regulations need a lot of work to come up to a standard that we now believe is our basic right.