Before you get carried away planning tiles and paint shades in your new (to you!) old home, you have to deal with the boring but really important stuff first. Old houses can look charming on the surface and that’s probably why you bought one, but underneath, they can be hiding all sorts of things. Here’s how to go about a successful renovation on an older property.
Make it safe and liveable
Old homes, especially those that have been left empty for a while could have all kinds of nasties lurking within. Pests, rot, bad electrics and plumbing or even utilities that have been completely cut off. It’s tempting to jump straight to Pinterest boards and paint colours, but the reality is that the first stage is usually about making the house safe and sound.
You might need to clear the gardens and in some cases even empty the property of items too depending on the state it has been left in. Old, dangerous materials like asbestos and lead paint may have been used, while these materials have been banned for many years they can still exist in older properties that haven’t been touched. Have a survey done to work out the extent of any issues, then have professionals come in and deal with any big or dangerous jobs.
Getting this stage right can save you a huge amount of stress and cost later on, as hidden problems have a habit of becoming very visible once work starts. Clear everything out so you’re working with a blank canvas, and from there you can properly assess the situation and see what needs to be done.
Rethink the layout for how you actually live
Many old houses don’t have upstairs bathrooms, will you bring the bathroom upstairs? Will you go with a single or double story extension, renovate into the loft or the basement? This is where it helps to be honest about how you use space day to day, rather than sticking rigidly to how the house was originally set up. A smaller or awkward shaped room for example could be transformed into a great office or dressing room as you won’t need to fit a bed in there.
If you knock through from the kitchen and dining room, you could find a company with a wide range of sliding doors to get the perfect match for your home’s age and style. That way you have the option to keep the rooms separate with the doors shut, or open with them open. These kinds of things can make a huge difference to how you use your space.
Let original features do the work
If you’ve pulled up carpets and found original tiling or wooden floors in good condition, keep them! If you’ve found original fireplaces behind old wooden boards then clean them up and make them part of your decor. Features like beams, alcoves and old brickwork can become focal points if you avoid over decorating around them. To keep it modern, you could always go with nice smooth, neutral walls which would make any original features really stand out.