Many people have seen an old house and fallen in love with their style and history. Buying it is the obvious next step. But after that, the steps you take are going to be important. You’ll want modern conveniences, but you also want to retain the house’s original charm. This can be difficult but doable. Here are some tips on what you should do to ensure you get the best of both worlds.
Do An Inspection
Before anything else, you should hire a house inspector to look over the house. This is essential since it will tell you exactly what is wrong and what is missing from your new home. You have to remember that an old house that has seen decades of living will likely have a few problems. It is even worse if the house was left empty for several years. A home inspection ensures that there are no surprises in store for you. However, it needs to be as thorough as possible. For example, a home inspection might reveal faulty wiring in the walls. This is a potential fire hazard.
Other things that an inspection might reveal is the hidden damage that the house has. It might suffer from water damage or experienced bad renovations. The worst results would be to find hazardous materials that need removal like lead in the pipes or walls. Your inspection would also reveal what is in good shape and what is missing.
Know What To Keep
With a home inspection done, the next step is to identify the aspects of the house that you will not be touching or even returning to their original state. Several parts of the house will be better left alone. For example, the floor layout should be kept. Drastic changes to it would require you to know down walls or add them. Besides potentially ruining the house’s original decorations and style, it will make the house feel a lot different. You might even take steps to return to the home’s original layout if the inspection reveals bad updates from previous owners.
One thing you will be sure to keep is the decorative touches that make the house unique. You likely bought the house for them. Whether it is the lovely traditional windows or the house silhouette, you’ll want to retain the house’s style.
Think About What You’ll Add or Change
The next step is to decide on what changes and additions you will be making. Much of this is doing upgrading to modern technology. For example, all houses nowadays need internet access. Fortunately, WiFi networks allow for online connection without laying down a lot of cables. But you will still need a place for the telco line to come in. Other upgrades that you might need to be done include the plumbing, electricity, and the HVAC.
Besides that, you might decide on adding your touch to some areas. Adding cabinets to the kitchen or even having some areas getting a fresh coat of paint can be useful. Your goal should be to add something nice to the mix while also respecting the original style.
Work With Professionals
While many people do their renovations, you’ll want professionals for this situation. You do not want to make a mistake and cause problems for yourself. It is better to have professional contractors do the job of refurbishing everything. For example, refinishing the floor is a lot more complex than many think. Doing it right can result in your hardwood floors looking brand-new at a fraction of the cost. If something goes wrong, then you might have to replace the entire floor. Avoid the risks and simply leave it to the pros.
Use The Original Parts Or Something Close
For refurbishing your new home, you will need to get replacements for any old and failing parts. However, modern items will ruin the look and feel of your place. If possible, try to get vintage replacements or even have the original refurbished to a new state. This ensures that everything still fits. But if necessary to get something new, you should reach out to a professional to create custom replacements. For example, if your home has damaged chimney pots, then work with a metal fabrication team to replicate them so that you can have something that looks like the original on your roof.
Living in an old house can be difficult if you don’t update it a bit. It is possible to make these changes without ruining the structure of the place or its charm. Heed the tips above, and you should be able to do your remodeling with no trouble. When you’re done, you will be very happy with the results.
