When seeking to renovate an old house, some people attempt to do it on a whim, seeing it as a challenge to be conquered or an opportunity to turn a profit. They look at a grand old house and see a bygone era that has history and former glory.
While that can be great, renovations can open up a Pandora’s worth of uncertainty and they can be a long strain of hard work. However, if you are willing to put in the effort, it may reap you a wonderful reward.
Therefore, here are my tips on how you can bring new life to an old house, even if you’re working around some historical features.
Get rid of unwanted houseguests
One of the first things you may come across when renovating a derelict or outdated house is that of noticeable signs that other creatures may have taken up residence in the dwelling.
From protected creatures, such as possums, to pests such as rats and mice. The important thing is to get on top of it quickly and use reputable pest control in Melbourne.
This may be something to factor into your contingency costs as they may be unexpectedly residing in the walls and/or entering through other crevices.
Learn what is a necessary fix and what is salvageable
When it comes to revamping an old place, especially if you’re new to the game, it is good to learn and get some advice on what can be saved and where it may be necessary to spend your money.
According to event planner, Bianca Cuffia, who alongside her husband, Jack Probst, renovated their house. “We [sic] made it our mission to lift all the old floorboards and get the house restumped before Christmas.”
The prospect of working with heritage features and a more aged home can make this problematic, especially if you want to keep certain characteristics of the house.
However, working with them can often reap its own reward, especially as many older homes have a better overall construction at the shell of the building.
Plan your budget and save where you can
Whether you are new to renovating or have built up experience, an important and wise consideration is to plan your budget before you go ahead and hammer through that first wall.
While we’d all like to picture the dream as to what we can put in the renovation, you may only be able to do certain areas or get various quotes so that your materials and work remains within the budget.
You can often save by learning new skills yourself, which can save on trades, but make sure you factor in specialists, such as plumbing and electrical.
Restoring hidden gold can often add character to the house
When renovating an older house, especially if it is one that has historical features that are exclusive to a design era, having even the smallest piece of history restored can add an immense amount of unique charm to a room.
While the more noticeable features may include a staircase that has lost its grandeur, or the historic ceilings, according to Shona Jackson, there are many “other heritage gems may not be so obvious unless you know where to look.”
Therefore, it can be wise to look fully through the house before you go starting the demolition, for unless it is unredeemable, the gold you find can bring a completely new life to the house, just by showing it the respect it deserves.
Conclusion
Hence, I hope dear readers that I have given you some strategies as to how you can rebuild and bring a restored vigour to a historical or older home. Good luck!
