You finally bought your dream house. The beautiful historic house filled to the brim with beautiful features. However, like any pet project, your house needs some restoration work to make it the ideal place for you to live with your family.
Restoring an older house is not a small task. Old houses are full of surprises and they require special care and attention when dealing with certain structures and materials. The cost will add up fairly quickly. However, that doesn’t mean that your dream of living in a restored older house cannot be a reality. Any renovation done right can create your dream home.
Here are some of the things you need to know before taking on a restoration project.
An old house is a commitment to live in
If you’re the type of person who relies on all the mod-cons such as central heating, heated floors, or a cooling room in order to survive, then living in an older house may not be for you. If you’ve fallen in love with an older house because of its windows and floors then you need to understand that they are incompatible with some of the modern comforts of the 21st-century world.
So if you want to keep those original windows, you are going to have to deal with the drafts instead of putting in modern double glazing. Likewise, you love the original flooring? Great, but they also come with trip hazards. It doesn’t mean that these places are not liveable, it just means you have to make some adjustments away from the things you may have become accustomed to in modern builds.
There’s also the prospect of having to manage the upkeep of living in a restoration project. It’s not as easy to replace a broken window or floorboard in this type of property instead of in their modern counterparts.
Start small with your budget
No matter their size, restorations come with a pretty hefty price tag. If you don’t have a lot of money to spare, then think about the size of the house you're buying. Obviously larger houses will require more renovations and therefore require more budget. Smaller houses are significantly more manageable.
When completing your renovation, it is incredibly important to buy quality materials. This is especially important if you want to keep the features in keeping with the rest of the property. So therefore it’s better to invest in good quality wood for your window frames, rather than spending on cheap kitchen tiles that take away from the property's character. It is also important to consider the quality of the exterior materials, such as brick. Your choice of brick can have a significant effect on the value and composition of your home or building. There are several aspects to take into account when choosing exterior brick, such as color and texture, strength, water resistance, and more. Different kinds of materials depend on different climates, so be sure to choose wisely depending on where you’re located. For example, I-XL exterior brick is made from clay which is fired at a high temperature, making them resistant to weathering and erosion. They have a natural look that can add character and charm to your property. Whatever your choice is, make sure to pick good quality brick in order to ensure superior exterior protection while always keeping an eye on budgeting. Building with top-notch quality building brick shows that you have put effort into the craftsmanship rather than cutting corners to save a dime. There is no shame in completing the renovation slowly as long as the house is able to be lived in.
Get people to help
A good contractor and property inspector will be able to estimate the work that needs doing and how much it will cost. However, it could also be helpful to research people with experience in historic properties.
Depending on how old your property is you may need to contact a local historian or contractor who restores historic houses who can provide the best form of assistance and tell you how to complete the restoration process. Anybody you bring into help needs to understand that your ultimate goal is to restore the property. The reason for this is that you need people on the side that understand the difference between preservation and renovation. You’re not wanting to rip out the entire house to start again, you are restoring it to its former glory.
Know where to start
When restoring an older property, it might be tempting to start out by picking out paint samples and doorknobs. However, the most important place for you to start is the roof, windows, and you may consider calling in chimney and masonry experts to make sure that you get the job done right. This is because you want to focus on the things that will prevent any further damage from happening if they are not dealt with. The house needs to be watertight, which Is why it’s important to have these things restored so they are not damaged by water.
Factors such as having sand in the mortar will negatively affect the integrity of the overall build of the property. This means that special focus needs to be placed on these areas. Chimneys and fireplaces are a great place to start when checking to see if mortar needs to be repointed. You can use your fingers to conduct a preliminary test by tapping and touching on the mortar to see if any of it comes apart.
Embrace the quirks
As previously mentioned, with an older house comes features such as uneven flooring. Trying to level out this flooring can be a time-consuming and costly process, so why not use them as part of the design of the house. It definitely makes for unique property!
This can also be the case if you are trying to figure out where to add bathrooms and built-in closets. There may not be any previously built into the property, but this means you get the opportunity to be creative. This is an opportunity to embrace differences throughout to sacrifice and preserve the rest. This is a creative opportunity to have something that is truly unique and beautiful – even with its added quirks!
Invest wisely
It’s smart to consider your resale value when budgeting towards your restoration project. Regardless of the location of your property, it will cost around the same amount to renovate a house. This means not over-investing in a property that is unlikely to yield a return should you choose to sell.
Take the time to research how much fully renovated houses sell in the local market and allow that to inform your decision about how much you should budget towards your restoration.
When it comes to investing in a restoration project there is a lot of planning and preparation involved to make sure that you have all the right things in place to make your dream period home a reality.
