Renovating A Beaten Building
A lot of people love the idea of having an old house, with rustic features and heaps of charm. A lot of these houses are beautiful. And, they will always feel like home. Unfortunately, old buildings can be very expensive when they’re in good condition. So, they only option for a lot of people is buying an older house that’s in need of some tender loving care. This process can be long and difficult, though. So, it’s worth making efforts to plan your approach. To help you out, this post will be going through some of the stages of a renovation that you need to think about.
This process can be made much hard by some factors. And, you’ll need to be considering these things throughout. So, it’s best to go through them first. To start, most old buildings will be protected by the law in some way, to make sure that they keep their old features. This can make working on these buildings very hard, though. So, you have to research the law in your area. If you want to restore the home to it’s original state, you have to be aware of the costs of repairing it. Older buildings will usually cost a lot to do work on. So, you need to think about this.
- Cleaning it up
The first part of this process is getting the home clean. But, before you can do that; you have to make sure that everything is tidy. Remove furniture and debris from the building. And, make sure that there’s nothing dangerous around. You can hire large skips in most places. So, you don’t have to use your car to move dirty things to dumps. Always make sure that you recycle things that can be recycling. A lot of things are wasted in dumps when they could be reused elsewhere.
Once everything is tidy, you’re ready to start cleaning. This can be a very difficult job depending on the building and who has lived in it. You may only have to do some light dusting, vacuuming, and other cleaning. But, you could have other problems. Mold is very common in old buildings; so, you might need the help of a professional who can provide mold services in your area. Getting rid of the mold yourself could be almost impossible. Other issues like this can usually be solved with professional help, too. So, always do some research if you’re struggling to get something clean.
- Repairing it
When a place is empty and clean, you have a great chance to do some repairs. To do this, you need to start by testing everything and looking for issues. If you have a survey done, you will be told about any issues with the building’s structure that need to be fixed. But, there’s more. You need to test all of the electrics in the house; including lights, outlets, boilers, & cookers. Along with this, test all of the plumbing and gas, too. Some of these issues will be easy to fix. And, you’ll be able to do it by yourself.
But, for other issues; you might need some help. Electrics, plumbing, and gas should only ever be handled by a professional with the right qualifications to do so. This will ensure that the work is done safely and to government requirements. It may be against the law in your country to do this work on your own. So, you’ll have to get help. Or, you may just want help because you feel that things are beyond your skill level. Finding professionals can be a tricky game. So, you need to do some research. Always try to find the best contractors in your area to do work on an old building. Experience will make a big different when it comes to doing a good job.
- Decorating it
The house should be ship-shaped before you start working on your decoration. But, when it is; you should always start with the walls. Especially if you want to paint. Working on walls can be very challenging. Most people will struggle to paint a room well. So, it can be best to get some help here. Professional painters will make light work of your rustic-rooms. And, they’ll be able to work on features like beams and door frames for you. Having your room painted well will have a big impact on its appearance.
When the walls are done, you can start with the floors; leaving the floors till last is a great way to make sure dripping paint doesn’t ruin the job. Most old houses will have floor boards that are made from wood. This type of flooring can usually be restored to look beautiful; but, it will take some work. Read some guides about wood restoration. And, if the job seems like it would be too much; talk to a professional to get some help. Carpets and tiles can also look great in a place like this, but will likely cost a lot more.
- Putting it all together
Once the floors are done, you’re ready to start putting the room back together. This will usually involve doing a small clean beforehand, to make sure that the house is spotless. Then, you can start moving furniture into the room. You should always plan where things will go, and bring the largest items in first. Make sure that you won’t obstruct your path by moving items in a bad order. It’s always a good idea to get some friends to help you with this. Having a few extra hands will make it much simpler to get the larger items into the room. And, they will make it much faster with the smaller ones.
Hopefully, this will give you a good idea of what needs to be done if you want to renovate an older house. Buildings like this can usually be restored to their former glory with minimal work. Especially if you choose the right building and are willing to put in a lot of time. You just have to make sure that the results of the work will be worth it for you in the end. Otherwise, you may lose motivation during the work.