Whether your home has been past its best for a long time or you’ve just bought an old home that’s showing its age, you need to make it modern again. It’s all about making a functional home while also making sure it retains the character that made it so appealing to you in the first place. That might sound like a challenging balancing act, but it’s not as tricky as you might imagine.
You need to make your home fit for functional purposes while also making it look like the kind of place you want to spend time in. Both of those things are possible. So it’s time to dive in and talk about how you should approach this project. The things you’ll learn will serve you well as the project gets underway. So read on and make note of any tips that you think will help you.
Making A Functional Home Again
Have it Surveyed Comprehensively
Before you do anything else, you need to make sure that a survey is carried out on the home. If you’ve just bought the place, this should already have been taken care of. But if not, it’s worth having this done so you can find out where the key problems are. You’ll need to know this before you start working in order to right the wrongs and understand how to approach this challenge in the safest way.
Replace the Old Wiring
Wiring can cause you big problems in old homes, so it’s definitely worth having it all ripped out and replaced if you want to make sure that your home is as safe as it can be. Of course, unless you’re a professional electrician, you shouldn’t be taking care of this kind of work yourself because it’s too dangerous.
Repair the Existing Features
Existing features in old homes are generally considered to be very important. You want the home to feel authentic and true to its original roots. They can also add some real character. Try to repair these existing features if they’re currently damaged or in bad shape. Pay particular attention to repairing any original beams on the ceiling.
Reuse Old Materials and Make Them New
Upcycling is something you should definitely be trying to do as you make a more functional home. Reusing old materials and old items found in the home is a great idea. It means you don’t have to buy as many new materials, and you’ll be able to get creative with it too. Pretty much everything can be upcycled and out to good use once more. So get experimenting and doing new things with items you don’t have a use for.
Make Space Work in a Modern Context
Sure, the building is old. That doesn’t mean it can’t feel new and modern when you use it and live in it each day. You should focus on making the space work for you in the modern context you want to live in. There are many ways of doing this, from changing the layout of the building to improving the amount of natural light flooding through the windows.
Bring the Plumbing Into This Century
Old homes often have really old plumbing systems in place. Those pipes and systems can cause you problems if you’re not careful. It’s definitely worth making changes to the plumbing so it’s fit for this century and the years ahead. Companies like High Mark Plumbing will be able to help you with this so you won’t need to go through all this alone. It’s a change that will serve you well for a long time to come.
Work With Good Tradespeople and Suppliers
Finally, you need to remember to work with the right people as you are making a more functional home. There are two main groups of people you’ll probably be working with to update your home: tradespeople and suppliers. Good suppliers will help you to get the best deals. And they can get hold of the supplies you need in the most timely and efficient way. The best tradespeople will get the work done safely and on time.
Old homes can be full of intrigue and character. Don’t let the age of a home put you off because it could be the ideal solution for you. It’s up to you to update and renovate the old home in the way that works for you. The ideas here will help you to get started, and you can take things from there.
Have you updated and made your home a more functional home? Tell me about it in the comments section below.
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