Is Your Home Restoration Project Revealing Hidden Treasures

Restoring an old home can be challenging, fun and ultimately fulfilling once the whole project comes together the way you had hoped. However, in some instances, you may get more than you bargained for when transforming an old house into your new home. Using this simple guide, you’ll save tons of money and potentially find valuable hidden treasures, by knowing what to replace and what to keep during your home restoration project.

What To Replace During Your Home Restoration

• Electrics and Plumbing

  With improved material quality and increased electricity usage, it is easy to understand why electrical and plumbing problems are common in older homes. It is important that all homes, in the process of being restored, should be checked to ensure that the plumbing and electrics are safe and of standard. Home restoration projects often include replacing old galvanized pipes with ones made of copper/PVC as the former is prone to erosion and clogging. In addition, wiring needs to be checked to ensure it meets safety regulations and are fitted with additional outlets to be able to cope with the electricity demands needed in a modern home.

• Kitchens and Bathrooms

  Of all the rooms in a house, kitchens and bathrooms are ones which tend to become outdated the quickest as their styles tend to be, in general, trendier and era-specific than other parts of the home. While the actual components of the room may not necessarily need to be restored, you may feel the need to revamp the interiors with decor that is either classic or more up-to-date with the times.

What To Keep During Your Home Restoration

While the advice given above on what should be replaced in an old home is useful in general, it should be used with a discerning eye. Old homes may be treasure troves in disguise, if you know what to look out for. Breaking down walls and peeling back layers may reveal features worth more than you could imagine, making home restoration a real adventure!

• Cast-Iron Bathtubs and Historical Tiles

  While bathrooms are quick to be outdated, cast-iron bathtubs and Victorian tiles are valuable pieces that have significant historical value. Cast-iron bathtubs, especially those with “claw feet”, were incredibly popular from the late 19th century – so much so, that people are willing to pay vast amounts of money to buy replicas of them for their homes today. However, if you are lucky enough to find an original in an old home, you could restore it to its former glory by restoring the enamel exterior with a new finish of epoxy to prevent wearing of the surface and rusting. Victorian and Edwardian tiles are also fantastic finds in home restoration projects. Keeping these in your revamp adds a traditional and charming feel to your home.

• Wooden Floors and Solid Wooden Doors

  Beautiful wooden floors are often hidden behind layers of carpets in old homes. Provided the wood is healthy, often all that is needed to create the floor of your dreams is sanding and re-varnishing. In addition, solid wooden doors made from a single piece of wood are incredibly rare pieces to find, as most doors today are hollow core. Finding these doors whilst restoring your home is lucky, as they are the most expensive on the market!

• Fireplaces

  When restoring an old home, you may be surprised to find antique fireplaces boarded up by previous owners. If the house has a chimney, there must have been an original fireplace and trying to find it may be a lot of fun! Who knows what else you may find in the process.

• Roof Beams and Old Light Fittings

  Removing ceilings may uncover stunning wooden or steel-beams which are ideal if you are a lover of industrial interiors. Old light fittings, in addition, are also interesting finds because they may be highly original in style and of better quality than what you may find at a store.

With all this information at hand, you should be better equipped to tackle restoring an old home – hopefully saving time, money and finding hidden treasures in the process.