You may have bought an older house either because it’s a cheaper option or because it has a design you won’t find anywhere else. Whatever your reason may be for having one in your possession, your older home may need some work to restore it to its former glory. You’ll want to have its beauty fully restored – preferably by a restoration company, like Fortune Restoration, as soon as possible. But you can help get their job done faster by using these cheap and easy tips in restoring an older home:
- 1.Clean the original carpeting.
You might initially want to replace your older home’s carpeting with brand new stuff. But if the original carpet itself has a design that’s very rare you might not find another one bearing the same print nowadays. You might want to consider cleaning it instead.
If your older home’s original carpeting only has surface dirt and debris, a simple vacuuming job would do. But if it has deep and visible stains that its previous owner hadn’t completely removed, you can pour some diluted white vinegar and sprinkle baking soda on top of them. Wait for the baking soda to dry after which you can vacuum the carpet. Not only is this cleaning method cheap and easy, but it means you’ll save hundreds or even thousands by not needing to buy new carpet.
- 2.Refinish its hardwood
Even if the older house you bought doesn’t have any carpeting, it may have hardwood flooring. But of course, it might have lots of scratches already. Or it’s lost its sheen throughout the years and it looks rather dull. You might thus want to refinish your older home’s hardwood flooring to restore its original look.
However, you should check first if your house’s hardwood flooring has deep scratches because you’ll have to sand them before applying the finish. If there are only a few of those deep scratches, you can get rid of them using a manual sander – though prepare to spend at least a few hours and use some elbow grease for that.
Once you’ve sanded the wooden floor, apply either a matte or satin finish to it. Don’t go for a glossy one, especially if you have little kids running around a lot, to prevent any slip and fall injuries from happening in your house.
After successfully refinishing your older house’s hardwood floor, make sure to keep it clean so that it would last an even longer time.
- 3.Patch up any nail and screw holes on the walls.
The previous owner of the older house may have liked hanging picture frames and racks all over its walls. Unfortunately, they may have drilled too many nail and screw holes which are an awful sight, especially if you want to leave specific portions of a wall bare.
You’ll want to get rid of those holes by filling them up using gypsum plaster and a small putty knife. Wait for the patches to dry, then apply a primer and paint on top of them.
- 4.Repaint its walls.
Speaking of applying paint, the original paint on the interior and exterior walls of your older home may be peeling off already. You should remove any loose flakes and give your house a fresh paint job. It’s your call as to what color you prefer for your older home – though you’ll want either a neutral or light one.
As mentioned above, you’ll need to put a primer first before painting over the walls to prevent paint from instantly peeling or forming blisters. Wrap the floor with old newspapers as well to avoid staining it with dripping paint.
- 5.Replace ruined parts and fixtures with slightly used ones.
The door of your older home might look warped. Or perhaps its roof’s original skylight has peeled glazing.
If your older home has parts and fixtures that don’t serve their intended purpose, then you should tear them down and change them as soon as possible. But instead of defaulting to buying brand new replacements, you should consider checking any nearby home improvement shops in your area that sell secondhand goods, especially if you have a tight budget for restoration. Chances are, they may have a door that they salvaged from an already demolished house that is an excellent fit for your home. They may also have a skylight with intact glazing that also came from the same source. Just make sure to buy a used part or fixture only if it still looks almost good as new and works well.
Conclusion
A 2015 survey found out that roughly half of all homebuyers would prefer to purchase a house built at least ten years ago, or more than that. You might have been one of them yourself. However, buying an older home will entail you to have it restored to its original near-mint condition. Home restoration doesn’t need to be an expensive ordeal though, as long as you apply the tips listed above that aim to make it cheap and easy for you. But as you’ll most likely need assistance for any major restorations to your fixer-upper, you might want to hire a professional home restorer as well.
