According to property expert Nicholas Smith, from The White Kitchen Company, restorations that are keeping with the home are more likely to add value to the property than stripping it of its unique features.
1. Restoring wooden flooring
The expert explained: “If your home has its original, or just vintage wooden flooring, then it’s well worth sprucing it up rather than replacing it with another material.
“These floors give a home a warm, electric atmosphere and, if varnished the right way, they offer plenty of unique character that can be a selling point for those viewing your property.
“Not only this, but they are easy to incorporate into plenty of more modern decor aesthetics, a delicate, natural colour can be set off excellently by a wooden floor.”
Rather than pulling up the floor, check how high quality it is because oak was very popular during Victorian times and offers an expensive finish.
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According to the expert, Britons can increase their home’s value by five percent by restoring wooden flooring.
2. Spruce up fireplaces
Nicholas continued: “Another great feature that you can keep and incorporate into your modernisations is any original fireplaces. While they can take up a lot of space in a room, fireplaces bring a unique atmosphere to any property and offer a real selling point to many prospective buyers.
“If your fireplace needs restoring to make it workable, this is well worth doing. Renovate the fireplace itself during your overhaul so that it can be used for logs and provide a cosy feel to the room.
“Consider emphasising your fireplace by using an accent colour on the wall it is inset into, and make sure to take the time to clean and varnish any ornate trimmings to really make the fireplace itself look as good as possible.”
If you also have a vintage radiator, it is recommended to get it checked by a plumber to make sure it is working before cleaning and restoring it.
The expert said they can often make a room look more ornate and modern, and replacing them can be expensive and “take away character” from the home.
3. Varnishing traditional front doors
According to the property expert, varnishing traditional front doors can “boost” home value by “thousands” as they are an incredibly “desirable” feature.
Nicholas explained: “If your house has a Victorian front door or another period door, consider sanding it down and varnishing it to get it looking its best.
“Pick a varnish that works with the door’s wood type, and bring out the existing design of the door by varnishing it instead of painting, which can cover up any period details.
“Extra details such as keyholes, hinges or other ornate additions can only add to the vintage feel, so spruce these up too with a clean and a polish where necessary.”
If needed, these extra details can be replaced with new ones which mimic period designs, and this is well worth doing if needed.
