There is no denying that period properties are very much on trend right now.
If you ask anyone who is hunting for a new home at the minute, I’m sure that they will tell you that they would love to splash their cash on a cute older home that comes with bags of character. It’s true that a period property will look great, but you also have to consider the downsides to owning one as well. And one of those is that there will be a lot of maintenance for you to get on with once you move in. Here’s an idea of the jobs you will need to carry out.
Get It Repiped
When you are in the buying process, it is necessary to find out about the home’s plumbing systems. The previous owner should tell you how old the whole plumbing is. If it is more than a few decades old, it’s worth looking for a plumbing repipe company to take care of this for you. This is a very skilled maintenance job and if you don’t have the required skills or experience, you should not attempt it yourself as there is a lot that could go wrong.
Replace The Windows
There is a good chance that the windows in your period property won’t be double glazed. Unfortunately, that means that they might be very drafty and will only provide your home with poor insulation. So, it’s a good idea to invest some money into replacement windows. Not only will these improve the property’s insulation, but they will also increase its value too.
Add Some Extractor Fans
Period homes are often prone to rising damp and mold. The best way to prevent these issues is to add some extractor fans to rooms that are going to produce a lot of moisture, such as the kitchen and bathroom. If you have already taken on a few DIY jobs before, then this should be easy enough for you to do yourself. If you aren’t feeling too confident about it, you can always call a handyman to do it for you.
Check The Chimney
Your new home may have been built a long time ago, when people relied on coal fires for their heating. So, there might be a chimney stack on the roof. If there is, you need to check this fairly often as they can be easily damaged in bad weather. You don’t need to get on the roof to do this, simply looking through some binoculars should make it easy enough to spot any issues.
Carry Out Draft Prevention
Most old homes are very drafty. You might find that replacing the windows doesn’t always improve things! If so, there are some other preventative measures to take. Filling any gaps in the floorboards is often necessary. As well as that, you might want to hang heavy curtains in front of interior doors.
Once you’ve done these jobs, your period property will feel very cozy indeed!
