Working with an old infrastructure has its pros and cons and if you plan such a project it can be very useful for you to know these tips for renovating an old house in advance.

This type of old house has a great architectural and aesthetic charm that cannot be achieved in modern constructions. Accepting the challenge of renovating it and doing the proper restorations, recycling and displaying it can lend a characteristic value.

Do you know which elements of an old house are valuable?

Knowing the value of these structural elements is of great help, in addition you should consider basic aspects that involve the restoration of a house that has been exposed to years of deterioration. 

From the point of view of experience, here at VB Reformes Integrals we bring you these tips for renovating an old house that can help you plan your renovation:

1. The beautiful character of the classic

Old houses enjoy that style of a different era, something that is not easy to achieve in an authentic way and therefore has a lot of value both aesthetically and architecturally.

In addition, generally in different regions of Spain but especially in Barcelona, the area where an old house might be found, there are similar houses that share the same style and design. It is highly recommended that you make it one of your priorities to preserve this style to integrate your home with the area.

With a tour of an old house you can see a side of the budget that may be required for a renovation. If you want to know how to achieve this estimate we invite you to read these tips.

2. Display the brick walls

It is not necessary to cover all the roughness and rustic textures of an old house. These are part of its original structure and you can play with them to display them as focal points in the room.

Likewise elements such as domed ceilings, wooden beams, ostentatious mouldings and original house floors are other valuable elements worth restoring and preserving in notable areas of your home.

3. Balance between the old and the new

We have referred to maintaining the charm of the house, but that does not mean that you cannot use modern elements or a style of decor that you like very much when remodelling an old house.

It is possible to include new elements as long as you maintain a harmony in your environment. If you want ideas on how to achieve this type of charming townhouse renovation, we invite you to read these ideas.

If you want to include more modern elements than would suit the atmosphere, you can always choose to customise some new elements to give them a touch of the retro or classic look and thus preserve the best of both eras.

4. Increase the sources of natural light

Older houses usually do not have enough natural light. This is a point you should consider and improve upon as natural light cannot be imitated and gives a feeling of spaciousness and harmony to the rooms.

Including large windows in the rooms, placing mirrors and avoiding closing in the sources of natural light are some modifications that can make a big difference.

5. Switching to an open layout

Over the years, it has become common practice to abandon the closed and compartmentalised layout of old houses. Instead, it is much more functional to have open and connected spaces. Switching to an open layout also allows you to make better use of all the square metres available in your home.

The virtue of achieving these advantages is that it is common to include the process of knocking down walls in the complete renovation of an old house. To contemplate this in the plans is important, since it requires planning the cleaning of debris and in case it is necessary, relocating load points in the structure.

6. Optimises insulation

Older homes may have problems with thermal insulation, after all, the original materials have been deteriorated by bad weather and climate, not to mention that they may be obsolete materials nowadays.

Investing in new insulation is a wise decision, this will save energy in heating. Likewise, you do not have to include only thermal insulation, as you can include acoustic insulation to achieve greater peace of mind in your home.

7. Updating of electrical installations and pipes

Like the insulation, the facilities of a village house have been worn out after years of use. Try to include their inspection and renovation if they are in poor condition.

The original facilities may not only be in poor condition, but may no longer comply with current safety regulations. To ensure that neither the inhabitants of the house nor the structure itself are at risk, it is best to provide modern facilities.

Additionally, making these reforms has the advantage that this allows for the inclusion of water saving systems in the taps and computerised house systems in the electrical installations.

8. Replace wooden windows

Today there are many new materials that are able to completely simulate the look of wood, with many more functional advantages such as better insulation, are not flammable and have a longer lifespan.

Therefore, if you are renovating an old house, a great tip we can give you is to replace your wooden window frames with safer and more durable materials.

9. Switch to sustainable appliances

Selecting sustainable appliances is a good way to update your townhouse with modern and environmentally friendly elements. Maintaining energy efficiency will be a long term investment.

You can get more advice here if you are interested in knowing more adjustments that you can make during the renovation of an old house to make it much more sustainable.

If you have a team of specialists in the area of renovation for your project, you can count on many ideas like this one that can adjust the space just to your personal taste.

Don’t hesitate to contact us at VB Reformes integrals to get the quote and advice you need for a major refurbishment of an old house.

Which of these tips do you think should be taken into account when renovating an old house?

Let us know your opinion in the comments!