Living in a historic Texas home is a huge commitment and the renovation of such a house is no small undertaking. This can be an intimidating job that needs to be done with special care. You will have to deal with old construction and building material, but also, historic houses are unpredictable and full of surprises. If you renovate your historic house properly and with a detailed plan, you will end up with a remarkable home. By following our tips, you will have your dream house in no time.
Have a plan before you act
Before you act and start with the renovation, it is crucial to have a plan. At the first stage of renovation, you need to decide what purpose your old house is going to have. Do you want to live there and maintain it, are you planning to rent it out, or are you thinking of selling the house? The decision you make will help you decide what home renovations you should complete before moving in, or what you should preserve for its historic value. The next step is to do research and find out if there are any regulations or restrictions that you need to follow in order to preserve the historical value of the property. There are some historical districts that have ordinances in place to secure the integrity of the neighborhood and property.
Gather a team of professionals
The renovation of your Texas historic house can be a compound and complicated process, so it is important to find a team of professionals who will advise you and give you some home renovation tips for a successful project. First, you need to find an experienced inspector and a capable contractor who will estimate what needs to be done and how much it will cost you. If you need to move some walls or create an additional one, make sure to hire an architect who will help you with the structural component and make your old house into a modern one.
Before starting with the renovation of your Texas historic house, find a team of professionals to help you.
Have a budget
After assembling a team of professionals, the next step is to make a realistic budget plan. You need to know exactly what you want and how you want your house to look like after the renovation process. However, you need to remember that in construction, you can’t expect that everything goes smoothly and according to plan. There always will be some unforeseen obstacles that will add to the budget, and you need money set aside for such a situation. There also might be a chance that you will have to employ services like packing or storage to store the items that you had in the old home but don’t need at the time. Therefore, you need to have a good budget plan before you even begin with the renovation.
Plan in advance and create a realistic budget.
Begin the renovation of your Texas historic house with the biggest challenges
When you start with the renovation process of your old home, it would be a good idea to tackle the biggest challenges first. No matter how much it is tempting to start with the cosmetic fixes immediately, that is not a good idea. Some of the biggest challenges that you need to tackle first are:
- Foundation – when you start with the renovation of your Texas historic house, begin with the foundation. Some older properties have foundations that cannot withstand the test of time, so inspect yours and see if there are any cracks or areas of instability.
- The electrical – electrical system is not one of the home remodeling improvements to avoid, and you should seriously face this issue. Remember that old properties often do not have grounded electrical outlets, so you need to find an electrician who has experience in old house restoration.
- Moisture – Moisture is a big problem with historic houses, so it is of huge importance to address properly any moisture and water issues before starting with the project of restoring your old Texas home.
Tackle the biggest challenges first
Think about temporary housing
The process of renovating your Texas historic house may be very extensive, and perhaps it is not a good idea to live in it while the project lasts. There will be dust and fumes in the house that can be dangerous to your health, plus the neverending chaos of construction can be frustrating. In short, living in the house during a renovation can be a danger to the well-being of your family, and that’s why you will have to think about moving out. Find temporary housing, call a moving company like evolutionmoving.com, and move out with your family, because it will be much safer for everyone.
Have a list of priorities and know where you can save some money
The renovation of a historic house costs a lot, so it wouldn’t be a bad idea to make a list of priorities. Decide which construction works are the most important and require spending a lot of money, and which can be pulled back in case of some unexpected circumstances. Also, have a list of fixes that may not be that important and that your house will function just fine without. If some unforeseen issues arise during construction, you will easily know where to find the money and what projects can be put on hold.
There is very little chance of your renovation projects going completely as planned and without any problems. Issues can arise, you just have to do your best to solve them without stressing. During the renovation process, try to restore the historic features of the property and to integrate them into your new modern house. If you follow our tips for the successful renovation of your Texas historic house, you will have a dream house that fits your needs and lifestyle.
