RENOVATING AN OLD HOUSE? I wished this would not happen…

I am talking about the floors, the original trim wood, and windows !! May it be wood siding or trim like millwork or fancy balustrades, please think about it before taking it down or removing it. 

Buyers often prefer the solid, natural materials and unique features over the cookie-cutter engineered flooring and simply trim work. They like their home to be different and have character. Those “old” original features add value to the home.

Removing trim rather than repairing it is certainly easier than proper preparation when painting to avoid sloppy results. And so this is why house flippers find it easier to remove the existing trim rather than trying to salvage it. 

It’s the small details of old trim work which one can not easily find today in hardware stores, so keeping it and trying to restore or repair it should be a priority if the goal is to keep the character in the house and make the place unique.

Some house flippers may think that making a space look “neutral” is the thing to do, as often seen in social media advertising, but that is not always what buyers want. From my experience, buyers prefer unique features and pay even a bit extra for a home with “character .” The character can make a property feel special and exciting for buyers.

I have noticed in all the years I helped buyers find the right home that original wood trim often tends to be higher quality wood than modern products and alternatives like composite. 

Replacing an original door with a contemporary pre-hung door can be easy, but is it necessary? Replacing exterior wood siding with Vinyl? Definitely a big decision.
Vinyl siding has its perks: It requires minimal maintenance and can last many years. But does it give the home a better value? The color cannot be changed. Wood siding, on the other hand, may have to be painted or touched up more often, but there’s less of a commitment to a certain color.

Painting Wood Without Honoring Provenance? I say, paint your home whatever color you’d like. But for the love of all old homes, put down the white and gray paint.