Five Tips to Freshen Up Your Old Home

Living in an older home definitely has its perks: it has character, history and charm. That said, time inevitably takes a toll and certain features will need freshening up now and then. You don’t need to do any renovations to give your beloved home a facelift. With a few small tweaks, you can have your home looking fresh and clean again.

Clean your carpets

The carpets in your house take a beating. They are continually walked on, collecting debris and wearing down. Carpets are one of the dirtiest features of your home, and vacuuming alone won’t thoroughly clean them. Beyond just their appearance, they also soak up and hold onto unpleasant smells. You may not even realise your carpets are becoming discoloured over time, but once they are clean, you’ll be shocked. Investing in carpet cleaning London will make a massive difference to your living spaces.

Update light switch and outlet plates

Outdated light switch and outlet plates can make your home look rough. Older plates are often off-white and slightly yellow in colour. Whether they came that colour, or have yellowed with age, they don’t look nice.

Throughout the years as rooms are re-painted, the plates get different colours of paint on them and are sometimes painted over completely. It’s incredibly inexpensive to purchase new plates, and they will make your rooms look polished and fresh. Other fixtures that become yellowed with age include smoke detectors and thermostats so you may want to replace those as well.

Refinish hardwood

Older homes have beautiful hardwood features that make them cosy and give them character. Hardwood is timeless, but the finish will wear down. You can give your hardwood new life by refinishing it. Re-staining is an option as well, and it will protect the wood, but it will still show scratches. To finish, you’ll need to sand down the current finishing to smooth it out and then refinish. The process is relatively inexpensive, but will make an impact.

Re-paint

Paint inevitably chips as the years go on and becomes dull. Dirt builds up without you even noticing it from where people have touched the walls. If people have smoked in the house, it can discolour the walls. There are many ways that paint can lose its lustre, and a simple coat of paint can change the look of an entire room. If you’re happy with the colour, you can apply a fresh coat of the same colour paint. If you are ready for something different, you can choose a different colour scheme to change the vibe completely.

Fill in nail holes

Years of residents putting nails into your walls can take its toll. When light shines on the wall, you’ll be able to see the holes all over, and it looks messy and uneven. By filling in the nail holes, your walls will be smooth and look brand new again. It’s hard to get it right, and you’re best off to hire a professional to patch the holes and re-paint so they come out perfectly even.