The 5 Golden Rules Of Victorian House Renovation

Period properties can be difficult to renovate, and silly mistakes can end up costing thousands to correct, and could ultimately devalue your house.

Whether you’re introducing eco-friendly features or restoring your Victorian home to its former glory, there’s no room for costly mistakes. We have five golden rules to help you renovate your period home sympathetically.

1. Take your time to do research

Start by researching the history of your property. Once you know details such as the year of construction or the architect, you can place your house within its historical context. The Victorian era spans over six decades, with design trends emerging and disappearing. So knowing the specific details will narrow down your options.

2. Respect the architectural period

Features such as the number of panels on a window, joinery details and fireplace style are all unique to their eras (Georgian, Victorian, Edwardian, etc.)

You do not want to replace features only to find later that they are the wrong style, as they will look out of place.

3. Give your home the Conservation Area treatment

Any modifications or repairs on a building in a conservation area will need to be approved by your local authority, which has strict guidelines to preserve the building. Ensure you follow the guidelines.

6. Let go of perfection

Period properties are always a little wonky. You might be able to re-plaster the walls to a sharp finish, but the windows and doors will all be slightly different sizes, and the rooms won’t have square angles.

But this is what gives them character, so don’t obliterate the wonderful imperfections. Embrace them, and make them a feature.

7. Think long-term

What are the long-term aims for your renovation? Are you planning to sell once it’s complete, or extend to accommodate a growing family? Think beyond the current trends, and invest your money where the real value lies, such as high-quality wooden sash windows.

If you’re looking for experts in listed building restoration, talk to us today.