How to Make an Old Home Look New Again

Last Updated on June 12, 2021 by Ellen Christian

Now that spring has arrived, you may be wondering how to make an old home look new again. I know it’s something that my husband and I consider each spring.

I love our home. It’s an 1865 farmhouse that was built by a man who owned the local sawmill at the time. I’ve lived here for almost twenty years, and each year we work on upgrading and repairing a little bit more of our home.

While I love the character of an old home, I don’t like it when it looks old and worn. We’ve been focusing on structural repairs for the most part, but we are now able to consider a few cosmetic improvements to our home this year. 

How to Make an Old Home Look New Again

We made sure that the structure of our home was the first thing that we dealt with. We invested in a new roof and replaced a portion of the beam and the subflooring under our bathroom. We’ve also needed to replace the furnace, water heater and part of the electrical system. This summer we are getting a new oil tank. Here are a few ways to make an old home again that we’re also considering or are in the process of completing.

• Upgrade your windows. Old windows can make your home look shabby, and they can raise your heating/cooling bills quite a bit. New, double pained windows will help keep out drafts. You can often find styles that are designed to fit the look of an older home. We have two small fixed windows upstairs that we need to deal with this year.
• Replace or repair floors. We have replaced the bathroom floor and hoped to replace the kitchen floors this year. I like the look of older wooden floors, but several of ours were beyond the point of repair and needed to be replaced. We chose a vinyl flooring that looks like real wood, and it’s been amazing.
• A fresh paint job. You’d be surprised at how much a new coat of paint can improve the rooms in your home. I tend to prefer off white because it’s calming and clean looking, but there are many different colors to choose from. Just be aware that a glossy paint will show the dents and dings in your woodwork faster than a matte paint will.
• Grounds upkeep. Quite often, older homes have yards that are in need of repair. Are there trees that need to be cut down or pruned? Are the flower beds overgrown with weeds? Does the fence need to be mended or the back quarter need to be brush hogged? We have a landscaper that comes in every two weeks to deal with our grounds maintenance, and it’s a huge help.
• Add siding to your home. Older homes often have weathered exteriors with chipping paint and damage to the wooden clapboards. This damage can make a home look older and shabby no matter how much attention you put into other areas. New siding is one of the best ways to make an old home look new again.

The James Hardie Contractor Alliance Program is designed to match homeowners with professional contractors from around the country, who are trained and available to help you meet your needs for siding repair and replacement. To provide the highest level of service, customer satisfaction surveys are initiated on every James Hardie project installed by a Preferred Contractor using GuildQuality—a 3rd party customer satisfaction surveying service.

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Ellen Christian

Ellen is a busy mom of a 24-year-old son and 29-year-old daughter. She owns six blogs and is addicted to social media. She believes that it doesn’t have to be difficult to lead a healthy life. She shares simple healthy living tips to show busy women how to lead fulfilling lives. If you’d like to work together, email info@confessionsofanover-workedmom.com to chat.