What Restoring an Old Home Can Teach You About Life
Old homes are full of hidden treasures and surprises. Restoring such a home is not an undertaking for the faint-hearted. The process requires patience, understanding, and a stable pocket. Don’t be surprised to dig deeper into your pocket while reinstating the house. You’ll be forgiven to naively think you’re done restoring the house after one renovation or restoration cycle. Old homes seem to have never-ending problems. But the hiccups come with countless life lessons. One such lesson is that you can never love something without giving it your all. If you love it and do it right, you can turn an old home nightmare into a beautiful home full of memories. There’s more you can learn about life when reinstating an old house. Let’s explore some of these life lessons.
You Are a Steward
When you finally decide to buy, live and restore an old home, you commit to serving and taking care of all the memories housed by the home. It’s more of an emotional investment rather than an ownership investment. The home will ask you for your time, finances, and energy. You not only commit to being a restorer but also a steward of history. You’ll do all it takes to keep the stories written and the home’s character for the next generation.
As you restore, do it with an intent to protect the incredible workmanship. You own a unique piece of art. Conserve it. Don’t destroy it. If you’re not a professional restorer, think of working with a team of home remodeling and restoration professionals. The restoration process requires multiple skills, including a siding contractor. The siding contractor will help preserve the siding craftsmanship and home’s character. Be cautious when hiring a siding contractor. Don’t hesitate to ask them how they plan to restore the siding and whether they have experience restoring old homes. The most successful way to land a qualified siding contractor is through word of mouth.
Beautiful Things Show Sign of Care and Love
Yeah, I know. Such a cliche. The more you love your home the more you’ll be willing to serve and give it your all. This cliche turned many old homes into beautiful masterpieces. Besides, we take care of the things we love. Be it your family, job, spouse, or your home. Instead of picking out the issues in your old home, focus on what you love and make those features stand out.
Don’t Ignore the Little Issues
Small issues have the potential to burst into enormous and insurmountable problems. If you discover small problems with the house early on, fix them, don’t let them flourish into a colossal issue. The lesson applies in every facet of life. Whether it’s your health, relationships, family, business, or work. Fix any hurdle before it turns into an uncontrollable issue. I’ve watched many old homeowners overlook tiny hitches that resulted in a demolition.
A little creativity goes a long way
Just because it’s an old home and holds lots of stories, it doesn’t mean it should look old. Take every issue with the old home as an opportunity to be creative. That’s where the beauty of a restoration project lies. Be creative and flow with the house. Knockdown walls if necessary. You can creatively mix old and new. You can preserve its original character while embracing modernity. Remember, there is no one right way to handle such projects. Try out different things until you get it right.
We Should Not Strive For Perfection
Learn to love and appreciate your imperfections. Every item or feature in your old home will never be perfect. If it’s not a threat, live with it. The windows or the original molding may look worn out, but they hold stories and memories. They remind us of the numerous conversations they sparked. Those stairs may look outdated, unlevelled, and out of style. Hold on to them. Many generations before you walked on those stairs. Don’t rush to change everything in your home. View the old creaks and tears as an opportunity to let your imagination flourish.
Summary
Many families have celebrated milestones and achievements in these homes. They felt love and created lots of unreplicable memories inside those walls. Don’t trade off these memories and stories for new and trendy updates. Appreciate it and let life course through it.
