You have purchased the house and are ready to live with dustsheets and DIY for the coming months. But what’s to stop you making the same errors as numerous enthusiastic renovators? Here we highlight the ten most common mistakes when doing up a property, with the help of John Yates, historic buildings inspector for English Heritage, and Simon Buhl Davis, head of Savills Interior Services.

1 Don’t rush it. Do it in phases. “Live there for a little while if you can,” advises Yates, “then you'll understand the building and get to know its downfalls as well as finding out the best bits to make the most of.” Take your cues from what’s already there.

2 Don’t put off talking to the planners. Ideally you should track down the conservation officer at the local council planning office before you buy a property. Not only will they outline any limitations, they will also be a source of good ideas and expert advice.

3 Don’t think you can make big changes without an architect. Beware of builders who say they can draw the plans for you; they probably can’t. Get the correct expert for each job; you wouldn’t let a pharmacist perform surgery.

4 Don’t get the wrong architect, builder or surveyor. Find a builder who not only has experience in renovating (literally, making new again) historic buildings, but also in restoring and repairing them. Ask for examples of previous projects and when taking advice on what “should” be done, remember that very often the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” rule will preserve historic appeal while saving you money.

5 Don’t knock down the wrong walls. “When reconfiguring rooms or introducing new space, make sure that the property is designed to flow and function as a whole,” Buhl Davis cautions. “A half-done job will look awkward.”

6 Don’t be overly specific about period. Keep characteristic features from later periods that have added to the ongoing history of the house — pieces from many eras can sit happily together. People are often quick to remove 1950s and 1960s additions, but when teamed with a variety of older and newer pieces these can look stylish and will lose their retro look when the rest of the room has been changed. Try viewing the house as the sum of all the people who have lived there.

7 Don’t build in fittings. Built-in wardrobes, lighting and even kitchens date quickly, within one decade, whereas the structure of the house dates slowly, over centuries. Overly fashionable styles are particularly hazardous. Use furniture items for storage rather than fixing in structures. The exception is simple, good-quality shelving, for example, along one wall or in alcoves.

8 Don’t keep existing botched jobs. Not correcting errors that have been made by builders in the past will reduce the value of your property when you come to resell. It is worth reinstating major characteristics that may have been erased or neglected by previous inhabitants, for instance, re-installing wood-framed sash windows if plastic window frames have been put in. Replicating can sometimes be good; buildings can look better with their initial features re-created but they can also work brilliantly with contrasting modern sections.

9 Don’t scrimp in the wrong areas. Cutting corners in kitchens and bathrooms is a no-no for re-selling as crude fittings in a beautiful building will reduce its value. Match the quality of your fittings to the level of your property. And buy respected appliance brands if you are planning to leave them in the house if you sell.

10 Don’t overspend on the wrong details. “The most common error I see is throwing money away on curtains,” says Buhl Davis. Spend on the solid stuff and scrimp on soft furnishings.

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