The first thing to consider after you have decided to renovate is the structure because it is the most important thing to ensure stability in the future, particularly when you want to create a room from the existing open space. Piling and beams are your prime concern in this case to make sure the house will not collapse in the long run. House owners should discuss the plan with an engineer, not a contractor, because the issue involves the structure's strengths which are the most important thing for the house.

Light-weight materials should also be used when adding a new room, especially if it is on the second floor, as it will reduce the weight pressure on the foundation structure.

You should also inspect cracks all over the house and determine what caused them. If it is the foundation, you should immediately consult an expert to solve the problem permanently, instead of simply sealing those cracks.

Wongjan Nankongsak, general manager at Home Maintenance Co, a subsidiary of the property broker Realty World Alliance Co, recommended that the easiest way to give a new life to a house was to paint it. The popular style right now is two-tone, in which the ground floor is of a darker colour than the upper floor while the common inside colour is cream or off-white.

Changing bathroom fixtures is also a way to create an impact in a renovation as people have to use the bathroom every day. You may consider getting a new toilet bowl or changing the tiles to a modern style of earthen tone. Green leaves could be added to the bathroom to create a relaxing atmosphere and sometimes it is possible to turn the space into a personal spa.

You may polish parquet floors to remove stains and scratches and coat them with protective oil."You will get almost a 100% new floor from this process," said Ms Wongjan, who is an expert in restoring old houses to be put up for sale for many financial institutions.

After the floor, you may consider changing gypsum board on the ceiling or installing heat insulation on the roof to help cut down on heat and electricity bills.

Lighting is another popular choice for renovation. Old houses normally use the old-fashioned long fluorescent bulbs which can be changed into more classy circle bulbs or dimming lights. Electrical wires should also be changed to prevent short-circuits and fires.

Doors and windows can also be replaced by sliding ones with aluminium frames to give the house a more modern look. Besides, tinted glass can help save energy bills by allowing more light to come in during the day. But for security reasons, we should not forget to put steel-wire frames outside the windows to prevent break-ins or robberies.

On the outside, repainting or changing broken parts of the fence will help restore the house's first-impression image.

If the house has been closed for quite a while, we should not forget to clean out termites by hiring a pest-control company to handle the job because the eradication of termites requires professional equipment. "Termites create unseen damages, as the insects love to live in empty houses. It's always a good idea to use a termite-control service as soon as possible," said Ms Wongjan.

The last thing is the redesign of the outside environment is the garden. Some people may have grown too many trees so trimming some or adding some colourful flowers or a fish pond can work wonders in creating a whole new surrounding for the house.

After going through with the renovation of house's structure, it may be a good idea to consider changing furniture. Since the cost may be high, we can also keep using the old pieces and repaint or give them new colours or make some adaptations to add new functions.