De-ninetifying our house.

[ExConstance]

We bought our house in 1996, when it was new. We have maintained it well, new front and back doors recently and a new kitchen, with removal of doors through to our “not- conservatory” a sort of garden room with tiled roof and Velux windows. All that part of the house is just fine. I’m retiring this year and we have ruled out moving due to the cost, and the fact that as we have 4 bedrooms and a good-sized dining room here, we can have a yoga room and a sewing room for me.
I feel that although we have kept everything updated there are a few areas we need to tackle this year. The bathroom and two ensuites are as they have always been but the tiles are lovely in all of them – large but plain with just a perfectly OK border in the main bathroom – Do you think it would be OK to just replace the fittings and flooring. This would mean having shower panels and a more up to date shower in our ensuite.
Artex – it is very unobtrusive artex but it is there. We had the kitchen ceiling skimmed but it would be a big job to do the rest of the house. I’m thinking about hall and landing this time round and leaving the rest, would that put you off our house if you were buying?
What do people paint white woodwork with these days, all the doors need painting and gloss doesn’t look right anymore, but it must be durable.
Internal door handles – ours are the gold/bronze swirly ones and they make me cringe; I want a plain steel looking one but the quality in B&Q etc. isn’t good any recommendations for steel type ones?
Bedroom – certainly getting rid of the cheap wardrobes that flank our bed with cupboards over. I might get free standing replacements as we have a lot of wardrobe space in two other bedrooms.
I will be getting Karndean fitted throughout the downstairs to replace some tatty engineered maple and have some rugs for the sitting room and study. We have perfectly good high quality wool carpets but may have to replace some of this if the same carpet isn’t available to replace what we have in the bedroom when the wardrobes go.
This is just a bit a of a ramble really but I wondered if anyone else has done this exercise on a limited budget and what made the most difference?

Hi. My dh is a builder. I would get rid of any magnolia walls, they do a good trade off- white now which is more modern, you mentioned you didn't like the white gloss. My dh often uses 'satin' on woodwork, it's not as shiny as gloss but looks better than Matt. I would try and get rid of the artex in noticeable rooms like downstairs and the hallway. (Our bedroom still has artex but no one ever really notices that).

Sorry OP but tiles with a border do look dated. I know that style and It's just the truth. A brand new bathroom installed into a room with outdated tiles seems like a waste of money and time to be honest.

With that said - I do agree that in your own house, you should do what makes you happy, so if you really love them, then fair enough!

I've been away from this thread for a while, so thank you for all the answers, they have given me a bit more to think about.
I have actually been looking at properties for sale on line and seeing what other people have done to their houses.

Artex - yes it will be going. Hall and landing very soon, upstairs rooms when we redecorate the lot in one go and downstairs there will only be sitting room and yoga room left, so they can go when they are decorated again. I think this is important whether we go or stay and the comments from people looking to buy are telling.

Tiles - the bathroom and ensuites are very fully tiled, so it it will mean removing lots of tiles, re-plastering and re-tiling. I really don't like white metro tiles, and in the houses for sale a lot of them look pretty grotty already. I think this look will be one of the next to go. If we change the tiles I'm thinking of more paint and less tiles, maybe a few around the washbasin and around the bath from somewhere like Mandarin Stone. The floors will be Karndean, maybe the same grey tiles we have in the kitchen.
Wardrobes - we'll 100% be ditching the overbed wardrobe. We have two huge cupboard style built ins in two other bedrooms, with proper doors like the internal doors in the house. We can keep out of season clothes in boxes on the shelves at the top of them and just manage with modest free standing wardrobes in our room.
Door handles - thanks for the suggestions. The house is quite spacious and light and we think the present doors are OK.
Carpets - if there is the budget we will re-do the whole of upstairs and stairs. We will be getting rid of downstairs carpets anyway.
Doing what makes me happy? well if I could be tidy that would be a start! We have some nice things I'd like to show off, loads of pictures not hung, some really nice originals from the estate sale of an artist whose daughter we know, a few bits and pieces I did, some exhibition posters. I have a new Afghan Gabbeh rug waiting to go down too. I think really we are old house people and this house was fine when it was new and we were fully occupied with children and careers but now it needs a big rethink. This thread has certainly helped me focus my attention and clarify my thiughts -thank you!

@BigWoollyJumpers

Oh - I forgot. A really random thing we have recently done. We have an integral garage, and there was the old standard up and over metal door. Drafty and leaked for years. We just changed that for a roller job, with insulation. My God, what a difference. The kitchen is warmer, the garage is obviously warmer, but the two bedrooms upstairs, which are over the garage are also considerably warmer. Sorry DD's, should have done that one years ago.

Thats interesting. An insulated roller really made that much difference? Was it this type? chelmsfordrollerdoors.co.uk/roller-door-options-silver/ Might be interested as we have a gym in the garage, with a traditional pull up door and its been freezing in there.

allwindowcleanersam Similar. Not sure it is as robust as ours.
Just under £3k for ours. Carteck Insulated Sectional Door.