New/refurbished house looking well used in no time

[livindasdream]

We had our house stripped back and redone about 3 years ago, it was like new house, it was pristine.

While I didn't expect to keep it like new forever, going around today I feel a little disheartening to see all the marks on the walls, little cracks, chipped some tiles, a couple of creaks, sealant which needs to be redone.

Not sure if this is to be expected? Did you manage to keep your homes looking better for longer?

No different than a pair of new shoes: maintenance.

I think some finishes" last" longer? Light walls show marks, a smart white bathroom tile starts to look grungy sooner than a rustic tile.
This house is quite shabby in places but it is amazing how some bits of it don't seem to age. Pine floors look good the wallpaper is still fine 25 years in mid tone paint colours so do floor tiles but white paintwork never lasts long, carpets depressing. Houses flex or they should, and if you have lots of hard inflexible surfaces invariably you get cracking. But it can be filled if it's a wall or ceiling (if you want things to look smarter)

My friend paints her white walls every two years. I think this room was last painted 15 years ago but it is was always a "dirty" cream so it looks fine still.

I'm interested to see in The Modern House website how some finishes do clearly last a very long time - wooden kitchens built in 1960s/70s, floor tiles, so either it is the type of finish, IE the material itself originally specified or the method of installation.
Or maybe it was just as someone said, continuous maintenance