Old oak furniture in a Stockport house

Solid oak is dense, and a dresser base or long table can be very heavy and awkward to carry. Weight varies too much to generalise, so ask Sara whether a piece separates or has removable drawers and tops, and plan the route through your house with that in mind, especially where there are front steps.

Within reason, yes. Oak shrinks across its width in dry, heated rooms, so small gaps can appear and close again with the seasons. Large or widening splits deserve a closer look. Ask Sara for close photographs of the top and of how it is fixed underneath before you decide.

Usually not. Damp is hard on old oak: it can encourage mould, swelling and woodworm, and drawers may stick. A dry, ventilated room at a fairly steady temperature is far better. Keep pieces slightly off solid walls, and avoid storing furniture long term in an unheated cellar.

Old flight holes are usually dark inside, with no fresh, pale dust beneath. Active woodworm is more likely to show clean, light holes and powdery dust. If you are unsure, ask what treatment has been done, and look for crumbling timber around the holes.

Natural ageing gives a depth of colour that varies, darker in handled areas and lighter in sheltered ones. Stain tends to look flat and even, and may collect in carved details. Look inside a drawer or beneath a top, where the surface is less likely to have been altered.

Look for pegs standing flush and tight, with no gaps at the shoulder of the joint. A joint that opens when you press gently, or a peg that looks brighter than the timber, suggests movement or repair. A slightly rough finish at the pegs is normal.

Close the lid slowly and look for an even gap all round. Check that the hinges are firm in the timber and that the lid stays up when raised. Lids take the most handling on a coffer, so ask Sara what is known about the lid and its hinges.

Long oak boards carry weight over many years and can bow if they are thin or were heavily loaded. A slight dip is common. A shelf that has split, or a bow with a fresh repair, is worth examining closely.

Not necessarily. Knots, small shakes and patches of paler sapwood are natural in solid oak and often seen on country furniture. Weakness shows as movement in the joints, deep splits running across them or soft, crumbling timber, not as a mark in the grain. Ask Sara about any you can see.

No. Plain old coffers were sometimes carved later, especially in the Victorian period, so look for crisp, sharp cuts and unworn edges against the surrounding wear. Original carving tends to be softened where hands have touched it. Ask Sara what she can tell you about whether the carving belongs.