Old cupboards for Wallasey houses

Straight, steep stairs with a low ceiling at the top are often harder than they look. Measure the stair width, the headroom and the landing, then compare them with the cupboard's depth and height. Ask Sara whether the cornice or base lifts off, which can make an awkward piece manageable.

Salty, damp air can tarnish metal fittings and, combined with indoor heating, makes timber swell and shrink more through the year. It is no reason to avoid old furniture. Keep pieces off cold outside walls, ventilate the room, and wax rather than wet-clean the surfaces.

Sometimes called a bread and cheese cupboard, or cwpwrdd bwyd in Welsh, it is a cupboard with spindled or pierced panels that let air circulate around stored food. Surviving examples vary a lot in size and finish. Ask Sara for close photographs of the vents, as broken or replaced spindles are common.

Pine is a soft timber, so old pieces nearly always carry dents, bruises and scuffs from years of use, and these are part of the character. Deep splits, crumbling edges, soft rot and loose joints are the signs to take seriously, so ask Sara about those on any cupboard.

Look at the back boards for splits and at the points where the cupboard hangs, as old fixings can loosen. Check for extra holes that suggest it has been rehung. Make sure it is sound enough to carry the weight of whatever you plan to store in it.

Look in less handled places such as the back, inside edges and under shelves for older paint colours, and at chips that reveal layers. Original paint is often worn and uneven, with a soft chalky look. Old paint can contain lead, so do not sand it.

Pine takes colour unevenly as it ages, and parts that are handled or lit more often darken at different rates from the rest. A door panel that is paler than its frame may be a replacement, or may simply have been cleaned. Compare the inside edges, which show the colour the piece started with.

See whether the lock works and whether a key is present, as keys are often lost or replaced. Look for wear that matches the lock plate. Replacement catches are common, so ask what is original and what was fitted later.

It may come from the room or from the wood having been kept somewhere damp. Check for mould, soft timber and white or dark patches. A faint smell can fade in a dry, ventilated room, but visible mould or crumbling wood is a concern.

Dipped pine can look very pale and dry, with raised grain, loosened joints and none of the soft surface that old wax and age give. Stripped pine is a later taste, since much country pine was painted when new. Look inside drawers and under shelves for traces of old paint.