Georgian furniture in a Prestbury setting

Small, discreet wedges under the front or back feet are the usual answer, rather than cutting or altering the feet. A level chest lets drawers run as they should and stops the carcass twisting. Check with a spirit level across both the width and the depth of the top.

Often very well, because aged oak and old timber framing tend to sit comfortably together in colour and texture. The practical check is height: measure to the underside of the lowest beam, not the ceiling, because that is the clearance a tall chest or bureau bookcase actually has.

Ask Sara for overall measurements, whether it comes apart, and photographs of the back boards, drawer linings and feet. Feet and handles are often replaced on furniture of this age, which is not necessarily a problem, but it is worth knowing what is original before you decide.

Usually yes. Backs were rarely polished, so the boards often show plane or saw marks and a darker, drier tone than the front, which is a good sign of an honest surface. Be wary if the back looks oddly clean and bright or is held on with very new screws.

Compare the colour and wear of the feet with the sides, and look at how they join the base. Feet that are paler or sharper, or fixed with fresh-looking glue blocks, may be replacements. Replaced feet are common on old furniture, so it is worth knowing about rather than a reason to walk away.

Rarely to the exact year. Country makers kept to older styles long after fashion moved on, so a piece can look earlier than it is. Dates are usually given as a range, and a straight-talking seller will say where they are unsure.

Open a drawer and look at the sides and bottom. Plainer timber such as pine or oak is normal behind a mahogany front. Slightly uneven dovetails suggest hand cutting, though that alone does not prove age, so read them alongside wear and colour.

Expect softened edges on the top, rubbing on the drawer fronts around the handles, and scuffing on the lower rails and feet. Wear in those places looks natural. Wear that is perfectly even all over, or missing where hands would reach, can mean a surface has been reworked.

No, it is usually the opposite. Decades of wax and handling build a soft depth that is hard to imitate, whereas damage looks like white rings, dull dry patches or a hard sticky layer. Gentle colour variation where hands touch most is part of the surface story.

Not usually. Solid timber shrinks and swells, so a drawer in a hand-made chest rarely fits like a modern one, and a thin, even gap is normal. A drawer that binds, drops at the front or leaves a wide uneven gap deserves a closer look at its runners and sides.