There is an almost romantic quality to owning an antique house, the uniqueness, the rich history, and the oftentimes aesthetic architecture. In many cases it might be like a dream to own one of these homes.
While it is obvious that you will likely have to modernize and update the home to your tastes, it can also be a huge hassle if you don't know what to expect.
Older homes might need a safety update
If the home you’re looking at was built prior to the 40’s, there is a good chance that the piping, electrical, and perhaps even the paint may need to be replaced. It was also once common to use Asbestos, (a fibrous mineral, commonly used in older insulation, which can cause respiratory conditions if inhaled) as a insulation material. Lead pipes were commonly used for plumbing.
Be aware that your dream home may need a substantial update just to be safe, let alone modernize. Many older homes won’t be able to handle the high electrical needs of a modern household.
To find out if your wiring is older, check to see whether or not your outlets accommodate grounded (3 pronged) plugs. This might be a good tip off as to the state of the rest of the house, and it’s rather easy to spot.
Next, to see if you have lead pipes, find where your water service line is in the house, check the pipes to see if they are copper or galvanized or lead. One way to tell the difference, is lead has a grey matte color, and you can scratch it with a knife or screwdriver (it is really soft) and it will turn shiny.
These are two of the easiest things to spot, before you have even bought the home. If you have lead pipes, you will need to replace them, or risk getting sick. If you have old wiring, it is also going to need to be replaced throughout the house, for safety.
This should give you some idea for the amount of effort/money you will need to put into renovating the home, just to make it safe to live in.
Some older homes can't be legally renovated
While this isn't a problem unique to older homes, depending on where you live, if you are considering buying an older home, attempt to find out what kinds of restrictions are in place for renovating and updating the home itself. Some older houses can be classified as historic, or be in a historic neighborhood, which may end up restricting options for remodeling and additions that can be built.
As a rule, find out if the home you have been eyeing has these kinds of "historic" restrictions to save yourself the headache.
How expensive will homeowners insurance be?
One thing most people don’t ever consider when buying a home, is the price of insuring their new (old) home. In many instances, buying an ancient home can be more expensive.
Old homes come with many more risks, such as old wiring, fire hazards, water issues, and other structural problems. Additionally, they can be more expensive to repair.
Conclusion: Just be aware of what you are getting into
Being aware of what you are purchasing beforehand, can keep the stress and anguish to a minimum, ultimately, you will have to be the one to ensure that there are no surprises when that “affordable” old house comes on the market. You may still end up making the purchase, but at least you know what to expect.
We hope this article was helpful, as always, feel free to give us a call when you are ready to look for a home.
