Buying an Old House built in 1870

18 years ago

We are looking at a house for sale that was built in 1870. We are going to have an inspection, but are wondering if there anything we need to watch out for in making our buying decision.

What types of issues would be dealbreakers for any of you who have already bought a house this old?

Thanks in advance!

Featured Answer

corgilvr

18 years ago

last modified: 9 years ago

Our home was built in 1868 and is in PA. Wiring, plumbing, heating system, roof, chimneys and mortar in general were things we paid close attention to. Our roofs are slate and standing seam metal. Any out of the ordinary building materials will need mored skilled labor for repairs and are usually more expensive. New kitchens and bathrooms can cost more than you ever imagined. As brickyee said, we also paid close attention to "upgrades". Replacement windows would have been a deal breaker for us, but others may see them as a good thing. We also made sure that any additions were sensitive to the architecture of the house.

Does the home have any out buildings. It takes a while to paint a barn and insure it is structurally sound. We've also had its metal roof painted and put a new roof on our chicken house.

I have learned to do things I would never have imagined doing. I can remove window sash and completely restore them. Local painters said they would charge at least $600 to do each window. I now love to do them and have a system to do 3 windows at a time. I've stopped trash haulers to rescue the windows with old glass destined for the dump. I can repair a rim lock and strip paint off of just about anything. I've even sanded and refinished a floor. All of these things take time and can frustrate you before you get the hang of them. You will also become great friends with the guys at the paint store and the place you take glass to be cut. You'll also become fast friends with salvage people as you try track down parts for your old house.

Is the laundry area in the basement? Basement stairs can be pretty hazardous in old houses. Our basement is grim and not a place I would want to spend lots of time. If you don't like the basement, include the cost of moving the laundry area up to another floor.

Closet space can also be a concern. Consider your needs and see if the space matches. Can you deal with having out of season clothes stored in the attic? You also need to make sure any furniture going up to the second floor can fit up the stairs and through doorways. We purchased a knock down wardrobe similar in age to the house. We were able to purchase a 14 ft wide wardrobe for less money than having a closet built. The entire wardrobe comes apart and is easily moved up the stairs. We have removed most of the closets previous owners have added to the bedrooms because they looked like elephants plopped into the corners of the rooms.

Many of these little things can be overlooked while you succumb to the charm of an older home. Decide what you will absolutely have to fix or change shortly after moving in. Try to negotiate price based on your needs. You may want to make a list divided into "wants" and "needs" and work from there.

If you can not live without air conditioning or can't stand window units, you might want to check on a cooling system if one is not already there. If you have duct work and forced air heat this makes for an easier fix. Other systems can be far more expensive.

If lead, asbestos, and radon are things you worry about, please have levels and inspections done before signing anything. Abatement can be very regulated and expensive depending on where you live.

Also, think about all the neat stuff you are going to want to buy for your new house! The people on this forum are terrific and I'm sure will hold your hand along the way. Good luck with your decision making process. Please let us know what you decide and post a picture of the house if you can.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (7)

brickeyee
18 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I would be more worried about the quality of 'upgrades' than anything else.

Foundation problems can be very expensive to repair in older structures. Many jurisdictions will require a new foundation meeting the present code be used if the work becomes significant. The solution then becomes to jack the place up and install a new foundation. I have done this a couple times, but it is rarely worth the return unless you can perform the work yourself.

Unless you have a lot of experience inspecting older systems in houses, hiring an actual electrician, plumber, roofer, and even an experienced contractor from the area are liable to provide better input than an inspector. All the inspector is likely to do is tell you to hire a plumber, electrician, roofer, etc. for a more detailed analysis of any issues, and there are going to be issues.

Owning and repairing and old house can be a lot of work, and a lot of fun if you enjoy doing the work.

The showstoppers are based on your budget and knowledge more than anything else.
Related Discussions
Looking To Buy Old House
Q
Comments (13)
Also be prepared for things not being exactly the standard sizes that stores carry in stock. I have a home built in 1915, stucco exterior made of terra cotta block, sort of a Craftsman/Victorian. I needed to replace all the windows (they were that far gone due to the prior owner neglecting them for over 30 years) and 3 of the doors which had pretty much deteriorated by the time I took possession. All the windows were odd sizes, as were the doors. 3 doors, turned out to be over $9000 alone because of having to be done custom (and they weren't even that "fancy") and all the masonry repairs that went along with it. Unbelievable. This wasn't even the front door! It was for my side garage door, side door and a French door in a bedroom (that one, the threshold was ruined, causing leaks into my living room). I still have 2 more doors to go but they weren't as pressing and I'm waiting until I feel I can fit it into the budget; front door and a door in the living room that goes to a port cochere. The front door will be ok once it's sanded down a bit and painted, the other one is just a hot mess and I haven't found an appropriate door I like enough. Those two, will be another $4K at least. *cringes* I had to rewire substantially in order to be able to have an updated kitchen and laundry facilities. Knob and tube was everywhere. I'll have to do the same once we get around to renovating the main bathroom. Not looking forward to how much that will cost. The "unknowns" are what will ruin your budget completely. Things that just can't necessarily be seen on your inspection. I purchased my home for $225K. I've now put in just under $200K in upgrades and I'm still not finished. And my neighborhood is not the kind which will get me back that money at this point in time if I decided to sell.
...See More
Selling an old home (built in 60's)
Q
Comments (13)
CMarlin--I've been reading through this thread, wondering if he meant the 1860's maybe? We recently sold a 1920's house and moved into a 1950's one--and consider NEITHer of those 'old' (we live in an area where it's not uncommon to see homes that date back to the 1700's, even occasionally the 1600's). OP--Fix anything that's truly broken--leaking pipes, for example, dripping faucets. CLEAN CLEAN CLEAN! If YOU want the chandeliers, then take them down and put up something else, otherwise, leave them. Don't spend money you don't have to--you're unlikely to get it back. As to staging--make the rooms look as comfortable, but uncluttered as possible. But not if that means spending money for furniture you won't need later. I do think, the one place it makes sense to spend a few $$$ is for window treatments--but don't go overboard. Go to a place like Marburn Curtains and pick up some inexpensive, but decent looking things. Other inexpensive things you might consider--a fresh coat of paint doesn't cost much and can make a room look much cleaner. If you're in the mood and have wallpaper? It might be worth removing it and painting. In all honesty, the house we sold recently had been listed twice. In between those listings, we did strip and paint the only 2 rooms with wall paper. Don't know if it 'sold' the house, but the first time around, we had little interest. Second time around, we had a younger, more enthusiastic agent (and those newly painted walls) and it sold in under 6 weeks. But again, it's not worth putting a lot of dollars into getting the house ready to sell--most people want a blank slate that they can personalize to their own tastes. You just have to offer them a home where they can see the potential possibilities. You are in a bit of a tricky area--a 60's house isn't old enough to be a classic, but it's not new enough to be new. But you only need to find the one right buyer who falls in love with it. Hoping you'll find them sooner rather than later.
...See More
Buying Old house Vs New house.
Q
Comments (23)
Honestly, I'd be much more comfortable buying an 11 year old house over a brand new one. I have heard and experienced too many horror stories regarding shoddy construction of new houses - unless you really bone up on good building practices and are there supervising every day, you really have no idea if your new house is built well or not. My sister-in-law just spent $400K on a new Pulte townhome (a big tract builder around here). In one year, she has had about 5 separate plumbing leaks, a basement leak, several leaks at the windows, her kitchen floor has heaved and had to be torn up and replaced twice, and her heating bills are running over $500/mo because the houses weren't insulated correctly and the HVAC was sized wrong. And everyone in her development is having similar problems. They just don't build new homes well anymore. Even "slightly old" houses can have really bad problems. We bought a 3 year old house that was custom-designed and built with very high end materials (cedar roof, 4-side stucco siding). We ended up having to spend upwards of $140K fixing it because it leaked like a sieve. We are now in litigation with the builder trying to recover our repair costs, but have spent over $10K in lawyer fees with no end in sight. I will never ever buy a brand new house again - in fact, I've sworn that any house I buy will be at least 80 years old, LOL! But by the time a house is 10 or 11 years old, any serious problems will probably have shown up - our house had been leaking from day 1 but it took until the house was 6 years old before we discovered it, since all the leaks and damage were confined to the insides of the walls for the first several years. I'll link to our saga for anyone who's interested. Here is a link that might be useful: Our house...
...See More
Fixing an old house floor plan - cross post w/ The Old House
Q
Comments (6)
It was NOPSI when I lived in New Oreleans, and in rental shotgun houses...NOPSI claimed a large part of my paychecks! New Orleans has a lot of Energy Raters, the highest concentration in the state actually. Entergy has made use of some of these raters in their efficiency program Energy Smart. here are a couple of links for you to check out: http://www.energysmartnola.info/one-stop-shop/ http://www.energysmartnola.info/for-your-home/ not being in that area anymore, I don't know how this program works..but you can find out if you are interested. my only advice would be to involve yourself with an experienced rater there in N.O. someone with experience in old homes...the newer raters I met may have the training... but couldn't tell gas from electric heat systems, or know how to identify balloon framing. so look for someone who has 10+ years of experience. La. DNR also has list of energy raters state wide, their efficiency incentive program isn't still in effect...but last time I checked the list of active raters was still online. DNR(dept natural resources) provided the training for all of us back in 1999. so they have a good handle on who knows their stuff...and who doesn't. it is hard to see detail in your posted plans. so I'll keep my questions fairly general. my first two concerns are air sealing & hvac system. I know you have a partial ' basement' (LOL) are electrical & plumbing exposed? was there ever a central hvac system installed? if basement isn't full size of house...what access is there to the part of the house without basement? how much room is there between ground & house? 3'...4'....more? is house all electric or is natural gas provided? as to heating...do you have a prefrence? if all electric..then look research heat pumps...great wintertime savings in our area. (I'm south central La these days) have you looked at mini split units? condenser unit outside, individual air handler units that hang on walls in rooms. I can't tell if your layout would work for this or not. is there a space in your home you could make into heating system closet? have you had any hvac companies come out to look at the house yet? involving hvac company never starts too early. it may be that ductwork will need to be installed during the reno. if you can't give up the sq ft for system inside house...I've seen people put the heating system in the 'basement'. quite a few flooded after katrina, but its not an everyday occurrence, and depending upon what part of town your house is located in...flooding is something to consider. I know uptown floods in a hearbeat with heavy rains...but areas like bywater stay dry. the top floor...full attic or are there walls of the living space that are shared with attic space? is attic space large enough to house heating system? air sealing.. there are really two ways to air seal. caulk, backer rods & more caulk which can be diy..or foam insulation. one is inexpensive & time consuming...the other expensive & fast. foam insulating the roofline will be biggest bang for the buck. then putting heat system & ductwork in attic keeps it in a semi conditioned space, so that you don't have ducts to cool the house in a 140 degree attic. by moving air & thermal barriers to roofline, a lot of the air leakage sites in ceilings are depressurized, so that house isn't sucking hot dirty humid attic air into the house to clean, dehumidify & condition when central unit is running. as most of our heat gain/cooling loss is through the ceiling into the attic space creating a tight air barrier, and thermal barrier (insulation) is very important. we use open cell in the attic roofline, depth to equal R-value required ( R-25 for cathedral for example is 6- 6.5" deep) also if house is balloon framed, foam seal at eaves to attic floor will stop air movement in walls. we need to air seal our walls...but insulating walls here isn't high on our list of things to do. foam in walls...is a huge waste of money. the next place for foam is under the floors. here we use closed cell. to keep moisture from ground from being sucked into the house. 2-3" is sufficient. this will also seal bottom of balloon framed walls. I've had issue with some of the foam insulators in N.O., because I am one picky b!tch. unlike most energy raters I oversee install of foam and test for air leakage with foam co on site, so that they can catch any leakage sites then without an added trip. as these companies expand into my area...they don't stay long. over the years I've learned which companies will actually create air tight seals...and who doesn't. and fyi...it isn't always the big companies that do it right. owner/installer companies are more willing to learn how to do it right. and the install of foam, just like the install of the hvac system is the key to the whole thing. ok...there are your questions to answer & things to think about for today. I'll check back after you reply. and think about investing in a blower door test of the house at minimum. this will identify leakage sites that need to be sealed. if you have ductwork, spring for the duct test also. better to know what you have to start with..what you need to do... and have it tested when completed. this way you have a goal to work towards...and an idea of how to do it. best of luck
...See More
dreamgarden
Original Author
18 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
brickeyee
>Foundation problems can be very expensive to repair in older structures.

We looked at another place built in 1970 that had a fairly large crack in the foundation. While this house seems to be in much better condition, its 30K more on less than half the acreage. The real estate agent said it would cost $20K to fix it. My husband said it would probably be more. He also said the foundation of 1870 house looks like its in pretty bad shape and might be crumbling. At least judging from the overgrowth of large bushes right next to the house. The person living there now doesn't seem to care how the place looks. Shabby sign out front, overgrown vegetation, muddy pasture etc. However, the price is very good for the location and amount of acreage. Good advice about what the inspector would say. The place obviously needs a lot of work. We both enjoying working on houses but don't want to pay gobs of money for repairs on what could turn out to be a tear-down. Thanks for so much the detailed information. Certainly gives us more food for thought.

corgilvr
>Does the home have any out buildings? It takes a while to paint a barn and insure it is structurally sound. If lead, asbestos, and radon are things you worry about, please have levels and inspections done before signing anything. Abatement can be very regulated and expensive depending on where you live.

It has several out buildings and they also look rough and dilapidated with the exception of a garage behind the house. It looks somewhat new. We will heed your advice about at least having an inspection for lead, asbestos, and radon.

The present owner boards horses. We saw two horses standing in the entrance of the barn. We assume (hope) it must be somewhat structurally sound if the owner is keeping animals in it. We haven't seen the inside of the house yet, but the outside is not so great. At least from the street. Lots of big bushes growing next to the front door so you can't even see it. The owner apparently doesn't use the front entrance. Its on a nice piece of land with lots of development in the area, so we are considering the investment potential as much as anything else. If it passes the lead, asbestos and radon tests, I think the price they are asking for it is fair. Of course we would like to be able to live in it , but don't want to have to spend every waking moment fixing stuff. Especially things that can be a health hazard like the asbestos, lead and radon. Otherwise, we aren't that picky.

I think its great what you say you've done to your house and very much appreciate the comment about "hand holding" along the way! I'd love to know how to remove and restore window sashes, etc. Sounds like its been a real labor of love. I agree about this forum, thats why I posted my question here. Lots of sensible advice from people who seem to know what they are doing. I've never renovated an old house, but I enjoy watching HGTV where they take a ramshackle place and restore it to its former glory.

It would be nice to see a pic of your house too. Do you have any before and after pics? Any plans for sprucing up your basement?

I will try to post a pic of this place when we get a chance to look at it. Probably this week.
corgilvr
18 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Dreamgarden, if you send me an email (on My Page) I'll send some pictures. I don't want to scare you away from the house because of lead, asbestos, or radon. They were not deal breakers for us. I just wanted you to be aware of them. Testing is not expensive and could give you lots of peace of mind. It can also help you to take precautions while you work.

Working on old houses can start out as labors of "lust". Hopefully they become labors of love!
dreamgarden
Original Author
18 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
We spoke to the real estate agent last night and found out that the property is being sold with a "life estate". The owner wants to sell and stay in the house until she passes. Her husband passed three years ago. Whoever buys the property would have access to the barns. I asked the agent how old the owner is (as well as the state of her health). She is 70. We want a house we can move into right away, not in 10 or 15+ years. I appreciate the very helpful answers to my questions. If we come across another older house, I will post in this forum again. Thanks again, brickeyee and corgilvr.
bose01
last year
Who insures houses that were built in 1870
bose01
last year
I own an old home built in 1870. It is totally renovated. I am having trouble finding a company to insure it. Any suggestions.

Buying an Old House built in 1870

corgilvr

Comments (7)

brickeyee

Related Discussions

dreamgarden
Original Author

corgilvr

dreamgarden
Original Author

bose01

bose01

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Buying an Old House built in 1870

corgilvr

Comments (7)

brickeyee

Related Discussions

dreamgardenOriginal Author

corgilvr

dreamgardenOriginal Author

bose01

bose01

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

dreamgarden
Original Author

dreamgarden
Original Author