I really like the outside of the house, definitely has curb appeal. However, 2300 sq ft and only 1 bedroom? Could it be that other rooms in the house were at some point a bedroom and perhaps the one bedroom that currently exists was made into a bedroom. I can tell you that its a lot of work. We have a big house with 6 bedrooms (4 bedrooms on 2 floor, 2 on 3rd (or attic). We only have 1 full bathroom and a tiny tiny powder room. We would like to put an additional full bath in the attic using the plumbing from the 2nd floor full bath since the location would be directly above it. Therefore, if your bath is located in an area directly above it may not cost much. You may have to build an addition to the house to allow for stairs and maybe some more bedrooms. Although the price may be good, consider the extra money you will need to invest into it in order to get it to work for your family. Good luck in your decision.

Thanks Alexa! My understanding is that the original owners built the house intending to use the attic as a second floor with bedrooms, but they ran out of money before starting on their second level. They had only one child so they just lived in the downstairs part. The daughter inherited and remained single throughout her life, and the next inhabitant was single as well.

The house has a foyer, a sitting room, a parlor, a huge bedroom, a diningroom and a kitchen. (And bathroom and butler's pantry.) So we had planned to use the sitting room as a second bedroom temporarily. It's a large house but the rooms are each large and the hallway is wide, which accounts for it being 2300 sq ft with only one actual bedroom.

I think there might be room in the wide hallway for a staircase to one side. The attic actually has a structure that looks like someone planned to make the staircase there. There is an enclosed porch right beside the existing bathroom (but opening into the hallway) that could be converted into a bathroom, so the plumbing would be right there, and we wouldn't need to start from scratch. The porch is part of the roofed sq ft of the house.

The house is on two acres of land and is very appealing from the road, with lots of old trees and landscaping. It is not yet on the market, and already there is another couple besides us looking at it, so I am wondering if we should snap it up now and worry about the rest later. But the worry later part scares me. :-/

There is just one point to consider. Can you afford to buy the house and do the building work or not? I drive by a street full of Victorian sea captains' and merchants' homes every day. Year after year some houses have been resold again and again. People fall in love with the house, buy it, then find they can't afford the repairs and maintenance. they usually have to resell within a couple of years.
I love that house, it's charming, I'd love to own it myself, but I wouldn't want to fill your head with ideas that you might not be able to afford to carry out.

Yes, we can afford to make the improvements necessary to live happily in the house. Beyond that, I can't say for sure since I am not sure what expenses are involved in living in a historic home. Our main concern is monthly expenses. Energy bills, mortgage, etc. The house has central heat/air but the attic is not insulated. Cost to add insulation. Insurance and taxes. As far as renovation, it doesn't need much. The floors, walls, ceilings, windows, fireplaces, etc are all in good condition. The exterior paint is new and the roof was recently replaced. The kitchen has already been updated.

Mainly we are looking at turning an enclosed porch into a bathroom, adding insulation in the attic, some painting here and there inside, and eventually enclosing the attic. I imagine there will be plenty of things we didn't notice that will need doing though.

I have more photos (interior and exterior) plus more detailed information if anyone is interested in advising us further. Email me at Janders@shreve.net . Thanks!

Is the attic big enough to be finished? What's the height to the ridge beam? The floor joists seem too small(2x6?) to support a living space. The knob and tube wiring is another issue.
I don't think you have a realistic understanding as to the issues that will need to be addressed and the associated costs involved.
I would research this alot more before you buy the house. Which is a great looking house.
But it's the pretty ones that break your heart.
Ron

Hmmm, you've given me something to think about Ron. Maybe that's why this attic hasn't been finished in all these years. Thank you for keeping me grounded! I will look into it. I'm not sure of the measurements or the size of the joists.

I'll admit I'm just eyeballing from the pictures but it looks like you could get living space out of that attic. Your post is interesting to me because we just made on offer on an 1893 house that is also 2300 sq. feet, but two stories, 4 bedrooms, 2 baths, living room, parlor, office, dining room and family room. Your rooms must be huge!

With an old house like this so much comes down to desire and commitment. Certainly, there are practical concerns but might you also be dealing with a once-in-a lifetime chance? Only you can decide if you are up to the challenge.

Here is a link that might be useful: blue house

Perhaps bringing in a contractor into the house and tell him your needs and thoughts on the renovations you'd like to do. They should be able to give you a ball-park costs to do the "upgrades", advise to any pitfalls you may find yourself overlooking, like finishing out the attic space and electrical.

If you have a realator, you could also sit down with them and pull comparable sales. You may "think" this home is well priced, but is it really??? I'd want to see exactly what kind of value you would be getting by buying and with planned upgrades (once you have a budget in mind) where you stand in terms of value once things are finished.

Adding baths, bedrooms, etc will increase the value, but to what degree. As always with a home this old you run the risk of running to unexpected issues and surprises when the demo starts.

You don't say what part of the country you'd in, but if your anywhere near the south, I wouldn't buy a home as old as this one without having it inspected for termites. Here in Cincinnati the first home (c 1850 farm house) we placed on offer on had extensive termite damage and our home inspector told us it's not that uncommon for older homes in the city to have damage... it's the extent of the damage and if there is a current infestation. Ended up being much more work then we wanted so as the contract had a contengentcy of home inspection, it allowed us to bail on the house.

DON'T allow your emotions to push you into something your not ready for. You mentioned someone else was also looking at the home... added pressure to make quick a decision, which may not be the right one for you.

Be prepared to walk away...

Good luck!!!

I'd be nervous about finishing off that attic, too. If you've got to make significant changes to put living space up there (such as increasing floor joists to accomodate the extra weight), that's going to be a pricey affair.

I LOVED Ron's comment. It IS the PRETTY ONES that break your heart. People dive headfirst into these houses, not realizing that maintenance alone has broken the back of many a budget.

The work you're talking about doing to that house is expensive work. Years ago, Old House Journal used to have a feature called "The Mushroom Factor" with stories of old house owners who started out doing an innocuously "minor" repair and ended up with some massive rebuild project before it was all done. Old Houses are notorious for The Mushroom Factor.

Rose
author, The Houses That Sears Built

The house looks like a beauty for sure. I would ask to bring in a contractor or two - get a couple of estimates. We are in the process of renovating an 1870 place, it is a labor of love. Our decision to buy it was based on the location and character of the place.More dormers would add usable floor space to the attic.

Thank you all for your invaluable help with this. We went through the house again Friday and it was as lovely as ever. What a beautiful house. But if we are honest with ourselves, we would be better off buying a more energy efficient, practical home. Our list of concerns kept growing and growing until we couldn't feel the amount of confidence we needed to put in an offer. We're very thankful to you all for pointing out some of those concerns, and keeping our heads out of the clouds! "Our" house is out there somewhere. We just have to find it!