Even some very strict preservationists concede that you sometimes have to make some modifications in order to make an old home workable for a modern lifestyle. These modifications may include removing a few redundant doors. I think the key is to do what you need to do with some intelligence and sensitivity to the house. What I have a problem with is someone who wants to make an old house into something it is not, like removing lots of walls to create an 'open floor plan' out of a turn of the century home, for example. In that instance, just buy or build a new home with the precise floor plan you desire!
We have an abundance of doors in this house and when we enlarge the bathroom by annexing an adjacent closet we'll sacrifice the bathroom door and just have the identical closet door as the door to the redone bathroom. The bathroom door as it is right now opens very close to the windows of the front sunroom. The closet door is also about 2 or 3 feet further down the wall away from these windows, so it made sense to us to use the closet door as the door to the redone bathroom. Without that bathroom door right by the windows we'll be able to put a chair by the windows and enjoy them and the light.
In another example, the 1920's addition to out house was built off the kitchen, so what was originally an exterior door off the kitchen leads into the hallway of the 'newer' part of the house. It was a heavy exterior door, and it opened into the kitchen up against a section of wall at the end of the kitchen counters/cabinets. We removed that door, as we never closed it anyway, freeing that wall and the end of the counter and cabinet space. In the process we also opened up the transom above that door, which had been completely covered over some time in the past. Yes, we removed an original door, but we also revealed the original transom, so we felt it was an equitable trade--lose a old door, gain an original transom! My husband does stained glass, so he's made a stained glass piece to put in the newly revealed transom and now we have a very nice passageway between the old kitchen and the later hallway addition.
So, along the lines of what I wrote above, if you take your time, live in an old house a while before you start ripping things out and making irreversible changes, get to know how you really use the plan of the house, and then decide on what changes to make, you're approaching it with some intelligence and sensitivity. I hope this helps!

Kim, Thank you for your quick and thoughtful reply. I agree with thoughts of using old doors to replace those that are not orginal. How lucky for you to have found the transoms underneath the drywall. I have linked a picture as an example of what my concern is. This is the master. Note the window and radiator, leaving room for the only dresser in the room. The other walls, are more windows, closets and entry to the bath. The bed on the longest wall and you can see it comes all the way to the door. The other bedrooms are smaller and have similar issues. I just don't think I could work with this unless I acually eliminated some windows. This home is in an historic area, but not mandated for restoration restrictions. I love old homes (I'm a bit of a house-a-holic) but am not sure I can compromise on the floor plan enough to honor this home.
I am disspointed however.

Here is a link that might be useful: {{!gwi}}

Hi Karen , I live in an 1890 house in Alabama so I know some of what you are experiencing.

I can't really tell much from the pic so I am guessing but I will tell you what we did in 2 different bedrooms. In our master we reconfigured the closets ( only had 4 in one room !!) so we then had a long wall for the bed.The opening for the closet is now from the masterbath. We also removed an exterior door ( house had been divided in the 40's and this room was a living room) . That gave us another long wall. We only had one window so I then added 2 more...one on either side of the original. We matched trim and the window style so noone can tell we added them.

In another bedroom we moved the door from the bedroom into the bathroom to a different part of the wall and that gave us a great niche area for the chest of drawers.We reconfigured the bath then too. We also enlarged the 2 windows but kept them in the same place and matched the style of the rest of the house.

Can you post more pics of the interiors so we can see the possibilities ? Sure would love to help so you can have a great house. Caroline

Thanks again, Caroline. I hesitate to post too many pictures but we don't own the house yet, and may not put in an offer partly because of the above issues. I designed our current home. Our builder actually built from my drawings on graph paper. I am comfortable enough with figuring out how to reconfigure the space I think. As I think about it, my concern is really that I don't want to spoil the home. It is a beautiful 1889 victorian with 10 ft. ceilings. Besides for the staircase, and fireplace mantel, the windows are a great deal of its character and I think that if I start to play with their location I will be altering that too much. I am completely on board with moving door locations around. Maybe I'm just struggling with whether I'm cut out to own this kind of home. Apologies for making this sound like a therapy session but I'm in the business. I think I'll take a closer look at those interior changes, so as to create more wall space without changing the windows. I can change the heating system without much conflict. Thanks again, you are really kind to help me think through this process.
Karen

Here is a link that might be useful: {{!gwi}}

Old houses...no closets...not much wall space but oh so much character and lots to love about them. We have 4 fireplaces, two down two up...they were built in such a way that the rooms they are in have five walls. We turned one upstairs bedroom into a laundry room and large closet. In our bedroom we had to put our bed in front of two windows. There aren't many ways to position the living room furniture....but if you can think out of the box a bit you will come up with some solutions and I do not think you will be sorry if you buy the house...but I bet you will regret it a very looong time if you don't.

Ingeorgia, You said it. I am feeling like I would regret the decision to not buy this home. There are other really practical reasons for it. Workshop with studio above. And a third floor 2 bed unit. We only recently finished remodeling of our kitchen and baths. It's hard to think about going back to living in a reno situation already, and we would be leaving the beach front with million dollar views for the coastal village just up the way. I ride by this home every day so it's also hard to let go of the picture of what can be. I never thought I could get my husband to consider leaving the waterfront, but this property has grabbed him too. I owned a small older home in the past and so appreciated the character it offered. My home is quite nice, but, it's just new. We agreed last week to let the opportunity go, but I guess I haven't, have I?

LOL...no you haven't, I think you need to re-visit. I have not regretted too many things I have done but there are a few I did not do that I regret to this day. We are still in the midst of "fixing"...not one fully operating bathroom, leaking roof, termites. BUT the woodwork, the sliding pocket doors, the high ceilings,the fireplace mantles/ceramic work,wrap around porch, the large entry way...still make it worthwhile. We did do a few things that would make many squirm...took out a window in the living room and put in french doors and added a deck, ditto on the breakfast room.
If we had passed up this house I think I would be kicking myself LOL

I've got one of those! 1890's Victorian. Small rooms. No closets. Radiators. Uneven walls, floors. Doors EVERYwhere. knob and tube...

My very controversial solution was, we just tacked on a 2 story addition to our precious, untouched-for-a-100-years house. Some people may just hate me, but it was an excellent compromise. It gave me a big kitchen, and master bedroom/bath that was new with storage, while keeping the old layout/charm the same. None of the original woodwork is painted, and we are trying to keep it as original as possible without turning it into a museum.

Radiators; we kept most and just deal with them. They are the most excellent way to heat a house I have ever had (steam). New addition hot water baseboards are much worse. I just spruced the old ones up, and in one room, did replace a big fat one with a slimmer (still old) one to get some floor room.

Walls: We had yucky wall paper in every room. I tore it all off and painted, then discovered why there was wallpaper. the uneven walls and plaster made the paint look weird, and really accentuated the flaws. I compromised: repapered everything with paintable wall paper. Now it looks more period appropriate but at the same time with the colors I like, not too fussy/dowdy.

Windows; We DID change the windows in the original full bath. That was just all rotted and ugly anyway, so we put a more "modern" transom window along the top for light and reclaimed that wall. It definitely doesn't look original but it is small and in the back so I don't think it takes away from it very much either, and I gained a lot of function.

All my storage needs were addressed in the addition. I kept all doors in place, and in my LR I did just "permanently" close one and put a chair in front of it. It adds "character" lol. :) I just like the original doors, even though they are a little beat. In the LR we even have a burnt spot on the floor where the two old sisters who lived there put a log to "preserve" it for another fire. It reminds me of the history.

I don't think you need to be a slave to the layout, but just so you know, once you start knocking around an old house, it will uncover things you don't want to know. We spent way more than planned doing plumbing/electrical upgrades once we saw what was there, but I'm sure you know that.

I think you could make some basic changes that would have big impact (bathroom windows, e.g.) but if you find yourself reconfiguring the whole layout, then get a new house. And I don't mean that as a preservationist. Doing that to an old house will kill your budget!!

Wow, lpolk, thank you so much. I new this was the right place to come for candid and experienced feedback. The transom window in the bath, just the thing I was considering. I mean, jeepers, two large double hungs in the master bath, where the bottom has to have a frosted covering. So much waste. Your last comment, right to the heart of the matter.........how much reworking of the floor plan is just unrealistic and EXPENSIVE. We are largely DIYers but this does scare me. I think the layout issue is the make or break for me. The home is really not in bad shape. I appreciate the comments about the radiators, many on GW have said the same about them. Downstairs has baseboard installed, and again, it is everywhere. Luckily those rooms are big enough to have furniture pulled out from the walls. It does look a bit strange. There are so many pluses though. The ability to live mortgage free and have income from a studio rental, and to live in a grand historic home. Oy, this is tough.

Before we even moved in we had HVAC installed. It was well worth it...because we live in the middle of nowhere we had to go with the traditional installation but if there had been anyone within 100 miles who could've installed this for us

http://www.unicosystem.com/

that's what I would've done...

There is not one wall in the dining or living room that doesn't have a window/windows, fireplace or door on it. But we were still able to place our furniture in both spaces and it's very comfortable.

Thanks for the enocouragement ingeorgia, however..........we just got the news that someone made an offer on the home. Now we either get into a bidding war or walk away. Looks like we may have dragged our feet too long.
Will keep you posted

Following up as promised. The agents in the above situation started to put pressure on us to make a decision to offer. We have decided to pull back and wait. I don't want to get into how irritable the situation became between the agents, but suffice to say, we are not confident in either's professionalism at this point. This home has been on the market for eight months. We have to decide for sure if we want to take on such a big project. If someone else is more certain and takes the plunge, then best wishes to them.

Well, this may anger a few but I feel strongly that if you're not prepared to tolerate some renovation dust and if you're not sure what to do with those old cast iron radiators and if you're not prepared to deal with the wonderful plethora of windows in an old house and if you're belongings just don't "fit" in an old house, then don't buy an old house.

My old house has 32 windows and 11 radiators and the living room alone has five doors, four huge windows, two radiators and a fireplace. We don't have much furniture in the living room because there's not a place to PUT furniture but that suits our minimalist lifestyle.

I think there are a lot of saps who buy old houses (like me) because they *have* to buy an old house and can't imagine life in a more modern structure.

Rose Thornton

Thanks for your candor Rose. You have articulated the other side of the argument in large part the reason we cannot commit to making an offer just yet.

I have to second Rose.

1)If you are not bored and annoyed by modern construction, do not buy an old house.
2) Live in your 'new to you' old house for a year and learn how it works (circulation, privacy, ventilation,etc.), what it needs ( new electrical, furnace, or roof?) and how your lives have changed because of how you live in the house.
In our first house, when we finally had a kitchen, not just a row of appliances, we found out my husband liked to cook! In our current old house where we assumed the patio should be was wrong - beautiful view, but too much wind, too far away from comings and goings to suit our lifestyle.

Your house may have wonderful sunshine in its living spaces (all those windows), cross ventilation in the summer (all those doors), mouldings that make you smile (that you can only reproduce today at vast expense), proportions that ease your soul.
You may find you don't use the formal spaces as they were intended, but that a 'front parlor' can be your 'family room'.
The mechanical systems may need help - you should be able to improve them without damage to the character of your house.

All houses need attention - the rule of thumb is to expect to spend 1/40 of a house's value every year on maintenance.
Often houses have been let go, and then the new owner needs to put in much more. But then, you get to what you want.

If this doesn't appeal to you, don't buy the house.

An old house is not for everyone, that's for sure...and thinking outside the box is almost a must. We use the parlor as our dining room and the dining room as our living room because I like looking into my back yard and thats where we spend most of our time.
Not bowing to pressure is a wise decision. If you are at all hesitant then waiting is wise. We could not wait to get this house, still have a lot of work to do on it but have been so happy to have it...still feel the same after seven years. It would be horrible to live in a house you do not love.

Jegr and Georgia thanks for continuing to help me process this decision. I was up all night imagining how we might live in that home. Would like to clarify that I have lived in and loved an old home before (just not one with such value and size). I have skim coated, sanded and painted; stripped and demolished and tiled. I might not have added before that this home is also one with a name in an historic area. So I do feel that this home has a character and history that needs to be preserved. Its just hard to think about returning so quickly to dust and demolition soon after a partial kitchen reno and two bath renos (and our home is only 14 years old). So in my (our) own defense I believe that I am doing my due diligence in making this decison and that this victorian home (I call it the pink house) would be lucky to have us as caretakers. A large part of this decision is how it would fit into where we see ourselves in the future and would mean being better protected from tidal surge and winds from the big storms. I have indicated much agreement with all that has been said. I also agree with what was said earlier, that thoughtful and careful decision making about any changes made to the home are reasonable.
Karen

Karen, thank you for keeping us updated ! I think part of the decision is where are you at this point in your life? You have been through remodels and know what the work would be.
At this point in my life I would not take on an old house that needed a lot of work. I would not want to start "from scratch" again...that's what I say but I know that most likely if the opportunity presented itself.....LOL.

Thanks for the support ingeorgia. I feel a bit silly after re-reading my posts here and on the buying and selling forum. I am usually a very decisive person, clear about what I do and don't want. Curiosity is killing the cat here I think. We went into that house on a whim and got struck. This is my current front yard, a place we had no intention of ever leaving. Sometimes I wish I was the type who felt a home was just a place to hang your hat. No decisions yet I'm afraid.
Karen

{{!gwi}}

Oh my...if that was my front yard(or back or side) I don't think I could leave it. We used to have a 28' O'Day but we are landlocked now. Sigh

Ingeorgia, there in, lies the biggest part of the problem. Are we really ready to leave here for more space, character, and lots of work? The pink house only backs up to a muddy part of the cove. After all the hoopla about an offer, there is still no signage to indicate that one has been accepted. DH is getting less and less interested in the project too.

Karen, we once looked at a house,about 15 yrs ago, that we thought was such an amazing location, style etc. They knew we were interested . The owner happened to be home when we went to see it. We chatted with him about the beautiful trees. He said yes he would NEVER cut them, not even to make a garden.

Next day the realtor called and said we should really hurry and make an offer as the owner was going to "cut the trees and add a swimming pool and the price was going to go up"....hmmm..this home was in a neighborhood that had a community pool already. We ran not walked the other way.

Today that house is back on the market, no pool , and the lake it was on is dried up due to construciton in an adjacent new neighborhood. I am so glad we were "helped" by that over anxious realtor LOL. Good luck to you and your DH. I love your current location !! c

Thanks for the support Caroline. You know, I am feeling guilty about suspecting ill intent on the part of the agents. I'm not naturally paranoid, but I have a good gut! Hearing your story is helpful. I do really want to get back into the pink house one more time. We've decided not to do anything now but...........maybe...........after the holidays..........who knows. Our home is very nice, open concept after reno, granite kitchen, only 14 yrs. old. And the location........hard pressed to top it for salt water front. OTOH the additional space, high ceilings, character, earning potential, small business or studio, and more privacy are attractive. We are very vulnerable here to hurricane damage too. Then again maybe I just need another project. If we don't move I'm working the angles with DH to redo our decks. Always thinkin'............Karen