Build a new house.

Why build a new house when you have this one? How wonderful it can stay "in the family". Where is it?

You will get more real help by posting on another forum here: "The Old House".

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Because they're concerned about price, and renovating a 170+ year old house would cost as much or more than building new.

Because they plan to gut and modernize the house, there won't be much left to save.

Because there were very few 3700 square foot houses built in the 1830s, and even fewer that had rec rooms and garages.

People on the Old House Forum will be able to talk to you about the actual process and costs. It may be more helpful if you are able to post some pictures. Please discuss your plans with others who have old houses and will be very honest with you about the great and not so great experiences they have had. They may also be able to help with the most efficient sequence of repairs. Those who have not enjoyed the outcome of restoration have a very difficult time understanding why anyone would participate in such an endeavor. Old houses are not for everyone. I've lived in old and new. Old works best for me. Good luck with your choices.

Look, I'm not the Big Bad Wolf or the Grinch Who Stole Christmas. I'm a carpenter and general contractor with 30 years experience in remodeling old homes and I'm just bringing a little reality to the table.

I'm tired of seeing ordinary people getting carried away and going broke remodeling old houses. I'm tired of rich people throwing hundreds of thousands of dollars at old wrecks and congratulating themselves for "saving a wonderful old house," when there's literally nothing original left but a few sticks and stones. I'm tired of phony "Restoration Specialists" preying on romantic and nostalgic people who have no idea that real, honest-to-god, well-executed renovations cost out the wazoo.

Perhaps offering sound advice instead of dictating to others asking for information would be more beneficial. Allow others to draw their own conclusions from the information made available to them. Please consider using your vast experience to help the original poster understand the scope of the job he may be facing.

mag77 -- We are actually on the same page. Around here I sometimes identify myself as the Teardown Queen. The difference here is that the OP says this house has special meaning because it is a family homestead

Mostly I agree with you that people get all whipped up about "saving" and "remodeling" and what they end up with is of dubious value. I'm guessing California must have some of the strangest houses in the country because people there will do anything to stay put and not lose their low tax base.

The TV series "This Old House" has frequently seemed to me to illustrate the old saw about putting lipstick on a pig.
"Old" isn't always "worth saving at any price".

While mag77 brings the reality to the table if the foundation is sound and the building is sound (which it could go either way) You could actually save money by remodeling the one that is there. the gutting of the old house will be expensive but will more likely be cheaper than the framing of a new house the same size.
You should be ready to spend a couple hundred thousand aether way you go.
I have remodeled several old houses some for the purest that have to have the blown glass windows and some for the people just fixing up the old place.
One other thing you will want to consider is what you are taken out and what you are leaving.
The glass windows you say are going and other such items should be removed for resale. there are several places that will buy such items to re sell to the purest.

Be sure to check out the difference in real estate taxes. Where we live its almost double for a new house, and thats every year. Pictures would be fun to see! Do you love the house and the style? If its a family home, there maybe alot of memories worth saving the structure for.

Please visit The Old House forum for questions or any other help you need. Some people just do not understand what it means to have an Old House and to have 1 that your family built is a treasure worth every cent to save.

I am not sure how you are going to go about the renovation, probably in steps as to do the entire thing at once is difficult. Are you going to be living in the home? I can tell you that whatever you think it will cost at least double that figure.

where did trooper go? NYS trooper?

Sorry... Work calls... and not much free time. The house was built in 1832 by my maternal grandfathers, maternal grandmother (had to think about that for a minute). The rec room, garage plus the extra storage was added in the early 40's (my mistake on the 50's quote in the original post). The property is where I grew up... I do like the house becuse of the memories attached to it but I'm not a millionaire (yet... come on penny stocks ;) ) and I'll be happy with just getting my hands on the property and keeping it (the land) in the family for at least one more generation and away from developers.

I know redoing an old house is going to be costly but I'm also thinking that paying someone to dispose of the rubble after the local voulunteer FD is done with the current house is going to be very costly.

Either way there will be plenty of pictures taken before anything happens to the house... we already have arial photos of the property from the early 60's when it was still a 500+ acre operational dairy farm and ones that were just taken a month ago of the 52.4 acres that are left of the original farm.

Hmm... it's early and I didn't even really say anything more... coffee hasn't kicked in yet.

In the end I guess I'm really only intersted in keeping the property in the family (no one else in the family wants anything to do with the place)... a new ulta efficient house would certainly be nice... I'll be happy with having the privacy, hunting, fishing etc afforded by the property.

The property is assessed at $160k and 2 of the 3 people I would have to buy out have already mentioned land contract with no interest. My house can be listed and sold quickly for $65k and I could probably get $70k if I don't need to unload it quickly (I own my house, the bank doesn't). I made just short of $90k last year. I'm doing 2X better (as a single guy) than most families around the area plus I'm a vet so a $250k mortgage isn't out of my capability.

I googled home demolition removal and came up with needcontractor.com and servicemagic.com. Anyone have any experience with either site?

You have described my house in North Wayne county
PA.
The "double Plank" construction will not allow
insulation.
What I did in the attic is add 6" insulation
with OSB for flooring so that my wife can
pack it full of junk.
I saved the old wide planks for wood floor repair.
I removed the lath and plaser, converted the
6 beedrooms to 4 larger bedrooms with closets and
a main "modern" bath.
I used 2x3 studs on outside walls and put new
wireing TV and computer cables in the walls.
I added 3 1/2 inch insulation and built out the
original single pane old glass windows. Also
added new storm windows.

If you do the work yourself you won't break the bank.
(mostly materials).

Ah, Elmira. Spent a week there one night....

I'm a remodeling contractor, so I make my living off of houses like this. But still, I advise most of my clients that tearing down and rebuilding is the more cost-effective way to go. Fortunately, most of them don't listen to me.

But things have changed in the last year or two, and now I think that many times you are better off rebuilding a house than tearing down and building new. That's mostly due to the huge price increases in building materials. The cost of constructing a new house has essentially doubled in the last 5 years, around here anyway, and I bet it isn't any better in upstate NY. So, depending on how much you can save of the old structure, you might actually be better off. If you will be doing most of the labor, that could tip the scales towards remodeling as well (and being single is a big plus, as it greatly reduces stress since you don't have to worry about how your partner is handling it all).

You need to site down and take a very hard look at the numbers. If you're planning on hiring contractors, now's the time to find the best ones around and start estimating.

A total gut would be very expensive. Like one of the above posters said, many people do it and go broke. Maybe you could have someone local look at it and determine if there are things you can do to save costs. Is the plaster in half way decent shape? Can it be repaired? There are lots of people that do that and it's not overly expensive, at least not from what I've seen. Also, an experienced electrician can rewire the house without making holes everywhere and save some money. The plumbing is probably going to be expensive to update, but adding a bath and probably updating the kitchen is well worth it, especially in a house that size. I have no idea what you are paying for it but I am in sosuthern New England and $100,000 for rehab is pretty realistic, but if there are structural repairs to be done, you can probably at least another $50,000 depending on how much needs to be done. Someone I know just spent about close to $35,000 in repairs just to fix powderpost beetle damage on the first level of her house. That was treatment and fixing the floors and some of the sills. They were looking at about $160,000 in total repairs of a house that was probably similar to yours but here in CT and I believe they were looking to do some of the work themselves. Those figures I'm sure would be different in NY but you get the idea. It can be spendy. If the house is done close to period and the trim and other architectural features saved, the house will probably look great when you're done. Get estimates from local licensed insured tradespeople and see where you end up. Don't forget, there is always the "I didn't expect it " cost, like the totally rotten sills or whatever you have to keep in mind too. It's some Murphy's Law thing that it always happens. A remodeled old house is great though and can be very beautiful. Either way, good luck whatever you decide.

i also am about to buy an 1830 farmhouse which already had much work done--however noticed rotted foundation boards as well as center beam and cross joists
anyway to fix bar jacking up house-any help or different site appreciated
thanks matt

Get ready for ENDLESS work . I hope you're handy. YOU will be. If you are taking up the floors, put in a sub-floor. If there is any major insect damage , move. I am suffering trough a 1780 colonial federal. I really do love it... sometimes