I want to preface this post by saying that I love our home. When Stu and I drove up to the curb for the very first time, this 1940’s Tudor style charmer stole my heart.
I fell hard and fast.
We put in an offer within 48 hours.
For someone who had her heart set on a historic home, there’s was probably nothing short of writing on the wall that could have dissuaded me from buying one. However, I wrote this post as a kind of cautionary tale to anyone who might be as naïve as I was when purchasing an old home as their first home.
I’ll start by sharing my eager homebuyer sentiment and follow it up with some cold, hard homeowner truth…
“I love all the huge trees in this neighborhood.”
But what I didn’t consider at the time was how much maintenance an older home would require, especially when it came to issues like plumbing and an older roof repair that we eventually needed to address. Fortunately, we found a great local company to help us out.
What no one tells you:
1. When you have multiple 100 year old trees on your property, you will likely spend hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars every other year having them trimmed. Especially if you live in an area of the country that gets snow, ice, and tornadoes like we do here in Missouri. No trimming? This is just asking for a disaster come winter.
2. More trees = more leaves. Obvious enough, right? It becomes painfully obvious around November 1st. When my friends in the ‘burbs complain about raking up after their two (measly) trees, I have a hard time not one-upping them with our “We fill 30+ giant outdoor bags every fall…from just the front lawn” sob story.
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“The hardwood floors are gorgeous.”
What no one tells you:
And crooked and slanted and stained in ways that can’t be fixed. Our hardwoods are seriously one of my favorite things in our house, no question. But they are far from perfect. The floor sags and wood slats are crooked in almost every room. A towel rail or five need to be replaced. Some previous owners added carpet (most likely in the 60’s), so the holes from carpet staples are now “battle wounds” around the perimeter of our main living areas.
If I was a perfectionist, this would drive me crazy.
Thankfully I’m not.
I can easily forgive my home’s wobbly floors that have shifted over time…We have some things in common, my old house and me.
Historic building restoration is something I’ve learned a bit about over the years. Checking real estate around the country, like this mls listing in Tennessee, helped me understand more about the cost of older homes as well.
When purchasing an older home, it’s important to consider various factors, including the condition of the water lines. Consulting a reliable plumbing service can help assess the state of the plumbing system and identify any potential issues that need attention. It can be costly to ignore things such as drainage repairs which can lead to major issues.
To ensure a smooth experience, it’s recommended to have access to reliable water line repair services. You’ll also want to make sure that no foundation repair is needed, which can get very costly. If you live in the midwest, tornados and hail come with the territory. Having reliable storm damage services is crucial.
“The crown molding and trim are just lovely.”
What no one tells you:
Look closely…see that white trim? Most likely there are other colors of trim paint underneath it and the one is likely to have lead. Only after we moved in did we realize that under the newest white coat of paint was a layer of hunter green, blue, and then what looks like the original white.
Why on God’s green earth would anyone EVER paint all the trim in a cute house hunter green??
Because those lovely layers ended up having lead paint, we have to test Gemma for lead poisoning each year. (Doctor’s request.) So far, so good. We had some friends in the neighborhood who had a real scare with lead paint though. One bite into a window sill from their daughter meant a whole ordeal of testing and home visits and general craziness for our poor friends.
So now we tend to watch our toddler even more closely (than you would normally watch a toddler) to make sure she doesn’t decide to gnaw on a bit of trim. This wouldn’t be a problem in a Tesla tiny home. Minimal living has its upsides for sure.
Also you’ll want to make sure that the access panels close flush, such as the BA-UHF Aesthetic Access Panel from Best Access Doors.
“The roof is new. That’s great!”
What no one tells you:
The roof is the least of your concerns, sweet homebuyer. That’s only one very easy and very visible thing that’s to be checked out when buying an old home.
What you really need to be investigating are the following:
1. Electrical
2. Plumbing
3. Mold
4. Major appliances
BTW, that homeowner’s warranty the seller is throwing in? It’s worthless. Trust me.
Within the first 6 months of moving into our home, we had almost $9,000 of repairs that went completely unnoticed in our home inspection and uncovered by the warranty.
New furnace? $5,000. We thought for sure our Home Owner’s Warranty would cover it, but apparently there are lots of loopholes to actually keep the company from ever giving you a dime.
Other major appliances include a water heater (tankless or with tank), a water filter/softener, and possibly air conditioning.
A couple months after the new furnace, we had to replace the original plumbing that lead from our house to the city sewage. From what our contractor can figure, because the house was finished being built in 1943, most of the plumbing underground is copper. However most likely because of metal rationing, the final pipe installed was actually an industrial cardboard dipped in tar. Then there are sewer services that also need some attention.
Yep, a cardboard pipe that held up for 67 years…and only crapped out 6 months into our watch.
You can imagine the stress my poor husband felt that fall as we ripped up half the lawn to replace that darn pipe. Oh, and my furniture budget was demolished. (Which explained a lot of DIY projects and flea market finds a few years ago.)
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“This house has so much character!”
Ahh, yes the clincher. Character.
Of course our home has oodles of charm and character and can’t even compare to the pre-fab houses in newer developments. Window seat in the office, an addition of a walk out den in the back of the house that’s full of windows, glass door knobs. However…
You know how sometimes the most interesting people have some of the most dreadful secrets?
Yes, this applies to old homes too.
Many of the windows have been painted shut. Gorgeous and original they are, but practical they are not. We cannot even open the one window in our kitchen. Only 50% of the windows in our bedrooms can be opened. Some of the towel rails are older than me.
Many of the door jams have shifted over time, so shutting doors is more like a suggestion than a reality. (We always encourage guests to do a call out before entering a door that’s not completely wide open.)
WHY I WOULD STILL BUY OUR OLD HOUSE AGAIN
If you read all of the above, you might think I’m crazy but I really would buy this house again…However I would have done a lot of things differently.
Like paying for two inspections, asking a bunch more detailed questions to our realtor, and negotiating much harder when buying.
But I will forever be grateful to this home because it healed so many wounds in my heart I didn’t even realize existed.
After my parents divorced when I was a teenager, I never really felt like I had the one home where I always belonged. My brother and I had two gorgeous homes to go back and forth between, but I longed to have that one place that held everything and everyone I loved.
This home became that place for me.
It’s where Stu and I brought our baby girl home from the hospital in the middle of a snow storm.
It’s where I got to dig my hands in and turn a life-long love of homes into a creative outlet and eventually a new career.
It’s where we’ve hosted BBQ’s and crazy Christmas parties and Easter lunches with the people who I just can’t imagine doing life without.
It’s where we learned what it meant to take responsibility for something we put our name on and tend to it intentionally and lovingly…despite all the times we wish had just picked that newish 3-2 in the ‘burbs.
We wouldn’t trade it:)
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Your wonderfully written article brought back so many memories of our first home built in 1904. We experienced first hand most everything you’ve experienced (with cellar flooding added in!).
We purchased and moved to our current 1958 home 3 years ago. What a difference a half century makes. We loved our old home and miss its character, but our mid-century modern home is so much easier to maintain (and the basement is flood-free).
“What a difference half a century makes”- Hahaha! I always wonder if this is the case when I visit my friend who has a 1960’s home. She has not had NEAR the amount of issues we had, but still has the historic home appeal. Then again, I guess I could give it another 20 years and see what happens. (Kidding!) Oh Heidi, I didn’t even MENTION our basement…I will say that only one ice storm left it flooded and it’s done pretty good since then. Glad to hear you’re loving your “new” old home.
I purchased a 1900 built Edwardian weatherboard and I laugh when I think of ‘character’ as a descriptor. It is true and you also rely on the fact for justification of your efforts.
Six months in and I am just beginning to repaint and have just finished replacing the original galv steel mains pipe which gave up over Xmas after 117 yrs of service!
But that’s fine. There’s always the character factor. And the painted shut windows
This post really resonates with me! My husband and I purchased our first home last July, a 1948 colonial revival in a charming historic neighborhood in Houston. Oh the leaves! We have one huge tree right up next to the house that LEANS over the house. This wouldn’t be such an issue if Houston didn’t get a major hurricane every few years. Apparently hundreds of trees in our neighborhood fell during the last hurricane, so it would definitely be a concern the next time a big storm rolls around. If that tree falls, our house will be demolished! My husband rakes the leaves so I really can’t complain about that part 🙂 So many of the suburbs in Houston are tree-less, so I really appreciate the trees in my neighborhood.
Our wood floors are gorgeous too, and thankfully no one was crazy enough to cover them in carpet so they’re in good shape. Our dog and her fingernails are on a mission to change that, however.
Our doors need to be rehung, all of our windows have been painted shut (but hey, that old glass has so much character, right?!), and we probably need to get the place rewired and replumbed. One of our two bathrooms doesn’t function (we have to gut it) and the other one, with its retro peach and black tile, doesn’t have a vent.
Despite all of these issues, I adore my little bungalow. Old houses have so much character and the quality is unparalleled by new construction. I love my telephone nook in the hallway and my pink bathroom. I was prepared for the headache and expense that living in an old house would bring, but I wouldn’t have it any other way!
By the way, the facade of your house is to die for! I’m not surprised it was love at first sight.
Oh my goodness, Catherine! I’m totally laughing out loud at this. Everything you described sounds all too familiar. I grew up in Houston!! We lived in Sugar Land most of my life, but my brother now lives and works in Rice Village/the Med Center now. I am OBSESSED with inner loop Houston neighborhoods and wondering if you are close to that area (knowing there are not too many bungalows outside the middle).
My husband and I plan to move back to the Houston area at some point, but doubt we’ll be able to afford a historic home like ours in the big city. We are trying to enjoy it as much as we can now and will probably be in the “treeless ‘burbs” for a bit after we relocate before we can make it to the inner loop.
Old home lover here, for sure. Our house (in St. Louis city) was built in 1909. My favorite things are our 6-foot tall windows, 9-foot tall ceilings, pocket doors, and — most of all, without question — the location. We can walk to the grocery store, bank, bus stops, park, and restaurants galore. That’s something you just cannot find in most new homes.
I LOVE all the old neighborhoods in St. Louis. It’s so neat how they are set up like little towns within a big city each with a grocery store, shops, pubs and such. One of my close friends lives in Webster Groves and used to live right across from the Botanical Gardens. I think we have some of the most gorgeous old homes in Missouri. (I’m probably a little biased though!)
Heather, this is such a well written post – it’s crazy how similar are love/hate relationship is for our homes! We also had to put over $10,000 into our “new” home in the first year for things that the previous owner failed to reveal and the inspector didn’t find. I will never again buy a house without having a slew of inspectors nor will I so blindly trust my realtor (that’s a whole other story). And we have so many of the same issues – beautiful landscaping that’s a nightmare to maintain, windows painted shut, etc. But like you, I’m still in love with this old girl 🙂
Right there with you, Kris!! Multiple inspectors and gobs of questions for a realtor the next go round (If we even use a realtor next time…)
Hi. We are in the process of looking at a couple of older homes. To the eye-basically in good shape. She and you and others have mentioned multiple inspectors. I would appreciate if any of you with this experience could share in more detail what kind of different inspectors and what kind of questions you would ask. Thanks. Here is my email. chandler_hockaday@yahoo.com
Here’s what I would say…I wish that after the initial inspection, we had a general contractor go through the house and point out potential areas that needed a closer look. (Since I’m an interior designer now and wasn’t when we purchased the house, I have people who I would trust to come and take a closer look at electrical, windows, appliances etc.) Basically our home inspector was fine, but he had no knowledge as to costs of potential repairs like a couple general contractor I know would have. I’m not sure what the best route is, but I would definitely ask around if you have any connections with contractors who work on old homes to see if you could pay for their time to review your official home inspection and then give advice as to the cost of potential repairs on anything that showed up as flagged on your report. Hope that helps!
I love my tiny super old home (1898 carriage house in richmond heights) but I get the head ache!! Even though builders can recreate molding and window seats there is something special to me about living in a home that has been loved for generations. Although when our root cellar leaks and our basement door swings open at 2 am or any hair line crack forms I question myself 🙂
Your house sounds, amazing!! Yeah, I’m with you…It’s crazy to think about all the families that lived in these houses before we were even born. Oh, and the hair line cracks…I stopped counting.
Our house was built in 1952 and I adore the arched doorways, alcoves, and original phone booth. But it has also surprise us with expensive secrets! In the last year, we have replaced the clay sewage pipe in te backyard (it lasted 62 years), replaced siding (original was asbestos!), replaced the chimney (old one was concrete blocks and was literally pulling the side of the house off!), and finished out the basement. We still can’t run the dishwasher and washer at te same time or else our {newly floored} basement will flood. Oh the joys! 🙂
Oh gosh, Julianne this all sounds familiar. Are we gluttons for punishment or what? Hah!
Oh Heather, this post spoke to me, having an older home myself. Our home was built in 1955, and it has been a labor of reno love and a big test of my patience since we purchased it two years ago. 🙂 You are not alone with all the issues you mentioned – from the furnace to the windows to the uneven hardwood floors. Although I miss the “newness” of our last house (which was a new build), I would choose our present home again in a heartbeat. The charm, character, and uniqueness of older homes just can’t be replicated!
It DOES make e feel like I’m not in it alone hearing all of you ladies share identical stories. “A labor of love and a test of patience” is the perfect way to describe it…much like parenting a toddler!!
what a wonderful post. your words are so wise, and your house is lovely. fun to see a picture of you with your darling family. i’ve longed to own a house with “character” but I’m not sure my husband would survive surprise repairs! really, really great post.
Thanks so much, Emily! Yeah, my husband had several rough nights (and more beer than usual!) that first year. Character comes with a price tag (and stress).
Oh! I love old houses 🙂 Matt and I will probably never buy a brand new house in a brand new neighborhood. I guess I should never say never…but I really can’t see us doing it. The 40 bags of leaves is better than the basically treeless cookie cutter neighborhoods – TO ME. But I do understand your buts, really, I do. I guess you just have to weight what’s more important to you.
I have friends that know that old homes are not for them. My parents in fact are ALL ABOUT their brand new home. They love that everything is new, they love all the storage, they love all the amenites that come with a new home. And I appreciate those things too and find them super appealing, but when it comes down to it… Not for me 😉
Our house is not quite as old as yours. It was built in the 60’s and it’s a ranch style home – so it does’t have all that CHARM but we love it.
In an ideal world, I’d take an old house that’s been completely updated down to the all plumbing, wiring, and appliances. Keep all that old school charm with modern amenities. Now if only my pocket book could support that dream. 🙂
p.s. I love your house! It’s so very cute and you’ve decorated it SO BEAUTIFULLY!
I think our next house will be a ranch style. I hear from so many other like you that haven’t had the issues like we’ve had, but still get bits of the good from both worlds. And yes…the ideal old home that’s been completely updated would be like winning the golden ticket!!
We live in an old house (1960 split level). Unfortunately, it is simply old, not historic and certainly not charming . However, I’m curious about why your home warranty turned out to be so worthless? Ours has been the saving grace for us since nearly all the appliances in our house are 30+ years old. Our furnace was replaced by our warranty, garbage disposal, countless plumbing issues, water softener issues, etc, etc. We’d be broke without the warranty. My parents had a beautiful 1932 stone colonial and I wish they’d had a warranty due to some of the expensive repairs they wound up having to make.
I’d love to know the reason behind our terribly warranty too, Torey!! Basically we must had gotten a dud. The company who handled the warranty got out of replacing the furnace because we couldn’t show proof of maintenance every 6 months…for the past TEN years! Even if we could get a hold of the previous owners, they had only owned it for less than 5 years, and we had no way of tracking down the owners before them. Kind of ridiculous, huh? Sounds like you guys had a a solid warranty…and ours was the Dollar Store equivalent:/ Hard lesson learned.
i still dream of owning an old home! we hoped to find an old one when we moved here but we didn’t find one that was right for us and were on a time crunch so ended up with a 1979 cape cod, which i do love though! but i still dream of the old house, imperfections, leaves, and all.
With all your AMAZING vintage and antique furniture scores? Girl, you are destined to have an old home at some point! Keep dreaming:)
You haven’t witnessed old until you’ve lived in a pre 1850’s house. We have only owned older homes and would never consider the cookie cutter new ones. The feel isn’t the same and could never be beat in my opinion. You have done beautiful work on your semi oldish home! LOL.
Oh my goodness, Trish! WOW, you really do have an old home. I guess mine is just a teenager in comparison:) Thanks for stopping by.
man, did this post speak directly to me. I grew up in an old house and rented apts in many before moving to NC and eventually building a new, cookie cutter home in a development. I loved a lot about that house (mostly the square footage, modern conveniences (laundry not in a dungeon-like basement? What a novelty!) and amazing symmetry a new house affords you for decorating and furnishing (radiators!!!! You are everywhere I want to put anything!
Hah!! We don’t have radiators, but friends in St Louis do and they complain about having to dictate floor plans because of them. I honestly think I got my old home fix and could live just about anywhere next…I have a feeling we’ll end up with a single level ranch, but at some point I’d love to build too. (I’d probably still want it to look like an old house though:)
This is great! Our house was built in 1890 so I can relate. It was pretty neglected and unlivable when we bought it so its been 8 years of hard work to make it our home. We knew that it would need a ton of work but it always ends up being more time and money then you think right?
Whoa, eight years?! You’ve been at it for the long haul-good for you! And yes…double the time and triple the money you plan for:/
I love this! Luckily we’re kind of older, but not old homeowners? 🙂 Our house was built in the 80’s but there is still quite a bit of character to it. But yes, shortly after we moved in we had a lot of things go wrong! It’s never cheap to own a home!
At least your husband works in the industry Gwen! How nice that must be…even if it does still cost an arm and a leg at times. (Or should I say “a rug and a lamp”?)
What a great post! We grew up and currently live in a beautiful older neighborhood in SE Michigan. I wouldn’t trade the charm, trees, and yes, thousands of dollars on any cookie cutter neighborhood. But those newer homes also come with issues/costs. A friend with a 15 year old home has to already replace the roof and windows have rotted…maybe there is no perfect home!
I have never thought about the leaf issue so that had me laughing! And excellent tip on getting a second inspector.
That’s a good point, Aubrey. My best friend bought a new home the same year we bought ours. They had lots of trouble with moisture under their newly installed (and very pricey) hardwood floors which eventually had to replaced with carpet. Home ownership is a risk and emotional roller coaster no matter what the age!
What’s wrong with me?! I’m tearing up… we are about to move out of our 1940’s fixer upper that I regretfully spent more time than I would like to admit wishing for a different home. And now, now that it’s time to leave, I can’t even begin to express how thankful I am for this little house, What the Lord taught me through living in this house, how my husband I’s relationship grew because of the countless hours we/he spent remodeling the kitchen, preparing the kids rooms before we brought each of them home, and now it’s time to leave which I’ve thought I’ve wanted for some time and I can’t help but feel sad, and all that to say, I loved our old quirky house and think I’m going to forgo the burbs house again and look for another fixer upper?!?!? ok, sorry rant over. Great post, friend!
Oh Emily, I get it!!! I know when we leave this house I will feel exactly the same way. You’re right…who knew that a HOUSE could teach us so much? (Even if they were lessons in frustrations.) Love hearing your heart and hoping for the “right house” to be put in your path soon!
Not sure this post is representative of all old home purchases. Our 1921 Spanish bungalow came with new plumbing, electrical and a new roof on the house. We negotiated down the purchase price based on the garage roof, which had not yet been replaced. Knock on wood, other than cosmetic upgrades (yes, trees need trimming A LOT), our old home purchase has been smooth sailing,
Sounds like you landed on a GREAT home, Angela! That’s encouraging to hear your experience. I’ll bet your bungalow is so charming.
Clicking over from designmom. I love the art work in your home. Do you have a few favorite sources you can share? I have accessory paralysis!
Hah-accessory paralysis is a good one, Susan! Funny you should ask. I am prepping an “Online Shopping Guide” and hope to have it out in the next couple weeks. Stay tuned! Until then, I love Minted, ImageKind, and Artfully Walls for artwork.
I found this post through Emily A. Clark, and it really hit home! I bought my first home, a 1939 cottage, a few years ago. While I haven’t had any MAJOR issues, I have had to deal with 75 years worth of blackberry and tree growth, wood floors that aren’t level, cracking plaster, low ceilings, and tiny spaces. But would I go back and do it differently? Heck no! My little house, through hours of hard work, the help of friends and family, and more than a few dollars, has become home.
Hah, I forgot to mention the low ceilings! Yes, I’m with ya’ Shannon. Thanks for sharing your home story.
Thanks for sharing yours! I meant to say I really enjoyed reading it,
I love your house! I was wondering if you would mind sharing the color of your front door? Or house is a boring gray siding and I think that beautiful orange would look perfect.
Andrea! So sorry I missed this way back when. I don’t have the exact colors (as it was a custom color match), but it is very close to Sherwin William’s “Autumnal”. Hope that helps!
Amen!! We’ve been in our 1940 house for about a year now and I can so relate. Especially lamenting the lack of furniture budget. AND THE LEAVES! I think they fall for twice as long in Houston because of the lack of real seasons- we had them from October to the beginning of May. My favorite part though- a built in ironing board with an iron you heat on the stove 🙂 We are about to gut the kitchen, and I’m hoping we can save it!
Saw someone else comment about Houston- when you do move back, look at Garden Oaks! We are so in love with the neighborhood.
hee, hee, hee…… I’ve been there a few times. I laugh when people say their house is “old” because it was built in the 1980’s. My last house was built in the 1870’s and was essentially untouched since then. The things people used to do with old houses! Newspaper and horse hair in the walls… old plaster walls patched with masking tape… Victorian oil cloth rugs under 1940’s linoleum…
But there is a point when you get used to it all, and in fact, fall in love with it all over again.
I’d say you’ve got the granddaddy of all old homes, Sarah! Yeah, it is funny when I’ve heard 80’s and 90’s homes referred to as “old”. Thanks for taking the time to pop by and say “hello” today!
We live in CT in a colonial built in 1930 by a local architect. I’ve always been a sucker for the charm …stunning trim and moldings, solid wood doors (including one that swings between the kitchen and pantry), gorgeous bronze lighting fixtures, slate roof, beautiful staircase. The quality of design and materials can’t be beat. But yes, flooded basement (fieldstone foundation), roots growing in the plumbing, lack of updated electrical, crumbling front brick steps, inconveniently placed radiators, lack of closet space…I could go on all day. But we’ve had every room stripped and repainted and we must be the only people in the America who did NOT have any lead paint in our house! Every time we consider moving we can’t imagine living in a newer home that is just a box filled with more boring drywall boxes, so I guess it will eventually be another older home!
Charity, your home sounds lovely! Umm, yes. I’d say you are probably the only home built in that period that does NOT have lead paint-lucky you! I think old houses have a way of stealing your heart and ruining you for anything else.
I just wanted to point out that new homes aren’t a bowl of cherries either. They’re built of much cheaper and lighter materials that are meant to only last 10 years at most. The windows need a TOTAL replacement when they go in that time and can’t be fixed. Then there’s all the off-gassing of the petrochemicals used in the manufacture of cabinets, carpeting and molding. etc, etc. No new house can possibly be as ecological either,. Lastlyk old houses were built when people had real skills and took pride in their work.
I wouldn’t be so impressed with a new roof either. My book clay tile roof will last generations if maintained only minimally. Look at all the roofs in Europe: clay tile and slate or concrete
I’ve had many friends and relatives rue the day they moved from their old house to a new subdivision with the thought that those problems were behind them.. Only my Dad got a winner, but He designed and built it himself.
These are all good points, Teresa! We had some friends who bought a 20 year old house the same month we did and they ended up having to replace thousands of dollars of newly installed hardwood floors because of the moisture under their “new home”. Thanks for weighing in with some perspective:)
I seriously LOVED this post and want to steal it–giving you credit of course!! My husband and I bought a 106 year old fixer upper last summer. I just started blogging about it this month at marriedtorestoration.com. I can relate to every single thing you wrote and had a few good chuckles. I am going to now frequent your site 🙂
Thanks so much, Shaina! It’s a regal by fire, huh? Gotta love these old homes though;) glad to have you here.
What a journey these old homes are! My first buy as a single mom was a 1888 center hall style that I named Settle House. It was perfect for my 5 year old son and I, hardwood floors, slate roof, large backyard, 6 bay block garage (used to be the electric company parking for vans in the 1920’s), no driveway but an alleyway running behind all the homes, four bedrooms, and two full baths (uncommon). It was going to me my ‘last house.’ Fast forward 10 years to now: new kitchen,new stairs, new paint, sanded and polyurethaned floors, removal of 2 1970’s dropped ceilings, less plaster (what a mess that removal was!!), new asphalt roof (I swear the house stands taller now without all that slate), adding a porch (huge yews hid the fact that there were no railings), minus one 120 year old maple, add a new husband and 3 yo daughter……and I still love this house. Some windows still have not opened at all, the wallpaper in the laundry is the same, the floors retain their slope…..but this house has taught me wonderful lessons and held me together through tough times. It also gave me the knowledge and assurance to move on to the home we have decided is our next one, an even older (1855!) Victorian farmhouse. With lots of ugly wallpaper to change. I can’t wait!
I LOVED hearing this story, Adrienne! It’s amazing when you go through so much with an old house how much it shapes you…Oh, the windows! Lordy, we can open less than 1/3 of ours, and the rest are painted shut. Sounds like you could write a book filled with your old home reno adventures. I almost got a little teary eyed reading your comment, because we actually just listed our house to sell this week. (We are moving back to my hometown in Texas.) Thanks so much for stopping by and hope to keep in touch;)
I hear how people constantly have quarrels or battles with old homes. For modern amenities. I feel I am the crazed minority who is seeking originality.
I grew up in a 1930’s home Art Deco 1 and 1/2 story with swirled plaster living original doors, lighting kitchen bath tub ( were your pinky toe can actually get submerged in water). Every flaw or issue which ever millennial brought up when looking at it was petty and hilarious.
Unusable kitchen. ( guess we starved and ate squirrels in our 17 years of living there)
Unusable counter tops. Guess those 1950’s counters are for decoration since they’re not granite. Not to mention gods be forgiven that the appliances are not stainless steel. By Jove how useless they must be!
Lack of closet space and floor plan. These people were remarkable. Just remarkable. You can’t look at a model A and complain it’s not a 2015 Rolls Royce .
Yet people never seemed to get that. The old homes have thicker walls and most of them are constructed with much better materials then the modern homes. Many older homes did not cut corners. Modern homes are known for it.
My fiancée lives in a cookie cutter yuppie dream house in a cue du sac right over a sink hole. House was made in 1992 yet it’s becoming obvious craftsmanship would have gotten you fired while making this thing.
The front door gets stuck from the house being slanted. The circuit for the garage is the same as the basement. The HVAC system just freezes the.l basement. It’s constructed out of plywood. Half the outlets don’t work and you can hear everything through the paper thin walls.
“I guess the johnsons had beans for diner, dear.”
I hope to be able to find a nice older home that hasn’t been bastardized during the 1970’s 80’s or gods forbid 2000’s I want the old small rooms with thick walls and solid doors. I want the old wall paper and I don’t plan on nibbling on my walls anytime soon. I have books on construction. And electrical from 1908 and 1927.
Call me insane, but the old ways seem to last a lot longer then our modern ways. Also original may be dated but Art Deco and Victorian have aged better then any renovation I have seen. Stainless steel and granite are fads that the next owner will be tearing out to install what ever is latest and greatest,
While I’ll be grabbing a coke a cola from a ge monitor top fridge and lighting a cigar with a gas stove that could have been original to the house.
While the neighbors are messing around with lazer microwaves and wifi refridgerators I’ll be happy in my old little time capsule.
I guess different strokes for different folks eh?
Signed,
Johnathan Grant
your daughter is BEAUTIFUL
Nice article Heather, and the place looks lovely. I cope with many of the same issues in my 1910 Toronto house, and the sloping floors do drive me mad at times. But old houses are a gem. I don’t think you made a mistake, and I doubt a second inspection would have helped. Ten inspections will give you ten different answers. In the end, if it’s still standing after a century, and cracks down’t get wider in the first few years, you have a solid house far better built than any new house on the market today. The latter are cheaper for the first 20 years, then completely fall apart.
Thanks for your thoughts, Randall. You make some good points;) Since posting this, we’ve sold and moved from our old house, and I miss it dearly! (Especially with the holidays coming up.) When we buy again, we will likely look for a single level ranch built in the 50’s or 60’s. Definitely not new, but better for our needs right now. All the best to you in your lovely Toronto home!
Great read, I really needed this. My husband and I just sold our new construction home for my dream 1954 home, only took a week for a plumbing issue and lots of little things coming up everyday. It’s been stressing me out beyond belief . Hopefully it will get less stressful as time passes.
This was really insightful and helpful for helping me decide if I should invest in a newer house.t. An older home doesn’t sound that bad if you have the time and money to fix it up. However, at this point in my life, it might be easier for me to invest in newer real estate.
I’ll do care of all these things before buying old home.
Great post Heather, very interesting and useful tips . Thank you
Debes tener en cuenta que si vas a tomar la decisión de empezar una nueva vida comprando un hogar es importante evitar esta clase de situaciones preocupantes porque al principio muestra una vista mas natural y ni vez el resto
Would you say two general inspections are worth it if we’re planning on a structural engineer to inspect the home? And bringing an electrician (some knob and tube in the home). What benefit does the second general inspection bring?
Electrical is a huge issue, as is the foundation in an older home. Sounds like you’ve got your bases covered:) I think on my next old house I’ll still have two inspections simply for my peace of mind.
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Thanks. Well your house looks lovely. Oh and you can still make your hardwood floor shiny and glossy. There are many methods out there. But i’ll recommend you go for some natural methods for that.
I love your article! One question I have is regarding the windows that are painted shut. We are in the process of buying a 1940s bungalow. I am in love with the character and charm that this house offers. Crown molding, original hardwood floors, arched doorways, exposed beams, built-in bookcases, gorgeous! We had an inspection and the homeowners are going to replace a lot of things that the inspector found faulty. Thankfully nothing too major, at least on first inspection. some ductwork needs to be replaced, some furnace pipes need to be replaced, but overall things look well maintained. My question is in regard the painted shut windows. I really would love to be able to open the windows in our house! What is a way to fix this without replacing the windows?