US Real Estate: What to Expect When Buying a Historic Home

You do not have to be a history buff or an architecture buff to fall in love with the idea of ​​buying a historic home. Unlike today’s modern homes, historic homes have personality. Some of them may even have gone through stories.

But historic homes have some challenges to consider, beyond the almost-always-necessary renovations. Consider these issues before you sign a lease or bill for a historic home:

Your furniture may not fit
Historic homes can be much smaller than modern homes. The rooms inside can be much smaller and the openings and corridors narrower.

Mattress manufacturers did not offer king-size options until the mid-50s, and parts with chairs and sofa beds are even more up-to-date. Homes built 100 years or more ago were not designed with these items in mind.

Before you buy a historic home, measure the openings, hallways and rooms. If you anticipate that moving your furniture to the historic home will be an issue, you have options. You can simply sell your larger parts and replace them with smaller versions. Alternatively, if the problem is moving your furniture through narrow halls and openings, you may be able to disassemble them.

Another option is to hire a professional moving company. Professional movers know how to move hard and large parts. In addition, they may be able to take unsuccessful measures, such as using a crane, to move your furniture through the window and into the house.

You will need to take extra care in the transition
Decorated doors, cutouts, decorative candlesticks and stained glass are just a few artistic details that can make the historic home stand out. However, these features can be easily compromised during an apartment move. To avoid this, wrap the furniture, appliances and anything that could scratch, sink or otherwise ruin your historic home in blankets before putting them inside.

You can rent or purchase moving blankets yourself or order a professional moving company on the spot. Professional movers will bring enough blankets to safely move your belongings inside, and they have the experience to prevent damage to the house itself. In addition, they are prepared for uneven floors, renovations in progress and other problems that may arise when moving items to a historic home.

Home apartment insurance can be expensive
Because the cost of home insurance is based on the cost of replacing the home, rather than its market value, historic homes usually cost more to insure. This is because historic homes are usually constructed of rarer and more expensive materials than those used in modern homes today. It can also be more difficult to find substitutes for certain components.

In addition, your rates will be higher if your home is built using materials that are currently considered hazardous, such as aluminum wiring, preferably using Policygenius. You may need to replace the materials with safer materials to get insurance. It can be an expensive venture in itself.

If you can not find cheap options through traditional insurance companies, Social Security services can connect you to companies that specialize in historic and older homes. You can also save money by taking advantage of discounts for paying a full year in advance, not smoking at home or a high credit score.

You may receive the HedgePodge
Chances are your historic home is not entirely historic. Over the years, owners may have added rooms, modern plans like air conditioning and upgraded appliances. While these supplements will not bother you, they can be an eye pain in the home that reflects different periods. Think of a pink bathroom from the 50s period and a modern kitchen in a farmhouse from the 80s period.

Before purchasing, find a contractor who can give you an estimate of any changes you would like to make. This could include updating the bathroom or restoring the kitchen to something that reflects the period. Alternatively, you may need to consider an addition that just does not seem appropriate for the rest of the home. Any renovations you plan, you will want to know how much to budget for them.

You may have precious surprises
No matter how thorough your home inspector was, you will later discover problems with an older home that none of you noticed during the inspection period. These can be "good" or expensive surprises. For example, you might be pleasantly surprised to find oak floors under the linoleum in the living room. However, you can also learn that at home there are significant structural problems, repairs that need to be treated like mold.

There is no real way to avoid these problems. Because you own a historic home, something will pop up at some point. When this happens, you will want to set aside funds to make the necessary repairs. You may also want to tour the home with a contractor before you purchase the home. This can give you an idea of ​​how much certain repairs will cost if you have to make them in the future.

Historic homes need endless repairs
As writer Angela Coley found out when she moved into Queen Anne's Victorian house, you always have to fix something when you live in a historic house. She notes in the article that “tree roots broke through the old concrete path, the porch needed painting, the front door handle was broken six times, a window pane fell out, another window got stuck, the wicks exploded in the kitchen, the wiring in the light fixture was considered dangerous, the bedroom door stopped closing and the heat Stopped working ”in a house she rented, everything happened within six months.

Routine maintenance is the best way to avoid repairs. If you notice a problem, deal with it head-on, especially if it concerns water. Allowing the problem to continue prepares you for a bigger and more expensive fix later on.

It is difficult to find contractors for a historic home
Not every contractor is qualified to work on a historic home. Need a special skill set and some experience to renovate a historic home. A good contractor will be able to repair or work with what is already there. They will not fix it automatically and replace it with something newer.

You can find a contractor who specializes in this type of work in forums and websites of historic homes. Alternatively, you can ask the local historical society or your neighborhood association for recommendations.

It is difficult to find components
In her article, Coley notes that she has been living for months without working door handles. Together with her landlord and renovator, they had to scan architectural shops to find historically accurate replacements.

Even when you find the right part, you will probably pay more for it. Just as it will cost more for a rare part for your classic car, it will cost more for that hard-to-find architectural element or component to a historic home.

You may be limited when it comes to renovations
Before buying a home, look at the National Register of Historic Places for information on what you can and can not do for a historic home. Your country may also have conservation laws. And if your home is in a historic district, you may face additional restrictions.

These restrictions can significantly affect the renovation you can make to your historic home. For example, you may not be able to repaint the exterior of a color you like or add extra space to a home office. If you are planning to renovate your historic home, contact your city's development office. They can tell you if you can make the changes you want later.

Historic homes are not always energy efficient
Your historic home may use energy-saving strategies such as specially designed windows to heat your home in the winter and high ceilings that keep rooms cooler during the summer. However, your home may be blurry, use windows with single glass and has outdated wiring and plumbing. In addition, the devices and accessories that come with it may not be energy efficient.

Over time, you will be able to replace appliances and accessories and update your home to make it more efficient. In the meantime, however, you may have to deal with a higher-than-expected energy bill.

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Lior Lustig
Has three degrees and over 20 years of experience in the field of technology and real estate.
Owner and manager of a real estate company that provides real estate services in the field of courses, mentoring, financing, transaction analysis and investment.
The operator of the successful real estate and US interest forum on Facebook.
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