4 Questions for Evaluating an Old Home Before Purchase
Posted on: 14 December 2016
Old homes are charming, but a typical old home can require a lot of work before you can live in it. Therefore, if you are buying an old home to live in, consider these questions before going ahead with the purchase.
How Much Will You Need to Upgrade?
Old homes come with a plethora of outdated features and appliances, many of which you will need to upgrade. For example, an old home may have deteriorated and plumbing pipes, inadequate electrical wiring, inefficient heating and cooling systems among other things. Identify these outdated features or installations and determine how many of them you will need to replace. The house may not be worth buying if you have to replace nearly everything.
Are You Allowed to Make Changes?
How would you feel if you bought a home only to realize that you aren't allowed to upgrade or remodel it as you wish to? This will be the case if you buy a historic house. A historic home is one that the government wishes to preserve because of its historic value; there are a few characteristics that a house has to meet to be considered as such. You may not be allowed to replace the roof, windows or original paint of the house. Therefore, find out if the old house you are interested in is a historic house before buying it.
Does it Contain Hazardous Materials?
Some old homes contain dangerous materials that may threaten your health—common examples include asbestos and lead. Asbestos was originally used in different building materials such as siding, floor tiles, and roofing. Lead was mostly used in manufacturing plumbing materials and paint. Both substances are poisonous, and removing them from a house requires professional help, which comes at an expense. Therefore, find out if the old house has any of those (or any other) dangerous materials first.
How Long Can it Last?
Lastly, you also need to know whether the house can last many more years or it is nearing the end of its lifetime. There is no use buying a home that will only last for four more years or so; houses are long-term investments. Of course, you may have to replace individual components such as the carport or sinks; concern yourself with the actual structures of the house such as the walls and roof.
It is not easy to know exactly how long a house may last; if an old house is the only one still standing from its era, then it is nearing the end of its life. However, if most of the houses from its era are still standing, it's a safe bet that it can last a few more years still.
To find old and new homes alike, check out local house listings.
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