1870's Victorian (floors, dehumidifier, foundation, fireplaces)

[nj2ny]

We recently found a house that we're liking a lot. It's an old Victorian from the 1870's...

The main house appears to be very well kept and in great shape. There was an addition put on and it seems sound but can definitly use some work.

I was wondering if anyone else has taken on one of the houses and how they feel about it. This house has A LOT of potential and my wife and I can see ourselves spending our lives there improving and enjoying it.

Anything I need to watch out for?

[Cecilia_Rose]

is this your first old house. Ive lived in my 1850's brick for a while now. Before that we owned several early frame houses. Are you going to rehab or restore your house. It makes a big difference.

Either way the first thing I would have checked is foundation and stuctural stuff. Hidden termite damage. Rotten beams from plumbing leaks. All that good stuff. Oh and just because it looks good doesnt mean its good underneath. Check good. Peeps dont aways fix things right over the years. And sometimes they paint over them to hide them. This is money pit stuff.

[nj2ny]

Hi Cecilia, Thanks for your response.

This will not only be our first old house, but it will be our first house alltogether!

I am not exactly clear on rehab vs. remodel but, there are many original touch to the home which we want to preserve (crown molding, floors, stairs, windows, doors, etc...
Other things like the kitchen, bathroom we would like to completely re-do and update.

I definitly plan on having extensive inspections done on the home if we do decide to go foward with it.

[Historic Bessemer]

We have a 1900 Early Eclectic..........love it..........lots of work but worth it! There are several Queen ann and folk Victorians in our neighborhood!

[Cecilia_Rose]

Originally Posted by nj2ny

Hi Cecilia, Thanks for your response.

This will not only be our first old house, but it will be our first house alltogether!

I am not exactly clear on rehab vs. remodel but, there are many original touch to the home which we want to preserve (crown molding, floors, stairs, windows, doors, etc...
Other things like the kitchen, bathroom we would like to completely re-do and update.

I definitly plan on having extensive inspections done on the home if we do decide to go foward with it.

Congrats on your first house. The reason I asked rehab or restore is some peeps buy an old house then they rehab all the character out of it. Sounds like you plan on restoring yours. Is it move in ready or do you need to do some work.

[wastina]

I grew up in an 1870s Victorian in Ohio, and loved it. Here are a few things to look for:

1. furnace/air conditioning. Our house ended up having three furnaces (two in the basement and one in the attic). Utility prices are skyrocketing, and this became an issue. Check the quality of the furnaces (cracked plates) and ask about past bills. Unless you want to get in to the considerable expense of reworking ducts, you're stuck with the air paths (assuming forced air) you're getting, so count on $5,000 a furnace to replace, if needed. (Also, find a company with experience working in older homes.)

2. Windows. While the older (warped) glass is kind of cool, the wooden windowframes look to be hard to deal with. Check for rot, termites (throughout the house, too), and the integrity of the window cord (that pulls the window up/down). If the house doesn't already have storn windows, note that you may want to add that, too.

3. Fireplaces. I presume they're there. If so, are they functional (supposedly?) If so, have someone check out the integrity of the chimneys and advise as to what needs to be done to fix them/clean them out.

4. Dry basement. How dry does the basement feel? Is there a dehumidifier? Ask some neigbors if you can see their basement for comparison. (Note that a damp basement may not necessarily be a problem, depending on what you plan to do with it).

5. General maintenance. An old house needs a lot of maintenance. You may find that you need to plaster walls/ceilings on occasion, and paint the outside on a regular basis. That's a lot of area to cover.

6. If you have comparable houses nearby, ask to see those houses, too. Many Victorians were initially similar and have been renovated away from the original construction. Your neighbors houses may help you find old doors (including pocket doors), windows, fireplaces and floors which have been built over.

I guess none of these are hugely different from buying any house. It takes the right kind of family to want to buy an older house these days, and Victorians can be wonderful homes for families prepared to deal with them, love them and to live with them. It sounds like you're an excellent candidate!

[windtimber]

We've never lived in a house that was newer than the mid-1930's. Our current residence is "sort of" a half-timbered Tudor built around 1905.

If you're going to enjoy old house living you have to be prepared to not live a pristine, sub-development life! When things go bump in the night it usually means something broke. Do you have basic plumbing, electrical, and carpentry skills? A lot of old house repairs can be done by the homeowner - if he or she has the right skills and the necessary time. That said, you certainly can hire all the work done - but it helps to have some background so you can at least do an initial "diagnosis" and keep tabs on overzealous, sometimes misguided, craftsmen. Originally I did all the work - now time and age make that a little harder. So I hire more done. That said, the guys I hire know I speak the language, can do the same work if I want to, and since I respect their skills and they know they can't fool or buffalo me, we have a great working relationship. In fact, my HVAC guy periodically calls me up to see if I have a minute to go to unusual old house jobs with him because he knows I'm interested and we get along well.

So, if you have, or can develop, those skills, you'll do just fine.

Also, be prepared for:

- Dressing like the old days in the winter. Old houses aren't buttoned up tight and draft free! There's no wandering around in shorty pajamas on Sunday morning in January!
-New hobbies - like what my wife describes as my hobby - "Recreational Plumbing." There's usually always a drip, leak, clogged drain, etc. that will be happy to take up your Saturday afternoon.
- Substantial utility bills. Insulation is often lacking and even with retrofitted cellulose and lots of reworking in the attic, there's only so much you can do. So, go back to the first point and remember to dress like it's 1870 and you can save some dollars on heating oil!

There are a lot more things I could say, but suffice to say if you take old house living with the right attitude, it is a wonderful thing. A restored old home is a great place to live and raise a family. If being a handyman, gardener, painter, refinisher, etc. is not your cup of tea and you want things nice and clean, new and always working perfectly, rethink things a bit!

Either way, good luck!

[Tesaje]

Even much newer houses present all kinds of repair and maintenance work.

You don't buy a house, you buy a hobby.

Even more so with an antique. I dress warmly to keep the thermostat down because I don't want to pay half my salary in heating. The prices are too high...

[Noahma]

Originally Posted by nj2ny

Hi Cecilia, Thanks for your response.

This will not only be our first old house, but it will be our first house alltogether!

I am not exactly clear on rehab vs. remodel but, there are many original touch to the home which we want to preserve (crown molding, floors, stairs, windows, doors, etc...
Other things like the kitchen, bathroom we would like to completely re-do and update.

I definitly plan on having extensive inspections done on the home if we do decide to go foward with it.

you want to check all the electrical in the house as well. the old stuff was wrapped in cloth. you will probably find newspaper insulation inside the walls if any at all. The type of framing they did back then was called "Balloon Framing" how this is built, they build the exterior of the house from ground to roof. and "hang" the floors between that, instead of the newer type of framing called "platform framing" where they build the first floor, place the second floor directly on top of the walls, then build the upper walls on top of that. The reason for the importance of this is fire proofing. If you plan on opening up the walls, you want to install blocks between all studs in the exterior walls, this will slow a fire breakout in case something does cause a fire. Double check all your plumbing and make sure it is not lead pipes (yep they did use these) and remove any asbestos you find carefully and with face masks, or better yet, get a cleaning crew that can clean hazardous materials to take it out

There are Reclaim businesses out there that have period doors / windows / details and companies that can reproduce pieces of original work that are damage beyond repair, you need to save the original piece and let them use it to make a die (sp?) to be able to mill the new stuff. I envy you, I have wanted an old house for a long long time, but it is just not in my budget at the moment.

[BITTER_SC]

During the late 1960's, I saw a very short, very entertaining and I suppose, in a way, very sad indie movie about a type of dwelling(s) and/or type of community on the rise. The film had a song in it, perhaps making it the first music video ever??? It was done in time lapse photography and an entire development of these ricki-ticki houses went up right before the viewers' eyes. I think there was some sort of statement being made which wasn't too hard to get: these brand new cookie-cutter "homes" (....and they're all made of ticki-tack & they all look the same) would soon be filled with ricki-ticki inhabitants. I did a google search and even tried IMDb with no luck. Ah, schicki-ticki!

Good luck! because you possess good taste!!

You should post before and after shots of your new baby here:

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