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Make sure you have a great inspector. You won't know what's behind the walls. I've been watching Property Brothers and they buy fixer uppers and a few times they found knob and tube wiring connected to new wiring or non grounded 2 prong wiring with newer outlets with 3 prongs. Also since they tear down walls to get open concepts they sometimes find asbestos wrapped around pipes or ducts.
That wouldn't be a problem, if they would just leave those walls alone!
I don't mind the age or the look/layout of an old house per se, but more worried about the poisonous construction materials used in building them, such as lead paint, asbestos, mercury etc. Lead paint was banned in 1979, and asbestos was banned in 1989. Does this mean buying a house built before 1989 is a big NO-NO? Thanks.
We own a 1946 bungalow. Most of what you list -- lead, asbestos, old wiring, etc -- can be dealt with fairly easily. The biggest issue with older home is what the previous owners did to them. Its fairly common for the older homes in my neighborhood to have had multiple renovations and additions done to them over their lifetime, some of low quality. Floor plans with poorly done additions can be totally messed up. In other instances, poor quality contractors can cut corners and compromise the structure of the home (ie, like cutting or notching joists). The remedy to this is to have a thorough home inspection performed by a person with experience in older homes. Research the history of the home including whether permits were pulled for renovations and additions.
In our case, it appeared everything was done by the book. But when we did a bathroom renovation, we found lots of evidence of poorly performed work in the past, including notched joists and joists not connected to any structure. This was remedied by reframing the area to code, but these are the typical surprises you will find in older homes that have been modified many times over.
Good for you. I don't like the hassle of renovation either, which can expose the toxic materials. How do you test the asbestos and other toxic stuffs in the building materials?
Asbestos wasn't used in building materials until the 1940s (all kinds of toxic stuff emerged from the WWII industry, which converted products to household application), so we didn't have to worry about that. The only thing we did was to check for radon in the basement, but you'd have to do that for any house from any period.
We bought a great house built in '54. One of our best houses. Roof was good, furnace was good and it only needed new kitchen cabinets and counter tops and that was it. Wood floors were awesome. Everything else was, too. Sold it when we moved.
I would buy an old home in a heartbeat. Unfortunately around here, every thing is a 1960s ranch or 1970s tri-level. Ugh. I wish we had some 1920s Craftsman style houses around here. I would be in heaven. I'd also take an old farm house, but most around here have no original character left. I could do a Mid-Century Mod but they are rare here. Old Victorians are around, but they are typically in larger cities in not so great neighborhoods. Most are coming back, but safety is still an issue.
I wish I had a few hundred grand to restore this beauty. But I would need a new job, too, since it is too far to commute. I've honestly thought about sending Nicole Curtis the link. It is only 20-30 minutes from her hometown. I'd love to see someone restore this properly. https://www.trulia.com/property/3140...apeer-MI-48446
That is a neat house! I would love to see someone restore its charm.
I have a 1970's tri-level, which is rare in my area. I love the house and the layout is perfect for our family. It also has lots of character that is just not common today.
I don't mind the age or the look/layout of an old house per se, but more worried about the poisonous construction materials used in building them, such as lead paint, asbestos, mercury etc. Lead paint was banned in 1979, and asbestos was banned in 1989. Does this mean buying a house built before 1989 is a big NO-NO? Thanks.
If that's the case, a good chunk of U.S. residents need to bulldoze their homes ASAP.
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