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I remember hearing a nightmare story about a couple who bought a very old house to have renovated. During the renovation the contractor found a hidden dumbwaiter system original to the house. Somehow the historic society got involved and all the permits were removed. They had to bring in a new contractor who specialized in local historic houses and needed 10x the amount of permits. The reno ended up costing them 3x what they had originally planned and they were limited to the changes they could make as it had to stay "historic".
Good point; if your old home is in a historic district, you'll have to jump through hoops to make any changes to it. However, this rural place out in the country probably isn't.
Seriously considering buying a really old but historic farmhouse that has some issues. In my late 50s and this house sits in a bucolic and peaceful setting. Wanting out of the city life. Am I nuts? I'll have the inspections done etc etc. Anyone else happy with or regret buying an much older home in their later years? I'm on the fence. Anyway just looking for thoughts. Thank you kind people.
What does "Some Issues" mean? To one person it means that there are a few windows that are stuck shut and a leaky faucet and a closet door that won't stay on its track. To another person "some issues" means that the wood siding has rot and will need to be gone through and repaired/replaced as needed and repainted, the wiring is suspect to the point that you're anxious about using a microwave, significant rot, etc.
I remember hearing a nightmare story about a couple who bought a very old house to have renovated. During the renovation the contractor found a hidden dumbwaiter system original to the house. Somehow the historic society got involved and all the permits were removed. They had to bring in a new contractor who specialized in local historic houses and needed 10x the amount of permits. The reno ended up costing them 3x what they had originally planned and they were limited to the changes they could make as it had to stay "historic".
Just FYI
If it's a concern for you, it's definitely worth researching. This varies a lot from location to location. My house is in a historic district, and it's a meaningless title. My neighbors installed vinyl replacement windows, and used vinyl siding when they rebuilt the porch. (just on the low porch walls, but they're trying to convince their landlord to cover the rest of the house in vinyl siding, too). But, on the plus side, I can paint my house whatever colors I want.
I remember hearing a nightmare story about a couple who bought a very old house to have renovated. During the renovation the contractor found a hidden dumbwaiter system original to the house. Somehow the historic society got involved and all the permits were removed. They had to bring in a new contractor who specialized in local historic houses and needed 10x the amount of permits. The reno ended up costing them 3x what they had originally planned and they were limited to the changes they could make as it had to stay "historic".
Just FYI
Yes, in the UK, these structures are listed. In the UK a listed building is a structure of particular architectural and/or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, Cadw in Wales, and the Northern Ireland Environment Agency in Northern Ireland. The term has also been used in the Republic of Ireland, where buildings are protected under the Planning and Development Act 2000, although the statutory term in Ireland is "protected structure".
A listed building may not be demolished, extended, or altered without special permission from the local planning authority, which typically consults the relevant central government agency, particularly for significant alterations to the more notable listed buildings. In England and Wales, a national amenity society must be notified of any work to a listed building which involves any element of demolition.
Exemption from secular listed building control is provided for some buildings in current use for worship, but only in cases where the relevant religious organisation operates its own equivalent permissions procedure. Owners of listed buildings are, in some circumstances, compelled to repair and maintain them and can face criminal prosecution if they fail to do so or if they perform unauthorised alterations. When alterations are permitted, or when listed buildings are repaired or maintained, the owners are often required to use specific materials or techniques.
It can be a huge problem for a homeowner, but on the whole, I am in favour of protecting such structures.
i fell in love with a beautiful lot/location that had a home built in 1920. my husband was very hesitant to buy it and i insisted. it was a wreck! it took 4 years to rehab the house, had to rehab because of environmental constraints by the EPA, and 4x the budget we anticipated when we purchased the property. we were in our 40s with children at home when we bought it.
would i do it again? yep, if i was in my 40s. that land was our dream location and the house was beautiful when we finished the project. however, it took a tremendous amount of blood, sweat, tears and money to complete it. when the kids left, we sold it for a very good profit....we found another person to love that gorgeous location and the home. it sold in one day.
Last edited by texan2yankee; 02-06-2023 at 03:07 PM..
i fell in love with a beautiful lot/location that had a home built in 1920. my husband was very hesitant to buy it and i insisted. it was a wreck! it took 4 years to rehab the house, had to rehab because of environmental constraints by the EPA, and 4x the budget we anticipated when we purchased the property. we were in our 40s with children at home when we bought it.
would i do it again? yep, if i was in my 40s. that land was our dream location and the house was beautiful when we finished the project. however, it took a tremendous amount of blood, sweat, tears and money to complete it. when the kids left, we sold it for a very good profit....we found another person to love that gorgeous location and the home. it sold in one day.
1. You are very handy & can spend hours & $$$ on fixing & repairing all over the house
2. You have millions you can use to pay people to keep repairing things.
This ^^^
You might not need millions, but you'll certainly need a lot of money set aside for repairs/maintenance.
If that not an issue and you love the property... buy it.
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). But, on the plus side, I can paint my house whatever colors I want.
