Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Although I'm not in the market right now, for future retirement it's my dream to buy an old historic home somewhere and take advantage of the various grants and tax breaks available for restoring it to historically accurate condition. Does anyone know of a national website for listings of such houses (as opposed to going through each individual state's historic preservation sites)?
I will also add that, having once served on a fund raiser board for an historic house, the odds of finding ANY grants, loan programs or even alleged tax breaks that do more than a token bit to make such a project economically feasible are essentially impossible. You MIGHT get help from local colleges, using their students to track down some of the historic details so that you don't end up painting the thing in some colors that did not exist for the time period you are trying to preserve and similar arcane stuff, but as far as actual LABOR &MATERIALS be prepared to sink way more into the place than it is worth. This the need for most such places to be setup as a non- for-profit endeavor, with an educational / cultural mission. Even really impressive structures are all but impossible to find any firm in the building products industry to donate materials to. You need a "rain maker" with political connections to strong arm rich people into donating. Of course that won't happen if your intention is to live in the home,mthose rich folks will expect to use the place for their wedding receptions and other events while it is not overrun with kids on time wasting field trips...
. Of course that won't happen if your intention is to live in the home,mthose rich folks will expect to use the place for their wedding receptions and other events while it is not overrun with kids on time wasting field trips...
To be perfectly honest, I would only fix the house up [i]just enough[i] to qualify for any available help, and that would only be because people aren't allowed to live in condemned houses. I've found some I would happily move into in a heartbeat, only public health officials would never allow it (which is outrageous in my opinion).
A friend of mine is a historic restoration architect. One day we were walking by a neat looking old place in my neighborhood. Great bones, but had been converted into apartments and trashed. A large 1920s craftsman, I think.
I commented that it would be really nice if someone could gut it and re-do it to its original splendor. Friend agreed, and commented "That is a great way to spend $500k on a house that would ultimately getcha $250k."
commented that it would be really nice if someone could gut it and re-do it to its original splendor. Friend agreed, and commented "That is a great way to spend $500k on a house that would ultimately getcha $250k."
IOW: Be careful!
You should never "gut" an historic house - unless you want to destroy the value.
Usually when an old house was divided into apartments, they put up the partitions in obvious places, without destroying the existing house. So if you want to convert it back, the first step is to remove the "new" walls, and take out the extra kitchens, etc., and see what you're left with - and go from there. You'll probably have most of the original doors and floors, at the very least.
If you "gut" it, and redesign the layout of the house, then you end up with a Frankenstein house with none of the original charm - and those are much harder to sell, than a vintage house that has lovingly and gently been brought back to life.
You are reading to much into my choice of words in this case. No matter, as it wasn't my point. My point was the cost benefit analysis that must be done with older buildings.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
