# Buying an older house - pros and cons? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 23, 2004, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-an-older-house-pros-and-cons/261100 "2004-08-23T15:52:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2004, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-an-older-house-pros-and-cons/261100/21 "2004-08-24T21:52:06Z")
Fffftt, you new-worlders are quaint…my house is nearly 200 years old, but is a recent addition compared to what’s around it. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2004, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-an-older-house-pros-and-cons/261100/22 "2004-08-24T22:11:58Z")
I was about to say the same thing, but you’ve got me beat by a few years…my brownstone rowhouse only dates to 1884. \*Little boxes on the hillside, Little boxes made of ticky-tacky, Little boxes, little boxes, Little boxes, all the same. There’s a green one and a pink one And a blue one and a yellow one And they’re all made out of ticky-tacky And they all look just the same. \* ---
**Author:** ![aaslatten](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f14d63/32.png) [@aaslatten](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aaslatten)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2004, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-an-older-house-pros-and-cons/261100/23 "2004-08-24T23:02:11Z")
I certainly had way more problems with my 1960s house than my 1887 house, for what it’s worth. My old house survived Galveston’s Great Storm – now that’s what I call a house. Sure, it needed lots of cosmetic renovation, but the house didn’t seem to mind waiting for it, either. One thing that I don’t think I saw mentioned yet is energy efficiency and climate control. My old house had gas heaters and window unit air conditioners. We froze during Galveston’s brief wintry periods and spent a fortune running the little window units. Surprisingly, though, the house did remain fairly cool, because of the tall ceilings. Anyway, find a house with central air and heating if at all possible. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2004, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-an-older-house-pros-and-cons/261100/24 "2004-08-24T23:11:38Z")
> [@aaslatten](#): > > One thing that I don’t think I saw mentioned yet is energy efficiency and climate control Fair point. Old British houses aren’t a problem becuase insulation can be improved dramatically with cavity wall insulation and a ceiling full of glass fibre. And A/C simply isn’t needed in any house (unfortuantely ☹ …) ---
**Author:** ![MaryEFoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@MaryEFoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaryEFoo)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2004, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-an-older-house-pros-and-cons/261100/25 "2004-08-25T01:12:26Z")
As **CrazyCatLady** said, > [@](#): > > I think typically offers are contingent on the place passing inspection. Ours was, anyway. You put down your earnest money, and the realtor puts in an offer for you. Then you either get an acceptance, a rejection, or a counter-offer. Once your offer is accepted, you have inspections done. Don’t cheap out and just get a general home inspection–get specialty inspections done on the wiring and plumbing, at the very least. If the house passes inspection, you go forward. If something doesn’t pass inspection, the present owner can fix it out of his own pocket, you can reduce your offer by the amount the repairs will cost you, you can let it slide if it’s something minor, or you can choose to withdraw your offer. We got the inspections, and got the price reduced by the costs; contractors were signed up and the money into escrow, which satisfied the lender, all in one deal. Ours: 1927, 2000 square feet, 3 bedrooms one bath, typical small closets, nice big kitchen, nice big breakfast nook, mudroom, living room separated by an arch from dining room, stucco (lath & plaster), front porch, fireplace, oak floors, nice moldings, high ceilings. Insufficient electrical outlets, no power in garage, ground in back slants toward the house, not too much (bad) work done before our time. The escrow money was for dry rot, cracked chimney ('89 earthquake), re-do front porch, misc. I love it. The back of the house had cracks which were caused by the ground swelling in rainy season and shrinking in dry; I dug a “french drain” that started at the gutter downspout and led to a “dry well” way in back by the tree (that took away the water and drained it into a sandy layer 8’ down, and reduced the movement to almost nothing). ---
**Author:** ![Lissa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lissa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissa)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2004, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-an-older-house-pros-and-cons/261100/26 "2004-08-25T14:49:49Z")
> [@Laughing Lagomorph](#): > > One thing I have noticed in the older houses around here…these date from approximately 1900 to 1920…is that the closets are significantly smaller than what people these days are used to. People must have had way fewer clothes back then, and they certainly had less junk in general. Not all of them. I just bought a house built in 1938 which has walk-in closets. (The builder had three teenage daughters. He was a smart man.) My house is amazing. Everything was fully updated and brought up to code. The bathrooms were redone, and all of the wood floors and mouldings were in _perfect_ shape. Not only that, but it has an attic and basement which are fully finish-able. (The attic is going to be my library once it’s finished.) When we’re done, the house will be over 4,000 square feet. This place is heaven! > [@](#): > > Other potential issues you might run into in an old house that you wouldn’t in a brand new one are lead paint and asbestos. When it comes to asbestos, sometimes it’s better left alone. I used to know a guy who owned a company specializing in asbestos removal. He said people tend to treat it like it’s radiocactive-- they want it _out_, and don’t care what it takes. But in some cases, he said, it’s better to leave it where it is. It depends on the condition. If it’s crumbling or powdering, it’s better to remove it, but if it’s solid and in good shape, removing it actually puts your family more at risk, because it throws the asbestos dust into the air. The same is with lead paint. Lead paint is pretty much benign unless you have a kid who’s into eating paint chips. (Lead paint tastes sweet, which is why kids will munch on it.) Removing it often casts a lot of lead dust into the air which can be inhaled, or consumed if it gets on dishes and utensils, or if it gets on surfaces where baby’s hands touch, and thence into the mouth. A while back, we removed lead paint in the museum in which I work. For days, my throat and mouth were coated with its sweet taste. I kept wondering when I’d collapse of lead poisoning. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![MysteryFellow63427](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e4f/32.png) [@MysteryFellow63427](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MysteryFellow63427)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2004, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-an-older-house-pros-and-cons/261100/27 "2004-08-25T21:10:16Z")
> [@bizzwire](#): > > 1. Check local codes before you start building. One of the bedrooms in our house had a small closet which was not shown on the original plan on file with the town. However, the architect’s plans _did_ show it. According to the inspector, this meant that we technically added a bedroom (evidently closet=bedroom), and in our town, code is that all new bedrooms have to have a hardwired smoke detector installed- a $3000 cost we definitely didn’t anticipate. Please tell me you did not spend three thousand bucks on a smoke detector for a closet. If you did, I think you got hornswoggled. ---
**Author:** ![MissTake](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misstake/32/3189_2.png) [@MissTake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MissTake)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2004, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-an-older-house-pros-and-cons/261100/28 "2004-08-25T21:49:27Z")
A few years ago when I first went ‘a house huntin’, I fell in love with a house built in 1905. Unfortunately, there were so many problems with it, I had to pass. The roof was actually 4 layers of shingles on top of each other over the inital board. When I did the ol’ marble roll on the GORGEOUS wood floors upstairs, they shot all around- not a level floor or plumb line to be found. We couldn’t get to the furnace as the stairs to the basement had rotted. Also, there had been a massive reno in the '70’s wherein the plaster was panneled over, the ceiling dropped, and much of it was wallpapered in a gold/white flocked hellishness. I still wish I could’ve bought that house. I’m now in my sisters house, built in 1948. She owned it for a few years before she moved on to greener and newer pastures. The previous owner redid the kitchen, but not so well. The cabinets don’t quite fit. Whomever layed the vinyl flooring did a craptacular job. They removed the tile in the bathroom, heavily stucco painting where it was. Also, rather than removing whatever tile was on the bathroom floor, they put vinyl floring on top, you have you to step up 3/4" to the bathroom. In another thread I’m be-woeing the paint removal on the woodwork and doors. I do know that at one point the kitchen was a dark mauve-y color. Most of the woodwork is painted over white, with a minty green underneath. Ghastly. We did upgrade the electrical system right before I moved in. Didn’t take much- put two separate fuse boxes into one new breaker box and added a few outlets in the basement. I also had a roof put on, but the previous roof was only 15 years old. It may seem like a lot of work, but compared to what my parents went through when they bought a brand new house- I’ll take it any time. They have had mold problems, a bathroom ceiling fell in due to moisture, their siding rotted within 5 years of moving in, carpeting was incorrectly installed… Also, a note on closets. In many cities, closets were considered separate rooms and therefore taxable. Not one house that I looked at built pre-1915 here in Minneapolis had original closets. If a house you adore is on the market, go for it- especially if it is now in your price range! ---
**Author:** ![Dogzilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@Dogzilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogzilla)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2004, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-an-older-house-pros-and-cons/261100/29 "2004-08-25T22:44:00Z")
My house was built in 1941. I bought it from a guy who had lived in it for 15 years and had spent most of that time restoring and updating it. He had an old home restoration business. I have brand new wiring, brand new plumbing all done well and up to code, I have central heat and air, gas water heater, new appliances and great insulation. I now have a second floor, built in 1989. Ten foot privacy fence around the entire backyard which is complete with a little greenhouse. I know the guy who did the work; he gave me receipts and warranties and a big envelope full of owners’ manuals to everything in the house. I enjoy all the benefits of living in an old house: crystal doorknobs, crown moulding, baseboards, chair rails, creaky wooden floors, really cool antique cast iron fireplace cover. But I enjoy all the benefits of a brand spankin’ new house: modern plumbing, newish applicances, central heat and air. I wouldn’t have it any other way. ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2004, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-an-older-house-pros-and-cons/261100/30 "2004-08-26T03:52:11Z")
I recently bought a farmhouse built in 1849. It was in the same family the entire time until I bought it and the last owner died here at the age of 99. The house is far from perfect - the floors slope, only one room has a closet, only one bathroom. No central heat and air. 13 burst pipes. All that being said, I love my house. It doesn’t bother me to live a little rough. It has 12’ ceilings and four fireplaces. I’m gradually updating things. I have 14 acres of my own with another 450 acres uninhabited around me (until the people who bought those parcels start building). My yard is filled with lilacs, peonies, clematis, iris, daffodils and other old-fashioned flowers. And the plus side is the house was inexpensive enough that I can afford to update things. My step-father is a licensed contractor and he’s retired, so tinkering with my house is his new hobby. It will never be as comfortable as a new house with all the mod cons, but it’s unique. StG ---
**Author:** ![smartini](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/22d042/32.png) [@smartini](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smartini)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2004, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-an-older-house-pros-and-cons/261100/31 "2004-08-26T12:19:55Z")
We live in an older home, c.1930s and love it, although we have encountered many of the problems stated in other posts. It is a small bungalow type house so one thing we have had to do is really make hard choices about how we want to use the space since older homes were not designed to be lived in as we do now. When we re-did the kitchen, for example, we had to use _every_ inch of space available and really consider the size of appliances, finally giving up a little back porch/deck space so we could recess the fridge and get it out of the way. Nothing is exactly “plumb” or “square” which drives my husband nuts…"&%@!!&@ somebody oughta be shot" I hear a lot when he is working on a project and usually it is because something didn’t “fit” perfectly. Looks fine to me however. :rolleyes: But we also get nice little surprises. Like when we discovered beautiful oak floors in the kitchen under about 3 layers of linoueum and one layer of ceramic tile. Of course, we had to investigate because the previous owner had done a crappy job with the ceramic tile and it was cracking. :eek: We love it though. With all its problems it is a solid little house which we both prefer over new construction. And the neighborhood and yard is very established. Its a really personal call. Live where you really feel at home. If you get that feeling, then that is probably where you need to be. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2004, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-an-older-house-pros-and-cons/261100/32 "2004-08-26T12:21:59Z")
> [@avabeth](#): > > **elmwood** , we’re probably looking at similarly-styled houses - we’re in Canton. Possibly … this house is on the top of my list of the so far; I’m looking at it on Saturday. [http://tinyurl.com/6tmeh](http://tinyurl.com/6tmeh) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-an-older-house-pros-and-cons/261100.md?page=1)