Anyone buy a house here recently? Found an amazing older house. Nervous process but would love any input from what you learned or would’ve done
Discussion
like what? houses R my bread&butter
Is it worth having an electrician inspect on top of the general inspecter
if it's been updated/the service/ a general should be able to handle it. But, i always check into reputation or friends for known capability if poss.
what yr built?
1908
so i assume not built on slab but a foundation/could send a pic of panel/breaker boxes & anything else for inquiry
Best I got at the moment I did snap a pic of it
updated wiring/not the cleanest work but wouldn't slow me down to checking further if you want it
We were told they removed the knob and tube. Couple years back. Don’t have any more pics
Not recently, but our house is ~100 years old.
Be sure to get proper surveys done, and land searches. So both ensure you understand the structural state of the house, its condition, what may require improvements/repairs (and thus add to the costs). Ensure the survey has checked for signs of subsidence as foundation repairs are difficult and expensive.
More standard advice for any purchase is to ensure you know the neighbourhood. I don't just mean "good schools, good neighbours, transport links". Is there a waste treatment facility in the vicinity that you weren't aware of? Flood lines?
Good luck, it is exciting times!
Thanks appreciate it. It’s 100 years old also
You're very welcome!
A few more old house tips:
- You'll likely be pleasantly surprised (or not), that the materials and construction standard from 100y ago is actually a lot better than the new shit they do today. Back then they were built to last. Nowadays they are built to minimise materials and workmanship (i.e., minimised quality).
- Conversely, some stuff like double glazed windows may be missing, or insulation. Changing all the windows can be a costly affair.
Get a good inspection done pronto. Even if it costs a lot. Helps identify hidden deal breakers and even if not deal breakers helps with negotiating price.
Make sure you inspect the HVAC systems thoroughly.
Have you owned a house before? Older houses need their maintenance .. but newer houses do too.
I’ve chosen to own, but there are some people that aren’t handy and are habitually nervous and maybe it isn’t for them. I met a guy yesterday that owns a house, and he rents it out with a property manager and lives in an apartment. He said “it’s nice to call a number and say ‘please change such and such lightbulb’ and then it’s done when you get off work.”
Mother in Law bought last fall, and now her old house sits on the market. She’s thinking about withdrawing it and just renting it out. I think we are quietly in a buyers market pretty deeply right now actually. So if it’s “the” house for you then disregard this, but otherwise start lowballing. Market is stagnated, and old houses cost more than the initial sticker price.
Ya we would only low ball for sure. I’m handy. Thx
Awesome! Since you’re handy, addendum to my advice.. do you have kids? Haha
I feel like buying worse house on better land is superior to buying a dream house in a bad location. Bonus points if the land is logically divisible to create generational wealth. We are compound living right now, with my mom, and planning to rent out our place. Family compounds are not for everybody, but debt is for nobody lol. The big guys will print more money, you can always build a house, but the big guys can’t print more land and the time of the little guys buying more land feels like it has a horizon to it.
Yes to kids. It’s 4+ acres
From friends… If it has a basement with a lot of humidity and mold, look somewhere else!
