Tarheel Heather Posted January 24, 2008 Share Posted January 24, 2008 We are considering an older home that has been completely remodeled, built in 1905. We have four pages of items that the owner has repaired, reworked, refinished. It is extensive. The house is beautiful. Anyway, what do you love/hate about your house? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stirsmommy Posted January 24, 2008 Share Posted January 24, 2008 We bought our 1908 house in May. It was in quite good shape except for the dysfunctional kitchen. I have been remodeling the kitchen for 3 mos so I am a little weary when it comes to such things. I love the woodwork and character of my home. I enjoy the wavy glass of the original windows (most somehow have lasted this long). I really hate the drafts and will be working on that this spring and summer. Our house had had its wiring and plumbing updated on most floors. We did have to bring some things up to newer code when we remodeled. I love the old fashioned radiator heat as I don't find it as drying as forced air. Just a note though if you have big furniture it might not go in your house. When we moved in I had a couch and side by side fridge for the basement. They were freecycled when they couldn't make it through the narrow passages. Also a lot of my bedroom type furniture was a beast to get upstairs and took a lot of creative moving skills. And that was with my wide staircase in the front. All in all though it really is my favorite house I have had. Melissa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather in the Kootenays Posted January 24, 2008 Share Posted January 24, 2008 My house was built in around 1920 and was also extensively renovated. I love the feel and the look of the house - it's very spacious and has lots of wood. What I hate about it is that the renovater didn't focus on improving the insulation and the general weatherproofing of the house. We're gradually sealing it up but it's still a bit drafty in cold weather. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marie in Oh Posted January 24, 2008 Share Posted January 24, 2008 from what people have said about the foundation and floor beams, they say it is probably more like 1850. The floor beams are hand hewn oak logs. Anyway, it is completely remodled except the master bedroom floor which we plan to do as soon as remodled kitchen is paid for. There is also an addition that was put on in 2000-- a 2 car garage and 3 bedrooms, 1.5 bathrooms, and a laundry room. What we don't like: it is drafty and poorly insulated. We have reinsulated and will probably continue to do so (ie. blow some into the walls) but it is still drafty and cold, and I think our heating costs are higher than those with a new house. No matter how much you remodel, there is still old stuff (like our stone foundation and hand hewn oak floor beams). We gutted our kitchen -- all the way to the studs, the floor joists etc. That means plaster, and mess, mess, mess. Most people just cover it up so it is probably still there to some extent. What we like-- location, location, location. Most of the new houses here are built on corn fields-- no trees, no creeks, no character. Our home, since it is so old, is situated on 6 acres of woods and a creek. Olds homes usually have the nicest lots with mature trees, etc. We like our house, but it would be nice if it was all new. Our kitchen is wonderful-- it was such a pain to get it there though. I would make sure the remodling was done right, not just covering up the old stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stirsmommy Posted January 24, 2008 Share Posted January 24, 2008 My house was built in around 1920 and was also extensively renovated. I love the feel and the look of the house - it's very spacious and has lots of wood. What I hate about it is that the renovater didn't focus on improving the insulation and the general weatherproofing of the house. We're gradually sealing it up but it's still a bit drafty in cold weather. Heather, What all are y'all doing to seal it? That is my biggest issue right now in the dead of winter here in MN. I have window quilts in the sunroom and if the wind blows they will make a crinkle noise as they expand. That is about all we have at the moment. Melissa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted January 24, 2008 Share Posted January 24, 2008 We own an 1830s home, if that helps. We love the proportions, the garden square it's on, the city centre location. When we had central heating put in, it took about a month to warm up (too many years of damp) but now the thick walls keep it warm. It has enormous windows, which are great in summer, but need heavy curtains to keep warm in winter. Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MelaniePA Posted January 24, 2008 Share Posted January 24, 2008 Our house was built in 1888. The space is great. It has much of the original wood(trim inside and out, pocket doors, siding, etc). The insulating is poor, we are slowly doing what we can to help in the winter. Our attic floor was partially blown, and the rest has insulation laid down until we are able to finish the attic into rooms. Newer windows would help and we are also in discussions about new siding but keeping all the original trims and such. This is the first winter that the 2nd floor has actually been warmer than the first floor. We keep our heat low though so we don't worry too much about the heat we are losing. The wiring was updated from the knob and tube on the first and second floor but just disconnected on the 3rd so there is no electric up there yet. Honestly, I love the house. I'd love to move it to get into the country but it is too big to get off our street! It is a good size lot though which is rare in this town anyways so we are happy with it. We will always have more upkeep on it than a newer home but in my opinion it is very much worth it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in NC Posted January 24, 2008 Share Posted January 24, 2008 My house was built in 2001 and I do not have many problems. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littlefamily Posted January 24, 2008 Share Posted January 24, 2008 We lived in a 1890 victorian for most of our married life, moved and bought a 1920's home and then moved again and bought a house built in 2003. Would give up this new house in an instant for an old house. In old houses, you always have a "project" that needs to be done even though it may have been remodeled. But we have actually had more serious issues with the new house because of "shortcuts" that are still up to building code... :( What I love about old houses: They are not cookie cutter and have beautiful craftsmanship. I love the cozy feel of smaller rooms, dormered ceilings, real fireplaces (my new fireplace starts with the flip of a switch - that's no fire!), substantial woodwork. They can be drafty in the winter although, I love the warmth from radiators. My checklist when looking at an old house- Is the electrical updated? - we updated the 1920's from knob and tube wiring and let me tell you that was a mess with the plaster walls! Is the plumbing updated? - again would be a mess to update once living there Is the foundation solid? Some remodels overlook reinforcing the foundation/support beams in the house. I wouldn't rule out a house that need any of these, just know what the costs are to fix any of these issues. Be sure to use a home inspector that knows old houses! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tarheel Heather Posted January 24, 2008 Author Share Posted January 24, 2008 The house has had new plumbing in all the bathrooms, new wiring, new septic system, new lighting, several floors rebuilt, wiring replaced. The exterior has been refinished and sealed, and the interior all new paint. The owner is replacing the roof. It is a beautiful craftsman type house, original windows, working shutters, sleeping porch. It is not in a neighborhood which is the downside, we are walking back through it tomorrow along with some newer homes. Dh and I love the house, we hope the kids can warm up to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lorna in the boonies Posted January 24, 2008 Share Posted January 24, 2008 Our last house was built in 1907, but it wasn't built to be a house. It was originally a 1-room schoolhouse and used to be 7 miles from its current location (it was a ranch school and was out of town). When the district built a larger school in town, the Primitive Baptists bought the building, hauled it into town via mule and sled, and set it down in its present location. It was a school for about 30 years, a church for about 30 years, and has been a house for about the last 40. I loved the history of it (one of the men who flew on the Enola Gay the day it dropped the atomic bomb went to school in my living room!), the high ceilings, and the sturdy feeling during tornado season. I hated the draftiness and the fact that my kitchen was abysmal. I hated the floor plan, as it looked like someone had just come along and thrown up walls without any forethought (probably because someone had just come along and thrown up walls without any forethought). That would be a moot point for most older homes, though, as most of them were originally intended to be homes instead of schools! We did some work to update the house, but it was a parsonage and didn't belong to us, so the only work we did was along the lines of repairs and such -- not remodeling. Our current church does not have a parsonage, so we are homeowners for the first time. My new house was built in 1967 -- it's nice to live in a newer (okay, so that's relative!) house, but I really miss the character of my old one, thrown-up walls and all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BritAnnia Posted January 24, 2008 Share Posted January 24, 2008 It's always hard to say about a home "take it/leave it" via a messageboard without knowing or seeing the many variables that are involved. If the updates were well done, I'd probably choose the older home over a newer one. I live in a craftsman style bungalow built in the '30s and I love the character of it. I love the well sized rooms, most newer homes of similar overall size to this home have tiny rooms in comparison. I love that the rooms are equally sized as well. The three bedrooms are the same. The living and dining room are fairly similar as well. The layout of our home is odd, some things I would love to change if money allowed, others are easier to live with. We only have one bathroom. Dh and I have no closet in our bedroom. We enter through the dining room, which is also a main walk-through for the whole house. Our kitchen is very old, the fridge does not fit in the kitchen, instead it's in a small 'nook' just off the kitchen. I'm not even sure exactly what purpose the nook served way back when the house was built. My dd's bedroom has two doors. One leads to a hallway, the other into the living room. Weird... but a great shortcut during the day when the doors are left open. :) But all those add to the homey feel as far as I am concerned. I love the details of this home. The brickwork outside, the original picture moulding (dropped slightly below the ceiling, really was how pictures were hung). The old timey air-vents, and the beautiful oak floors. What you've described of the home you are considering sounds just lovely. Good luck making a choice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandy in Indy Posted January 24, 2008 Share Posted January 24, 2008 Our home was built in 1916 and has been in the family for 51 years. It's magnificent and a drain all at the same time. It's very large (wonderful), expensive to maintain (horrible), has stunning woodwork (wonderful), very drafty (horrible)...and so on, and so on. Ours is in an historic neighborhood so doing anything to it is a major challenge--everything must be approved by a special board. But if I had the chance to purchase an older, renovated home that only needed upkeep or minor changes, I'd do that in a heartbeat. I'm just not a new home kind of gal--unless, of course, it's a new home with all the charm and character of an older home (translation buckets of $$). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karenciavo Posted January 24, 2008 Share Posted January 24, 2008 Our former house was an American Four Square built in 1914. Lack of closet space was the biggest problem. I miss my walk up attic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnTheBrink Posted January 24, 2008 Share Posted January 24, 2008 I have a little craftsman style bungalow that I think was built in the late 20's-early 30's. (I'd have to look it up). Anyway, it's updated with new plumbing, electrical, central heat and air, the coal chute has been sealed over, but you can see in the basement foundation where the old furnace sat. It has new insulated windows and doors, and all modern appliances. New carpet and ceramic tile in the kitchen and bath. I want to yank the carpet out and see what sort of shape the wood floors are in. If it's bad, I'll laminate. I have a large front porch that is just screaming for a swing! It still has the 6 inch baseboards, the original doors with the glass knobs, and an archway into the hallway. I hope to someday strip the interior doors and baseboards to the wood. Right now they're painted white. The closets are tiny, but I love this house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OhM Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 1850's Early American house, added to in 1920's. We put a second addition on about 3 years ago. We love the big rooms. Has many of the challenges others have already mentioned - esp. lack of closet/storage space. Did anyone mention never having a square corner? The kids' rolling toys had to be parked strategically in some rooms to keep from rolling all over the place. We've had to do alot of work just undoing "stupid" or careless things done by a previous owner. And nothing is ever a simple fix. We replaced the light fixture in the front hallway. No problem, right? Take down the old and mount the new to the workbox. No workbox - just a wire sticking out of the ceiling. Ok, install a workbox. Plaster lathe ceiling. In pretty bad shape. The 20-minute job turned into about a week of work. My advice? I love my old house. But you either need to be very handy and patient, or have enough money to hire someone who is to keep up with it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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