A historic home can be appealing. You can’t find the charm of older homes in, homes built today. While you may find older homes appealing, an older home can come with problems. If you have purchased an older home and need to renovate, keep the following in mind.
Start With the Roof and Foundation
In any house, you need a solid roof and a solid foundation. Over time, the roof and foundation experience wear and tear, especially if it is over 50 years old. Make sure the roof isn’t leaking, and the foundation is crack-free. You also want to make sure the foundation is level. If the house is still settling, you may have a problem.
Check for Toxic Materials
A lot of older homes contain asbestos and lead materials. Before you live in the house, you need to get rid of these materials. They built some older homes before people understood how dangerous these materials were. A special removal crew will need to be hired.
Kitchen Addition
One thing that is often seen more than any other place in your home is the kitchen. It is likely you don’t just spend time eating dinner there, but also have chats, game nights, and other events. Making an addition will help spruce up the look more than anywhere else in your home. From replacing the hardware to changing the countertops.
Examine the Plumbing
If the house is old, chances are the plumbing is a problem. If the plumbing is original, a lot can happen with old pipes, including corrosion. There could be a leak in the pipes, bad water pressure, or brown water coming from the pipes. You need to contact a plumbing contractor to examine the pipes, and if they are original; it is best to have them replaced.
Marble Sealing and Hardwood Protection
Does your home have marble floors? If so, consider yourself truly blessed. There’s just something magnificent about marble flooring. Not only does it add a very elegant feeling to a room, but marble flooring goes with many types of decor. Is your marble flooring in the entire house, or is it only in the more formal areas of your home? Either way, consider getting professionals to clean and seal the marble. You’ll probably be surprised at how affordable marble protection can be.
The workers will have the training and the experience to make your marble floors look new. For example, if the floors are scratched or chipped, the workers will have state-of-the-art equipment that will take care of those imperfections.
Maybe your family room or other rooms have hardwood floors. The same company that seals your marble floors will more than likely be able to also take care of refinishing the hardwood flooring. Again, they’ll have the right equipment to do the job, and they’ll know how to pay attention to every part of the floor that needs attention.
Inspect the Electrical System
The electrical system of an older home needs to be checked for safety reasons. Sometimes in these older homes, there is a faulty breaker box or knob and tube wiring. Often when homeowners add rooms to older homes, a licensed electrician is not used to save money. Inspect it first and see if there are any out-of-place wires or open junction boxes. It is likely that if you find something out of place you can fix it yourself. But there are things, like your breaker box, that should be dealt with by a licensed electrician.
One thing an electrician can do for you is to test the resistance of wires throughout the house. Older homes are notorious for having wires run throughout them that are of lower standard compared to the code that is followed today. Especially if you are planning on running multiple appliances at once or have a bigger family, it may be wise to have things looked at in detail.
Making Changes on the Wall
Are you wanting to give the walls a totally new look? Perhaps the paint is old and chipping, or maybe the color doesn’t please you. What would you like in the place of the wall treatment you have in your house now?
For example, if you just want a new coat of paint, that’s pretty easy to take care of. On the other hand, maybe you would like to faux paint the walls to give them the look of something like leather or marble. If you don’t know how to do faux painting, find out if your paint store or your local library offers faux painting classes. Or, of course, you can hire professionals to do the job for you.
Perhaps you have decided that you want to wallpaper. If so, you probably already know that’s a pretty big job. Unless you have a lot of spare time, consider having professionals do your wallpapering, too.
Check for Damages
After you have checked the plumbing and the electrical system, walk around your home and check for any problems. This includes window frames, the door frame, and the siding. Check the windows and door frames for any cracks and rotting wood.
While buying a historic home is appealing, remember the home may come with problems. Take your time and note every problem. Make a checklist of the problems, and work your way down the list, slowly. Take your time to make sure you don’t miss anything and that it is all done correctly.