The Biggest Challenges You Will Face When Renovating an Old Home
Older homes have character and often boast features such as architectural windows and massive plastered walls that many newer buildings lack. However, when it comes time to renovate, older homes present costly problems that aren’t nearly as appealing. Here are the biggest and most common repair problems you should prepare for.
My husband and I bought our 1920s Colonial about ten years ago. Every improvement we made in this old house made us afraid to do anything else: what hidden problem will we discover this time around? And how much will it cost us? While some of the problems encountered during renovations apply to new homes, older homes have special problems. You will hear: “Then everything was done differently,” and this is not always good. However, if you are aware of the potential problems, you can set a more realistic budget and time frame for your renovation project.
Outdated plumbing and electricity
Electrical and plumbing problems are common in older homes. Until the 1960s, galvanized pipes were used both in the home and in the sewer network. The problem with galvanized pipes is that they become easily clogged or corroded over time. During plumbing repairs, you will likely want to replace the pipes with PVC or copper. HouseLogic says the cost of replacing pipes during repairs could add anywhere from $ 250 to $ 1,000, which is a relative benefit as pipes are exposed during the project.
Old electrical wiring can be dangerous and must be brought into compliance with regulations. While renovating the bathroom, I learned that I needed to hire an electrician to update the electrical panel. Homes from the 1920s didn’t have hair dryers, and even something so small that it could consume more energy than older household electrical systems could handle. Old wiring is also just a nuisance: if you’ve ever lost power while turning on your microwave and coffee maker at the same time, you know what I mean. Expect to pay at least $ 1,300 to $ 3,000 to upgrade to 200 amps, $ 200 to $ 750 to replace ungrounded 2-prong outlets with 3-prong outlets, and $ 4,000 or more to replace house wiring to get rid of old handle and tube wiring. which could cause a fire. Depending on your needs and the equipment you own, you may even need to upgrade modern wiring to support new devices, computers, entertainment systems, and other projects. Isn’t this home entertainment?
Unsafe materials such as lead and asbestos
If your house was built a few decades ago, it is likely that the paint contains lead, and floor coverings, air ducts, ceiling of popcorn, roof and heating, ventilation and air conditioning has a lead . If left untouched, they are not harmful, but if a project requires cleaning or cutting these materials, powder or dust can be very hazardous. You can check the lead paint content yourself , but for everything else, you will need a professional to locate and remove these materials if you suspect they are in your structure.
When I asked an air pollution control company to remove the asbestos covering the pipes in my basement, I paid $ 1,000. HomeAdvisor reports that asbestos removal is between $ 200 and $ 700 an hour , with most homeowners spending between $ 971 and $ 2,250 to remove toxic lead . Worth every penny for your family’s peace of mind and safety.
The materials that were used to build the house are no longer available
Older homes were built to different building standards and codes than they are today, and often from completely different materials. The baths were smaller, the doors narrower, and the rooms too. If you want to keep the old character of your home, it can be difficult to find materials that will match the rest of your home for your renovation. Renovating an old Brownstone? You will need wood-paneled doors and thin oak flooring — all completely different from today’s standards and the usual materials used in home building today. Shopping at architectural stores or other reuse centers can help, as can finding renovators who specialize in older homes. However, be prepared to pay more if you really want to get your hands on the right original materials that are refurbished rather than refurbished.
Outdated layouts such as long hallways and tiny rooms
Watch an episode of HGTV’s House Hunters and you’ll quickly find out that the specs and floor plans that today’s home buyers are looking for are vastly different from what you’ll find in many older homes. Master bedroom with dressing room and bathroom? An open floor plan between the kitchen, dining room and living room? Not in old houses. Homeowners used to have staff to clean and cook for them, and Victorian homes had a room for everyone. Lonely. Target. General development plans in previous decades also included apartment buildings, so large buildings were divided into small apartments. Perhaps no one then thought that someone would ever want to live in an “open plan”.
Some of my bedrooms don’t even have toilets (so these are technically not bedrooms for realtors) and because of how the house was built, there is no room to add standard wardrobes. With legacy layouts, finding room to expand space or change the layout can be tricky. If you are looking to retrofit your home (for this open space, for example), you need to consult with an architect or engineer, as well as a builder, to find out the true cost. Demolishing walls can be costly and dangerous if it is a load-bearing wall and if you are thinking of opening the floor so you can see from the living room through the kitchen, chances are you have structural problems that need to be addressed. with.
Bad repairs are done over and over
The older a home is and the more often it has been sold or changed hands, the more likely it is that any changes to the home will not match the original design of the home. Sometimes, as in my case, the “improvements” of the previous owner were made without considering the rest of the structure. For example, the plumbing pipes for the extra bathroom in the attic ran out through other rooms rather than through walls or other hidden spaces as they should. Sometimes, you won’t find these kinds of problems until you start a retrofit project. It’s especially important to have a capable home contractor or handyman you can trust to fix any old mistakes you find.
Overall, if your home has been renovated and well maintained over the years, you probably won’t face all of these issues. But older houses, especially those charming old ones that have stood for decades, you may not be aware of. Your best bet is to be careful and devote a lot more money and time to your home renovation than you need to. The old rule of thumb is to postpone by 15% to 20% contingency in the event of unforeseen problems and changes, but if you suspect that your home may be one of the above problems, you can add more buffer.