What to Look for When Buying an Older Home

Historic architecture and stately, restored Victorian homes can be beautiful but are these older homes good buys?

Considering that most of a home's components deteriorate with age, you may be not only buying a vintage home, but vintage problems as well.
Here's a quick look at some of the more common problems & what to look for when buying an older home.

Foundation

It would seem that an old house has done all the settling it's going to do, right? Not always!  The rate at which the house settles diminishes over time, but it never completely stops.
Look for cracks in the walls, bulging floors and doors that won't close. These are all signs of possible foundation damage. Not all cracks, however, indicate a problem, so don't be alarmed – let a professional diagnose the situation.
Engineers suggest taking a 4-foot bubble level with you when you visit an older home you're interested in purchasing. Use the level to check the floors and walls. If any of them are out of level, have the house checked by a structural engineer.

Electrical System

A home's electrical wiring system has a life expectancy of about 40 years. Safety risks may increase when the system ages beyond this limit.
If the home was built before 1950 and has never been remodeled, it may still have knob-and-tube wiring, which is considered incapable of handling today's electrical loads.
Some home insurers won't cover a home with this type of wiring and will insist that it is replaced before insuring the home.
Your home inspector should be able to determine what type of wiring the home contains and its condition, at least in visible areas.

Plumbing

Old houses typically have old pipes. If the house you have your eye on was built before 1953, the pipes may be made of lead or copper.
Determining the type of pipes in the home is challenging because so much of the system is behind walls. A plumbing contractor inspection is your best bet, and even then you may not learn about all of the pipes in the house.

Roof

The last thing most home buyers look at when they drive up to a home for sale is the roof. It's easy to be distracted by charming landscaping and attractive paint colors, but it's imperative that you take a good, long look at the home's roof.
Sagging is a sign that a roof is holding too much weight. This can happen when new roofing is installed over old roofing or from prolonged contact with a significant layer of snow.
If you know you'll be looking at older homes, take along a pair of binoculars. Before entering the home, look at the roof from the curb and determine whether the chimney and roof lines are straight.
Next, check the shingles. If they aren't flat and instead curled or cupped, they may need to be replaced.
Ask the homeowner the age of the roof. Although the lifespan of a roof depends on several factors, if it is over 15 years old, you may need to replace it in the near future.
Since a new roof is costly, it's important to have the home's roof inspected before obligating yourself to purchase the home.

Other problems you may find in an older home include:
Lack of storage
Lack of natural light
Inadequate insulation (thus higher heating and cooling costs)
Small kitchen
While all of these items can be rectified, the cost to do so should be factored into the price of the home.

That the craftsmanship and materials of an older home have stood the test of time is a testament to its quality. But few things last forever, and a home inspection, using the appropriate contractors, is a must when considering the purchase of an older home.

Let us find the perfect home for you!  Call us anytime.

Richard Thyssen, Broker of Record
Colleen Thyssen, Sales Representative
Direct 519-495-1541
Email richardthyssen@kw.com
www.thyssengroup.com