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Nearly half-a-million people follow the ‘Historical Homes of America’ Instagram account, and we can definitely see why. We can perfectly imagine ourselves living in some of these homes. And there’s a deep yearning to move in, like, right now.
It also makes us realize that maybe, just maybe, if the house is beautiful enough, we don’t have to live anywhere near the city center. Old doesn’t automatically mean ramshackle or bad. And older homes are definitely a treat for history lovers, near and far.
Ariane, the editor at ‘These Three Rooms,’ was kind enough to answer Bored Panda’s questions about moving into old homes. We were curious to find out about the potential issues that homeowners should be aware of before moving in. There can be a lot of work that you’ll need to do, so it’s best to mentally prepare for that. Especially if you can see that the property hasn’t been given the love and care it deserves in quite some time.
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Victorian house in San Francisco, CA
“You'll have a survey done of course, but it's best to pay for a full structural report when thinking of purchasing old homes. Get a qualified structural engineer to detail the full extent of what you're undertaking, and make sure you reserve a contingency budget of 20% of the purchase price so you can afford any repairs,” she shared with us.
According to the expert, the electrical system in the house may be very dated or might not work at all. So it’s imperative that you get this sorted out ASAP, as faulty wiring can be very dangerous.
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“Similarly, if the place is literally falling apart, that could be a safety hazard, so you may find the foundations need underpinning. You may also find the house needs to be gutted,” Ariane warned that the entire interior might have to be ripped out, meaning you’d actually be sacrificing quite a few of the character elements that you love about the house. You might enjoy the cornicing or the authentic period fireplaces, but they might have to go for the sake of structural stability.
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What’s more, you might run into some pest control issues if the house is very old and badly maintained. “However, if you've fallen in love with the place, you may find these problems are worth living with and fixing,” Ariane told Bored Panda that it’s important to be honest about how you feel about the place. If you truly love it, you won’t mind rolling up your sleeves.
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Bored Panda wanted to know how historical homes can be improved without sacrificing their value and authenticity. Here’s what Ariane, from ‘These Three Rooms,’ told us.
“If the floorboards are rotting or in poor condition, laying down engineered wood flooring can modernize a home. It's easy to maintain and looks exactly like real wood (but it's more affordable and doesn't require regular maintenance),” she shared that it’s possible to save a bit of your budget for other refurbishments.
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“Then, of course, you can touch up paintwork, change the internal and external doors for new ones and switch out the furniture for more modern designs. If building an extension, you can use a glass wall to distinguish between the old and new,” Ariane said.
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