Buying an older home can be intimidating. In my experience, there is a stigma attached to them, that scares people off more often than not. Most people assume because a house is old that it is inferior, or less valuable than it’s newer counterparts. This is not at all true, and in many ways a substantially updated older home can be superior to it’s younger peers. You just have to know what problems specifically to look for.
1. How is the electrical? / Are there enough outlets?
Practicality: Aside from the obvious safety concerns, there is a seldom considered issue that I find quite often: a general lack of outlets and lighting. This is a problem most people don’t know about until they have it. When you buy a house that was built before electricity was common in homes, you end up with a situation where all the electrical had to be retrofitted. This means they often went with the bare minimum they needed to live comfortably. One outlet per bedroom, some living areas with no lights at all. When you inspect your old home, take a look around and ask yourself if there are enough receptacles and lights to be suitable to your living standards.
Safety: The biggest concern people have with old homes, is the safety of the old electrical. It’s my opinion that you should hinge this concern onto the state of the electrical panel. If you find a modern service panel that looks to be professionally installed, you can at least have the reassurance that there is likely reliable overcurrent protection. Updated breakers mean they are less prone to failure, and will trip in an overcurrent event that may otherwise start a fire.
On a side note, just because a panel was professionally installed (and permitted) doesn’t mean all safety measures have been taken. Many licensed electricians forgo GFCI and AFCI requirements because they’ve been known to “nuisance trip”. I’ve also had experiences where professionals have deferred there use based on their increased cost, and have still passed inspection. Sit with that for awhile. Apart from that, it is important to assess the circuits to determine if improvements can be made to meet your own standards (open grounds corrected via GFCI protection etc).
2. Is there adequate ductwork?
Many older homes have few supply ducts than what is required by modern standards. It’s even more common for them to have too few return ducts. This is usually more of an issue on the second floor, as it is harder to retrofit duct work to these areas. In a lot of older homes you will find two rooms sharing the same supply through a common wall. In northeast Ohio, this means these rooms will feel stuffier in the summer.
3. Is there adequate insulation?
This is a hard question to answer. A lot of time you can’t know this without peaking into the wall cavities. Many older homes didn’t have insulation, or it has long settled to the bottom of the cavity. Because old houses were built with balloon framing, these cavities often end up drafty as well. This lack of insulation coupled with drafty windows means that these houses can be more difficult and costly to keep warm in the winter. Not all is lost though, because the many layers of siding and thick layer of plaster can add an “R” or two back into what you are missing.
4. Clearances and stairwells
Most older homes have steep stair risers, short tread depth, and less head clearance than modern buildings. This can be problematic for those with physical limitations, or the exceptionally vertical. Unfortunately this is not a simple thing to fix, not without substantial structural alterations. Make sure this is something you can live with before purchasing a home with these characteristics.
5. What about asbestos and lead?
These two get grouped together for me because they share a similar philosophy for me. The first question is, where is it? If it’s outside, as it often is with paint and siding, then I wouldn’t lose sleep over it. If it is sealed up, like old paint on the interior or covered over flooring, then it’s nothing to worry about. The main things I am on the lookout for are listed below. Remember, always have these properly tested if you come across what you think might be lead or asbestos.
- Exposed lead paint on the interior of the home. This is especially dangerous for children and there are many horror stories involving children having inexplicably high lead levels after moving into an old house. This is something that should be taken seriously
- The presence of vermiculate insulation. This is 80%+ likely to contain asbestos in its friable state. I’ve had this avalanche onto the floor when working in an old house, the thought still makes me cringe. This needs sealed up and never disturbed.
- The presence of asbestos taping or wrap on return vents. Although it is less common to find tape on return vents in older homes, this is when it is potentially unsafe. Because a return vent is under negative pressure, it can pull particulates in from the surrounding material. If you see what appears to be asbestos tape, have it tested, then perform the necessary abatement to make your home safe. You can find more information on asbestos here.