Zillow Advice: Home Buying - A house built in 1900. Is it a money pit house?

Pasadenan and Sunnyview raise ...

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 06:56:00 GMT

Pasadenan and Sunnyview raise good points, but the fact of the matter is that every house should be inspected by competent professionals and their opinion should take precedence over ours.

Sunnyview and Pasadenan, ...

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 02:01:00 GMT

Sunnyview and Pasadenan, thank you for replying.

A house built in 2009 could ...

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 21:56:00 GMT

A house built in 2009 could be a money pit.

A house built in 1900 usually has much higher quality materials that will last much longer. But all wood requires periodic painting or oiling or something, and all piping requires periodic cleaning, inspection, and replacement, and all wire insulation eventually requires replacement, and all receptacle contacts eventually lose their spring, and all switches and breakers eventually have worn contacts or bad springs...

Replacing things a little at a time as they age is no big deal and is part of maintenance of any structure or ownership item. deferred maintenance can cause big problems, but you should see that easily.

As suggested, the first thing you want to inspect is the integrity of the concrete foundation. If the concrete is crumbling, or if it is on brick, or on river-rock..., you may need to lift the house to replace the foundation. This still could be very cost effective and provide a better return on investment than buying a 2000 "cracker box", but you need to know your market, the cost of the work, and the present condition.

Not all houses built in the 1900's are equal. The size of the floor joists and girders should give you some clue.

And remember, some of these were "kit" houses that you ordered out of the Sears catalog. You won't find that kind of detail with "real lumber" for most of the houses built now; it is just too expensive, so you get "press board" or "plastic" instead, or no detail.

Old houses can be great, ...

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:52:00 GMT

Old houses can be great, but they vary in condition a lot. If the main systems such as electrical, plumbing, heating have not been updated in the last 50 years, you may need to expect to replace them in short order. Many houses of this age were updated between 1930-1950 and they may have some systems that have been redone commonly electrical or water supply pipes, but you need to have solid inspections to make sure you know where they are now in terms of type and condition.

Systems in old houses wear out, but if they are shot the good news is that you can replace them with much more efficient systems as long as there is room in the price for the work to be completed. A house of this age may also need foundation or window work. My advice if you want to buy this house is to start with a general house inspector and then add other inspections from licensed professionals like a plumber, electrician, general contractor and/or foundation inspector familiar with old houses