Welcome to my blog. My name is Deborah. About 15 years ago, I bought an old home. We worked with several contractors to rehabilitate it, but ultimately, the foundation simply wasn't stable enough, and we had to tear it down. After that, we worked with a construction crew to build a home from the ground up. The experience was exciting and challenging, and I learned a lot through that process. I want to share construction and contracting facts and information with others so I decided to start this blog. I hope that you like the results, and I thank you for reading. Enjoy!
If you are planning on buying an older home, you get the benefit of history along with a beautiful house. Unfortunately, this also puts you at risk of having a variety of issues. To avoid major and expensive repairs down the line, it is best to have the house fully inspected and to look for the following things.
Single-Pane Windows
One area of the house that needs to be inspected fully is the windows. Many older homes are made with single-pane windows, which don't provide much insulation or protection from the elements. They don't have adequate seals to keep out cold and hot weather, which means your HVAC system is going to work extra hard to provide you with adequate temperature indoors. There might also be cracks in the window itself or around the old window sills and window panes. While this might not be a deal breaker, you should consider the cost of adding all new windows compared to the price of the house.
Termites
Another thing that older homes often have in common is the presence of termites. While termites can be a problem for any home that contains wood, they tend to be more common in areas with soft wood, such as what a lot of older homes have. It is possible that this house had multiple water leaks, which led to the wood of the foundation to become softened and weakened. This is what termites look for, who will then damage the structure even further. Make sure pest inspections are included in the main house inspection.
Asbestos
Depending on how old the house is, it might contain some materials with asbestos. Materials like tiles, drywall, insulation, and roofing materials were often made with asbestos fibres because they are virtually fireproof and very durable. Unfortunately, if you inhale the fibres, they can lead to lung cancer and even be fatal. You should have the entire house inspected and tested for asbestos. Removing asbestos might be necessary if you try to complete any repairs, since disturbing these materials is what causes the fibres to be released into the air supply.
Outdated Plumbing or Electrical Work
Make sure you have the plumbing and electrical work inspected and consider whether or not it will need to be replaced. The home might still have older pipes and plumbing fixtures, which put you at risk for clogging and major flooding issues. With old wiring, your home is an electrical and fire hazard. These are important things to check before putting in an offer.
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