The Positives and Negatives of Buying an Old House
If you are a lover of cute whimsical cottages and period houses, then you may want to decide on an old house if you relocate; old houses have real character to them, and certainly have their quirks. Having an old house could date back from before the 1800s to the 1950s; they are houses that are traditionally made, and just have a lot of history to them – If you want to find out about the history of a certain property, you can do so here. There are certain downsides to buying older properties, and this could be due to being out of date, lacking the updates of new electrical systems and insulation that can be found in newer properties. Here are the positives and negatives of buying an old house.
When it comes to buying your perfect house, you need to look beyond its physical qualities; some older houses may not have insulation in their walls, which means the house could get very cold during the winter. If a house needs a lot of work done such as insulation fitting, and new electrics etc, this could put you over your house budget. The good side is, you can really reinvent the house and make it into your dream property – you will most likely need to get a loan to complete these renovations. Modern houses tend to lack a lot of character that older houses have, and these could be smaller quirks such as having an open fireplace and a chimney.
When you buy an older house, you will need to be prepared to take on the regular maintenance of it; some older houses are prone to damp in their walls which can cause mould and rot and some houses may have out of date plumbing and sewage systems which can cause drainage problems. Windows and doors could have odd measurements due to not having proper measurement tools in the olden days, so this could cause issues if you want to get new doors and windows for your property. A lot of older houses have wonky doors and floors which add to the quirky whimsical feel of the property, and it really adds attraction and character to the house. If you really keep up with the maintenance and work of the house, then it will truly be a dream property for you.
Sadly many old houses lack energy-efficient heating and double glazing windows that keep in the heat. It is, of course, possible to renovate your home and get renewable energy and double glazed windows, but this will just add to the cost. The upside to this is it will save you plenty of money and energy in the long run. Some old houses may still harbour Asbestos, a dangerous material that can cause lung diseases, and cancer; it was widely found in loft insulation in old houses and was regularly used in homes. If you have fears that Asbestos could still be lurking in your home, then you may need to get in touch with professionals who can do an Asbestos Survey Birmingham way, or an asbestos survey near you to check if you could still have asbestos in your home. Whatever style of house takes your fancy, just make sure you find out everything about the property so you can make a correct decision.
