Scoping Out an Old House – Some Basic Guidelines
So, you want to buy an old house? Several questions arise when I hear someone saying they want to buy an antique home. What is the motivation? Have they really, really looked at the house they are interested in? Are they planning any renovations? Do they know how much time and money can go into owning an antique or historic property? Is the property in an historic district? How are the mechanical systems? Foundation? Roof? Structure? Does it have original features unscathed by periodic remodeling? Oh, and what about the chimneys and fireplaces? Questions, Questions and more Questions. I hope the following outline will help those who might be thinking of purchasing a piece of our past and maybe even provide a few answers to all the questions. This is not meant to be a complete inspection checklist, but more of a guide, so as a consultant and inspector of old houses, I always recommend a good inspection which might include a structural analysis also. I always recommend separate plumbing and electrical contractors. My expertise is interior and exterior structural and cosmetic analysis, but I always defer the electrical and mechanical inspections to experts.
You Found Your Perfect Property in the MLS!
You pull up to the property. Your heart is racing. You pull into the driveway behind your realtor and there is barely room for two cars and your rear end is barely off the street. Welcome to one of the potential problems of living in an old house. Many are very close to the street. Why? Think about the period in history in which they were built. Horses, quiet tree lined dirt roads, no snow blowers, no traffic. Who could have foreseen the problem? There are still many houses available off the main roads. I live on such a road. The main road was cut straighter and the old road became a side road. So “the road less traveled” still exists. You just have to ask! Now some things to look for before the realtor whisks you into the house.
Tools to bring when you look at an old house.
- A very bright flashlight or two – One with a narrow head, like the “B & D snake light”
- An ice pick or equivalent tool for poking and prodding clapboard, trim and timbers
- A plumb line if you have one or know what it is
- A 30′ tape measure
- Binoculars. The roof and chimney are always too far to see with the naked eye
- A small mirror if you are inclined to look up chimney flues
- A compass
- A clipboard for taking notes on
- A wheelbarrow or lackey for all the tools
Slowly take a walk around the house.
- Write down any and all questions.
- Don’t be alarmed by anything you see. You are in the presence of an old house.
- I like to go left to right. I have an aversion to walking around a house counter-clockwise. Don’t ask! Also determine your compass heading too.
- Note any problems and deterioration as you go.
- Look at the grading. Does the ground slope away from the foundation?
- Look at the foundation. What type of foundation does it have? Is it intact? Do the large granite foundation stones appear straight or tilted? General condition as you see it?
- Look at the trim boards, especially near the ground. Also the lower courses of clapboard.
- Is the line of the house somewhat level? If it dips and twists, bows and leans, there could be deteriorated sills or carrying timbers, rotting posts or missing structure. Investigate further when you go into the basement.
- Check around the windows for rotted window sills, and window frames.
- Check the soffits, fascia, mouldings, gutters, downspouts, and the edge of the roof.
- Check the roof, flashing, roof valleys, dormers as you go. Remember the binoculars! If the roof looks rough (other than architectural shingles or cedar shakes might look), the corners of the shingles are gone, lots of moss or lichen, or missing shingles all together, the roof may be at the end of its life.
- Check the masonry or chimneys as you go. They sometimes have four sides.
- Check the doors, frames and thresholds.
- Check for a grounding stake which should be located near where the electrical service comes into the house. Are there lightening rods mounted on the roof?
- Is the landscaping overgrown and tight to the house? If so, investigate siding behind the shrubs.
- Once you get back to where you started follow the realtor inside.
Take the tour and learn the layout of the rooms.
- Check for original features. trim, wainscotting, mantels, doors, windows, fireplaces
- Don’t be afraid to open and shut doors
- Look up at the ceilings and look down at the floors
- Note lighting and plumbing fixtures if you wish
- Note the conditions of bathrooms and kitchen/kitchens
- Note wide cracks in the plaster (may mean nothing more than they need repair…but it also could signify structure damage. (remember an old house expands and contracts and old plaster tends to crack)
- Note how the stairs look and feel. Most back staircases are steep and narrow and may lack headroom.
Cellars and Attics
- Cellars and Attics are must visits. This is where the flashlight comes in very handy!
- Note the type of framing if you already haven’t.
Cellar
- Check sills and carrying beams with ice pick. If the ice pick goes in more than a half inch anywhere you may have located a problem. Sometimes it is just a hidden hole, but that you should determine with a little investigation. I recently looked at a house that had a completely intact 30 foot carrying beam. I knocked on it in several places because one end (the joint into the sill) showed bug and dry rot damage. The beam was hollow from one end to the other with just enough wood left to keep it from collapsing. Carpenter ants or termites.
- Basement walls and floors in old houses are most always damp or wet. Is there a sump pump? Is there drainage? Is the floor covered in gravel? Are the walls wet? Is the furnace on a slab? Is the bottom of the furnace rusting? Can you see a waterline anywhere? Note any running water, stains, seepage or evidence of past problems. I’ve worked on a house for the last four years that is 98% dry most of the year because of excellent drainage. Only a bad lingering rain will cause it to get wet, but it dries out rapidly. It is also well vented which is a key.
- Posting in the basement. Look for temporary jacks, rotting posts.
- Note dangling wires, fuse box or circuit breaker box, but don’t touch anything!
- You might note the plumbing too. PVC, iron pipe, combination of both. Very common!
- Note the size of the spiders!
- Chimney foundations and brickwork. Is the mortar work crumbling? Are there bricks or stones missing? Make a note.
Attic
- Insulation, sagging rafters, broken rafters, missing rafters. I was just in a house with missing rafters. The old center chimney had been removed and the structure had never been shored up. The chimney can be part of the structure in a lot of houses because it is so massive.
- Ventilation. What do the nails look like? Touch a few and see if they break off easily. Are they wet? Do they have any little icicles on them? (would require cold air outside) Some signs there might be inadequate ventilation.
- Is there a floor? Are there bat, bird or squirrel droppings? Any noticible wiring? A lot of old houses will have wiring all over the place.
- Can you see outside through the roof anywhere? You might guess what this would mean!
Heating System/Air Conditioning
- What kind of fuel does the heating/cooling system use? Is it hot air, hot water, electric or gas? Can you determine the age of the system? Are there woodstoves? Do the woodstoves and furnace vent into the same chimney? Is there any radiant floor heating? How many heating zones are there in the house? And where are they? Ask as many questions about the system as you can
In Conclusion!
An ‘old house’ has many problems. How many problems are you willing to deal with and how much are you willing to spend? Two easy questions with very difficult answers. Have fun!
