Risks with a house built in 1905

200 amp service, modern grounded wiring.

Plumbing. Are the sewer and water lines ancient?

My first house was built in 1863, so it probably saw electrification and running water around the same time your 1905 house did (which is to say some time after 1905).

I had to rewire and re-plumb the entire house. I knew that going in. It's a lot of work and many times you will have to cut up the floor or ceiling to make proper runs.

Of course hopefully your furnace is less than 10 years old, same with water heater.

How about the roof? If they are slate tiles, you will be fixing or replacing before too long, unless previous owners had the roof refurbished. I had to deal with that too. It's a mess.

Second house was brand new :D

You don't know what you're doing so you're doing the inspection yourself?

Good luck with that.

You call that old?

Get a survey before you hand over any money. Check for damp and dry rot. Beyond 20-30 years old, it doesn't really make any difference - if it was built properly and has been maintained properly, a 500 year old house will be just as sound as a 50 year old house.

I owned two houses of similar vintage. Since the windows have been replaced I would look at the insulation. Take a look in the attic. Also, try the plumbing, faucets and toilets. On the electric check out the panel, see if any of the outlets and switches have been updated.

Igy

Thanks for the help so far!

Yes, will definitely be getting an inspection and sewer scope if I put an offer on the house.

Just wanted to get insight from people for what I should be looking for the second time going through as I look for any red flags...

You might want to check for lead paint, especially if you have kids. I don't think it's a health issue unless they chew on it though. Also might check for asbestos siding and pipe insulation. Again, I don't thinks it's a health issue unless it gets disturbed.

I've learned to pay for a thorough home inspection. Your realtor will want you to use one of the jack-off do-nothing inspectors. Don't do it. Pay more for an aggressive home inspection and negotiate removal of contingencies based on the outcome. An old house like that is going to be filled with weird shiite that you have no idea about unless you are a contractor.

Electrical, plumbing, lead paint, asbestos, structural issues, etc, etc, etc. Also, if you believe the roof has ten years left it probably has half of that time left. Roof jobs have become expensive pains in the ass, depending on attic type, structure, ventilation, potential mold issues and the like.

When you are a seller this aspect sucks balls, and you become exposed to expensive and unexpected liability, but as the buyer it pays big time to really get after it on these inspections. I have bought multiple homes over the years, and on every single one found expensive things that I had to pay to correct after purchase that I believed should have been identified by the inspector.

Don't hesitate to be an ashhole about inspections and corrections just because you may love the house. I have also learned to not love any house that I am considering and to always have others that I'm looking at as well, in case this one falls through.

Ghosts

txRUNNERgirl wrote:

Ghosts

+1

don't fvck around wit tha supernatural

A house built in 1905 probably has more life left in it than a house built any time after 1970 or so.

better built wrote:

A house built in 1905 probably has more life left in it than a house built any time after 1970 or so.

what does that even mean? do you have any experience in construction at all? houses are built 10x better now then they were pre-1970. You may have a valid point if you're talking strictly architectural design

typical jabroni wrote:

better built wrote:

A house built in 1905 probably has more life left in it than a house built any time after 1970 or so.

what does that even mean? do you have any experience in construction at all? houses are built 10x better now then they were pre-1970. You may have a valid point if you're talking strictly architectural design

You're right. I'm just speaking out of jealousy because I wish that the two foot structural stone walls of my 1896 home were built out of something durable like sticks and siding.

That house is probably haunted AF.

better built wrote:

typical jabroni wrote:

what does that even mean? do you have any experience in construction at all? houses are built 10x better now then they were pre-1970. You may have a valid point if you're talking strictly architectural design

You're right. I'm just speaking out of jealousy because I wish that the two foot structural stone walls of my 1896 home were built out of something durable like sticks and siding.

Exactly. My 1863 home had 18 inch structural brick walls, including the interior (though they were more like 10 or 12 inches thick. That house is over 150 years old. My new home built in 2014 will almost certainly not be standing in 2164.

I may build again, only with structural cement next time.

The guys who own and love old, old houses are often either wealthy enough to pay the massive outlays that come with maintaining such nasty old structures, or are fetishists about such things. I've owned structures ranging from 60-years-old to two-years-old, and I prefer newer construction, assuming other aspects like location and neighborhood are similar. Many older structures have been maintained and updated by owners/handimen or flippers and are loaded with problems. Also, older structures typically suffer from anachronistic design and layout, things like one bathroom for an entire family, or a weird little kitchen area.

I'll take my sticks and wood modern construction 1,000 times over my previous money pit.

Your best bet would be consult a regional real estate professional . Fer instance here where I live brokers don't have any legal responsibilities to advocate and disclose paranormal activity, foul play etc history of the house. Which means if the house is haunted, you get double $@(&&. First, your life becomes like the haunting movie. Second , you'll have some financial inconvenience because "caveat emptor." A sellers market.

Older houses have lead paint, mold, asbestos, foundation problems, electrical issues, plumbing issues, etc hidden stuff. You can hire various experts to get a better picture.

Get real, mate. Americans are in a special position in that their country hasn't existed for long enough for them to have any properly old buildings and it was rich for the whole of the 20th century (rather than having half its cities bombed to hell and no money to rebuild them properly). Anyway… there are good buildings and there are bad building. I've lived in a 600 year old building that was structurally 100% but uncomfortable and a 400-year old place that was great in every respect. I've lived in a 200-year old building that was structurally fine and comfortable. I've lived in a 30-year old building that was comfortable but terrible quality and one of a similar vintage that was OK. Currently live in a Victorian place that's decent sized, solidly built and has been updated with en-suite bathrooms etc. Most modern houses in the UK are abysmal quality and absolutely tiny. I'm sure there were plenty of poor quality houses in every era, but they tend not to last. If it's new, it's probably badly built but might be OK. If it's lasted a reasonable period of time (even as little as 100 years), it's probably well built.

txRUNNERgirl wrote:

Ghosts

this. gauranteed the remains of some poor children who were murdered by their crazy father are buried on the property

If you like the house, just buy it. If a problem arises, learn how to fix it or hire somebody to do it. It's not that big a deal. It wasn't that long ago that people just built their own houses.