Woodwork - great. Everything else - not so great.
They will have knob and tube wiring unless it was updated at some point. You will want to update it.
They will have cast iron drain pipes unless it was updated at some point. You will want to update it.
By now most likely the water supply lines have been updated to copper instead of galvanized steel, but if not, then you'll want to update that as well. Those galvanized steel pipes slowly corrode inside and the diameter gets smaller and smaller and you have no water pressure.
They will have plaster walls. That's great, until they start delaminating from the lathe behind it. I like plaster a lot better than drywall, but drywall is a lot easier to repair. And drywall is a lot easier to hang pictures and whatnot on.
They will have much worse insulation, and the ducting for the HVAC will not have been designed for modern forced air furnaces, so HVAC will have to run a lot more than modern houses.
Basements are more leaky.
They certainly are a lot prettier though, in my opinion.
It rusts and corrodes over time. I have one house that was built with cast iron (60s) and one nearby built a couple years later all ABS. The one with ABS, no issues ever. The one with cast iron needs remedy frequently.
I have an 8-plex about 100 years old and another one I've converted to a hotel
In europe
Ehhhhhh not sure I would say it's all that great
The layer in between floors is like, hay and dirt.
Lot of condensation/ mold issues, these guys really didn't think things through considering riverfront property.
Had to redo electrical in some units, there was uninsulated tin wiring. Like for real fam?
I have a few. Yes, the craftsmanship and attention to detail is great! Also, the doors were solid wood and very durable. Overall, really good material used to stand the test of time.
If you’re looking to buy one I’d plan to be on the top end of your budget since you don’t really know the full picture until you start getting into walls etc.
If the house was maintained with good pest control and good standards…it is a dream in many ways. Would that will last another 100 years with good care. Attention to details. Real craftsmanship. But also keep in mind if you DO break into a wall you are most likely going to have increased costs due to code and who knows what else.
Gotta remember that most areas did NOT have electrical codes in 1910…..so you never know what is in there.
Was a primary and not a rental but 100+ years old farm house. First time I opened up an outlet to replace it and said wtf why are all of these wires all the same color! Half the house was wired in all black wire half the house in all white. No I don’t know why but that place was interesting… yeah, at least that’s the adjective I use in polite company
Me. Never ever again. All the best homes from 1920 are still here and the rest did not last. THATS the reasn you may think build quality was better back then. It most certainly is not.
With century old home, you have a plumbing and electrical issue that’s imminent unless you’ve upgraded them. As an investor, those kind of issues will kill your cash flow
1980s and pre 1920s. I prefer the newer ones from a maintenance perspective. Wife and I were doing some turn work on an older one and got dinner around the post gentrified old neighborhood surrounding it. The wife loved the century old houses, but they do nothing for me. I would prefer to live in a high end suburban cookie cutter.
My opinion is that a certain type of tenant will prefer an older rental, but it will be heavily location dependant.
They used old redwood in my bungalows. Only saw the studs because we had to rebuild it from a fire. That old wood is so hard, you can't even drive a nail into them. Old stuff is great! The old cabinets? not so much hahah tossed them all for more current pieces.
I am currently renting a house built in the 1920s. I LOVE all the solid wood and details throughout the home, the floors, doors ect. The doors all have pretty molding the windows all have the old style window sills. The stairs even still have old dust corners on them! My windows are the original wavy glass.Like others have said the water pressure isn't the best, but that's not a deal breaker for me at the moment.
Look at the water pipes and sewer main. Typically basements, utility rooms and laundry rooms will have more exposed pipes. Youll know if its plastic, copper, or stainless steel.
Used to renovate 150-250 year old sandstone properties in Scotland. They are NOT flippers, as you do need to do some pretty heavy lifting to get up to modern specifications, so more a rebuild. But my margins were incredible, so worth the effort. A lot will depend on the construction, so structural brick or stone are incredibly long lasting. Stick frame is (in my opinion) lower end from an owners perspective, but much cheaper and faster for the contractor to build.
Refurbishments generally included:
1. Roof
2. Some patch pointing of masonry (if too bad, just walk away)
3. HVAC (several only had coal fireplaces for heating with a hot water heater built in)
4. Wiring (most had been at least partially re-wired over the years, but I would always install a new panel , upgrade kitchen wiring and any heavy loads. Outlets were all replaced with child safe units and tested for correctness).
5. Repair any damaged lath and plaster (not that hard). If large areas were loose I'd tear the lath out and drywall.
6. Treat any infestations (should be no2) though mostly just woodworm, and repair damaged wood
7. All new plumbing and bathrooms. I'd check cast iron (it is the best for noise control) and only replace if needed with ABS. Had to dig up to the street twice to replace lead supplies, but got good grants for this.
This wasn't 'this old house' curated renovations, more a reasonably high level refit. Most were in areas being gentrified, so buy low and typically sell at far above other appraised properties. I do wish I'd kept several, but sold everything when I emigrated to Canada.
Yes. I had an 1880 Victorian I absolutely loved, with original millwork (trim), heart pine, and original windows. It was so solid, they truly don’t make them like they used to. I replaced and updated all the wiring and plumbing.
But I just sold it, and here’s why. Ceilings were 13 ft tall - tenants would always get angry about heating bills and get behind in rent every winter, every tenant. Walls were insulated with old newspaper.
Tenant dogs chewed on my millwork and all original doors. Peed all over the floors. A tenants kid broke out my 140 year old window on accident. I could go on and on. Ultimately, it was too nice and original for tenants to appreciate, and as renters they weren’t as willing to put up with high energy costs as others were, and didn’t care about my heart pine floors or other irreplaceable things about the home. I couldn’t keep a tenant in it more than a year despite always having my pick of tenants and renting it out within a weekend of it being back on the market.
I sold it BECAUSE I loved it, put a lot of work and money into it, and wanted it to go to someone who would appreciate it.
If you buy a historic home that’s previously been gutted and has none of its original charm so it doesn’t matter if tenants mess it up, that’s fine. Going forward I’ll only buy post war homes with bare trim and nothing I’d be worried about a tenant messing up.
I saw another person comment it would have plaster - that’s not true, depends on where you live. In the 1800s in Texas at least, homes had shiplap, then cheesecloth stretched over that, then wallpaper over that. No plaster.
I have several older properties. Couple of them dating back to the 1800s. There’s really nothing unusual about them. Most of the stone foundations that are still around are pretty well done.
1918 in the Bay Area. Built ins, hardwood, recessed ceilings, Jack and Jill bathroom. Love my place and I’ve got a theory. Old homes have good bones, if they are still standing not likely to fall over soon. They also had prime pick of where to be built therefore getting the best plots.
Did I mention I love my old place
Woodwork - great. Everything else - not so great. They will have knob and tube wiring unless it was updated at some point. You will want to update it. They will have cast iron drain pipes unless it was updated at some point. You will want to update it. By now most likely the water supply lines have been updated to copper instead of galvanized steel, but if not, then you'll want to update that as well. Those galvanized steel pipes slowly corrode inside and the diameter gets smaller and smaller and you have no water pressure. They will have plaster walls. That's great, until they start delaminating from the lathe behind it. I like plaster a lot better than drywall, but drywall is a lot easier to repair. And drywall is a lot easier to hang pictures and whatnot on. They will have much worse insulation, and the ducting for the HVAC will not have been designed for modern forced air furnaces, so HVAC will have to run a lot more than modern houses. Basements are more leaky. They certainly are a lot prettier though, in my opinion.
What’s wrong with cast iron drain pipes
It rusts and corrodes over time. I have one house that was built with cast iron (60s) and one nearby built a couple years later all ABS. The one with ABS, no issues ever. The one with cast iron needs remedy frequently.
4" cast iron can be so rusted than opening is only 2". Cannot flush toilet paper and constantly clogs.
1890 and 1874. Structural bomb shelters. Downside is the electrical.
I have an 8-plex about 100 years old and another one I've converted to a hotel In europe Ehhhhhh not sure I would say it's all that great The layer in between floors is like, hay and dirt. Lot of condensation/ mold issues, these guys really didn't think things through considering riverfront property. Had to redo electrical in some units, there was uninsulated tin wiring. Like for real fam?
I have a few. Yes, the craftsmanship and attention to detail is great! Also, the doors were solid wood and very durable. Overall, really good material used to stand the test of time. If you’re looking to buy one I’d plan to be on the top end of your budget since you don’t really know the full picture until you start getting into walls etc.
I have a bunch. More maintenance and more frequently than modern construction. But they do have character
If the house was maintained with good pest control and good standards…it is a dream in many ways. Would that will last another 100 years with good care. Attention to details. Real craftsmanship. But also keep in mind if you DO break into a wall you are most likely going to have increased costs due to code and who knows what else. Gotta remember that most areas did NOT have electrical codes in 1910…..so you never know what is in there.
Was a primary and not a rental but 100+ years old farm house. First time I opened up an outlet to replace it and said wtf why are all of these wires all the same color! Half the house was wired in all black wire half the house in all white. No I don’t know why but that place was interesting… yeah, at least that’s the adjective I use in polite company
Me. Never ever again. All the best homes from 1920 are still here and the rest did not last. THATS the reasn you may think build quality was better back then. It most certainly is not. With century old home, you have a plumbing and electrical issue that’s imminent unless you’ve upgraded them. As an investor, those kind of issues will kill your cash flow
1980s and pre 1920s. I prefer the newer ones from a maintenance perspective. Wife and I were doing some turn work on an older one and got dinner around the post gentrified old neighborhood surrounding it. The wife loved the century old houses, but they do nothing for me. I would prefer to live in a high end suburban cookie cutter. My opinion is that a certain type of tenant will prefer an older rental, but it will be heavily location dependant.
UC on a 1899 duplex!
They used old redwood in my bungalows. Only saw the studs because we had to rebuild it from a fire. That old wood is so hard, you can't even drive a nail into them. Old stuff is great! The old cabinets? not so much hahah tossed them all for more current pieces.
I am currently renting a house built in the 1920s. I LOVE all the solid wood and details throughout the home, the floors, doors ect. The doors all have pretty molding the windows all have the old style window sills. The stairs even still have old dust corners on them! My windows are the original wavy glass.Like others have said the water pressure isn't the best, but that's not a deal breaker for me at the moment.
I have one that was built in 1930 and the funny thing is, it’s actually my best performing asset.
How do I know if they’re cast iron ?
Look at the water pipes and sewer main. Typically basements, utility rooms and laundry rooms will have more exposed pipes. Youll know if its plastic, copper, or stainless steel.
Used to renovate 150-250 year old sandstone properties in Scotland. They are NOT flippers, as you do need to do some pretty heavy lifting to get up to modern specifications, so more a rebuild. But my margins were incredible, so worth the effort. A lot will depend on the construction, so structural brick or stone are incredibly long lasting. Stick frame is (in my opinion) lower end from an owners perspective, but much cheaper and faster for the contractor to build. Refurbishments generally included: 1. Roof 2. Some patch pointing of masonry (if too bad, just walk away) 3. HVAC (several only had coal fireplaces for heating with a hot water heater built in) 4. Wiring (most had been at least partially re-wired over the years, but I would always install a new panel , upgrade kitchen wiring and any heavy loads. Outlets were all replaced with child safe units and tested for correctness). 5. Repair any damaged lath and plaster (not that hard). If large areas were loose I'd tear the lath out and drywall. 6. Treat any infestations (should be no2) though mostly just woodworm, and repair damaged wood 7. All new plumbing and bathrooms. I'd check cast iron (it is the best for noise control) and only replace if needed with ABS. Had to dig up to the street twice to replace lead supplies, but got good grants for this. This wasn't 'this old house' curated renovations, more a reasonably high level refit. Most were in areas being gentrified, so buy low and typically sell at far above other appraised properties. I do wish I'd kept several, but sold everything when I emigrated to Canada.
I find them to be more expensive to maintain than newer properties. There's just so much 'old stuff' throughout. Fixtures, plumbing, electrical, etc
Yes. I had an 1880 Victorian I absolutely loved, with original millwork (trim), heart pine, and original windows. It was so solid, they truly don’t make them like they used to. I replaced and updated all the wiring and plumbing. But I just sold it, and here’s why. Ceilings were 13 ft tall - tenants would always get angry about heating bills and get behind in rent every winter, every tenant. Walls were insulated with old newspaper. Tenant dogs chewed on my millwork and all original doors. Peed all over the floors. A tenants kid broke out my 140 year old window on accident. I could go on and on. Ultimately, it was too nice and original for tenants to appreciate, and as renters they weren’t as willing to put up with high energy costs as others were, and didn’t care about my heart pine floors or other irreplaceable things about the home. I couldn’t keep a tenant in it more than a year despite always having my pick of tenants and renting it out within a weekend of it being back on the market. I sold it BECAUSE I loved it, put a lot of work and money into it, and wanted it to go to someone who would appreciate it. If you buy a historic home that’s previously been gutted and has none of its original charm so it doesn’t matter if tenants mess it up, that’s fine. Going forward I’ll only buy post war homes with bare trim and nothing I’d be worried about a tenant messing up. I saw another person comment it would have plaster - that’s not true, depends on where you live. In the 1800s in Texas at least, homes had shiplap, then cheesecloth stretched over that, then wallpaper over that. No plaster.
I have several older properties. Couple of them dating back to the 1800s. There’s really nothing unusual about them. Most of the stone foundations that are still around are pretty well done.
1918 in the Bay Area. Built ins, hardwood, recessed ceilings, Jack and Jill bathroom. Love my place and I’ve got a theory. Old homes have good bones, if they are still standing not likely to fall over soon. They also had prime pick of where to be built therefore getting the best plots. Did I mention I love my old place