renovating an old house

[Irish]

i have an opportunity to buy an older house very cheaply) that needs an awful lot of help! more specifically, it needs a kitchen (it currently has a water pump at the sink!), a bathroom (there isn't one!), a septic system, and a redesigning of the entire interior. does anyone have any suggestions for resources for this? (the house is in maine) thank you!

eaoreilly@aol.com

[Scott Frederick]

RUN!

(Well, that may be a little harsh) I would seriously think about purchasing the house. You need to weigh several factors.

1. Is it historically significant enough to warrant the work, expense, and headaches?

2. Can you do much of the work yourself?

3. Do you have bottomless pockets? Believe me, once you find one thing wrong, many will follow....and fast.

4. Will you live in the house while you are working on it?

5. Is it to fix up and resell, or rent?

After you have weighed all these questions, and after answering them honestly, then you can decide to buy it or run. One thing I must emphasize: Hire a structural engineer to inspect the property before you even give earnest money or a deposit. If there are any problems too big to tackle, definitely opt out of the deal. I wish I had on the house I recently bought.

s_fredly@hotmail.com

[Ken Holmes]

As webmaster of The Old House Web I sometimes try to offer answers on these boards where there's no doubt people out there with far more expertise than I'll ever have.

But let's see: Cheap house in the Maine woods. Now HERE'S a subject where I guess I really am an expert. I bought, rehabbed, restored, remodeled houses in central Maine for a number of years before I retreated back to the somewhat more sane(?) world of journalism.

Some questions that come to mind:

--Do you live in Maine? I can't imagine trying to restore or remodel an old house long distance. And Maine (while my home state) is a long ways from most places.

--Do you have an intricate knowledge of the local real estate market where the house is located? A $10,000 or $20,000 house (yes, they still exist) isn't much of a bargain if you're going to plow 60 or 100 grand into remodeling a place that will be worth 60 or 70 grand when you're done. (Yes, it's possible. I've done it.)

--Do you have a good working knowledge of what wells, septic systems, kitchens, electrical systems, etc., cost? And do you know enough about local soils, water tables, distance from the house to a telephone pole, etc., to know what you're getting into?

--Oh, and as for the sneakers that Scott suggests you purchase (in order to run away quickly) I'd say do your research, make an intelligent & informed choice as to whether to buy it -- and if you do decide to buy, hang onto the sneaker money. You'll need it for mosquito spray.

Good luck -- and tell us more about this place!

Ken Holmes



kholmes@mail.oldhouseweb.com