Old Houses and Big Money - holy moly!

[Leslie Ap]

AND, think of all the money you save on entertainment expenses since you never have time to do that stuff anyway
HB

Love this thought- at work, all the other people talk about weekend plans- going to concerts, parties, bars, hiking, visit friends, etc, etc. My plans usually sound more like everyone else's around "here."

How do we afford it? Hm, good question. I'm a bargain-hunting extremist and glutton for punishment, so we DIY. My husband is tolerant and works nights (read that "sleeps days"). However, I'm a commitment-fobe (not with everything) so I shop for months before making a move. I picked the drapery hardware about 6 weeks before I eventually purchased it. And that was moving fast!

[khwils]

Sweet Lew, We have a house that had a leaky stone foundation. Gutters and downspouts and now the basement is as dry as can be!

Kurt

[Sweet Lew]

Sweet Lew, We have a house that had a leaky stone foundation. Gutters and downspouts and now the basement is as dry as can be!

Kurt

Kurt..Check your Inbox...

[Don M]

It's probably a wash as far as new vs old & the repairs required. We've had the farm for 10 years now & have completed most of the things on the home inspector's list. We've rapaired most of the old existing termite damage in the outbuildings---deferred maintenance was rampent there . I have some new termite damage which Terminex says is old & not covered---I'm going to cancel the contract on those buildings & use the savings to repair the damage---I'll spray it myself! I had the trim on all the outbuildings scraped & painted for the first time in 8 years. We have replaced the rear 1/3 of the house roof repainted all the standing seam roofs last spring, raplaced gutters on the house & barn. Lined two chimney flues built a new terrace, a riding arena, created 3 pastures with fencing & gates, renovated the old dairy into a horse stable etc. We are very proud of our farm & what we have accomplished & it's great to drive up to the house, turn into the driveway & know we have preserved a piece of history Don

[Civil War Seamstress]

My house is an 1880 and the most of the money I have sunk into it has been in the newest addition (the sewing room) built in 1980. THis year alone the house socked us From Nov to Nov $13,000. We needed 2 roofs replaced and the furnace which took all professionals to do. That price didn't include what we had done over the summer of last year which included the windows for the sewing room, the clapboarding, and replacing the back stair case and building a small hallway. We did all the work ourselves except for the window install.

We try not to think of the grand total. Even flat broke we are happier in our old house with soul than we were in the souless shoe box we lived in. And as it was said, one you hit the maintenance and repair time tables, all houses are going to sock it to you mercilessly.

Chin up, love your house, it has a soul. Your house is solid, not a spit-and-cardboard Mc Mansion.

[Byugal]

My old farm house was bought for just $15,000, but since September, we are now into it $52,000...which includes a new roof which will be put on in a few days....$16,000, and we added a front porch, sun porch and mud room....another $15,000. All windows in the sun porch were used, so didn't have to buy any, but we did refinish all the windows in the house and bought a nice old clawfoot tub for the bathroom. Paid to have all the old drywall removed. Siding will come next, and then work on the inside and then new septic system, and we need a new water well. Of course, the electric, plumbing, and everything else....but, it is really going to be a nice house when we finish....hopefully before the next year is out, and I wouldn't trade it for a dozen new houses.

[oldhouseluvr]

[quote="Civil War Seamstress"]Even flat broke we are happier in our old house with soul than we were in the souless shoe box we lived in. [quote]

I couldn't have said it better than CWS did. We are in deep, but its well worth every penny we've invested, whether or not we ever recoup our entire investment, and I suspect that we will anyway. Living in an old house makes me happy!

[sundine2]

our old house was built in or aroung 1899/1900. We put on a new roof all the way down with new boards. New gutters, all new heating and air up and downstairs. New water heater, new 3 car garage since there wasn't one , new deck, new concrete drive, gutted both the main bathroom and the kitchen and totally remodeled. We probably have over 100 grand put into it after what we bought it for too. It hursts to think of the money spent but you can't take it with you...lol

[Rick Wik]

Sundine, I took a look at some of your photos. Yow, what a place! Since I guess it's easy for me to say, I'll go ahead and say it: I'd give up whatever I had to in order to get a result like that.

Rick

[kat]

I quess it all depends on how much money you have to spend....I think old houses are more expensive to maintain even though the new ones need roofs and hot water heaters etc etc....of course you could have a new house with chinese drywall...

You are in an area where the real estate market has held...you will reap what you sow into your old house....

and you have a choice of work people to get more than one estimate...that helps...

I dont even have one choice...

with the local mill closing down here, they expect 100 or so houses to go on the market/foreclose in the surrounding area.. so much for that 200 % increase in my real estate assessment....