Page 16E — Real Estate & Home Builders Guide — January 2016
Historic-home renovations require additional planning and a bigger budget than newer homes.
Renovating an historic home
By Metro Creative connection
properties is likely to fall into the category
of a renovation.
iving in an historic home can
Renovating an aging structure can be
be a labor of love. The history IXO¿OOLQJ DQG KHOS WR PDNH D KRPH PRUH
and the distinct architecture of functional. But make no mistake, such a
historic homes draw buyers to such renovation is a major undertaking. Before
properties, but what historic homes have beginning, it pays to hire a professional
in regard to history they often lack in the consultant with expertise in renovating
conveniences of modern life, forcing many historic properties. He or she can inspect
historic-home owners to make renovations the property to determine which areas of
to bring their homes into the 21st century.
the home are safe and which will need to
Historic-home renovations differ from EHXSJUDGHG$SURIHVVLRQDOLQVSHFWLRQDOVR
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renovation is getting a home back to where toxic paints and other substances, building
it may have been when originally built, but code issues, rotting, and structural settling.
making concessions for today’s lifestyle. Professionals will know what to look for
Preservation is the act of maintaining a and guide homeowners accordingly.
structure in its current historic state, and
Homeowners also may want to consult
restoration is returning a home to its orig- with a preservation association, community
inal state. Unless a homeowner plans to restoration group or general owner-builder
use an outhouse or live without electricity, group. These people can refer homeowners
the majority of work done on historic to the craftspeople and materials that will
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be needed for a job. Homeowners can
request to see other historic properties in
the area and learn what those owners did
to maintain the integrity of a home when
using newer materials.
Before any work is started, homeowners
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the National Register of Historic Places.
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whatever they want with their property so
long as there are no federal monies attached
to the property. However, the property
owner should also contact his or her state’s
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historic preservation efforts in each state,
and there may be state or local preservation
laws that the owner should be aware of
before renovating a historic property.
Craftspeople should have experience
with historic homes and a sensitivity and
appreciation of renovating older properties.
Homeowners always should see examples
of a craftsperson’s work and verify refer-
ences from each contractor before hiring
anyone to work on the property.
Homeowners who want to include tradi-
tional hardware and other period details
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replicas of historic milling materials, while
others may want to scour antique shops or
salvage yards for era-appropriate materials.
Historic renovations can be costly and
have a tendency to go over budget because
of unforeseen damage and hazards that
have to be repaired so the building is up
to code. Going into the project with this in
mind can help soften the blow of extra costs
down the road.
Historic homes can be beautiful and
appeal to buyers who appreciate the one-of-
a-kind nature of older properties. Reno-
vating historic homes may take time and
money, but the results may be well worth
the effort.