Buying an older home? Here’s a checklist

According to a recent article in this newspaper, the population of the city of Atlanta has risen to more than a half-million people. This is the largest population in more than 40 years and reverses the trend of population reduction in the city that started in the 1970s. It takes only a couple of trips across the top-end Perimeter at 5 p.m. and a stop at the gas pump to understand why this trend is occurring.

Moving to the city, however, does not just mean saving gas. In most cases, it means purchasing a house that is 50, 60 or even 100 years old. The experience of living in and maintaining an older home is quite different from that of a new home. After almost 35 years of remodeling and inspecting Atlanta’s older homes, here is my list of some of the differences a buyer of an older home should be aware of.

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Phil Skinner / pskinner@ajc.com

Whether buying a house downtown or north of the city, buyers should beware: Renovation can cost a bundle. The city of Cumming is hoping grants will pay to renovate this hotel, built in 1907.

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1. Water: Say what you will about the quality of new construction, it is a fact that we learn over time. One thing we have learned that was poorly understood decades ago is that water in basements and crawl spaces is a bad thing. Before we installed furnaces and water heaters in basements and crawl spaces, these areas were rarely utilized. So what if a crawl space got some water in it, it would soon run out or evaporate. Today, we realize that wet basements and crawl spaces are environments that invite mold growth and can be unhealthy. If you are purchasing an older home, be aware that the original construction probably did not address the issue of water entry. Changing the conditions of the original construction to keep those basements and crawl spaces dry may be costly.

2. Energy efficiency: Anyone who has lived in an older home knows that when the wind blows, it comes through the windows, doors and even the walls. Older homes were, at best, poorly insulated. Adding insulation in the attic is fairly easy and inexpensive, but changing out those loose, leaky windows or opening walls to install insulation can cost a bundle.

3. Structure: As with our understanding of water entry, our understanding of what it takes to construct a long lasting and safe structure has vastly improved over time. The structural requirements in current codes will ensure us of superior, longer-lasting housing. In all fairness, houses, like people, age. They sag and their bones (foundation and frame) become brittle. Houses also get diseases like infestations by termites or decay from leaking roofs or plumbing fixtures. For the purchaser of an older home, this means you should hire a professional to take a good look at the condition of the structure. It is important to understand that any structural problems in an older house can be fixed.

4. Systems: Most purchasers of older homes are aware of this one. Electrical, plumbing, and heating systems need to be modernized. Remember, those tough old people only had one small furnace in the floor of the hall, and they never had air conditioning. Older electrical systems, although originally safe, are not able to serve the increased electrical demands of modern life. Finally, the plumbing systems, if not already upgraded, have lived beyond their original life expectancies, and will soon, if they have not already, spring leaks. Old cast-iron drain pipes are often performing well even 100 years later. Old galvanized steel water supply pipes, however, will leak at joints and build up a residue of rust on their interior walls that reduces the pipe size and thus the flow of water.

Once again, the purchaser of an older home should be aware of the condition of the systems and factor the cost of their repair or replacement into the purchase decision.