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How old of a house would you consider?



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amother
OP


 

Post Thu, Nov 05 2020, 7:51 am
I'm seeing houses built in the 1950s, 60, 71. Are these old -as far as safety concerns and necessary updates to help with that?
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Elfrida




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Nov 05 2020, 7:54 am
I grew up in a house built in 1900. My parents still live there. It needs maintainance, but we never had any real safety issues.
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amother
Azure


 

Post Thu, Nov 05 2020, 7:54 am
My house was built in the 50s. You need to make sure that electrical and plumbing have been updated and check for lead paint, but otherwise often house built in the 50s and 60s are sturdier than more modern construction. Back then they used better quality materials and took the time and care in construction that they often do not do today.
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BetsyTacy




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Nov 05 2020, 7:59 am
Different eras have different concerns so it is good to google to find out the potential stumbling blocks.
For example, in the US, there was a time in the 60's and early 70's that due to the high expense of copper, some builders had the not-bright idea to substitute aluminum for wiring. So if I was looking at a house from that era, I would definitely check out the wiring.

Many, many people in the US live in much, much older houses. I love watching Escape to the Country which often showcases renovated buildings, often barn conversions, in the UK which are 400 years old.
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tichellady




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Nov 05 2020, 9:07 am
Where I live houses are usually a hundred years or older
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amother
Honeydew


 

Post Thu, Nov 05 2020, 9:11 am
You'll have to have an inspector check for lead in the pipes and paint. You'll need to see if there's a buried oil tank on the property. I'd check windows for drafts, too.
Bear in mind that older houses can be creaky and drafty but overall were far sturdier than the ones built now.
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STMommy




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Nov 05 2020, 9:13 am
As others said, mid century houses were very well built.
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zaq




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Nov 05 2020, 9:43 am
More important than a house's age is its condition. An old, well-maintained house is a better deal than a shoddily-built new one.
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amother
OP


 

Post Thu, Nov 05 2020, 9:52 am
zaq wrote:
More important than a house's age is its condition. An old, well-maintained house is a better deal than a shoddily-built new one.

I'm definitely afraid of shoddily built new like one I'm renting now. Technically it's older, but was gutted and completely redone cheaply.
Want to make sure I'm not going into unknown problems though. Sounds like wiring, lead paint, and buried oil tanks are things to look for. Obviously regular inspection and all maintenance things such as roof and heating and cooling are what to look out for anyway.
Thank you all!
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amother
Puce


 

Post Thu, Nov 05 2020, 10:15 am
Asbestos is also something to look out for in old homes.
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amother
Tan


 

Post Thu, Nov 05 2020, 11:58 am
Our house is over 200 years old
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amother
Mauve


 

Post Thu, Nov 05 2020, 12:05 pm
STMommy wrote:
As others said, mid century houses were very well built.


Yes, my house was built in 2004 in the most flimsy way possible. Things have been falling apart since we moved in.
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amother
Burgundy


 

Post Thu, Nov 05 2020, 12:08 pm
Hidden mold would be a big concern for me
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Raisin




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Nov 05 2020, 12:15 pm
BetsyTacy wrote:
Different eras have different concerns so it is good to google to find out the potential stumbling blocks.
For example, in the US, there was a time in the 60's and early 70's that due to the high expense of copper, some builders had the not-bright idea to substitute aluminum for wiring. So if I was looking at a house from that era, I would definitely check out the wiring.

Many, many people in the US live in much, much older houses. I love watching Escape to the Country which often showcases renovated buildings, often barn conversions, in the UK which are 400 years old.


I have a family member who lives in a house that is several hundred years old. Its a massive pain to maintain I think.

Another relative lives in a relatively modern house, like 150 years old, but when doing renovations they found that some parts of the house date from medieval times.

My own house is about 90 years old, but some parts are more modern. The more modern parts are pretty shoddily built. (electric and so on is all new)
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gingleale




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Nov 05 2020, 4:20 pm
My house was built in the 1930's and is in great shape! It was built well and maintained beautifully over the years. Things have definitely been updated (ie plumbing, electrical etc) but the updates were done correctly.
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amother
Dodgerblue


 

Post Thu, Nov 05 2020, 6:44 pm
Something about galvanized pipes vs pvc?
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