Moving into a historic home can be one of the most exciting adventures in which you can take part, as far as homeownership goes. In fact, many people get so excited about the prospect of living in one of these homes that they don’t fully consider the risks and rewards of doing so, leading to drastic consequences in the future. To help you avoid these consequences, here are the top three things to consider before moving into a historic home.
Water Quality
Water quality is one of the primary things to consider before you move into a historic home. This is because there’s often harmful mineral buildup in older homes that haven’t had their pipe systems redone recently. In some cases, significant mineral buildup can make water unpotable or harmful to one’s health. A homeowner may go with one of two options to rectify this: either replace absolutely all the pipes in the house or install a water treatment system for the home.
Foundation
The foundation is another major concern that all homeowners should be concerned about. In older historic homes especially, there’s a significant chance that the ground has shifted, often resulting in a broken or cracked foundation. This can lead to leaks and seepage as well as major plumbing issues in the future. This potential situation should highlight how important it is to get a professional contractor to evaluate the house and ensure everything about the structure is stable before you make the purchase.
Building Materials
The last major thing to consider before you move into a historic home is the building materials used to construct the house. Depending on when the house was built, harmful materials such as asbestos may have been used in its construction. These materials can cause serious health issues over time. As such, before moving into a historic house, you must check with a contractor about the construction materials used to ensure the house is safe for habitation. In some cases, a contractor will need to make a full inspection of the house to check everything out.
Before you move into a historic home, you should first consider a number of things to guarantee your safety. In most cases, a simple check from a general contractor or inspector will rectify any safety concerns you may have. In any case, ensuring that your historic home looks and functions great will let you live a happy and healthy life.
