Skip to content

Is Buying a Historic Home for You?

Is Buying a Historic Home for You?

 

These days a lot of home buyers prefer a house that looks modern. With the craze of modern designs and features, these types of houses are often sought after by many people and come off the market much quicker. However, while these houses fit some people, others love the idea of owning something more vintage, especially if it comes with an interesting history with it.

 

If you are into historic homes and want to own one, it is important to note that it will need maintenance on a more regular basis due to its age.  The exception, of course, is if you you want to renovate and update. In either scenario, of course you need to be prepared for broken pipes, leaks and a lot of other major flaws in the foundation, structure, and finishes. If you’re still on board to search for your dream historic home, there are some other things that should be understood and we’ll go through those together.

 

Imposed Restrictions

 

A lot of towns in the United States have planning and zoning commissions within their neighborhoods. This is to help preserve and protect the remaining historic homes within it. Because of this, renovating and rebuilding or altering a historic house requires approval or at times bureaucracy. For example, if you are planning to buy a house that is roughly one hundred years old, you may not be able to repair it as to how you like it because of the planning and zoning commissions. That alone gives you and idea on how serious  you would be if you were to own a historic home. A factor in what is “allowed” is whether the home is considered a landmark by governmental entities. Because of that restriction, repairs can take longer and would even be more expensive. Always consult with an architect when moving forward with owning and updating a home in this situation.

 

The Expenses of Restoration

 

Let’s be real, restoring a historic home is expensive from the get go. For example, a Victorian-era house was made with materials that are no longer available. Many more of those types of houses were built in the middle and late 19th century that would have been made with rare materials that will not be easily found today. It is challenging to restore a house with materials that are not equally comparable to the original, and that can often result in having to completely redo rather than restore. An additional element that can be expensive is the ornate details found in them such as the tiles used, wooden carvings, crown moldings and the light fixtures. It could get expensive if you want to track down the original materials or something from that same time period, and often that requires purchasing from overseas which is an additional and usually pricey expense. 

 

Repairing Can Be Time Consuming

 

The time it takes to repair a home like this is often why people opt to purchase a new home. The appeal of being able to move in right away – to avoid further expenses – is very strong. Buying a house is expensive by default, but there will be a larger financial cost for something that is historic. Being aware that the repairs are not always quick fixes and could take a long time is a major factor. There have even been instances of homes being in constant maintenance, so the job is not necessarily ever done. 

 

Pros and Cons of Buying a Historic Home

 

Like many kinds of homes, buying a historic home has its ups and downs. If you want to know if it’s a good idea to do so, here are the pros and cons of buying one:

 

Pros

 

  • A historic house certainly has its charm and character. Buying an old house with good history is like stepping back in time. It’s well-thought decor and design is something that a lot of people appreciate. From old fireplaces to antique chandeliers to unique doorknobs and knockers, owning a historic home is certainly something to be proud of.
  • You help in keeping the memory of the house alive. Buying a historic house is not only a good investment, but it is also a big help to the community or neighborhood you are living in. In many ways you are preserving not only the house’s history but also the community’s. 
  • Historic homes are packed with history, of course. A historic home is not only charming but it is also a place where an interesting story happened. It could be a house where a president was born or it used to be a place owned by someone very rich. Each house has its story to tell and if you are a big fan of history then you will definitely enjoy owning one that has a good story to tell. 
  • The architecture is one of a kind. A lot of old houses have very rare features that you cannot see with other houses. Take a look at houses that were made during the Victorian era, you can always tell that they are a Victorian house because they were built in a specific fashion. You cannot find houses or homebuilders that make them the way they used to. That being said, houses with Spanish, Colonial, and Federal styles all have very remarkable curb appeal.
  • A historic house is an investment. Buying a house is an investment, but buying a historic house is something much more. Studies show that houses with history have higher value in the long run. Not only that, a lot of local or state governments offer tax incentives to the owners or lower their loans in order to help restore it. 

 

Cons

 

Of course, it’s not all sunshine and butterflies when you own a historic house. It does come with its own set of difficulties so you have to be ready too:

 

  • For starters, it is very expensive to maintain. You might have the money today to buy that historic house and maintain, but it is important to be aware you will likely need a constant cash flow to keep up with the home. That is why you have to really think it through before you purchase one otherwise, it will just go to waste or time, money, and resources.
  • When it comes to Insurance, it is expensive to insure a historic home. Why? This is because many insurance companies don’t cover the type of coverage you need for the house. This means you have to get a historic property insurance which is one of the most expensive insurance policies you can get. Not only that, since historic houses are often old, there could be a lot of repairs to do so this could mean skyrocketing monthly insurance payments.
  • You have to follow the planning and zoning laws required by the town or local government. This is given to preserve the historic value of the property. So you can’t just renovate on your own or according to your wishes. There are rules to follow and they’re not always that easy. 
  • There are often more problems at hand than expected. Sure, the house may look okay on the outside but many old houses have other problems. There could be mold growing or even asbestos. Some old houses have termites which can ruin hard wood and the foundation. So before you take on a historic house, make sure to have it inspected by professionals thoroughly. Keep in mind that some old houses like that are not preserved properly so unless you are willing to take it and do the renovations, you have to make sure that the house is safe to live in.

 

Is It the House for You?

 

Buying a house that has contributed to American history is very exciting but before you do, make sure to weigh the pros and cons. If you have nothing to fear, money isn’t a problem and the good elements of the house outweighs the bad…then buying one is a good investment to make. It could be a costly investment but one that is very worth it in the long run so best of luck and enjoy the process!

Vince C. JR
Vince C. JR
21:44 09 Mar 23
I was in a bind and needed to sell my home quick without the hassle of someone trying to get over on me. I was approached by Frankie who works here at "We Buy Any Vegas House" and let me tell you! Frankie was not only understanding of my situation but was always on my side every step of the way. He took what was a very stressful time in my life and made this transaction as painless as it could be. His assistant Tara always got back to me regardless of what time it was and I never felt like I was in the dark. I am forever thankful that Frank reached out me and can't thank him and his team enough!
Liz Raga
Liz Raga
19:19 07 Mar 23
Horrible experience- really not professional and definitely won’t call them again to sell my house. Don’t really believe to their falls promises!
Tammy Hetrick
Tammy Hetrick
23:39 12 Sep 22
Friendly service. Great chips and salsa. We came for the margaritas. We've been here a few times for dinner and always enjoy the food.
David Stanley
David Stanley
23:05 12 Sep 22
Spam company, keeps calling and texting to buy a home that I don't own & won't stop
Mike Straub
Mike Straub
23:33 29 Aug 22
Kip came over & offered to steal my beautiful home for a terribly low price, then made an appointment to come back with his partner a few days later, but didn't show up or even call to let us know he wasn't coming
Tyler Smith
Tyler Smith
22:19 04 Jul 22
An amazing team to do business with! Highly recommend!
Tiare Johnson
Tiare Johnson
15:50 08 Jun 22
I didn’t have to worry about a real estate agent, closing costs, & a lot of things that you have to take care of when you sell a house in a traditional way. I like the fact that it was fast, easy, & everything went great! Jamie is fantastic to work with!
Christopher Jenks
Christopher Jenks
19:38 31 May 22
Very communicative and trustworthy group of professionals. The selling process was transparent and fast. Definitely worth considering...
Karen Wheeler
Karen Wheeler
18:31 22 May 22
Great team to deal with
Kailey Bowman
Kailey Bowman
07:08 22 May 22
Mo F
Mo F
23:51 20 May 22
We had an awesome experience!! Jamie Kirk is amazing and made our experience great!!
Jcbbowman1987
Jcbbowman1987
18:42 20 May 22
The best in the business!
peter maiers
peter maiers
04:13 20 May 22
Easy fast and I trusted them ever step of the way !! great team of people all interested in doing everything correctlyPeter B
Connie Bowman
Connie Bowman
02:38 20 May 22
Fantastic Company!
Britne Salsbury
Britne Salsbury
02:34 20 May 22
Casey and his team and are amazing! They are organized and have great follow up. A really great group of people to work with!
Denise Klein
Denise Klein
01:43 20 May 22
Casey Ryan is an incredible professional when it comes to the needs of sellers that need to sell their homes off market. As a real estate agent I always recommend Casey to anyone looking to work with an off market buyer. He is honest, trustworthy & always looking for win-win solutions for everyone involved! The real estate market is better because of Casey & his company, We Buy Any House
jose moran
jose moran
22:43 19 May 22
Chandler Gentry
Chandler Gentry
21:56 19 May 22
This team is so amazing! Makes everything so easy and super reliable!
Amanda Jones
Amanda Jones
21:30 19 May 22
Alex Moses
Alex Moses
20:09 19 May 22
Best company to work with in the real estate game. ABSOLUTELY BEST CUSTOMER SERVICE IVE EXPERIENCED!!
Kyle Mellies
Kyle Mellies
20:06 19 May 22
Donald Gibson
Donald Gibson
19:41 19 May 22
Great communication and pleasant to work with! Everything went smoothly!
Josh Wathen
Josh Wathen
19:40 19 May 22
The team at We Buy Any Vegas House are extremely thorough and very kind. They go above and beyond to help you through the process. I would highly recommend.
Devin Flynn
Devin Flynn
19:34 19 May 22
Jamie was an absolute rockstar for us! She went above and beyond all our expectations, do not hesitate to go with them!
Andrew Brannick
Andrew Brannick
18:12 19 May 22
Worked with Ryan on the sale of my Vegas property, I thought it was going to be a little difficult being out of town in Arizona. Ryan walked me through the process of selling and was able to get me an offer that was higher than I was expecting. He handled everything for me and made the process easy and really quick which was what exactly what I was looking for! Would 100% recommend for anyone looking to sell their house
Jared Vidales
Jared Vidales
17:50 19 May 22
Great service, great pricing. Sold my mothers house to them, and they handled it with care.
Kathy Hallett
Kathy Hallett
17:49 19 May 22
Jamie immediately helped me feel comfortable and the whole process was quick and hassle free! 5 stars
Melani Kirk
Melani Kirk
17:33 19 May 22
Jake Groves
Jake Groves
16:29 19 May 22
Local to Vegas and they are the best. I spoke to every cash home buyer in Vegas. Most of them just low-balled me over the phone. Ryan met me at the property and made an offer, which turned out to be the highest. He also agreed to close with the difficult hoarding tenant still there. Jamie supported me through the escrow process, she was very responsive to any questions I had and kept me informed during the closing. Less than a 30-day escrow. I spoke to a few of the team members over two months as I was getting other offers and all of them were easy to talk to and patient. They have a great team and make sure you include them in your decision-making.Thanks againJG
Joe Skaggs
Joe Skaggs
16:14 02 May 22
S Holt
S Holt
19:49 27 Apr 22
The first person I met was Allen. He immediately made me feel comfortable and confident in dealing with this company. I'm chronically ill. Allen is the only real estate person I'd let in my home.Throughout the process I ended up dealing with the whole team. Jamie deserves a medal for the hurdles she can overcome. Ryan is great at fixing problems and handling the big stuff, with a whole lot of support from Jamie. Allen was always available for me and checking in. He is great at answering questions in a way you understand and I always felt comfortable talking to him.Here is the actual email I sent the team today: "Hi everybody. Just wanted to thank you all again. I'm already able to do so much more for myself, I feel like a new person. I love my cute little house. I love the cold. It even snowed my 3rd day here. Because I'm able to move around, go outside, see people, clean the house, run errands, etc I'm starting to walk much better and even breathe better. And I haven't even seen a doctor yet. I don't feel like I'm a prisoner in my house anymore. Just wanted to let you know how much of a difference you make."My sale hit a few snags. But I'm the end, everything worked out just as they promised, for the amount they promised. These are great people to trust. (PS… Don't worry if they use O.D. I thought it was a scam of some kind. It wasn't. I just didn't understand).
Anabel Alvarez
Anabel Alvarez
17:05 12 Oct 21
Thank you WBAVH! Charles and Ryan were professional, personable, and patient with our needs and requests. The process was a breeze and they answered all of our questions in detail. They made us feel comfortable and part of their family. Will be recommending to everyone I know!
Steven Kaplan
Steven Kaplan
07:40 18 Aug 21
jerry gallegos
jerry gallegos
16:18 09 Aug 21
Very nice and helpful, responded to any questions very quick. I will do business with them again when I buy my next house.
Christopher Kampshoff
Christopher Kampshoff
00:30 07 Aug 21
Thank you so much guys, my brother was in a tight spot I appreciate you coming through. He's in a much better situation now. Again thank you.
Kelly Brown
Kelly Brown
18:48 27 Jul 21
I attempted to work with Allen, from this company. He seemed very nice and I was curious about what their company would give me for my home, if there were no realtors commissions involved. He said he needed to see the house. He came over and took a bunch of pictures and said he would talk to his partner Ryan, (the numbers guy), and get back with me in a half an hour. I didn’t hear from him that day. The next day I received a text from him, saying he would contact me on Monday. On Monday, he texted to see if I could talk at 12:00? I said, yes, he never called. Tuesday I receive a call from a random realtor telling me that Allen’s company has referred me to him. I call Allen, of course, to ask him what the heck is going on and he says yes, I work with this realtor, but I didn’t give him your information, he pouched it from our website!! I then say, so are you going to work with me and I find out, exactly what I already knew, they couldn’t offer enough money for my house, so they are not going to make an offer, HUGE SURPRISE!! #1, if you want your personal information safe, do not work with this company and #2, if you want a good offer on your home, don’t work with this company. I bought my home 3 years ago, it’s in great condition, in a great zip code and the market is through the roof!! If you can’t buy a house and get close to what someone needs financially right now, I don’t know when you can! Pick another company besides this one!! There are many!! Stay far away from this particular WE BUY HOUSES FOR CASH!!! You have been warned!!!
Carolyn Gobel
Carolyn Gobel
18:16 22 Jul 21
This company helped keep us from foreclosure. Thank you!
Carlos Caballero
Carlos Caballero
19:15 23 Jun 21
Thank you guys for your help with my Grandmas home. It was in rough shape and she left so much stuff. We couldn’t have taken on cleaning it out and the project.
jesse phalin
jesse phalin
01:29 18 May 21
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you! Went above and beyond assisting me through this process. Helped me move my things and even let me leave what I wasn’t taking with me. Thanks for all of the hard work.
Kelly Stewart
Kelly Stewart
21:27 08 May 21
My husband handled the process but felt good dealing with this local company and they did not try to change price after seeing the house. They actually offered higher once they saw our home. Had 5 companies come our to give us bids and they all were bait and switch. They beat everyone’s offers too. We tried to list before and couldn’t sell. I don’t know why anyone would work with head aches of real estate agents and paying commissions, banks, inspectors and the time to close only to walk away with the same money. Thank you Ryan and Jamie.
degan Stewart
degan Stewart
21:23 08 May 21
Thank you guys so much. Jamie is so sweet and on it. Ryan Is one of the most genuine people I’ve met in Vegas. They did what they said they’d do when they said they would and kept us in the loop the whole time
Brian Higgins
Brian Higgins
22:00 04 May 21
Thank you guys so much for everything. Ryan and Jamie Helped me find a place to get out of our old place. It was so nice to have the moving company just handle everything for me.
Sheila Winn
Sheila Winn
19:05 09 Apr 21
I struggled with the idea of selling my house to a "flipper". This company was fair, professional and extremely helpful every step of the way. I never had to wait for a response from Kelly Schnippel when I had a question or concern.I personally would recommend them to anyone looking to get a fair price for their property all the while getting kindness, professionalism and assistance from the buyer.Thank you Kelly Schnippel! I appreciate YOU and your team!Sheila Winn
Valerie Grijalva
Valerie Grijalva
17:30 27 Feb 21
Casey and his team will handle your transaction with the upmost professionalism and class like no other. Their knowledge in real estate will exceed your expectations and you won't be disappointed from beginning to end with their communication and systems to ensure your goals are met. I highly recommend Casey and his team!
Ann Reback
Ann Reback
18:51 25 Feb 21
Thank you for your professional and personal help in this process. You and your team have been so knowledgeable, responsive, courteous and kind...understanding my goals and executing each step in a timely and professional manner! THANK YOU! I will recommend you and your team to friends and others in our community.
Aviv Ben Shimon
Aviv Ben Shimon
16:38 25 Feb 21
Jess Lapensee
Jess Lapensee
16:31 25 Feb 21
From start to finish the selling process was quick and easy!
Lynne M
Lynne M
04:52 24 Jun 20
I have nothing but positive things to say about this company! I needed to sell a house quickly after a death in my family. I spoke with several Cash for Houses Companies in Las Vegas and settled on We Buy Any Vegas House. Everyone was very sensitive about my situation, helpful, answered all my questions and extremely responsive when I called. Ryan and Kelly were awesome!After we settled on a price everything went super smoothly in escrow and again if I had any concerns or questions there was immediate feedback. Also the fact that I was able to do this remotely as I live in California was extremely helpful! I am so grateful for all the help I received during a very challenging time in my life.
Freddy Aleman
Freddy Aleman
18:47 27 Dec 19
My wife and I recently bought a home from Casey Ryan. The home we purchased is located in Centennial Hills. Gorgeous remodel. Casey and his team did a great job of designing the home. We ran into a couple of issues shortly after moving in. Casey had his people out quickly during Christmas week to make a couple of repairs. He gave my wife and I peace of mind during a chaotic holiday week and for that we will always appreciate him. I would recommend a Casey Ryan home to my friends and relatives.
Angela Rienstra
Angela Rienstra
21:06 26 Dec 19
I needed to sell my house from out of state ASAP. I looked into some other larger name companies and was disappointed with their turn-around time and lack of customer service. I'm so grateful to have found Ryan (and Kelly)! They understood my time crunch and moved heaven and earth to buy my house at a fair price and closed by the promised date. They were with me every step of the way and offered world class service! 100% would recommend to anyone!
Next Reviews