Buying and restoring old houses is indeed a labor of love! In my career I have restored a number of homes, including in historic Marietta PA. You still need to be cognizant of costs, and probably everything you estimate for renovations will turn out to cost more because of unknown factors you will discover during the course of the renovation.
The Victorian house in the photograph is a home that I once owned in Columbia, PA. The third floor had been in a fire and the roof destroyed. Still, there was beautiful oak and cherry woodwork inside.
Do be careful not to remove old paint with either a torch or sander, because of possible lead being released. A heat gun is a good solution because it softens the old paint without burning it. Burning off old paint is one of the reasons historic houses sometimes catch fire during restoration - there may be embers under the eaves, for instance, that go unnoticed overnight while the workers go home.
Having said that, if you love these types of houses and the ambience that they create, nothing new will ever compare with the joy of living and entertaining in one.
Copyright2008BrianSchulman©
Copyright2010BrianSchulman©
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Brian Schulman offers expert real estate representation for buyers and sellers of homes in Lancaster County, PA. To learn more, visit http://www.FindLancasterHomes.com/ |
Brian,
I love Victorian homes.....this one that you previously owned is lovely. I really like the little built-in porch it has on the third floor.
I can picture myself sitting there on a summer afternoon with bare feet up on the railing and a book in hand.
I think you would have loved Emmeline's house (the house I lived in on the bay that I write about).
Excellent point about being careful of lead paint....
Jo
Jo,
I have always been fascinated by Victorian houses. You have some exquisite examples in Belleville. I'm sure I would have loved Emmaline's house.
Brian
Brian,
Buying, restoring and living in "Old Houses" is a terminal illness...and no amount of money you spend in lumber yard, harware store, flooring showroom offers a cure or long term relief!!! Just when you have some peace and comfort in completing a project or home, you sit back, admire with a glass of wine in hand...and you get the pain, again,,,the illness strikes... I need another restoration fix. I've restored 5 homes the earliest 1834, currently in a 1880 brick Victorian, and am almost done and...the ilmess is begining to flare up again!!! Can any one save me from this cursed disease?
Ray
Thanks for stopping by, Gita.
Trey, I have seen a lot that can go wrong. That's why I say that restoring old homes must be a labor of love...