Buying Historic Property

There are several reasons for a person to look into buying historic property. Perhaps you want to buy the house for yourself, because you feel a personal attachment to the history surrounding it. Otherwise, you might consider the property to be a good investment that you might turn into a tourist attraction or museum, or sell to some kind of preservation society. The reasons may be purely aesthetic: you prefer authentic period housing to kitschy imitations or plain prefabricated designs. You may even be buying the property for tax reasons: in some cases, you can get tax incentives for purchasing and preserving houses with historical value. Here are some special factors and issues that are likely to surface if you pursue the purchase of a historical home.

The Complex Business of Renovation

Be careful if you plan to make renovations or to update any machinery in the house. For instance, you might be drawn to a historic house in an area with cold winters. Unfortunately, you see that the house has a very old-fashioned heating system. Look up or contact the historic commission of the state in which the house is located before you start knocking in walls or floorboards to put in better heating. Then again, there might be some renovations that you will be forced to do. For example, you might be forced to attend to the foundations of the house, because in their present state they do not meet with contemporary laws and requirements.

Be sure to look up the regulations every time you look at a house in a different county. Laws can differ remarkably between different areas. Make sure to pay special attention to the roof. Crumbling roofs can cause accidents, and of course leaky roofs can make life difficult (and facilitate the development of mold) during storms.

Uses or Purposes of the Structure

If you are planning on buying a historical home, do not restrict yourself to buildings that were originally designed to be homes. Old barns or stores can be bought and converted into lovely family houses, for example. However, changing the purpose of a building is not just a matter of skill, effort, and resources. There might be limitations on what you are allowed to use a structure for. For instance, a historical group to which the house is attached might be able to stop or at least pressure you if you try to put the structure to certain "unintended" uses.

Do Your Research

There are various online resources for you. For instance, try a site like Oldhouses.com to find houses for sale, as well as a comprehensive list of relevant organizations. Historical societies have links there. You can also find professional organizations of preservationists and inspectors. Organizations listed here are both national and local (devoted to a particular state, for instance). This site also has guides for you to use when decorating and restoring a house in a particular style, so that you do not unintentionally spoil the period authenticity of a house-the very reason you purchased it.

Beverly Manago is a freelance writer focused on the real estate industry. She is also a consultant for My Single Property Websites, a web 2.0 marketing tool that lets real estate agents create stunning virtual tours and single property sites easily, with a free version available for listing presentations. She also writes about how to Post Real Estate Facebook there.