Living in an old house is not for everyone. Being the perfectionist that I am, it has taken me a while to accept that my house will never be perfect. The rooms will never be totally straight, the floor will remain uneven (sometimes even sloping) and we continuously need to keep fixing things (roof, conservatory, windows, etc) but still, I feel it was the best decision we ever made.
The first day we moved into the house the light in the dining room broke. It was literally like from the 80’s movie “The Money Pit” (if you haven’t seen it you should!) and it was ironic but I’ve lost count of how many things we have had to repair since we moved in.
Here are a few repairs we’ve had to do:
– New combi boiler
– New electrics and kitchen has been rewired
– New flooring and underlay in order to fix an uneven floor (it is still not totally even)- Damp issues (only penetrating damp due to cracks on the window frame)
– Squeaky flooring due to old floor boards (still not fixed in every room)
– Uneven roof
– Hairline cracks on the walls
Most things have been relatively easy (although not cheap) to fix but when you buy an old house (or any house) you are committed to maintaining it. We have a list of things we are still wanting to change but considering I used to dislike old houses I am actually loving the original features and the personality of our house.
Funnily enough, as our list of repairs was growing, I decided to do some research and found the most amazing book that has been very helpful called The 1930s House Manual. The book explains a bit of the history but the main focus is to go through the most common problems in houses that were built in the 1930s and how to fix them. It is a fantastic book and every 1930s house owner should have one.
So, here’s my own list of pros and cons for buying a 1930s house.
Pros
– You can renovate it to your own taste
– Bigger houses (new build houses tend to be smaller)
– Houses used to be built better and will last the test of time (better craftsmanship)
– More character and history
– Usually in a better location than new builds
– Larger gardens (there used to be more land available)
– If you are good at DIY you could sell it and make a profit
Cons
– Unless you are a builder or good at DIY it can cost more than buying a new build
– If there is something wrong with the foundations it will cost A LOT to fix it
– Major renovations can actually affect the house structure if not done properly
– Older houses don’t tend to be open-plan (this was not the style at the time) so you will need to either extend or knock down a wall (again cost)
– Old houses are often surrounded by trees which look great but it also means that they could be a threat to the foundations
– The houses were built during a time when there were fewer building regulations which mean there have been fewer (if any?!) compliance checks
– The houses might not be suitable for modern living (new boiler required, rewiring the house, etc) so it can cost a lot to do the upgrades
– Requires more maintenance than a new build
Here are my favourite original/old features in our house that I feel gives it character. I cannot say if everything is original 1930s. Windows at least are somewhat new but doors, locks, staircase and fireplace are all original 1930s features.
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| Original fireplace that has been painted white. |
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| Original 1930s door and door handle. |
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| Windows are new but the style is typical of the 1930s metal framed windows. |
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| Exposed brick wall painted white (thinking of bringing this back to its original colour..) |
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| The original arch in the hall. |
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| Original staircase that used to be red. |
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| Original front door (although I am not 100% sure..) |
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| Front door lock. |
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| Original 1930s detail. |
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| Brick fence. |
Things to look out for
– Visible cracks outside the house and does the house look straight (determining whether there has been movement and whether this is historical or current)
– Trees nearby
– How old are the heating, wiring, and plumbing
– If the house has been previously extended and all the necessary documentation
– Cracks inside the house
– Damp (visible or funny smell)
If you truly want to buy an older property I would personally go for it if it’s what you have your heart set on. The only thing that would put me off is if the house has been underpinned (meaning it was structurally unstable and the foundations were structurally strengthened due to this). An underpinned house can be totally safe to buy but I personally wouldn’t want to take the risk and also getting insurance for the house would be a nightmare.
I realised that I have more cons than pros.. I guess that means in my head I know that getting a stress-free new build would be an easier option but I have learned to appreciate the history and personality of an older house which is why at the moment I cannot imagine living anywhere else. Our house is like a baby that we look after (ok well almost a 100-year-old baby) and I am excited to see how we can improve her and make her last for many more years to come. Will I ever live in a new build? Maybe. But I think, although I cannot see it now, I will miss the squeaky floors and the little slope in the dining room. After all, they are part of the history of this house and a reminder of everything it has been through.
PS. If anyone has further pros and cons that I forgot to mention, feel free to add them as comments 🙂
One more pro on old houses is that things like bin collection, draining, sewage and area maintenance are covered by local councils which means you get it free if you pay your council tax. New builds are generally not covered by local councils so in addition to paying council tax you need to pay other fees to an external management companies to cover basic essentials. This charge can be large and will continue every year you live in the house even if you retire and pay off your mortgage.
That is a very good point! Thanks for adding the comment 🙂
That's an impressive list of benefits to buying a house from that time. I do agree that the space is a major consideration. I like the size of those houses too, especially when you want to have a space that kids can roam around in freely. Tiny homes also have their benefits- especially when it comes to paying attention to maintenanceWilfred Andrews @ LB Plumbing and Heating
Thank you for your comment Wilfred! That's very true about tiny homes. Bigger homes (and gardens) are definitely more work. 🙂
Oh, my! This is absolutely my current struggle. I love my new house, but it is a much older home, and I am a huge perfectionist with very minimal patience. You are right, there are a lot of needed repairs that come with an older house, but that gives you the change to personalize your new pad to your liking. I absolutely love the doors, windows and brick fence! I wouldn't touch those at all, it gives the house so much character!
Thanks for your comment Jacqueline! I know what you mean. It doesn't help that I'm a perfectionist too but I've learned to love some of those imperfections because I realise that it will never be perfect no matter how much work we put in. We have young children too so it means that dents and other minor 'damage' can happen so easily. I think I will keep the doors actually. I was going to get new ones but like you said, it gives the house character 🙂
Mold can be a tenacious foe, and the negative effects it can have on your health and the health of your family has been well documented, so homeowners must approach this issue with vigilance.Ryan Williams
Thank you for your comment, Ryan!
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Thank you very much for your kind comment! I'm glad you found it useful 🙂 Pia
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Thanks Pia for great post. living in a 1930s house can be have great feeling about history. Tiny homes also have their benefits- especially when it comes to paying attention to maintenance. I really want to have enough money to buy a house like that in future.
I absolutely love my 1930 home! That's why I bought it. Here's my latest obstacle though,the last couple weeks we have gotten uncermountable rain and as long as I've lived here (7yrs) never had a problem but now I'm getting water in basement ..Found the culprit (capped off pipe behind a shelf about knee high from floor in wall).ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA WHAT PURPOSE IT PREVIOUSLY SERVED??? Its located under electrical box,ANY IDEAS ??? Only thing I can think off is break wall out from Inside and RIP partial porch and dig from outside to figure out !!!
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Thank you for this blog post, I'm having a similar experience. Last year we moved to a house built in 1935. My internal doors look the same! I have seen that book, but I was unsure how useful it would be. Good to know it's helpful! Best wishes.
Hi Melissa, That's so interesting. I do find that a lot of 1930s houses look similar. Same layout, windows etc. I haven't used that book as much as I had hoped since we don't tend to do much DIY ourselves anymore. But, if you're planning to do a lot work yourself it's definitely useful! Pia 🙂
Wonderful article, so true whatever is said, good job Ms Pia 🙂 ..keep it up.
Thank you so much! 🙂
I am planning to buy a 1930’s house and this article really helped me. I am concerned as well, considering its my very first home. I am getting a Surveyor (costs ~£1000) to do an inspection just to be sure its all good.
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I’m so glad to hear! You really do need to get a survey, especially for older houses like this. You probably have nothing to worry about (if anything old houses were built better than most new ones these days), but I think it’s worth getting it just for a piece of mind. Good luck!
In comparison to new build properties. 1930s houses are far superior in Build. In the UK the standard of workmanship is appalling. The 1930s houses on the whole were built by time served tradesman. Now 6 weeks or less and building estates. have you seen some of new building standards.
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Thank you for your comment! I agree with you. It seems to be all about making a quick profit now rather than building homes to last.
No one has mentioned my greatest concern with older homes. I am in the process of purchasing a house built in 1937. Do I need to be overly concerned with asbestos? Were builders using asbestos products back then?
Author
Hi Susan, that’s a good point. We found asbestos in our garage (not sure when it was built) and hired a company to remove it. It would be best if you got your home checked for asbestos before carrying out any work in it. Thankfully getting rid of it is quite an easy process (or at least was for us).
I hate to be a “Negative Nellie” but I wish my husband and I waited longer to purchase our home at the time. We both thought at some point dormering it would be doable in terms of cost. Two incomes on Long Island are sometimes not enough to renovate with a family. We have been living in our 1930’s house for almost 13 years and not much has changed. There are 3 bedrooms, one downstairs and two upstairs. The upstairs bedrooms are attic bedrooms with poor insulation we feel in the summer and winter months. They are also “Jack and Jill” rooms so to get to my younger child’s room, you have to go through our room. That didn’t bother me so much when she was younger. Now it’s awkward having her friend’s over, walking into my room. There is little privacy. We have only one bathroom in the entire house, the kitchen needs gutting and the basement is unfinished. I hope one day, somehow we can either renovate a little or sell and move! The only thing keeping me in our home aside from my husband’s recent layoff is the schools. It is hard to purchase an updated home in our area and to change school districts is harder now that my kids are older.
Author
I hear you. Home-ownership has its challenges, especially old houses. Good luck with whatever you choose to do in the future!
Hopefully this will help me a lot will be redoing a house built in 1936
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I hope so too! It’s a lot of work but I love old houses : )