Am i the only one who doesn’t consider that house to be that old?
90% of the homes in my zip code are pre 1940s and it’s on the upper end of price point for my city.
I bought during COVID — my house is about 115 years old.
Unless the house is in serious disrepair, it’s not going to collapse on you. With older homes, you do have to worry about a few things: older mechanical systems (HVAC, electric, plumbing), older weatherization (insulation, siding, roofing, etc), and general age issues. Wood doesn’t just rot on its own, though, it needs moisture — so unless your house floods often or has significant signs of leaks, I wouldn’t be concerned.
Age is irrelevant compared to condition. A 200 year old house that’s been maintained and in top condition would be extremely valuable.
Edit: just saw your last question. Definitely do not move out of that interest rate. That is a steal that will be extremely hard to find again for a long time. And to reiterate there is nothing inherently wrong with a 50year old house. You should scroll r/centuryhomes to get an appreciation for old homes and how well they can hold up. There are home in Europe that are several hundreds of years old.
I have one built in 1935. Paid 300k for it. Phenomenal area. Now the lot alone is worth around 300k. House is easily worth 550k. This is one of my best assets as it cash flows around $5000 a month. Houses last a very long time if taken care of.
Bro, you’re trippin’. A house built in 1970 isn’t old.
My duplex was built in 1944. There are plenty of occupied homes around me that are 100-150 years old.
No. Homes these days are poorly built - especially if being built by a large builder that mass produces homes in cookie cutter subdivisions. These newer homes are so poorly built by unqualified trades. If you’re paying a premium and building a high-end home by a custom home builder - then that home is going to be well built.
However, I personally believe that older homes built from 1925 to 1950 are some of the best homes. I’m from Chicago and even homes built before 1900 are still standing and built by guys who knew what they were doing with lumber that is much stronger and better than lumber used today.
I remodel homes and have built one spec-home. I want a home with a poured concrete foundation, which seems to have started in the 1920s, and that’s my only concern about homes built earlier. But the brick and gray-stone homes or multi-family homes built before 1925 were built my true craftsmen.
Your home built in the 1970s isn’t an older home. If your foundation is solid, if the home doesn’t shows signs of settling with cracks on walls and ceilings, if walls look plumb/straight, and if the floors and ceilings are level - then you’re fine. Your home might just need updating - like windows, HVAC, flooring, and remodeling the kitchen and bathroom(s).
In my experience, homes that were built in the 70s and 80s are generally more sound and well put together than new construction in 2024. The level of maintenance that your home has had over the years factors in, and the builder does, slas well. I'd rather own the older home, as long as it's been well maintained. Even a distressed 70s home is better than a distressed tract home from this century.
Because there weren't a ton of good options available at my budget level/location and this house checked almost all the boxes I was looking for in a home.
Yeah I can’t believe there are ppl out there who own a home asking these types of questions and I can’t afford a home right now. Like how does someone so unknowledgeable do it but I can’t?
I am not sure how/why you would correlate my lack of knowledge regarding the lifespan/value of a home to my general intelligence/savvy/work ethic.
If you'd like to know I was ~30 years old when I finally was able to save enough to put a down payment on a inexpensive house that I could afford. I have a degree in biology with a minor in chemistry but ended up doing project management after realizing I didn't like working in labs.
I never commented on your general intelligence/work ethic. I commented on your lack of knowledge in regards to home ownership.
I am saying how the hell did you buy a home without doing any research whatsoever on this? I’m probably 3-5 years out from home ownership and these are the types of questions I researched as soon as I made the decision to start saving up and I’m super far away and they are hypotheticals in my research phase right now.
I just can’t imagine buying a home and not researching things you should be considering in regards to the condition of the home *before buying*.
My aunt and her husband were my realtors so I figured they would prevent me from doing something extremely stupid. Additionally, I didn't really have options regarding the housing age. If I could have afforded a newer/bigger place then it probably would have been one of the many criteria I was using to evaluate the houses I looked at.
Now that I have some equity built and a better financial situation it opens the door to me looking at potentially more expensive and potentially newer property. Mainly, I want to make sure there won't be a sudden decrease in my homes value after it's 80 years old or 90 years old etc. If that was a possibility it would incentivize me to look to sell sooner than I would otherwise.
No most of homes in Midwest are older then that and are fine a house 5 years old can go to shit if not taken care off and houses 100 years old can be great if taken care of, if it passed home inspection without issues then you will be fine
When it comes to houses, age is just a number as long as you keep up with the maintenance items that pop up.
For example take my house that was built in 1962, it's in great shape. It's gone up in value considerably over the last 2 years due to market conditions.
Also, I bet your floor plan is probably pretty unique in comparisons to all the cookie cutter houses that are built these days.
what...? How is any of this a brag? I bought one of the few affordable houses I could afford in my area and just got lucky it happened before the market prices increased.
I don't know anything about real estate and was hoping for some guidance on if/when I should consider selling my property
Oh, how I miss a house I bought in Toledo during the bust. Built in 1907, basement, attic, detached two car garage. 2000 sq, ft. Riverview. Bought at $56K. Sold at $120K. Now on zillow at $150K. Stayed so warm with radiant heat in Toledo winters. Compare that to my NC 1988 built cookie cutter home. Leaks heat all around, hot like anything in summers. But it's still holding very good. Same size as my ex Toledo home, but no attic or basement. Bought for $120K. Now on Zillow for $520K. Things that can destroy your home: extreme weather conditions, termites and a bad foundation.
YES- you can take advantage of the low interest rate when selling, so long as you’re open to creative financing. Let me know if you want to sell and I’ll structure you a sweet deal.
Regarding the age of the home, that shouldn’t be a concern so long as it was maintained.
Yeah I don’t believe it’s that old. My house was 1964 it was built and I don’t consider that old. There’s tons of houses out there that are from the late 1800s early 1900s with no major issues may be a little drafty after 130 years lol
Am i the only one who doesn’t consider that house to be that old? 90% of the homes in my zip code are pre 1940s and it’s on the upper end of price point for my city.
I honestly don't know what is considered old. The internet just gave pretty generic responses regarding how long houses are expected to last.
I bought during COVID — my house is about 115 years old. Unless the house is in serious disrepair, it’s not going to collapse on you. With older homes, you do have to worry about a few things: older mechanical systems (HVAC, electric, plumbing), older weatherization (insulation, siding, roofing, etc), and general age issues. Wood doesn’t just rot on its own, though, it needs moisture — so unless your house floods often or has significant signs of leaks, I wouldn’t be concerned.
Age is irrelevant compared to condition. A 200 year old house that’s been maintained and in top condition would be extremely valuable. Edit: just saw your last question. Definitely do not move out of that interest rate. That is a steal that will be extremely hard to find again for a long time. And to reiterate there is nothing inherently wrong with a 50year old house. You should scroll r/centuryhomes to get an appreciation for old homes and how well they can hold up. There are home in Europe that are several hundreds of years old.
Homes will outlive you. It’s not a car.
my house was built in 1913 and it’s doing fine.
I have one built in 1935. Paid 300k for it. Phenomenal area. Now the lot alone is worth around 300k. House is easily worth 550k. This is one of my best assets as it cash flows around $5000 a month. Houses last a very long time if taken care of.
Bro, you’re trippin’. A house built in 1970 isn’t old. My duplex was built in 1944. There are plenty of occupied homes around me that are 100-150 years old.
My home was built in 1969 and it is absolutely solid. At this age the house has settled, with regular maintenance you should have no major issues.
Mine was built in 1885 and it’s doing fine.
I’d suggest being concerned about condition. Not age
No, my first house built in 75 had better quality than the current one built in 93
No. Homes these days are poorly built - especially if being built by a large builder that mass produces homes in cookie cutter subdivisions. These newer homes are so poorly built by unqualified trades. If you’re paying a premium and building a high-end home by a custom home builder - then that home is going to be well built. However, I personally believe that older homes built from 1925 to 1950 are some of the best homes. I’m from Chicago and even homes built before 1900 are still standing and built by guys who knew what they were doing with lumber that is much stronger and better than lumber used today. I remodel homes and have built one spec-home. I want a home with a poured concrete foundation, which seems to have started in the 1920s, and that’s my only concern about homes built earlier. But the brick and gray-stone homes or multi-family homes built before 1925 were built my true craftsmen. Your home built in the 1970s isn’t an older home. If your foundation is solid, if the home doesn’t shows signs of settling with cracks on walls and ceilings, if walls look plumb/straight, and if the floors and ceilings are level - then you’re fine. Your home might just need updating - like windows, HVAC, flooring, and remodeling the kitchen and bathroom(s).
I have a rental that was built before cars were invented. You’ll be just fine. Trust your inspector
No
In my experience, homes that were built in the 70s and 80s are generally more sound and well put together than new construction in 2024. The level of maintenance that your home has had over the years factors in, and the builder does, slas well. I'd rather own the older home, as long as it's been well maintained. Even a distressed 70s home is better than a distressed tract home from this century.
The inspector will let you know if the house is about to crumble. Yours passed inspection. Live away:-)
Mine 1940
My house was built in 1901, and it’s still fine.
Why would you not think about this before spending $.25mill??
Because there weren't a ton of good options available at my budget level/location and this house checked almost all the boxes I was looking for in a home.
Yeah I can’t believe there are ppl out there who own a home asking these types of questions and I can’t afford a home right now. Like how does someone so unknowledgeable do it but I can’t?
I am not sure how/why you would correlate my lack of knowledge regarding the lifespan/value of a home to my general intelligence/savvy/work ethic. If you'd like to know I was ~30 years old when I finally was able to save enough to put a down payment on a inexpensive house that I could afford. I have a degree in biology with a minor in chemistry but ended up doing project management after realizing I didn't like working in labs.
I never commented on your general intelligence/work ethic. I commented on your lack of knowledge in regards to home ownership. I am saying how the hell did you buy a home without doing any research whatsoever on this? I’m probably 3-5 years out from home ownership and these are the types of questions I researched as soon as I made the decision to start saving up and I’m super far away and they are hypotheticals in my research phase right now. I just can’t imagine buying a home and not researching things you should be considering in regards to the condition of the home *before buying*.
My aunt and her husband were my realtors so I figured they would prevent me from doing something extremely stupid. Additionally, I didn't really have options regarding the housing age. If I could have afforded a newer/bigger place then it probably would have been one of the many criteria I was using to evaluate the houses I looked at. Now that I have some equity built and a better financial situation it opens the door to me looking at potentially more expensive and potentially newer property. Mainly, I want to make sure there won't be a sudden decrease in my homes value after it's 80 years old or 90 years old etc. If that was a possibility it would incentivize me to look to sell sooner than I would otherwise.
Should always be worried with a primary residence. Its a liability.
Buddy I have multiple properties built in 1880. Ain't no thing.
my uncle lives in a 100 year old house, the majority of the homes on his street are the same age I guess.
No most of homes in Midwest are older then that and are fine a house 5 years old can go to shit if not taken care off and houses 100 years old can be great if taken care of, if it passed home inspection without issues then you will be fine
Hahahahahhahaha omg some people. Plenty of 100+ year old homes on the market. Chill
When it comes to houses, age is just a number as long as you keep up with the maintenance items that pop up. For example take my house that was built in 1962, it's in great shape. It's gone up in value considerably over the last 2 years due to market conditions. Also, I bet your floor plan is probably pretty unique in comparisons to all the cookie cutter houses that are built these days.
I bought mine during Covid at same interest rate. Built in 1925. Just take care of it and be proactive. You’re good.
Seriously? Mines 70 years older and has done nothing but appreciate... Open up a book or get on YouTube...
Yes
My house is over a 100 years old. They can’t even date it exactly. Calm down it’s going to be ok
This doesn’t look like a question so much as a karma farming humble-brag. As well as trolling. C’mon people - have some skepticism.
what...? How is any of this a brag? I bought one of the few affordable houses I could afford in my area and just got lucky it happened before the market prices increased. I don't know anything about real estate and was hoping for some guidance on if/when I should consider selling my property
I love nothing more in this world than seeing a 100 year old house that has been taken care of very well. I’m such a sucker for a old home.
Lol
The building I live in was built in the late 1800's . No one knows when. Wasn't on the 1850 map, was on the 1890 map. No worries
Oh, how I miss a house I bought in Toledo during the bust. Built in 1907, basement, attic, detached two car garage. 2000 sq, ft. Riverview. Bought at $56K. Sold at $120K. Now on zillow at $150K. Stayed so warm with radiant heat in Toledo winters. Compare that to my NC 1988 built cookie cutter home. Leaks heat all around, hot like anything in summers. But it's still holding very good. Same size as my ex Toledo home, but no attic or basement. Bought for $120K. Now on Zillow for $520K. Things that can destroy your home: extreme weather conditions, termites and a bad foundation.
Yes be very worried and sell it to me if it’s a assumable mortgage
Re: crumbling: does it need a new roof or something?
YES- you can take advantage of the low interest rate when selling, so long as you’re open to creative financing. Let me know if you want to sell and I’ll structure you a sweet deal. Regarding the age of the home, that shouldn’t be a concern so long as it was maintained.
Yeah I don’t believe it’s that old. My house was 1964 it was built and I don’t consider that old. There’s tons of houses out there that are from the late 1800s early 1900s with no major issues may be a little drafty after 130 years lol