Buying an old house: what to expect (and why it's worth it)
Old homes are some of the best housing we'll ever build. They also come with their own vocabulary of quirks. Here's what to expect.
What's normal for age
Knob-and-tube or early wiring, galvanized supply plumbing, plaster cracks, original single-pane windows, a furnace newer than the house — these are expected, not necessarily alarming. The question is whether they've been updated, and what's left to do.
What actually matters
Focus on structure, masonry/tuckpointing, the roof, the electrical service, and water management. Original character (trim, floors, doors) is a feature to preserve, not a defect to price out.
Stewardship, not flipping
An old home rewards an owner who maintains it on a schedule rather than gutting it. Knowing the repair runway up front lets you plan that care — and budget for it — instead of being ambushed. We built this tool because good stewards keep these buildings alive, occupied, and out of the teardown pile.
Know the runway before you commit
The Pre-Inspection Report reads an old home's permits and age into a system-by-system outlook, so you walk in knowing roughly what the next ten years of stewardship will ask of you.