Renovating Old Homes
Finding the old home in the perfect neighborhood and bringing it new life is an exciting venture. The median year for a house built in Houston Texas is 1980. With that it likely means that your dream home in that dream neighborhood is likely to be at least half a century old.
When beginning to tackle the remodel of an older home you should think from the ground up, prioritizing the structure of the home and the health of your family living in it. Where you should be looking to make compromises is in the finishes of the space, as those can be upgraded in phases later when budget allows.
The Foundation – Foundation issues are not uncommon in Houston as we have highly expansive soil in most areas. This soil movement causes the foundation to settle unevenly. Signs of this are diagonally moving cracks in sheetrock, brick, or siding, separation of windows to the exterior veneer and doors that no longer close properly. This can seem like a daunting and discouraging symptom for your dream home to have, but foundation repairs are not something to be afraid of. When done correctly, and monitored, they hold up for many years to come. Within the foundation is the sewer line, so along with repairing the foundation this should be treated as a top priority. If not, it will cause future foundation issues or the existing ones to get worse. The way to test the sewer is through hydrostatic testing and running a camera through the lines. A sewer line repair will be costly to fix, which is part of why it needs to be prioritized in the beginning.
Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing – These systems should be what is considered the next priority of your renovation budget after the structure is considered. These systems affect the very air you breathe, water that you drink, and the likelihood of a fire. Bringing an existing structure up to modern day HVAC, electrical and plumbing codes and equipment is a no brainer that is often overlooked.
Windows and Insulation – Advancements in technology in recent years have created some very efficient and effective windows that can be acquired at fair prices. The windows and insulation of your home are some of the biggest drivers when it comes to the energy bill your home produces and how comfortable that space is. Windows will also drastically enhance the elevation of a home, bringing it new life aesthetically.
Everything Else – Once you have taken into consideration the structure and the health of the home, then you can turn your focus to all of the great finishes you can get in modern day construction. That includes removing and moving interior walls, custom cabinetry and all of the great things that make this old house look and feel new, but also be uniquely yours.