Owning an older home can be a rewarding experience filled with history and character. Who doesn’t love original banisters or crown molding? With that said, remodeling an older home can be a time-traveling nightmare for restoration-conscious homeowners.
Remodeling your last-century home can breathe fresh life into the space, but that’s not to say that it’s an easy task.
To remodel or relocate?
Before deciding to invest time and money in an older home, consider whether you are better off moving into a new one. It may be worth it to remodel if you’re already in your dream home, but if you’re less committed to your current lodgings, moving could be the right path for you.
If you decide to relocate, consider the stress-free process of shipping your vehicles with the help of car transport companies in states like Florida. You can relax on an airplane as the shipping companies move your cars to their new destination. If moving is in your future, checking your vehicles off the to-do list can free you up for more pressing matters, like corralling the kids and packing sentimental items.
If you’re already in the home of your dreams and you’re looking to give it a facelift, here are seven challenges you might run into during your remodel.
Underestimating the cost
Remodeling an older home might be a labor of love, but it can also be a money-draining nightmare. Regardless of your budget, expect that the project will surpass it. No one should enter a remodeling project without having money set aside for unexpected costs.
Contractor procrastination
Along with unexpected budget expenses, home remodeling projects can run into scheduling issues at the slightest setback. Contractors can be unreliable, and the delays can slow even the smallest of renovations. Be prepared for delays and make your budget and lodging plans accordingly.
Backordering delays
Contractors will cause delays, and so will issues with materials and supplies. If you are trying to remodel your home with historical materials, you might have to wait for manufacturers to make them. You might have to wait months for specific materials, especially if manufacturers have to wait for materials themselves. Restoring your old home to its former glory is rewarding, but it won’t be quick or easy.
Unexpected wiring and plumbing problems
While people with older homes understand that unexpected issues arise, they don’t like to see them.
All too often, older homes have issues with wiring or plumbing, and contractors only realize it after they’ve torn down walls to expose the internal problems. Contractors have to follow building codes, so those surprise problems need to be repaired to code, adding cost and time to your project.
Safety surprises
Along with finding electrical or plumbing problems, building remodels often reveal safety issues like lead paint, asbestos, or sagging floors. These safety issues have to be remedied, and the cost can quickly eat into your reno budget.
Once your contractor tears down walls, the ghosts of homeowners’ past might rear their ugly heads. These unexpected modifications can create more issues as contractors must do work according to modern building codes.
Lack of communication
Another issue with building remodels is a lack of communication. As the homeowner, it is up to you to ask questions and talk to your contractors. If you don’t communicate, your contractor won’t know about your concerns, thus slowing the process if you don’t like their work.
Before you go
When you prepare for the unexpected, the surprises and challenges of remodeling an older home cause less stress, however, if you love your historic home, the pressure is well worth the joy of seeing it restored.