# Purchasing a 1900's Farm House



## Makayla Holmes (Oct 18, 2017)

Hi, I am new here but figured this would be the best place to go. My fiancé and I are looking to purchase an old 1900, 1800sq ft farm house on 1.38 acres here in NC. The inside of the house looks like it just needs updating, replacing wood paneling with drywall, new carpet and/or hardwoods, update kitchen and bathroom. the biggest issue I've seen thus far (haven't had anyone look at the bones of the house yet) but it looks like the roof may be sagging. They've listed the house for $79,000 with the price being negotiable. Roughly how much do yall think it would be to fix that kind of issue? As well has switch the heat? It is currently on oil heat, which I know can get expensive.
https://www.trulia.com/property/3276699128-369-Motsinger-Rd-Thomasville-NC-27360


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## Hitch (Oct 19, 2016)

That's old and is going to require a lot of work if the previous owner has been neglectful. Once you start opening up the wood paneling you'll start to see what you're in for. The roof is also sagging, a bad sign!


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## krackin (Nov 2, 2014)

Looks more like wall failure. Could be differential settlement, lack of or failure of collar ties, rot and or termites or any combination including water intrusion. The vinyl siding fastening system is failing above the porch roof which may indicate rot and/or continuing settlement due to existing conditions. 

If you are serious you need to hire a qualified building assessment specialist, not a home inspector. Big difference.


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## RonM (Jan 6, 2008)

Probably cost as much for repairs as you paid for the property..


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## Springwood (Mar 8, 2017)

RonM said:


> Probably cost as much for repairs as you paid for the property..


I agree, probably more. Solid structure is everything. I would think twice before touching any house with a sagging roof. That's a solid indication of a structural problem. You also need to think about the interior. If it's as old as you think, then once you open the walls to update you'lll need to update the electrical, which is probably knob and tube and aluminum combinations. Not a cheap thing to do because that will necessitate either fishing new wiring through all the walls, or tearing out the plaster to access the insides of the walls. is the electrical panel still fuses? New breaker panels installed will cost about $8,000. Once the walls are opened up, city/county code will demand that you update plumbing also. You probably have cast iron drain pipes which clog through the years and will all need to be replaced. What about the drain pipes out of the house. Public sewer or septic? if septic, How old is the septic? When was the last time it was inspected or pumped out? Lastly kitchens and bathrooms are the most expensive rooms to update in any house. Expect the Kitchen to cost you $25-50K & each bathroom about $10-20K depending upon whether you do the work yourself & level of quality of finishes you pick. I've moved 7x & renovated every house we've lived in. The older the house the more issues you run into, which runs up the cost & increases the time to finish.


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## melli (May 7, 2016)

There is something amiss when they show only one pic...lol
Obviously, something is wrong as not only is the roof sagging, but the siding has buckled below roof...was there a tree there at one time that fell? 
This could be a classic lipstick on a pig. Looks sort of pretty on outside, but once you dig...
How handy are you? If your hiring, I'd walk away. Or at very least, get into attic and see what is happening. As Springwood noted, electrical, plumbing, septic could be all dated and in need of a complete overhaul. 
If your handy and looking for a project, I would go over with a fine tooth comb, and find all deficiencies. Figure out how much it will cost to fix, and go from there (lowball).

See how the pillars don't match? And the walkway has a heave in it? Signs a tree whacked it. Don't like to see an AC unit hanging off wall...they are usually never sealed properly (leak over time behind siding). 
Obviously, a thorough house inspection is warranted.


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## Fishindude (May 19, 2015)

Doesn't look that bad to me, not much of a roof sag. The place has been standing 100 years, it's not going to collapse tomorrow. All of that stuff can be fixed given enough time and money. If you like the place, go for it. Hard to beat the character of an old farm house, and typically they are built on a the best site.

I have a similar vintage home we moved into in 1990. Have replaced nearly everything, pay as you go, and now have it in pretty good shape. Have easily dropped $100K into this place over those 27 years, but no regrets. We did what we could afford to do, as we could afford to do it.


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## In The Woods (Apr 27, 2017)

I agree with the above assessments. It looks like someone threw up some vinyl siding to hide something and to sell it. The siding under the roof is a tell tale sign of a huge problem. That entire wall is sagging which is also affecting the roof.

I live in a 100 year old house and what was said above is correct - plan on replacing everything within the first 5 years or so. Electrical, plumbing, plus it looks like it has structural issues as well.

I would highly recommend getting a thorough home inspection. And don’t go with one a realtor recommends - hire your own. It may he an expense you don’t want or need right now but very important.

Once that is done you can make an informed decision. You might just want to walk away. Or....if the bad items on the list are within your tollerance to repiar, that gives you some good bargaining power to get the seller to come down in price to cover the cost of the repairs.


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## Southern Forest (May 5, 2012)

You need not plan on replacing anything within five years. You need, if you are interested, to take an actual, in situ look at the place. Is the wiring old or is it new? Is the plumbing old or is it new? In the photograph we know none of these things. Honestly, I don't think any decision can be made based on what we see in just one photo (or the different angles from street view).

A good example is the old house I bought. I got it for a song and dance because it did need a bunch of work on the inside, but that work was mostly carpentry and painting. It's an old house, nearly 200 years old, and started life as a pioneer farm house that was updated to Victorian style in the 1880's. Yet, previous owners had already wired, insulated, and plumbed it prior to selling it. The big guys were already done. Also, there is a weird hump in the rear of the house at the roof line that implies there are structural problems. But, then you discover the rear of the house was originally a detached kitchen and the weird hump is where the house and kitchen were attached in the 1940's. There was no problem (and now adds to charm, so to speak, because I can point out, on the outside, where the detached kitchen was attached).

I can't say yea or nay on this place without more info. If you like it, take a look at it. Just because it's old doesn't mean it needs a bunch of stuff replaced. A bunch of stuff might already be replaced. Only an on-the-ground initial inspection can answer these things.


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## mmoetc (Oct 9, 2012)

I’m 25 years into a 5 year remodel on a 125+ year old farm house. At least the first part was built then. Various additions from various eras complicate matters. Know that anything you renovate will likely be more complicated and cost more than planned. Someday I hope to find a 90 degree corner.

All that being said this house might be a good deal or it might not. A lot depends on the true condition of the house. That can only be determined with a much closer look by a professional as others have mentioned. What are your long term plans? Is this a forever house or a quick flip? What are property values in the area? What is a lot of this size with utilities ( I presume electric, water, and waste are functioning) worth without a structure? What are your capabilities, finances, and most important tolerance for living in an imperfect dwelling that will be a construction zone for varying periods. 

If you really like it, the finances work, and you’re willing I’d say go for it. But know what you’re walking into and what you’re willing to walk into.


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## Esteban29304 (Apr 29, 2003)

Much good advise above. One thing not mentioned, is TERMITES ! They can destroy a house . One time I looked at an old house as an investment. It had a sagging roof, too. I crawled underneath it & there were floor joists that were completely missing !!! I offered the seller a price for what the land was worth to me, MINUS the cost of demolishing the house .


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## krackin (Nov 2, 2014)

Men


Esteban29304 said:


> Much good advise above. One thing not mentioned, is TERMITES ! They can destroy a house . One time I looked at an old house as an investment. It had a sagging roof, too. I crawled underneath it & there were floor joists that were completely missing !!! I offered the seller a price for what the land was worth to me, MINUS the cost of demolishing the house .


Mentioned it.


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## mreynolds (Jan 1, 2015)

Makayla Holmes said:


> Hi, I am new here but figured this would be the best place to go. My fiancé and I are looking to purchase an old 1900, 1800sq ft farm house on 1.38 acres here in NC. The inside of the house looks like it just needs updating, replacing wood paneling with drywall, new carpet and/or hardwoods, update kitchen and bathroom. the biggest issue I've seen thus far (haven't had anyone look at the bones of the house yet) but it looks like the roof may be sagging. They've listed the house for $79,000 with the price being negotiable. Roughly how much do yall think it would be to fix that kind of issue? As well has switch the heat? It is currently on oil heat, which I know can get expensive.
> https://www.trulia.com/property/3276699128-369-Motsinger-Rd-Thomasville-NC-27360


I am going to agree with fishingdude. It doesnt look that bad structurally speaking. The siding is out at the bottom because of the sag in the roof. It will go right back where it needs to once you get that fixed. The second floor joists should act as your collar ties and looks like one or two have given away for one reason or another. You will have to remove some of the tin to get to it but doable for sure. What I would do is have that contractor look at it and then start the negotiation to drop that price. 

What really bothers me the most about this is the cheap paneling and drop ceiling inside. It looks like a lower quality flip. What were they covering up? Not something you want to pay for when its not done correctly the first time. What else did they go cheap on? The cabinets look pretty good for off the shelf IKEA. Red oak and raised panel so mid +/- grade. Like someone else mentioned DOUBLE check the wiring. You do not want knob and tube wiring. If they pulled a permit they should have changed it but maybe not. Depends on where it is in the county. Your furnace will likely be around 5-8k to replace. Not sure of what is local there. Maybe someone local like BFF can chime in on that.


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## Southern Forest (May 5, 2012)

Looking more at the house, another question I would have would be when the extension was built (particularly with the statement about paneling - beneath that paneling is likely tongue-and-groove walls). That is kind of like a guy who has a hot rod built on the body of a 1936 Ford. He'll call it a 1936 Ford, but it isn't, not if the engine, transmission, suspension, brakes, seats, and electrical system have been changed out.


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## Ronney (Nov 26, 2004)

I'm looking at this from a completely different point of view. A cute little house but definitely sagging, however one can't tell from a photo what this may involve and guess you would need a building inspector (or whatever you have over there) to give you some idea of what you would be up against in terms of renovation, repair and costs.

I did a "walk" down Motsinger Road several times from one end to the other and both sides and decided this is not where I would want to live. Your land prices are much cheaper than ours but even then I wouldn't want to be spending $79,000 on a run-down house in what appears to be a run-down area. Please correct me if I'm wrong. I didn't see much in the way of a fence or a garden and it would appear from surrounding houses that it's been a long time since this house/cottage has been a farm house. 

Is this a stepping stone for you or a long term investment? What would you be doing with your just over 1 acre of unfenced land? Is it within reasonable traveling distance for work? The house is only part of a larger picture. $79,000 plus the costs of purchasing and repair/renovating is a lot of money to be throwing at something that may not be worth it in the long run.

I don't want to rain on your parade but have been there and done that. The final decision is always going to be yours anyway so good luck with whatever you do.

Cheers,
Ronnie


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## Michael W. Smith (Jun 2, 2002)

I am no handy man - I can't fix anything myself - but something just seems very wrong from the picture.

The roof is old and sagging but the siding looks like it's brand new. I would rather have a brand new roof to protect the whole area above the house, rather than pretty up the outside walls. It's almost like they decided to throw new siding on an old house so it looks nice to get rid of it quickly when selling.

And only one picture - of the outside of the house - no pictures of the inside seems suspicious to me as well.

When fixing an old house, when you start a project - you end up with several projects as once you dig into the initial project, you quickly find that to "do it right", you also need to do this, this, and this.

As has been said, you need a certified home inspector with lots of experience - not the "inspectors" the real estate agents hire to make sure everything is okay with the house. You need somebody with experience that knows how people will go to great lengths to hide problems.

If the foundation and over all structure is good - do some haggling with the seller.


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## mreynolds (Jan 1, 2015)

Michael W. Smith said:


> I am no handy man - I can't fix anything myself - but something just seems very wrong from the picture.
> 
> The roof is old and sagging but the siding looks like it's brand new. I would rather have a brand new roof to protect the whole area above the house, rather than pretty up the outside walls. It's almost like they decided to throw new siding on an old house so it looks nice to get rid of it quickly when selling.
> 
> ...


That was my thinking too. You can get the inside photos on realtor dot com. Cheap paneling and ceiling grid. All new. It looks like a cheap flip that just covers stuff up instead of fixing it.


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## Michael W. Smith (Jun 2, 2002)

How long has the seller owned it? If they have owned it for a year or less, you can pretty much figure they bought it cheap, "prettied" it up, and now have it for sell. (A flipper.). If this is the case,I would agree with mreynolds that nothing was actually fixed - everything was just covered over for a quick sale.


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