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Buying a Historic Home: What to Expect and Why

A historic home in Providence.

With today’s red-hot real-estate market, a new generation of home buyers is discovering the benefits (and challenges) of owning a historic home. Beyond offering a beautiful setting to live in, historic areas attract people interested in the arts and provide concentrations of local businesses to choose from. However, buyers need to take special considerations into account when looking at a historic home. To get more details, Preserve RI reached out to two realtors experienced in selling historic homes, Jane Driver and Brent Runyon

 

According to Driver, “Buyers should manage expectations. You’re not buying a property where everything is the same age. For example, you may have wires from different eras.” Runyon adds “The most important question one should ask is whether they have the resources to properly care for a historic home. What I recommend to everyone is to live in the house for a while before making any big changes. Old houses have many layers, and they reveal themselves over time.”

 

Older homes can present the unexpected, too. As Runyon puts it, “The biggest complication is the difficulty of having or finding the knowledge to maintain and improve an old house. DIYers have been overly influenced by ill-informed entertainment television shows, while professionals with skills and experience to do things right are harder and harder to find.” Fortunately, programs are available to educate homeowners on restoring historic properties, such as Providence Preservation Society’s Building Works Program (created while Runyon was Executive Director). And Preserve RI offers a wealth of resources through its Preservation Tool Kit.

 

So why purchase a historic home and face its complications? Driver puts it succinctly, “the quality of the building materials.” Older homes were built to last, and as Driver says, “If something has been standing for a hundred plus years, it will probably stand for a hundred more if taken care of correctly.” To Runyon, there’s also the feeling of historic homes to consider, “Details like window size and ceiling height vary by era, but one thing older homes usually have is a sense of proportion and craftsmanship… providing pleasing environments which enliven the senses.”

 

We are fortunate to live in Rhode Island, a state filled with timeless character. Our towns offer notable building styles — from the last remaining stone enders and a wealth of classic Federal houses to the familiar triple decker. The opportunities to own a home ready for its next era abound. As Driver says, “It’s such an honor to own a historic home.”



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