Victorian properties ! how much do they really cost

[stressedFTB33]

Hi all ,
Ftb here every property we have liked so far seems to be a victorian one.
However we have no idea about fixing anything as a landlord has always done it for us .
Is it really naive and stupid to buy a victorian property as a ftb with no experience ?
My heart tells me yes but my brain tells me hell no !
Any advice from current victorian house owners is much appreciated !

Agree with others, that it all depends on how it has been maintained, and how recently things have been done. So in our last house (1920s) there was a newish boiler, but when it came to the end of its life and we needed to replace it, it turned out it had been plumbed to lead pipes that ran through the plaster. You are no longer allowed to connect gas appliances to lead piping, so we needed an expensive solution to that one. That's just a random example of additional expense that you wouldn't anticipate.

Beyond that, I'd say that if you live in an area where there is a lot of Victorian housing stock - and it sounds like you do - there are probably plenty of builders and specialists who know how to maintain things, so it will probably be easier to get work done than in an area which is predominantly modern housing stock. So for instance, a PP has mentioned replacing timber windows. But if you can find someone who knows what they're doing, timber windows hardly ever need complete replacement - some of ours looked totally shocking but could all be restored, with replacement of just some rails and sills. But unless you have someone who's used to working with older properties, they might not realise that?

We've been in our Victorian house 12 years and haven't done anything apart from replace a couple of roof tiles.

We live in a Victorian terrace, and it is lively. The biggest problem we have found is that every job is an unknown quantity, as nobody has any idea when work has been done previously etc. For example, we had a new kitchen fitted, and when they ripped out the old one, the wall behind it was damp and needed lots of work. The cost suddenly spiralled.

Similarly, we were thinking about getting our bathroom done, but this is likely to highlight more issues with pipe work.

And don't even get me started on the roof. We have an origina slate roof which seems to shed a slate or two every time the wind gets up. If we get the bathroom and rood done completely, the house would probably be quite cheap to maintain for the next people

1890's Victorian terrace. we completely renovated the thing. removed chimney breasts etc knocked down walls, moved the toilet upstairs (i dislike bathrooms behind kitchens, handy for parties but not my thing) etc.

Even without the structural stuff we would have had to do the following anyway:

Complete rewire
Insulate. Everything. The house held NO heat.
Replace the kitchen floor - it was wood across dirt and had rotted and dipped.
New boiler
New windows - some of ours are still the original PVC from god knows when... they are leaky and cold.
Rising damp fix - it was pretty bad. rip the floorboards up and there is literally just dirt under the kitchen floor).

We've done a modern twist on the victorian thing - coving, skirting, architrave, lights etc...... it's lovely. i love it. i wouldnt have done anything differently.

Can you ask your vendors what are their heating bills are like?

I have always owned old houses. IME once whatever needs doing has been done properly there is little to do.

Heat retention wise, all we ever have ever done was have tons of insulation put in the loft and have interlined curtains made to fit all the windows - it has always been enough.

One house we owned was half Elizabethan and half Georgian, the damp it had when we moved in was caused by unsuitable materials being used. Once they were removed the damp cleared up of its own accord. Same with the damp in an Edwardian house, the fireplace had been closed up - that was all, nothing proper on the chimney. We opened it up and had a cap thing put on - damp gone.

Depends what you like though really, after spending their lives in a lovely old farmhouse my parents had a modern, hermetically sealed house built and love it - whereas I can never see myself making that move.

As others have said, get a survey done - the home buyers one is OK, but if you are worried pay for a full structural survey if you are going to make an offer.
You say there are no fireplaces - have the chimney stacks been removed - what's holding them up if not?
Go up into the loft and see from there. Whilst in there, check if there's a party wall! Also turn the light off (if there is one) can you see any light coming in? A little bit by the eaves is ok as there should be some airflow.
Creaky floorboards may just need screwing down - can you lift the carpet (or is there a cellar?)
Check the outside - is the brickwork and mortar ok? is the roof level or does it bow (if slate has been replaced by concrete tiles the roof could be too heavy). Are all the drain pipes in order - is the wall stained nearby as there could be leaks.
Open all cupboards and take a good sniff! Any musty smells might point to damp. Has a chemical damp course been put in?
Expect some settling in a house over 100 years old, but does any look recent - any cracks in external walls. Do all doors and windows close easily - anything out of true could point to problems. Is there an excess on their building insurance for heave/settlement?
Is the plumbing and wiring newish - seller should have guarantees etc for them. What do they pay for heating/electricity?
If the kitchen is a rear-addition, what is the floor like? If its a raised wooden floor has that been treated for rot? If its a solid floor, is there a concrete slab beneath it?
Look at all sockets - any signs of burning etc would point to problems. Turn on all taps, flush all loos and switch on all lights!

Good luck!

PS The Haynes "Victorian House Manual", ISBN 978 1 84425 213 8 is a useful guide - can you borrow it from your Library?

www.amazon.co.uk/Victorian-House-Manual-Ian-Rock/dp/1844252132/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1460104542&sr=8-1&keywords=9781844252138