Buying a 1930's house

[emdude]

We are looking to buy a house in a village that has very few suitable properties come up for sale. We have been looking for a 3 / 4 bed detached, preferably modern house.

We're looking for modern because neither myself or DH are very DIY minded and we've been repeatedly told that older houses are 'money pits'

However a 1930's house has just come on the market, on the face of it it's just what we need. And description states it's been 'totally refurbished' so we are going to have a look.

So I guess my questions are
Are older houses really money pits?
Will one work for us if we're not great at DIY?
And what questions should I ask during the viewing??!!

As you can see, I'm a bit clueless!!

Thanks!!!

No experience as such except we live in a 1930s bungalow (rented). We've recently had rewiring, the roof replaced and insulation put in the roof.

I would think if it has been fully refurbished and major things like these modernised or replaced then it shouldn't be a money pit.

Like I say though, I don't actually know anything! Hopefully someone useful will be along soon

I love a 1930s house: solidly built, lots of light with big bay windows. The downside is normally a small kitchen and a small box bedroom. Has the one you're interested in been extended at all?

My parents house is from the 1920s and it has some lovely big rooms and period features like cornisinng and fireplaces. They've done a lot of work to it but that's over 30 years ish, there's no harm in having a look though at the place.

Yes it's extended at the back, the bedrooms seem very similar in size on the floor plan (still not got the full description on, or all of the internal pics - why do EA's drip feed..?!)

Would it need to have been rewired recently? And I guess I should also ask about insulation! I'm guessing wouldn't have cavity wall insulation at this age?

Check

Age of the roof usually last 50 years
Electrical certificate
Gas certificate
Age of boiler
Any damp proofing
Any previous property claims
Trees too close to the house

As far as DIY these aren't jobs you could do yourself anyway - DIY tends to be decorating or flooring etc rather specialist jobs

Ours is a 1930s.
We bought it as a run down 24 years ago. We got it all kitted out properly with electrics, central heatin, double glazing etc. We made it as maintence easy as possible and not had any problems since.
We certainly don't throw money at it. Just decorate every two years. Or so.

Also check the windows. A lot of the other 1930s houses here still have the old wooden window frames and single glazing, especially on smaller and upstairs windows.

Much older roofs can be perfectly fine as long as it's not leaking or failing in some other way.

If the bay windows have been replaced, the originals will often have been structural and it's important that the replacements provide the necessary support.

We have been renovating a 30s house. It has been a money pit but only because no one else did anything (apart from an extension in the 80s).

Check the wiring, plumbing and heating systems are up to modern regs.

Yes, do check insulation on exterior walls. Ours has no cavity so DH painstakingly insulated every single exterior wall in a specific way (that I don’t really understand) because otherwise the condensation and damp would have taken over.

Check that any extensions have building regs. That said, ours apparently did but one of the extended bits had been done without permission and one of the walls had insufficient foundations and the upstairs was being held up by a steel so inadequate that the structural engineer wouldn’t set foot in the room.

That said, once we’ve finished, it will be fine. And ours was a total, wreck - unliveable when we first got it. If we ever sell, it wouldn’t be a money pit because we’ve done everything. Make sure they have and you’ll have a lovely home. I love 30s houses!

Ours is late 1920s... roofs of the ones around here are hitting end of lives needing to be replaced, bay windows can be a pain as far as damp goes (taken a bit of work to get ours behaving), we had some issues with blown external render so had it all knocked off and re-rendered (the previous stuff was ugly as shit anyway) and some walls where internal plaster's blown and needs taking back/redoing.

Think they're the big ones we've shelled out for over the last 7-8 years. Oh yeah and we still have a couple of original single glazed windows (well taken one out - still have one to do).

We have a 1930s house which has cost us a lot money over the past 5 years (windows, rendering, bathroom, kitchen, drive etc) but that’s because we bought it in a shocking state of disrepair and for a price that reflected this. It’s a lovely solid, attractive house that we’re really happy with and plain to live in for the next 15+years. All houses need maintenance and upkeep. My friend bought an “executive” type new build 10 years ago which has been a nightmare. Her husband reckons it’s held together with gaffer tape.

If it’s been totally refurbished make sure it’s not over priced!

I would want to check that it has some original features. I believe it could be cavity wall so it could be insulated. It may also have replacement windows so check that too. You can ask about updated heating that is cheaper to run. Modern boilers run more effectively and efficiently. Heating is where a lot of the cost in running a house goes. If it’s been updated, there really should not be any future concerns to cost bags of money! If you like it you can get a survey done to back up your thoughts on its condition.

We have a 1930’s house.

It’s been great, and the only things we’ve had to do were to do with the previous owners lack of tlc.
(New boiler, and actually I think that’s it!)
We’ve also fitted a new front door!

Ours is 1930sg.

Freezing - check heating, insulation and windows as PPs have suggested. Otherwise it is beautiful!! Love the light and proportions of the rooms.

I love 1930s houses. Properly built and usually well designed inside.

If the estate agent is drip feeding you information sounds like it has just come to the market - is it on rightmove - you could post a link so we can all see?

We have a large 30s semi which is indeed a money pit. But then our predecessors did nothing to maintain it in the 30 years they lived here, which hasn't helped - a lot depends on the state it's in when you buy it, eg has someone been paying attention to the roof?
And on the plus side - we have a lot of space, nice high ceilings, a quirly layout - there's a lot going for it which makes me forgive the money pit aspect.

Do I need a branded bathroom suite?
Or are they all much of a muchness? We are putting in a new bathroom/ ensuite/ downstairs loo and I haven't a clue where to start! Words of wisdom would be very much appreciated!!!

Oooops sorry

We have a 30s semi which has been extended across the back. It hasn't been a money pit but we have spent a fair bit improving it - new double glazing, just had a new wooden front door (to replace hideous pvcu one) and have done lots of decoration. Ours is cavity walls on one level, can't remember which though. We have a slight issue with damp on the box bay window upstairs. We're outgrowing it rapidly though as upstairs is small compared to the extended downstairs so will have to move up the ladder in the next couple.of years I think.

Enjoy the viewing!

Misty9, can you say where you got your front door from? We also have a horrible uPVC front door on our 1930s semi and am just starting process of working out how to replace with wood. Thanks!

Of course - it was a local company in east Anglia but they might do online sales? The door and floor shop. Actually the door was ordered by them from LPD www.lpddoors.co.uk and ours is the hardwood estate crown which we had painted in royal blue. Looks fab.

They took out the pvcu frame too and it made a bit of a mess of our porch, so we'll need to make good on those bits but it needs redecorating anyway. Cost an eye watering amount though.

If you have a full structural survey you will be fine. You could also have an electrical survey and a heating one. They will be much cheaper and you can ask for an estimate of the cost of rewiring and a new heating system.

We have a 1930s semi that was “refurbished” by the previous owner who was a builder and did it up in order to sell it and make a profit. On the surface it looked great but in hindsight I think I would have preferred to do the work ourselves, we paid more than it was worth and the refurbishment was not done to a decent quality or to our taste.
Some things to look out for (mostly already mentioned by PPs)

• does it have insulation and if so what type
• is there any damp or mould
• if there is a new boiler, is it decent quality and the right size for the property (we naively thought new boiler, tick, but it’s poor quality and too small)
• bay windows are beautiful and I love ours but my word the poles and curtains cost a fortune! See if the existing poles (and maybe curtains too) are good quality and included in the sale

Even though our house had been freshly “decorated” (magnolia everywhere) the plaster is very old and crumbly which makes drilling holes to fit anything a massive PITA. Not something you could test when viewing but you could ask whether/when the walls have been replastered.