Buying a house is a big decision. It’s likely the largest purchase you’ll make in your lifetime. And while there are plenty of questions you should ask about any new home purchase, buying an old house requires a different set of questions. No one wants to buy a lemon, so before you fall too deeply [...] Read on →
The law of supply and demand is a basic economic principle of a free market that goes like this: As demand for an item goes up the price goes up. This attracts new suppliers who increase the supply bringing the price back to normal. The laws of supply and demand are constantly in motion in our economy [...] Read on →
Some of you may not know, but I have just recently released my first eBook. It’s been very exciting for me to put this together. I started with the goal of compiling the most important information that owners of old houses need to know. It’s my way of providing a reference guide for what’s important [...] Read on →
In 2001 I had just returned to New York City from a year in Tokyo performing for Walt Disney. It was a fantastic experience living in a such a different culture and country, but I was happy to be back home in America. The lease had run out on my old apartment and I was [...] Read on →
In the name of progress we have made some pretty dumb “improvements” to the things we use to build a house over the centuries. Some have killed people like asbestos and others are just so atrociously ugly they deserve to die a slow death in a landfill. And the winners of the dumbest building materials [...] Read on →
Old houses can smell. Not always, but many do. Maybe your house had the crazy cat lady or a bunch of fraternity brothers who never cleaned up after wild parties. The older your house is the more likely you had a dirty occupant at one point in its life. The best you can do is [...] Read on →
As I head out for a much needed vacation I wanted to leave you with a special Christmas gift that I’ve been working on for a couple weeks now. It’s a special version of the most famous Christmas poem just for my friends who love old houses. I hope your Christmas is filled with joy [...] Read on →
This will be the last post in our series Tips For Historic Home Owners. I really hope you’ve enjoyed these helpful mini posts and that you’ve found some value in the info. We’ve been told that patience is a virtue all our lives. Well, it turns out that when it comes owning an old house [...] Read on →
The bumper sticker on my truck reads, “Please Recycle. Buy an Old House.” It’s not often a company can fit its mission statement on a bumper sticker. A beverage napkin maybe, but we boiled it down to bumper sticker length. Honestly, there is a bit more to our company’s mission, but the real reason I [...] Read on →
If you live in a part of the world, like I do, where insects are a daily nuisance you’ll want to pay close attention to this tip! With Mosquitos and other annoying pests just waiting for you to step outside you might be tempted to screen in your wonderful open air porch so you can [...] Read on →
If it’s your first time in an old house it may seem troublesome looking out the windows at the blurry images surrounding you. Generally, the older the house the more flaws and ripples you’ll find in its old windows. And despite the perfectionist in us all this glass, though old and outdated, is a rare [...] Read on →
When it comes to your old home’s exterior nothing is as important as the details. Fish-scale shingles, jigsaw cut balustrades, creative cornices. There are so many things that make your old house unique. And saving them or replicating the missing pieces distinguishes your historic home from its neighbors. If you own a crumbling Victorian or [...] Read on →
Remodel or Restore? They may sound like the same thing, but they are very different when it comes to an old house. And understanding the difference is key. Remodel To remodel something literally means “to alter” it. Because of that you might think that remodeling is juxtaposed to the idea of preserving an old home, [...] Read on →
In historic preservation there is a hierarchy of how to care for a historic structure. And when you own an old house it’s a good idea to follow that hierarchy. Repair & Maintain – The first step is always to repair and maintain your house as you go along. An ounce of prevention is worth [...] Read on →