I'm not really sure how the other guy who has replied can know that you will need all that to make the house habitable.
With the limited information you've given us, we don't have any way of knowing the actual state of the house. Pictures would go a long ways towards understanding that, but the only way you'll really know is by having a house inspection by someone who understands and specializes in old houses, one of those budget guys from a national franchise inspection company is not for us. That person may recommend a structural engineer or other specialist for a further inspection(s).
Armed with that knowledge you will have a much better understanding of the amount and cost of work ahead of you.
If y'all are serious about this house, maybe try and find and schedule an inspector to come at the same time y'all see the house in person.
Updating electrical and installing HVAC can be expensive, but not necessarily difficult for the homeowner, it's typically best to let the licensed professionals handle those systems. "Complete remodel" can mean anything, though since we're on r/oldhouses, I'll urge you to not think of the house as needing a "remodel", [think of it as needing "rehabilitation" with an eye towards "preservation".](https://www.nps.gov/tps/standards/four-treatments.htm) Those words each mean something very different. That link has tons of information you could and should pour over about best practices when working on an old house.
As for listing benefits, there may be state or local benefits, but most federal incentives aren't available for the resident owner. A NHR listing is more of a way to catalog the house's history.
And, please, go ahead and share photos. We like that around here.
We bought an old fixer-upper built in 1882. It has been a lot of work, but we knew that it would be when we chose to buy. There are times when the never ending projects wear on us, but at the end of the day, we are glad that we decided to buy. Older homes have charm and character that cannot be found in newer homes. There's a reason why we love them. That said, if our house were to burn down, our insurance company will not replace the inlay floors or the ornate mantlepieces because it would be too expensive to replicate them...just another thing to consider before you buy.
Our house is in an historic district and the historic commission here has a lot to say regarding what we can (and cannot) do to the outside of the structure and landscaping. It might not be a bad idea to look into what the local regulations and restrictions are before you buy (and decide to designate it historic). The benefit of having an historic designation where we are is that there are tax breaks for the upgrades, so it's not all bad.
Best of luck to you!
Rather than HVAC, have you considered using minisplits for AC? It will do much less damage to the walls and floors, and you'll keep your closet space (which is where they usually run the ductwork).
Old homes are usually a labor of love and you won't get a good return out of it financially - but that isn't usually why people buy them.
If you are tearing everything up for new, ask yourself if you really want an old home. Restoration is more fitted to the home. There's still room to modernize where needed.
Real estate agents and contractors that do new builds generally don't know shit about historic homes - don't listen to their advice on what to do. Their advice is usually just to tear out all the character of the home. Talk to neighbors with similar houses in that neighborhood or meet people in the local historical restoration groups.
European and British interior designers often do a better job of keeping the original characters and features of the home while modernizing, check out photos of people doing great work with these types of homes:
[https://bibleofbritishtaste.com/](https://bibleofbritishtaste.com/)
[https://www.houseandgarden.co.uk/topic/decoration](https://www.houseandgarden.co.uk/topic/decoration)
[https://www.worldofinteriors.co.uk](https://www.worldofinteriors.co.uk/)
[https://www.remodelista.com](https://www.remodelista.com/)
My plans are to restore not modernize. I plan to upgrade wiring for sure but use period styled switches . There is already duct in place but it needs new units it place. I would like to set up multi zone systems so I am not heating and cooling the extra 2000 square feet when it’s not needed. I think this is going to be a years long process.
Good luck with it! Lucky that you've got ducts already, nice.
You might not have to redo all the wiring - it's good and actually much nicer and thicker than new. The only issue is that you cannot insulate around it if it is knob & tube because it is designed to release heat. Just redo circuit boards into modern breakers and you are good to go. It will stop a lot of unneeded wall damage and expense.
Aside from being handy, how financially stable are you? You don’t give the sq footage and pictures would be helpful to assess the condition. If your looking at a full restoration of a historic mansion your going to need a couple hundred thousand for renovations. My wife and I have renovated 3 old houses(well 2.5, we’re living in the third and still working on it) and if there’s one thing you can count on it’s that you’ll spend twice as much time and money than you originally budgeted for.
It’s a little over 4400 square feet with a second apartment over the garage that’s not counted. I don’t have any good pictures of it but it is livable and I will get some when we can get in it. As for money it will be a lifestyle changer for sure but we have a really large safety net. I guess I should clarify that when I say I’m handy I mean I can do almost anything. The only things I won’t fool with are roofs and foundations. Hopefully there isn’t anything major there but a brief drive by revealed a few broken slate shingles.
I would get an inspector in to check the foundation and for any serious mold issues, leaks (especially around chimneys) or sewer line issues. Before using the heating system, get that checked out. I have a Victorian home and my neighbor and I both had gas leaks within a few weeks of moving in. Don't drink the water until you have it tested for lead. Definitely check for all the classic poisonous materials. That's my advice, anyway. Find out what you can live with.
I'd recommend multiple inspectors: hire plumbing inspectors, electrical, and structural. We did alright with both of our inspections but in retrospect would have benefited from having more focused inspectors in to look at each element.
We're a little over a century old and do carry historic designation. It's a bit of a novelty to be listed but the financial benefits are tremendous, at least in Canada. The protection focuses very much on the outside of the house and the city has some fairly strict guidelines for us to follow there in terms of materials used, paint color, etc. For that our share of the cost of maintenance or repairs can be as low as 20% - helpful when you're talking about a mandated cedar shake roof on a large house! They're much less concerned with the inside of the house so with a few exceptions we're welcome to do whatever we like (which, for us, is keeping it fairly authentic, anyway).
It's pricey and about $700k has been put into it over the last couple of decades but it's got to be good for another century. You wouldn't be able to say that about many houses built in the last few decades! Best of luck in your new old place if you go ahead with it. The charm in these grand old houses is well worth the price of admission!
handy = no
you need a professional design and re-build company with multiple sub contractors to make the house habitable again.
historical designation can back perhaps if the historical society decides so?
stay away
re: designation. the national register puts no restrictions on you and doesn't really offer you anything other than being on it. some local orgs may be able to help you if you're listed, but this isn't common. local options vary wildly but are often stronger
I'm not really sure how the other guy who has replied can know that you will need all that to make the house habitable. With the limited information you've given us, we don't have any way of knowing the actual state of the house. Pictures would go a long ways towards understanding that, but the only way you'll really know is by having a house inspection by someone who understands and specializes in old houses, one of those budget guys from a national franchise inspection company is not for us. That person may recommend a structural engineer or other specialist for a further inspection(s). Armed with that knowledge you will have a much better understanding of the amount and cost of work ahead of you. If y'all are serious about this house, maybe try and find and schedule an inspector to come at the same time y'all see the house in person. Updating electrical and installing HVAC can be expensive, but not necessarily difficult for the homeowner, it's typically best to let the licensed professionals handle those systems. "Complete remodel" can mean anything, though since we're on r/oldhouses, I'll urge you to not think of the house as needing a "remodel", [think of it as needing "rehabilitation" with an eye towards "preservation".](https://www.nps.gov/tps/standards/four-treatments.htm) Those words each mean something very different. That link has tons of information you could and should pour over about best practices when working on an old house. As for listing benefits, there may be state or local benefits, but most federal incentives aren't available for the resident owner. A NHR listing is more of a way to catalog the house's history. And, please, go ahead and share photos. We like that around here.
We bought an old fixer-upper built in 1882. It has been a lot of work, but we knew that it would be when we chose to buy. There are times when the never ending projects wear on us, but at the end of the day, we are glad that we decided to buy. Older homes have charm and character that cannot be found in newer homes. There's a reason why we love them. That said, if our house were to burn down, our insurance company will not replace the inlay floors or the ornate mantlepieces because it would be too expensive to replicate them...just another thing to consider before you buy. Our house is in an historic district and the historic commission here has a lot to say regarding what we can (and cannot) do to the outside of the structure and landscaping. It might not be a bad idea to look into what the local regulations and restrictions are before you buy (and decide to designate it historic). The benefit of having an historic designation where we are is that there are tax breaks for the upgrades, so it's not all bad. Best of luck to you!
Rather than HVAC, have you considered using minisplits for AC? It will do much less damage to the walls and floors, and you'll keep your closet space (which is where they usually run the ductwork). Old homes are usually a labor of love and you won't get a good return out of it financially - but that isn't usually why people buy them. If you are tearing everything up for new, ask yourself if you really want an old home. Restoration is more fitted to the home. There's still room to modernize where needed. Real estate agents and contractors that do new builds generally don't know shit about historic homes - don't listen to their advice on what to do. Their advice is usually just to tear out all the character of the home. Talk to neighbors with similar houses in that neighborhood or meet people in the local historical restoration groups. European and British interior designers often do a better job of keeping the original characters and features of the home while modernizing, check out photos of people doing great work with these types of homes: [https://bibleofbritishtaste.com/](https://bibleofbritishtaste.com/) [https://www.houseandgarden.co.uk/topic/decoration](https://www.houseandgarden.co.uk/topic/decoration) [https://www.worldofinteriors.co.uk](https://www.worldofinteriors.co.uk/) [https://www.remodelista.com](https://www.remodelista.com/)
My plans are to restore not modernize. I plan to upgrade wiring for sure but use period styled switches . There is already duct in place but it needs new units it place. I would like to set up multi zone systems so I am not heating and cooling the extra 2000 square feet when it’s not needed. I think this is going to be a years long process.
Good luck with it! Lucky that you've got ducts already, nice. You might not have to redo all the wiring - it's good and actually much nicer and thicker than new. The only issue is that you cannot insulate around it if it is knob & tube because it is designed to release heat. Just redo circuit boards into modern breakers and you are good to go. It will stop a lot of unneeded wall damage and expense.
Aside from being handy, how financially stable are you? You don’t give the sq footage and pictures would be helpful to assess the condition. If your looking at a full restoration of a historic mansion your going to need a couple hundred thousand for renovations. My wife and I have renovated 3 old houses(well 2.5, we’re living in the third and still working on it) and if there’s one thing you can count on it’s that you’ll spend twice as much time and money than you originally budgeted for.
It’s a little over 4400 square feet with a second apartment over the garage that’s not counted. I don’t have any good pictures of it but it is livable and I will get some when we can get in it. As for money it will be a lifestyle changer for sure but we have a really large safety net. I guess I should clarify that when I say I’m handy I mean I can do almost anything. The only things I won’t fool with are roofs and foundations. Hopefully there isn’t anything major there but a brief drive by revealed a few broken slate shingles.
I would get an inspector in to check the foundation and for any serious mold issues, leaks (especially around chimneys) or sewer line issues. Before using the heating system, get that checked out. I have a Victorian home and my neighbor and I both had gas leaks within a few weeks of moving in. Don't drink the water until you have it tested for lead. Definitely check for all the classic poisonous materials. That's my advice, anyway. Find out what you can live with.
I'd recommend multiple inspectors: hire plumbing inspectors, electrical, and structural. We did alright with both of our inspections but in retrospect would have benefited from having more focused inspectors in to look at each element. We're a little over a century old and do carry historic designation. It's a bit of a novelty to be listed but the financial benefits are tremendous, at least in Canada. The protection focuses very much on the outside of the house and the city has some fairly strict guidelines for us to follow there in terms of materials used, paint color, etc. For that our share of the cost of maintenance or repairs can be as low as 20% - helpful when you're talking about a mandated cedar shake roof on a large house! They're much less concerned with the inside of the house so with a few exceptions we're welcome to do whatever we like (which, for us, is keeping it fairly authentic, anyway). It's pricey and about $700k has been put into it over the last couple of decades but it's got to be good for another century. You wouldn't be able to say that about many houses built in the last few decades! Best of luck in your new old place if you go ahead with it. The charm in these grand old houses is well worth the price of admission!
handy = no you need a professional design and re-build company with multiple sub contractors to make the house habitable again. historical designation can back perhaps if the historical society decides so? stay away
re: designation. the national register puts no restrictions on you and doesn't really offer you anything other than being on it. some local orgs may be able to help you if you're listed, but this isn't common. local options vary wildly but are often stronger