Must-Have Tools and Passion for Old Homes
We love old homes. We even tried not to love old homes, we tried to love brand-spanking new homes. But, when we open the door to an old home, we feel the walls beckon us to stay and the home begs us to dress it up. We belong in structures that are older than us, or better, older than our grandparents. The warmth of the traditional wood floors, the aireness of the high ceilings the crystal bling of the door knobs, traditional big box fireplaces, and formal dining spaces bring warmth to our hearts and leave a smile on my face.
We have lived in old homes since we got together. And, we even tried to stop loving them. They are a lot of work and not for the lazy or faint of heart. On our last home purchasing decision, we had one toddler and expecting to grow our family. We (I mean James) had just finished renovating a 1950’s bungalow and we wanted easy, move-in ready, closets, energy efficient and kids in the neighborhood to play with. We made an offer on a home that checked everything and more off of our list. That night as we waited to hear if our offer had been considered, we felt as if our best friend had died; we were moppy and somber. We should have felt joyful and excited. Thankfully, we cancelled the offer and got real with ourselves. No matter the work, our souls belong in an old home.
We did it again. We bought a 1928 bungalow with a toddler and did a major renovation with a baby on the way. Quick overview: new electrical, new HVAC, refinished wood floors, took down walls, put up walls, new insulation, new kitchen, new bathroom (twice), new plumbing, new fixtures, new outlets, new switches, hot water heater moved into the attic, and of course every surface painted. At this point, we could be considered experts in renovating old spaces and keeping marriages intact.
Bathroom before we renovated.
Loving an old home is similar to dating and marrying your best buddy. At first you are enthralled and exhilirated about the discovery process, first long phone calls/investigating the nooks and crannies. You become convinced and get married/ purchase the home and the honeymoon stage begins. Every day begins with a smile and your eyes open with amazement and joy, you are the luckiest person to be married/or live in this house. As time goes on, the problem issues start to surface and become irritating, such as the light switch which always shorts out, the sink that drains to slow or the underwear that is always left on the floor. You start to loose your child-like passion and your vision may go a bit blurry. You start to see dollar signs instead of beauty.
But, if you are like us and old home living is where you are comfortable, it is all worth it. Our best advice: get a tool box. A big tough tool box. Not just the hammer and nails type, but the contact list of professionals to help when the issues bubble up or explode.
Tools:
- Reciprocating saw – used to cut through anything metal or wood.
- Nail gun – efficient and professional repairs and rebuilding
- Pry bar – careful removal of moldings or repairing old windows
- Voltage meter- avoid electrocution
- Hammer/nails- Protection from the boogie man and helps hang pictures
- Drill/screw gun- most used tool in our house
Professionals:
- Milling wood shop – recreate molding or siding to match perfectly
- Antique salvage shop- find replacement doors, fixtures, windows, door handles
- Floor refinisher – refinishing floors is very difficult and best left to the professionals
- Plumber – build a relationship with someone who can complete the small jobs quickly, but also a team who can complete the big jobs, such as replacing a sewer main, see above
- Electrician – avoid electrocution
- Neighbors who can help with the history – talk to your neighbors, we have found out about our floors, walls and ceilings just from talking to people in the community
- Local hardware shop – the big box places are amazing and available, but the small town guy is going to offer the knowledge and support needed
- Bug/termite company – old homes need a layer of protection to keep it around for another 100 years and no one likes unwanted guests
- Drywall expert – This is a job that can be tackled, but when you are tired and need the work done, an expert can do it in a short time
- Paint shop – Keep a log of the paint color you use to make touch ups easy
I don’t want to hear about any more issues, I just want to paint.
As you dive into your old home, remember this is for the long haul. Every layer of work is worth it in the end, you are saving a bit of history for others to enjoy. And if you are diving into your brand-spanking new home, I am a little bit jealous. Either camp that you live in, come back for more tid-bits of home help and lots of funny stories about home renovation, improvement and selling help.