Does a Historic Home Make Sense for Me?

Chances are that the moment you see a historic home, you know it, with the classic designs and styles of yesteryear right in front of you. It’s easy to be taken with this appearance, but it’s something else to call that type of a house your home. Many people live in historic homes and are quite happy about it, but you want to give it some hard thought before deciding if it’s the match for you.

Aesthetics matter, of course, and there are tons of smaller details of a historic home that you may not even see at first glance. In essence, you’re walking into a time capsule of a different era and get all the benefits that come with it. Some people may relish the ability to be both homeowner and caretaker, having the opportunity to be active in keeping a piece of history alive. This especially is the case if your new home has a style you can’t find anywhere else. Spanish homes and Victorian homes are only a couple such examples.

There are some practical benefits to moving in as well. Some state and local governments give tax incentives or loans with lower interest rates for those are willing to preserve or restore historic homes. However, this may also mean potential issues. Many of these same governments also put restrictions on the type of changes you can make to a historical home. No one wants to feel that they need to go through the extra red tape to modify something they already paid for.

If this isn’t the case, you still need to worry about what people before you have done and what you need to do in response. For example, say that you bought a home that had kitchen remodeling from Royal Oak done, but you wanted to try and restore it to its original appearance. How much is this going to cost? Is it even feasible in terms of the materials and parts you need? These are the types of questions that need to be answered sooner rather than later.

As many owners (and friends and family of owners) of historical homes will tell you, the classic designs make quite an impression and are a welcome alternative to the series of look-alike developments that get put up across the country. But, like anything else, these benefits come with a price of time and sometimes of money. Whether or not you decide that this is a weight you want to take on will not only reflect on your tastes but also your lifestyle. Be sure to give it a lot of thought before you sign on the dotted line.