A lot will depend on what work has taken place in the interim. A triple decker that was gutted 20 years ago is going to have a lot fewer issues than one that has a lot of original systems still intact. Electrical and plumbing are two big ones to watch out for. A hundred years ago, homes weren't designed with modern electrical loads in mind, so an old electrical system can cause problems. Also be on the lookout for knob and tube wiring. Old cast iron pipes can cause plumbing issues, especially in buildings that were designed for one family but have been split into 2 or 3 units. Depending on what type of building you're looking at (freestanding, row house, etc.), it may or may not make sense to have a structural engineer inspect the foundation as well. All houses will settle, but you should be on the lookout for cracks or other major problems. There are a lot of other things that can go wrong, especially if the building has not been well maintained in recent years, but these are a few common ones that come to mind, even in reasonably maintained older buildings.
The northeast has tons of buildings this age and they can make great investments, as long as you know what you're buying and understand the pros and cons.
I would definitely look at several area where you could have major problems:
- Foundation - ensure the house is sound, the rafters and headers are secured and not rotted, and see if any load bearing beams are damaged which is common for old buildings.
- Plumbing - how it was run and if it is functional. Codes have changed over the years so it may not even be to current code and you may not pass a safety inspection.
- Electrical - this is a big one. Depending on how the house was maintained and what materiel was used, you may have to redo the entire one.
- Roof and termite damage. Both can be costly repairs.
Someone probably asks this question on here atleast once a week lol.
an old house is only as good as the last several people thatve owned it. Deferred maintenance is what makes them money pits. Things like original plumbing, electric and heating systems are what makes them dreaded.
Other issues i see are: termite damage, no footings on foundations, crumbling mortar in brick, underground oil tanks, abandoned cesspools, settling, unexpected finds behind walls, knob and tub, galvanized water pipes, lead water mains, orangeburg sewers.
Cast iron sewer services with city trees that you cant cut down and the roots keep growing into it.
I think it's funny when people say older houses were built better. Back in the day most areas in the us had little building regulations, code or code enforcement. In my town 100 years ago people would literally just build a house out of whatever material they had laying around. Then people will do shoddy repairs for the next 100 years after that. You'd be amazed at some of the stuff I see when we open up old walls.
@George W. All things that an inspector and structural engineer would point out in an inspection report correct? If so I’m not at all scared of differed maintenance because i am a handyman/operating engineer.