How Old of a Home Will you Acquire

Question

When considering acquiring a property, how old of a building will you buy? I'm trying to stay newer than 1980 so I'm far enough removed from lead pipes and asbestos. What do you guys think?

Taylor L. · Answer

The 1970s had a lot of weird cost cutting measures in construction. Cheap and inferior materials were very common. I prefer to avoid those. We actually haven't run into asbestos or lead pipes yet, I think most of that has been remediated. I have one now that was built in the early 60s and needs a ton of hidden updating. It's solid, but dated.

Dave E. · Answer

@Olutomi Odukoya

I generally don’t care as long as they pass an inspection. Something like asbestos would be a deal breaker for me unless the seller agreed to remediate.

I like older homes because of the character. I also like to preserve the history of older homes where some flippers just gut them and move on.

Michael Plante · Answer

Same as above

I’ve never even looked at the age of any house I have purchased

Come to think of it I don’t know the ages of any of the houses I currently own

For me if it’s a deal then it’s a deal

JD Martin · Answer

My favorite houses tend to be early 1960s. Construction materials still tended to be good quality (wood flooring, floor joists, etc) and mechanical systems started to be updated. But my oldest house is nearly 100 years old and still doing well as a rental, so you can just about upgrade anything.

Jonathan R McLaughlin · Answer

Lots of old houses well built and completely upgraded on electrics, windows heating systems etc. and I'd pay more attention to that than the actual age. Asbestos around pipes is an easy removal and if its in the floor tiles not a huge deal. Ceilings or vermiculite I'd stay away from personally. Knob and Tube is still around and a pain and expensive to get rid of. I don't know the issues of 70s houses very well. Lots of the tight built 90s ones had/have mold issues.

Evan D. · Answer

I will buy anything that's a good deal.  I don't have any properties newer than 1995 or older than 1910.  I would prefer not buy a house built with glue-lam beams which is basically anything by a mass builder from 2000 into the future.  Way to many new homes have serious issues when water gets in unlike solid wood construction of the past.  Electrical, plumbing, and cosmetics can all be replaced if the deal is right.

Olutomi Odukoya · Answer

@Taylor L. Thanks. Seems like we are along the same line of thought.

How Old of a Home Will you Acquire

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