Renovating Old Houses

1. Dwelling, Remodeling 2. Dwellings - Maintenance and repair.

"Plain talk for restorers, from soup to nuts (and bolts). Here's thorough, practical advice that's sensitive to both history and budget".--The Old House Journal.

Clearly written manual tells how to appraise an older home, develop plans for remodeling the kitchen, add a bath, replace floors, roof, windows, doors, interior walls, kitchen cabinets, more.

Although there are other books about renovating old houses, this is the first that prioritizes the identification and preservation of the historic, character-defining features of a house as a starting point in the process. That is the purpose of this book: to describe and illustrate a best-practices approach for updating historic homes for modern life in ways that do not attempt to turn an old house into a new one. The book also suggests many ways to save money in the process, without settling for cheap or inappropriate solutions. Scott Hanson is a historic-building preservation professional and has 40 years' experience rehabilitating historic houses. He has illustrated this authoritative book with hundreds of step-by-step photos, illustrations, charts, and decision-making guides. Interspersed throughout are photo essays of 13 restored historic houses representing a range of periods and architectural styles: Italianate, Victorian, Queen Anne, Federal, Colonial, Colonial Revival, Greek Revival, Ranch, Adobe, Craftsman, Shingle, and Rustic. With interior and exterior photography by David Clough, these multi-page features show what can be achieved when a historic home is renovated with a desire to preserve or restore as much historic character as possible.

Old homes come with a character unmatched by recently built houses on the market The craftsmanship is often more distinct, the architectural elements more refined, the wood floors and trims more detailed, and the structure more solid and settled. A certain amount of renovation must be done to the older homes, and remodelling your home can make it come alive, fix its flaws, enhance its interior, and even make it more eco-friendly. However, renovating can be time consuming, expensive, and nerve-racking, leaving the homeowner in a dust whirl-wind with everything that needs to be done. This guide helps you to overcome these challenges bringing you home-owner bliss. To begin, you will learn how to estimate and stick to your renovation budget, as well as some key cost-cutting techniques to help you come in under budget. You will learn what building codes to follow before your begin your project, as well as the projects you can do on your own and what you might need professional assistance on. This book takes you through the complete remodelling process from the bottom up, beginning with the foundation. The book also presents ideas for renovating your family room, bedrooms, attic, basement, kitchen, and bathroom, as well as a variety of floor plans to follow if you need some help getting started. You will learn how to select and install cabinets and counter tops, as well as how to fully update sinks, taps, appliances, baths, showers and toilets. You will also learn how to overcome the challenges associated with water, electricity, asbestos, tanks and wells, and cesspools. There are step-by-step instructions for some of the most common projects, including installing drywall, upgrading windows and doors, and installing flooring. There is a section on exterior renovations, which contains information on skylights, garage doors, sunrooms, decks, and pools. Whether you are attempting your first project or are a seasoned professional, this is an indispensable companion for any homeowner with a project or two in mind.

Restoring, Rehabilitating and renovating older homes.

From the founders of the HGTV show and Instagram Cheap Old Houses comes a stunning collection of beautiful, affordable homes and inspiration for buying and restoring an historic house. Welcome to the magical world of Cheap Old Houses, where the new American dream comes with zero mortgage and an affordable lifestyle fit for a storybook. Ethan and Elizabeth Finkelstein have scoured the country to find homes in desperate need of saving—including a $45,000 Victorian in Mississippi, a $25,000 mansion in Indiana, an $82,000 recreational camp in Maine, and more. Cheap Old Houses features the stories of how these homes were acquired and lovingly restored. Within these pages, you’ll discover sprawling Victorian mansions, Italianate-style farmhouses, off-the-beaten-path cabins, and even old churches turned into residences. You’ll meet a couple who camped out on their back porch while they made their 6,000-square foot manor livable, and homeowners who found a free bungalow and moved it seventy miles to their property. Additionally, Elizabeth, a historical preservationist, gives information on the details to preserve in historic houses, from pocket doors that might be hiding in the walls to badly cracked plaster walls that are worth repairing and butler’s pantries that are once again more desirable for storing dishes and small appliances. With hundreds of beautiful photographs capturing these homes in all their glory, you’ll be inspired to find “the one”—a fixer upper to rescue that will rescue you right back.