Thanks!
Tiffany

I'd check to see if there's knob and tube wiring.
I'd check to see if the visible pipes are galvanized, plastic, pvc, copper - whatever
I'd check to see if there is any asbestos wrapping on pipes in the basement. If it's wrapped and undisturbed, it's not a problem.
I'd check the slope of the floors. Sometimes older homes have settled. This in itself isn't a problem, but some homeowners choose to jack up the house to level things out.
Check the roof - most inspectors will not get up and actually look closely at it, but see if you can see active water damage in the attic or if anything looks out of order.
Check to see if there are obvious, poorly done previous homeowner DIY repairs. This will most likely be the worst thing you have to deal with in the future.
Don't assume that if the wood windows leak a bit of air, that you have to rip them out and get new windows. Window maintenance can fix loads of problems.

We're on old home #3 and will never live in cookie cutter houses - I very much agree with the comments about better construction....and better quality materials were generally used, too. My biggest recommendation is do not use the inspector that your realtor recommends UNLESS you have done your homework and know that this inspector is an expert in old homes. If you can find an inspector who also lives in an old home and is an old home pro, you'll be much better off in the short and long run. If the location you are in has a historical society or old home owner organizations, call them for inspector recommendations.

Good luck with the home you are considering.

I'm of the opinion that a flash light and some time can catch most of the serious issues if you know what to look for and can get at it. Much of the scariest looking stuff is the easiest for an amateur to fix, believe it or not. Some of the most minor looking problems are the most troublesome.

The biggest issue, I'd say, is electrical that needs to be done in a place that has already had renovation done or that has historically significant woodwork, and the like.

I have a blog "manual" of our process.

No Codes, no inspection, no building science, no engineering doesn't add up to quality in my book.

I've taken apart a lot of homes back to the 1850s. Some were wonderful. A friend grew up in an 1850s solid stone farmhouse with walls two feet thick and structural 8x12s. When her Mom passed away 21 years ago, the home was sold to restorers who stripped the aluminum siding and updated the mechanicals. It's a wonderful anachronism in the middle of a 1970s subdivision.

OTOH, many homes in downtown Toronto ( e.g., South Annex, Don Vale) were built of scrap by struggling working class people and carry a 100-year old accretion of jerry-built additions. Neighbourhoods that tourists go gaga about are often old facades behind which are completely new structures.

As others have mentioned, older homes often have systems that have to be replaced immediately to qualify for insurance. Here, that includes, depending on the insurer, k&t wiring, galvanized steel plumbing, aluminum wiring, electrical services of less than 100 amps, outdated fuel oil tanks and underground fuel oil tanks.

Structural engineer might also be a good idea.

Even after I found my wonderful inspector and made arrangements with him I discovered my real estate agent asked that reports be sent to him rather than me! I corrected this but found it annoying since my goal was to find an inspector who was beholden to me, not an agent with other interests.

Twenty years later our modest bungalow continues to get rave reviews on construction from workers and visitors -- but then it was one of the most expensive homes built in our city in 1914. I'm sure construction varied that year around town as much as it does today, but we're quite happy with our home and our investment. No cookie cutters anywhere in the neighborhood, feels like home all around.

Perhaps because of his care in construction, we have no issues with wiring, plumbing, insulation, or other systems, although much of the original material remains. The house is solid as a rock.

(Our burden is windows-- tons of them, with 16-pane uppers, all needing reglazing asap. We knew this when we bought.)

There will ALWAYS be something to spend your vacation money on if you buy an old house. You will probably ALWAYS have something you'd like to do to your house. For some people, this is exhausting and frustrating.

However, we wouldn't live in a pre-wwII home for anything. There's something about the light from big old windows, the intelligent placement of windows for ventilation, and the tall ceilings and generous woodwork that are balm for our spirits.

Best of luck with your decision!

Sometimes Love is blind. And I do have a love/hate relationship with the house because of the ever present work that is needed to mantain it.

Would I sell it, wash your mouth out, I'm in love.
Is it safe, Lord I hope so. lol

......Jane

That depends on how old and where the house is located.
Some places have had codes for well over 100 years.

The poorly built ones are rarely standing after a long time.

More important is thing like updated electrical and plumbing.
Old plumbing is often still in pretty good shape, but electrical has changed a lot in the last 80 years.

A 1915 house may have one receptacle per wall in each room, no matter what the room size, and be wired with knob & tube wiring (and not even have boxes at outlets).

While you may find a lead water supply line that should be replaced, lead drain/waste/vent lines are often still working as well as the day they were installed.
Drum traps have not been allowed for many years, but they still work (especially for gray water lines).

Older houses have things like rough cut joists that are a full 2 inches thick, making them 33% stronger than the same height 1.5 inch joist.
Studs are a full 2x4 inches, not 1.5 x 3.5 inches. Since the 16 inch spacing has been around a long time, this insignificantly increases the wall stiffness.
Instead of plywood sub-floors where half the layer are not really doing much, you get full one inch thick diagonal planks.
Joist are sometimes over spanned, but it is not as hard a problem to fix as it often appears.

Those 100 years old houses still standing are liable to out last the new ones being built now.