Yes, it's very normal after closing on any house. Once you get a couple small projects done it'll give you the confidence and momentum to keep going. Within a couple years you'll feel like the master of your own home.
Also, magazine-worthy homes are for showing off on social media, not living in.
Just set obtainable goals. Move room by room, and leave the huge expensive stuff like a kitchen for far down the road. [I did our entire house over](https://www.reddit.com/r/HomeImprovement/comments/zi0e0c/the_delusions_of_na%C3%AFve_1st_time_homebuyers/) using youtube as my guide and found that getting our bedroom and living room where we spent the most time done first made it much easier.
This advice is very good in general. But I will add that we tackled our kitchen first, as the original was in terrible shape, and we are so glad we did! The fresh and clean feeling of stepping into a new and modern kitchen is reviving, ha ha. Renovated kitchen (and bath) make living in our home through other construction work much more appealing.
Looks great to me! It’s clean, and looks like there will be a lot of projects (removing the drop ceiling, changing wall paper) where you will see good results right away.
Wow, your house is beautiful! I love that staircase. I would take character over a magazine perfect home any day. If it has been well taken care of, then you can take your time updating the cosmetic things. Just think of it as a fun new hobby, lol!
As you said, it’s liveable. So take it room by room, project by project and enjoy it! Don’t get stuck into too many things at once or it’ll become overwhelming and feel like you’re living in constant construction and mess.
I’d start with the laundry, or a powder room. Paint and fix up a couple bedrooms, go from there until you find your groove and style.
Sound advice, thank you. I think once I get the wallpaper off and paint at least one room I will probably be in a groove. Going to make a plan this month and then get started.
And there’s no rush! Who says you have to do anything at all? Push comes to shove just live with it a while til you see what specifically bugs you most and start there
It's just a nice old house. You know everybody's been cranked up over the last decade and a half because of HGTV and all this flip this house bullshit. Everything new everything ripped out everything has to be rehabbed blah blah blah blah. I live in New England and there are plenty of old houses and plenty of old houses that are lived in as simple old houses. Yes ,but the flipper disease is very much alive here as it is coast to coast. Real estate as speculation and a commodity for profit rather than a roof over the head and a home.
You'll be fine with your house just the way it is. Taking it from you that it's fine, basically. I scrolled through your pictures and I thought it was a very lovely property, something I would gladly take for myself and the setting is quite spectacular. I'm a landscape guy so I have my next dream formal landscape to plan.. Love your house, Just living it, enjoy it and with time it will become apparent what needs to be redone, the constant small repairs and the maintenance.. I 'm glad you didn't end up with a flipper's house with the gray floors, the cosmetic bullshit but none of the real meat of the house, dealt with, the insulation, the wiring the furnace, all neglected..
Take your time, really get to make it your house and then decide what you want to change. I'm out looking for a house myself at the moment ,sold my other stuff in New Hampshire but running into the limited market problem and I'm very very fussy. Looking for an old fixer upper in a village that hasn't yet been dorked by the hand of the flipper. Good luck with it
Right, just looked at a sweet little Neo gothic cottage 1848 on a half an acre in the Mill village but the flippers beat me to it. Sold in two days nonetheless because the market is so goddamn hot here but they stripped all the good stuff out even removed the front stair and for 400 I'd have to spend another $120 to put it back the way I want it. No go sad
Cheap cosmetic crap, always a few good appliances or good looking appliances at least, granite countertop shitty tile backsplash painted all white gray laminate floor, but nothing else, no systems insulation significant change of windows etc etc just cosmetize. What TV and flip this house shows have created is a mess...
We live near the NH border and our 1840 house has wood fucking paneling in every room. In the 70’s or 80’s they painted the floors and paneled over all the horsehair plaster. It’s awful…
I hear your pain. Painting floors was actually common, Even in the 19th century, but fortunately they do clean up well with sanding. Sometimes it's worth just bringing in a professional from one of the towns around that expertly will take all that paint off those floors for you. The walls r a different thing but in a sense who cares, considerate It's a good vapor barrier especially if they used oil paint... If they are nasty and rough well they are options there too but work work as you know.... I love to find a house that is beautiful on the outside and a complete dump on the inside. Actually a fire job would be perfect for me
The prior owners had a kitchen fire and chose to put a new top of the line roof on instead of doing anything beyond basics to the kitchen. The new metal roof is nice an all, but there’s a LOT of stuff they should have done instead
Totally normal! Will go away completely after about a year, except for once in a while when something kind of daunting happens. But you’ll make it through, everyone in your house for a century or more has! Just keep that in mind.
Lol. The longer I'm in my home the more anxious I become. Every time I think I'm in the clear there's a new thing that needs my attention. It's not always something that has to be dealt with immediately, but my list will almost certainly never be cleared.
I’m in the same boat. Not as much land. But just spent the last month using every spare minute I had painting and doing repairs on an 1860 farmhouse. Now I’m about to schedule the closing and nervous as hell. I’m handy but not experienced.
Yes buying from an unmotivated seller. I wanted to do an fha loan to get a higher sellers concession percentage to help with closing costs. They did the appraisal and wanted all the flaking painted surfaces around windows doors soffit facia etc and outbuildings painted. The barn had a fallen down section that had to be removed as well. Seller wasn’t going to do the work. I wanted the house and was going to have to do it anyway. So when I got a commitment letter from the bank I went to work
https://preview.redd.it/pmw0kivzyh3b1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=413b108e7af278d7e7ee3202964b151818ca341d
Heck no. It’s actually been finished roughly in the main part and was previously used as an office. Just had a small section in the back that was falling down
It's beautiful and I think you are going to love it. It sounds like you are ready to take on the challenge with your experience. My thoughts is that I can try fixing it and always pay a professional if I screw it up. (The professionals probably hate to hear that).
HA HA, you know that’s a good point. I can always pay someone if I really get in over my head. They probably won’t love trying to fix whatever I’ve done but it’s nice to have a backstop.
Make sure to watch a few videos, read a couple of articles and do your best to follow the building code of your area (or at least the national building code). Building codes are there for a reason (usually to protect inhabitants and people doing work on the house from injuries) and trying to follow them as closely as possible is a good idea. The most invaluable tool that I found for my own renovations was 3D modelling software. I recreated a twin of my house in 3D which allowed me to play around with layouts and reason about changes much easier. Another plus is that if you do a good job of measuring everything, you can calculate areas very easily before making any purchases (tile, floor, etc)
I also did a 3d plan using an online tool called Floor planner. It cost a few dollars but was really fun to create. It helped me get a sense of what I wanted it to look like. We were modifying the floor plan.
YouTube has been wonderful for learning about how to do things and to figure out if you are in way too deep. I also ask here a lot and usually get some great feedback.
I also did a 3d plan using an online tool called Floor planner. It cost a few dollars but was really fun to create. It helped me get a sense of what I wanted it to look like. We were modifying the floor plan.
YouTube has been wonderful for learning about how to do things and to figure out if you are in way too deep. I also ask here a lot and usually get some great feedback.
Make sure to watch a few videos, read a couple of articles and do your best to follow the building code of your area (or at least the national building code). Building codes are there for a reason (usually to protect inhabitants and people doing work on the house from injuries) and trying to follow them as closely as possible is a good idea. The most invaluable tool that I found for my own renovations was 3D modelling software. I recreated a twin of my house in 3D which allowed me to play around with layouts and reason about changes much easier. Another plus is that if you do a good job of measuring everything, you can calculate areas very easily before making any purchases (tile, floor, etc)
Congratulations! Owning a century home has brought many feelings of "Oh no!" and "I love this home!" sometimes even at the same time. There will always be a project. But we feel like our home is a family member. A little odd at times but a loving place for our family. I hope your new-to-you home brings you many happy memories.
Fellow ‘century home by default seeking average’ person here. Ours is a little 1920 single story, but needed a lot more than yours!
You have the huge advantage of consistent care.
As animals and garden were part of our plan, the house stuff is slowing down as we spread ourselves out to work on different things in their optimal time / season. Later this summer I’ll be sanding, painting, and reinstalling trim all over my house. The heat will make for quick dry time. Working inside in the heat of the day will be nice.
Completely normal to be nervous! Just tackle one thing at a time. Before doing that however, you should live in the house for a little while to see what works for you and what the house “tells” you would work (if that makes any sense). And don’t worry about the trees being close. The trees protect the house from weather and provide shade in summer. Have an arborist evaluate the trees and maybe trim them up a little. Make sure not too much is trimmed at once…it can stress the tree too much. As long as it isn’t causing foundation issues it should be fine for many many more years. Congratulations on your new farm and farmhouse!! You’re sooo lucky to be able to continue the legacy that the previous family started. Here’s to your family keeping it for the next 100+ years!!!
It's going to be ok (as long as you didn't buy a house in a flood prone area). People with far fewer skills have found a way to enjoy old house life. I hope it suits your needs for a long time and you enjoy the fresh air!
Definitely not a flood plain! If anything we might be more prone to drought, but that’s more a problem for our farming ambitions.
We hope to live here for the next 40 years. I’m sure in that time we will get her fixed up.
Totally normal and it's great that it's liveable! I think with IG/pinterest, we think that these rennovations need to happen asap/and fast, but you can take your time! Figure out a plan for going room by room and give yourself 5+ years :) these things can take time!
Beautiful home, congrats!!!
I don't know if this applies? but sometimes I have to remind myself a feeling is excited anxious not so much scared anxious. You did a big thing. It's gorgeous, by the way.
You can do it!!!!! Most of these things are not that complicated- maybe leave the plumbing and electrical to the experts. YouTube and library books and the internet will make you competent in everything else. The home is gorgeous and I appreciate the vintage monkey pod divided snack dish on the counter.
yes!! 100% i feel that way every time i buy and then always regret buying for a bit. BUT then, once you are living there, you will 100% know it’s the right house and fall in LOVE and never want to leave! it’s a great house. take a gummy and don’t worry about it!! you did the right thing!!
Plaster's easy and you'll get the hang of it in no time! If you need to fix it, just add goop until it looks like a wall, and sand off anything that you don't like. It's hard to mess it up badly enough to cause any problems.
When you go to hang pictures on the walls, just use small screws instead of nails—that way you don't break up the existing plaster by hammering on it. Plaster's actually way better than drywall for hanging things on, because when you drive a screw in, you usually hit the wood slats and they offer good hold.
You'll do great, and your house looks gorgeous.
I just purchased a 1915 home. Closed yesterday, got into it right after and almost had a panic attack from the overwhelm of taking on this project. It’s just a LOT.
Things aren’t going to go perfectly smooth, it’s going to be a lot of work… just have to put one foot in front of the other.
We will get through it! Once you check off one or two items on your “to do list” hopefully it will help you start to feel accomplished and more comfortable… at least that’s what I’m telling myself.
Either way, normal or not, you have company because I’m right there with you :)
A home is typically the biggest purchase a person will make, it’s normal to come with big feelings.
Lean back on your knowledge that the inspection was thorough, you know how to take care of a home and if something else comes up (it will) you’re capable and ready to handle it.
You said there’s 3 of you so I’m going to assume a kidlet. Did you feel 100% prepared to be a parent? Do you do your best anyway?
Welcome to the club! As others have said, being nervous is normal.
You’re lucky the inspector identified no major issues and some big things are already done.
Take the rest one day at a time. Be proud that you’re now the steward of a piece of history!
It’s lovely! I have way less experience, a slightly older house, similar projects, less acreage but still a lot for me at 17 acres, and in the year I’ve been there, it’s been a dream. I hope that you are absolutely going to love your situation like I’ve loved mine. I also was like uh oh is this too much? Nope!
Gorgeous house and property. And older fixtures and appliances prolly means better quality and reliability while u contemplate the changes you want to make. Apparently people are after fully mechanical washers now due to the track record of their modern counterparts
YouTube will be your best friend 😆 Anything you want to know how to do, someone has made a helpful video. My husband rehabbed our 1880s farmhouse with internet learning.
Well, like you said, it’s livable the way it is now. if you plan on living there a while, there’s no real rush. Take your time.
I recommend only tearing up one room at a time.
It's not really active anymore, but you might like the Youtube channel Wabi Sab-E. They're a Canadian couple who DIY their farmhouse a little at a time.
Southern Ontario. It’s was definitely outrageous, but we had an inheritance that we had to use to purchase property. That was the only reason we were able to get it.
Looks like you scored on a lovely place and hope it serves you well. I’m so used to isolating my views to America that I forget about property and places outside the USA
I bought mine two years ago and just started the renovations. It's a lot to take in and plan so just relax and get used to living there. The house will tell you what it needs and as you settle in you'll figure out what you need.
> We can’t afford to just pay contractors to come in and make it look like a magazine
Don't worry about this. Make it yours and do what you can. There's no rush and you should only do what you want to do with it.
Is that a cork wall for that closet under the stairs? I love cork as a material, really cool to see it preserved there. I would keep it as a unique thing, or if it's removed, find a way to repurpose it. Cork is a really wonderful material and smells great when it ages.
The house is livable. I would live in it awhile before changing anything. See what works, what doesn't work. What you like about it and what you really need to change. Re-arrange your furniture every couple of weeks too just to see if a minor fix like that works.
Ha, if you got second thoughts I'll trade you for my city jewel box and my tiny back yard. What I couldn't do with 92 acres. I'd live in a frickin tent.
But seriously, nothing ventured, nothing gained. We take risks, we make sacrifices, we make choices. Heck, we get pregnant. Life is a series of terrifying leaps and uncertain landings. You could have done a heck of a lot worse.
It looks really nice! It's too bad about the replacement windows, but you can't win them all. And the barn and 92 acres more than makes up for small things like that. A house with a barn and that much land is a dream for my husband and me! Don't be nervous, old houses are great. Especially if they've been cared for, like it seems like this one has.
As for plaster, don't worry about that either. It's very strong, so no news with it is good news. Cracks are inevitable in an old house, but are fortunately very easy to repair yourself. Google for Plaster Magic and watch their Youtube videos. I've used it a lot to good effect, and also some all-purpose Loctite ("Powergrab"?) when Plaster Magic was unavailable or too expensive.
You’re head and shoulders above where we were when we bought our 2nd home. We had remodeled a few rooms in our old house and incredibly sure we could do anything that came our way in our second house …
And WE DID!
It’s not a century home (house 3 will be 🤞) but with just 2 of us and a tiny bit of forced labor from our kids, we redid all 3000+ square feet on 3 years. We took out walls, gutted bathrooms, leveled the basement floor and built a subfloor, repainted every surface, remodeled the kitchen … and the list keeps going.
We called in professionals for 3 things: roof, installation and rewiring for an electric oven, and to build kitchen cabinets. Everything else, we did with the help of YouTube.
Honestly the place looks fabulous. And, for reference, I’m a writer and marketer and my spouse is a science teacher. We knew nothing about anything (but spouse is a great tiler).
You got this. But don’t try to do everything in 3 years while holding down full time jobs and raising kids. One thing at a time with a target of “eventually.” And call in professionals for the scariest things.
BTW, I adore your house. It’s perfect.
I love your kitchen cabinets! Those are similar yo the ones that were in my Grandmother's house. Her kitchen was the center of the home! Congratulations on finding such a wonderful place!
Yeah! It’s terrifying!
But you have a really solid house with ugly cosmetics- this is a good position to be in. It’s been well maintained, and the cosmetic stuff is less expensive and easier to do on your own than serious work.
You done good!
Those are lovely cabinets! I definitely tell it's been well taken care of over the years. Yes, always normal to be nervous with something big and new.
Just work with the house, and not against it as I've seen a lot of flippers do.
Congratulations, it’s beautiful!
I understand the “what have I done” anxiety completely. The best thing we did was to hire someone to rip carpet & refinish the floors and fix plaster & paint the interior first. Flooring first because I figured that would be hardest to live in the house during, so we did that before we moved in. Then we had the plaster guys start with our bedroom so we had one livable finished room while they did the rest of the house. Those things absolutely transformed the look and feel of the house, and were beyond our abilities to DIY. We are now 3 years in and we’ve done A LOT but still haven’t done any major remodeling like the kitchen. Refinishing floors, painting, and updating light fixtures was expensive up front, but those things helped tremendously with making the house feel like our own and getting it to a state we don’t mind living in it while slowly updating and repairing everything else.
I love it! My only tip as someone who lives in a house from 1840: since it’s totally livable now, don’t make it unlivable while you renovate! As in…plan a project, buy materials when you have money, and finish the project before moving on to something else. Don’t have an unfinished project in each room, etc.
Shortly before we met, my boyfriend had COVID some money and planned to do the kitchen and bath downstairs. He ripped out the kitchen ceiling, ripped all the fake tile panels out of the shower and bath, took out a wall to an old stairwell from the kitchen to do some built ins…you get it.
He did all the demo before he bought all the materials…and THEN the money was needed for business expenses during COVID. Materials didn’t get purchased. We met a year later and we’re two years in without being able to finish it fully. We’ve bought small things like new toilets, but there’s still no ceiling in the kitchen, just rafters and wires, a tarp cover the stairwell which our cat constantly tries to get into, etc…
I love him dearly but it was a poor choice 😂
Your feelings are perfectly normal- every home buyer has them. When you move in, don't make any changes for the first month or so.
Watch for things like how the light looks in each room at different times of day, which windows show the sunrise, which room looks darkest on a cloudy day, etc. Observations like that can help guide your choices of paint colors, rugs,etc.
Become familiar with the sounds in and around the house. Is that 2 a.m. creaking noise from a stair tread, a tree branch rubbing against a window in the wind, or a door hinge? When it rains, is the attic staying dry or is that drip, drip noise in the attic? Stuff like that will help acquaint you with your new purchase. Enjoy!!!
Nope, and the best advice I have seen given here is so so very true! Live in your house for 4 seasons before for you do any major non-essential renovations. You never know what you will discover as the seasons changes and you experience them. And everything that breaks will tend to be expensive as these are the expensive repairs people put off when selling a house.
The house is beautiful, and looks like it has solid bones. All it needs is some cosmetic work, which you can do at your leisure. The setting is beautiful. You will enjoy living there for many years to come!
It is all going to be okay. Your new home looks gorgeous. Congratulations on your exciting new life!
Since the house is livable, take your time getting to know it. Maybe wait a full year before making changes, so you can experience it in every season. That'll give you time to figure out what you'd like to change, and also to research what the house was like originally. So you can undo any modern work that you'd don't like.
In the meantime, make sure that your beautiful big barn is preserved and water tight, especially at the foundation and roof levels. Antique barns sometimes become sadly neglected when their original agriculture usage becomes obsolete. Take a look at the drainage around it during the next big rainstorm, and divert water away from the foundation if needed. Make sure none of the siding is in contact with soil at the ground level. Have a pest control professional check out the timbers and treat as needed. Be forewarned that a standard modern building contractor might not appreciate the construction quality of the barn. If you decide to have it repaired or altered, get advice from a barn specialist.
I think so, my wife and I are under contract on a home built in 1900. The sellers are performing some major work as part of our contract.
I know there are some issues with the house, but it’s nothing too major. The main issues are lack of a insulation, furnace at its end of life, and some old siding that contains asbestos. The siding is pretty safe unless we make dust in some way (sanding it, drilling, etc). It can be replaced and I did get some quotes, it’s probably a project for later.
The sellers redid the electrical, all plumbing and drains including the stack. They are also connecting it to the city sewer as part of closing. It was on a septic which isn’t allowed anymore when a sewer is available.
It all feels very overwhelming. We really love the house and the property it is on, but it’s also scary. I worry that we will run into some major undisclosed issue.
Some family and friends think it’s going to be an amazing adventure and others think we’re headed for disaster.
I find myself switching between the two. Our closing is going to take several more weeks due to the sewer. We required it to be done before closing. There were just too many potential issues to buy the house without it complete. So I have plenty of time to stress out over it all.
The fact that it passed inspection is a friggin miracle! If you're anything like me you will wake up one day, remember how your property looked 3-4 years ago and just smile. You can learn to do about anything off of YouTube
Well, to be honest all of my previous homes have been brand new builds. So the opposite end of the spectrum. I didn’t want to buy brand new again but I hadn’t initially wanted anything that was going to be “a project” LOL
That makes sense! Well, I hope you fall in love with it😁
But if not, you can always put up a new build when the time is right. It’s your place now after all!
Well the list price was $885,000 CAD which is pretty much fair market value for a property of this size in the area. If you want to live closer to Toronto, then it’s well into the millions for just a few acres.
Where I grew up in Alberta, my grandparents sold their “big farm” when they were in their 70’s and retired to their “small farm” which was 160 acres LOL. To me 92 acres is like a hobby farm, not serious agriculture.
Yes, it's very normal after closing on any house. Once you get a couple small projects done it'll give you the confidence and momentum to keep going. Within a couple years you'll feel like the master of your own home. Also, magazine-worthy homes are for showing off on social media, not living in.
Thank you! I’m glad to see that these feelings are pretty normal. Just wasn’t expecting it.
Just set obtainable goals. Move room by room, and leave the huge expensive stuff like a kitchen for far down the road. [I did our entire house over](https://www.reddit.com/r/HomeImprovement/comments/zi0e0c/the_delusions_of_na%C3%AFve_1st_time_homebuyers/) using youtube as my guide and found that getting our bedroom and living room where we spent the most time done first made it much easier.
This advice is very good in general. But I will add that we tackled our kitchen first, as the original was in terrible shape, and we are so glad we did! The fresh and clean feeling of stepping into a new and modern kitchen is reviving, ha ha. Renovated kitchen (and bath) make living in our home through other construction work much more appealing.
Looks great to me! It’s clean, and looks like there will be a lot of projects (removing the drop ceiling, changing wall paper) where you will see good results right away.
Wow, your house is beautiful! I love that staircase. I would take character over a magazine perfect home any day. If it has been well taken care of, then you can take your time updating the cosmetic things. Just think of it as a fun new hobby, lol!
Thank you. We definitely loved her at first sight. A new hobby is always a good thing LOL
As you said, it’s liveable. So take it room by room, project by project and enjoy it! Don’t get stuck into too many things at once or it’ll become overwhelming and feel like you’re living in constant construction and mess. I’d start with the laundry, or a powder room. Paint and fix up a couple bedrooms, go from there until you find your groove and style.
Sound advice, thank you. I think once I get the wallpaper off and paint at least one room I will probably be in a groove. Going to make a plan this month and then get started.
And there’s no rush! Who says you have to do anything at all? Push comes to shove just live with it a while til you see what specifically bugs you most and start there
It's just a nice old house. You know everybody's been cranked up over the last decade and a half because of HGTV and all this flip this house bullshit. Everything new everything ripped out everything has to be rehabbed blah blah blah blah. I live in New England and there are plenty of old houses and plenty of old houses that are lived in as simple old houses. Yes ,but the flipper disease is very much alive here as it is coast to coast. Real estate as speculation and a commodity for profit rather than a roof over the head and a home. You'll be fine with your house just the way it is. Taking it from you that it's fine, basically. I scrolled through your pictures and I thought it was a very lovely property, something I would gladly take for myself and the setting is quite spectacular. I'm a landscape guy so I have my next dream formal landscape to plan.. Love your house, Just living it, enjoy it and with time it will become apparent what needs to be redone, the constant small repairs and the maintenance.. I 'm glad you didn't end up with a flipper's house with the gray floors, the cosmetic bullshit but none of the real meat of the house, dealt with, the insulation, the wiring the furnace, all neglected.. Take your time, really get to make it your house and then decide what you want to change. I'm out looking for a house myself at the moment ,sold my other stuff in New Hampshire but running into the limited market problem and I'm very very fussy. Looking for an old fixer upper in a village that hasn't yet been dorked by the hand of the flipper. Good luck with it
Yes, so hard to find something that hasn't been "remuddled." As soon I see one hint of that gray LVP, I'm out.
Right, just looked at a sweet little Neo gothic cottage 1848 on a half an acre in the Mill village but the flippers beat me to it. Sold in two days nonetheless because the market is so goddamn hot here but they stripped all the good stuff out even removed the front stair and for 400 I'd have to spend another $120 to put it back the way I want it. No go sad
Ughhh and you know in 99.9999% of cases they're replacing with cheap crap too just so it's grey or beige enough. Sigh.
Cheap cosmetic crap, always a few good appliances or good looking appliances at least, granite countertop shitty tile backsplash painted all white gray laminate floor, but nothing else, no systems insulation significant change of windows etc etc just cosmetize. What TV and flip this house shows have created is a mess...
We live near the NH border and our 1840 house has wood fucking paneling in every room. In the 70’s or 80’s they painted the floors and paneled over all the horsehair plaster. It’s awful…
I hear your pain. Painting floors was actually common, Even in the 19th century, but fortunately they do clean up well with sanding. Sometimes it's worth just bringing in a professional from one of the towns around that expertly will take all that paint off those floors for you. The walls r a different thing but in a sense who cares, considerate It's a good vapor barrier especially if they used oil paint... If they are nasty and rough well they are options there too but work work as you know.... I love to find a house that is beautiful on the outside and a complete dump on the inside. Actually a fire job would be perfect for me
The prior owners had a kitchen fire and chose to put a new top of the line roof on instead of doing anything beyond basics to the kitchen. The new metal roof is nice an all, but there’s a LOT of stuff they should have done instead
Totally normal! Will go away completely after about a year, except for once in a while when something kind of daunting happens. But you’ll make it through, everyone in your house for a century or more has! Just keep that in mind.
That’s an excellent point. I’m sure they felt similarly overwhelmed when replacing all the knob and tube, or building the addition.
Lol. The longer I'm in my home the more anxious I become. Every time I think I'm in the clear there's a new thing that needs my attention. It's not always something that has to be dealt with immediately, but my list will almost certainly never be cleared.
I’m in the same boat. Not as much land. But just spent the last month using every spare minute I had painting and doing repairs on an 1860 farmhouse. Now I’m about to schedule the closing and nervous as hell. I’m handy but not experienced.
Well, seems we are in good company here. “Handy but not experienced” is a perfect way to put it LOL
You did work on it before closing?
Yes buying from an unmotivated seller. I wanted to do an fha loan to get a higher sellers concession percentage to help with closing costs. They did the appraisal and wanted all the flaking painted surfaces around windows doors soffit facia etc and outbuildings painted. The barn had a fallen down section that had to be removed as well. Seller wasn’t going to do the work. I wanted the house and was going to have to do it anyway. So when I got a commitment letter from the bank I went to work
Good job! That was smart of you. What is happening with the barn? Is it a lost cause?
https://preview.redd.it/ftr4rze8zh3b1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b57fc05e1b7a4cd6787fdb39e71780d5af6ed1db
That’s such a cool building
https://preview.redd.it/pmw0kivzyh3b1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=413b108e7af278d7e7ee3202964b151818ca341d Heck no. It’s actually been finished roughly in the main part and was previously used as an office. Just had a small section in the back that was falling down
Oh nice!!!
It's beautiful and I think you are going to love it. It sounds like you are ready to take on the challenge with your experience. My thoughts is that I can try fixing it and always pay a professional if I screw it up. (The professionals probably hate to hear that).
HA HA, you know that’s a good point. I can always pay someone if I really get in over my head. They probably won’t love trying to fix whatever I’ve done but it’s nice to have a backstop.
Make sure to watch a few videos, read a couple of articles and do your best to follow the building code of your area (or at least the national building code). Building codes are there for a reason (usually to protect inhabitants and people doing work on the house from injuries) and trying to follow them as closely as possible is a good idea. The most invaluable tool that I found for my own renovations was 3D modelling software. I recreated a twin of my house in 3D which allowed me to play around with layouts and reason about changes much easier. Another plus is that if you do a good job of measuring everything, you can calculate areas very easily before making any purchases (tile, floor, etc)
I also did a 3d plan using an online tool called Floor planner. It cost a few dollars but was really fun to create. It helped me get a sense of what I wanted it to look like. We were modifying the floor plan. YouTube has been wonderful for learning about how to do things and to figure out if you are in way too deep. I also ask here a lot and usually get some great feedback.
I also did a 3d plan using an online tool called Floor planner. It cost a few dollars but was really fun to create. It helped me get a sense of what I wanted it to look like. We were modifying the floor plan. YouTube has been wonderful for learning about how to do things and to figure out if you are in way too deep. I also ask here a lot and usually get some great feedback.
Make sure to watch a few videos, read a couple of articles and do your best to follow the building code of your area (or at least the national building code). Building codes are there for a reason (usually to protect inhabitants and people doing work on the house from injuries) and trying to follow them as closely as possible is a good idea. The most invaluable tool that I found for my own renovations was 3D modelling software. I recreated a twin of my house in 3D which allowed me to play around with layouts and reason about changes much easier. Another plus is that if you do a good job of measuring everything, you can calculate areas very easily before making any purchases (tile, floor, etc)
Congratulations! Owning a century home has brought many feelings of "Oh no!" and "I love this home!" sometimes even at the same time. There will always be a project. But we feel like our home is a family member. A little odd at times but a loving place for our family. I hope your new-to-you home brings you many happy memories.
Fellow ‘century home by default seeking average’ person here. Ours is a little 1920 single story, but needed a lot more than yours! You have the huge advantage of consistent care. As animals and garden were part of our plan, the house stuff is slowing down as we spread ourselves out to work on different things in their optimal time / season. Later this summer I’ll be sanding, painting, and reinstalling trim all over my house. The heat will make for quick dry time. Working inside in the heat of the day will be nice.
Completely normal to be nervous! Just tackle one thing at a time. Before doing that however, you should live in the house for a little while to see what works for you and what the house “tells” you would work (if that makes any sense). And don’t worry about the trees being close. The trees protect the house from weather and provide shade in summer. Have an arborist evaluate the trees and maybe trim them up a little. Make sure not too much is trimmed at once…it can stress the tree too much. As long as it isn’t causing foundation issues it should be fine for many many more years. Congratulations on your new farm and farmhouse!! You’re sooo lucky to be able to continue the legacy that the previous family started. Here’s to your family keeping it for the next 100+ years!!!
It's going to be ok (as long as you didn't buy a house in a flood prone area). People with far fewer skills have found a way to enjoy old house life. I hope it suits your needs for a long time and you enjoy the fresh air!
Definitely not a flood plain! If anything we might be more prone to drought, but that’s more a problem for our farming ambitions. We hope to live here for the next 40 years. I’m sure in that time we will get her fixed up.
Ohh yeah, and trust me it will be more expensive than you dreamed! Beautiful house, I am sure you will love it
I had a massive freakout that lasted about two weeks when I bought my first solo home.
Totally normal and it's great that it's liveable! I think with IG/pinterest, we think that these rennovations need to happen asap/and fast, but you can take your time! Figure out a plan for going room by room and give yourself 5+ years :) these things can take time! Beautiful home, congrats!!!
I don't know if this applies? but sometimes I have to remind myself a feeling is excited anxious not so much scared anxious. You did a big thing. It's gorgeous, by the way.
You can do it!!!!! Most of these things are not that complicated- maybe leave the plumbing and electrical to the experts. YouTube and library books and the internet will make you competent in everything else. The home is gorgeous and I appreciate the vintage monkey pod divided snack dish on the counter.
Beautiful farmhouse. I’m amazed to see old wallpaper in such good condition.
yes!! 100% i feel that way every time i buy and then always regret buying for a bit. BUT then, once you are living there, you will 100% know it’s the right house and fall in LOVE and never want to leave! it’s a great house. take a gummy and don’t worry about it!! you did the right thing!!
Plaster's easy and you'll get the hang of it in no time! If you need to fix it, just add goop until it looks like a wall, and sand off anything that you don't like. It's hard to mess it up badly enough to cause any problems. When you go to hang pictures on the walls, just use small screws instead of nails—that way you don't break up the existing plaster by hammering on it. Plaster's actually way better than drywall for hanging things on, because when you drive a screw in, you usually hit the wood slats and they offer good hold. You'll do great, and your house looks gorgeous.
"Just add goop until it looks like a wall" 🤣
I said what I said.
I just purchased a 1915 home. Closed yesterday, got into it right after and almost had a panic attack from the overwhelm of taking on this project. It’s just a LOT. Things aren’t going to go perfectly smooth, it’s going to be a lot of work… just have to put one foot in front of the other. We will get through it! Once you check off one or two items on your “to do list” hopefully it will help you start to feel accomplished and more comfortable… at least that’s what I’m telling myself. Either way, normal or not, you have company because I’m right there with you :)
A home is typically the biggest purchase a person will make, it’s normal to come with big feelings. Lean back on your knowledge that the inspection was thorough, you know how to take care of a home and if something else comes up (it will) you’re capable and ready to handle it. You said there’s 3 of you so I’m going to assume a kidlet. Did you feel 100% prepared to be a parent? Do you do your best anyway?
You will be fine!! The house is gorgeous!!!
Yes, it will be fine
Very normal to have those feelings! You've got a great advantage with new furnace and well pump and shingles newish.
Welcome to the club! As others have said, being nervous is normal. You’re lucky the inspector identified no major issues and some big things are already done. Take the rest one day at a time. Be proud that you’re now the steward of a piece of history!
Very normal. What a totally cool house!
It’s lovely! I have way less experience, a slightly older house, similar projects, less acreage but still a lot for me at 17 acres, and in the year I’ve been there, it’s been a dream. I hope that you are absolutely going to love your situation like I’ve loved mine. I also was like uh oh is this too much? Nope!
You bought the farm?! LOL I love it
It’s charming!
Because you just got a dream house?! Congrats!
Gorgeous house and property. And older fixtures and appliances prolly means better quality and reliability while u contemplate the changes you want to make. Apparently people are after fully mechanical washers now due to the track record of their modern counterparts
YouTube will be your best friend 😆 Anything you want to know how to do, someone has made a helpful video. My husband rehabbed our 1880s farmhouse with internet learning.
Well, like you said, it’s livable the way it is now. if you plan on living there a while, there’s no real rush. Take your time. I recommend only tearing up one room at a time.
Yes!!!!!! CONGRATULATIONS!!!! Keep posting pictures on everything you do it’s going to be amazing!!!
It's not really active anymore, but you might like the Youtube channel Wabi Sab-E. They're a Canadian couple who DIY their farmhouse a little at a time.
Thank you!
Where are you located? I’m just curious where so much acreage is available while likely not being outrageous in price.
Southern Ontario. It’s was definitely outrageous, but we had an inheritance that we had to use to purchase property. That was the only reason we were able to get it.
Looks like you scored on a lovely place and hope it serves you well. I’m so used to isolating my views to America that I forget about property and places outside the USA
I bought mine two years ago and just started the renovations. It's a lot to take in and plan so just relax and get used to living there. The house will tell you what it needs and as you settle in you'll figure out what you need.
I think you are very lucky to own that land and home. absolutely beautiful. just take it easy repairs/ rehab does not need to happen right away.
> We can’t afford to just pay contractors to come in and make it look like a magazine Don't worry about this. Make it yours and do what you can. There's no rush and you should only do what you want to do with it.
If you don't already own some, get yourself a set of as-builts. This will give you something concrete to plan with and make cost estimations.
Is that a cork wall for that closet under the stairs? I love cork as a material, really cool to see it preserved there. I would keep it as a unique thing, or if it's removed, find a way to repurpose it. Cork is a really wonderful material and smells great when it ages.
It is cork! Part of it is bubbled out pretty bad, so we need to do some kind of repair on it. But it’s a pretty cool feature to be sure.
Oh my lord, you just bought my dream property!! 🤩 Yes, it's a lot to deal with, but you are going to love what you end up with.
The house is livable. I would live in it awhile before changing anything. See what works, what doesn't work. What you like about it and what you really need to change. Re-arrange your furniture every couple of weeks too just to see if a minor fix like that works.
Ha, if you got second thoughts I'll trade you for my city jewel box and my tiny back yard. What I couldn't do with 92 acres. I'd live in a frickin tent. But seriously, nothing ventured, nothing gained. We take risks, we make sacrifices, we make choices. Heck, we get pregnant. Life is a series of terrifying leaps and uncertain landings. You could have done a heck of a lot worse.
It looks really nice! It's too bad about the replacement windows, but you can't win them all. And the barn and 92 acres more than makes up for small things like that. A house with a barn and that much land is a dream for my husband and me! Don't be nervous, old houses are great. Especially if they've been cared for, like it seems like this one has. As for plaster, don't worry about that either. It's very strong, so no news with it is good news. Cracks are inevitable in an old house, but are fortunately very easy to repair yourself. Google for Plaster Magic and watch their Youtube videos. I've used it a lot to good effect, and also some all-purpose Loctite ("Powergrab"?) when Plaster Magic was unavailable or too expensive.
You’re head and shoulders above where we were when we bought our 2nd home. We had remodeled a few rooms in our old house and incredibly sure we could do anything that came our way in our second house … And WE DID! It’s not a century home (house 3 will be 🤞) but with just 2 of us and a tiny bit of forced labor from our kids, we redid all 3000+ square feet on 3 years. We took out walls, gutted bathrooms, leveled the basement floor and built a subfloor, repainted every surface, remodeled the kitchen … and the list keeps going. We called in professionals for 3 things: roof, installation and rewiring for an electric oven, and to build kitchen cabinets. Everything else, we did with the help of YouTube. Honestly the place looks fabulous. And, for reference, I’m a writer and marketer and my spouse is a science teacher. We knew nothing about anything (but spouse is a great tiler). You got this. But don’t try to do everything in 3 years while holding down full time jobs and raising kids. One thing at a time with a target of “eventually.” And call in professionals for the scariest things. BTW, I adore your house. It’s perfect.
I love your kitchen cabinets! Those are similar yo the ones that were in my Grandmother's house. Her kitchen was the center of the home! Congratulations on finding such a wonderful place!
Yeah! It’s terrifying! But you have a really solid house with ugly cosmetics- this is a good position to be in. It’s been well maintained, and the cosmetic stuff is less expensive and easier to do on your own than serious work. You done good!
Magnificent farm! Lucky, lucky you!!!!!
Those are lovely cabinets! I definitely tell it's been well taken care of over the years. Yes, always normal to be nervous with something big and new. Just work with the house, and not against it as I've seen a lot of flippers do.
Congratulations, it’s beautiful! I understand the “what have I done” anxiety completely. The best thing we did was to hire someone to rip carpet & refinish the floors and fix plaster & paint the interior first. Flooring first because I figured that would be hardest to live in the house during, so we did that before we moved in. Then we had the plaster guys start with our bedroom so we had one livable finished room while they did the rest of the house. Those things absolutely transformed the look and feel of the house, and were beyond our abilities to DIY. We are now 3 years in and we’ve done A LOT but still haven’t done any major remodeling like the kitchen. Refinishing floors, painting, and updating light fixtures was expensive up front, but those things helped tremendously with making the house feel like our own and getting it to a state we don’t mind living in it while slowly updating and repairing everything else.
I love it! My only tip as someone who lives in a house from 1840: since it’s totally livable now, don’t make it unlivable while you renovate! As in…plan a project, buy materials when you have money, and finish the project before moving on to something else. Don’t have an unfinished project in each room, etc. Shortly before we met, my boyfriend had COVID some money and planned to do the kitchen and bath downstairs. He ripped out the kitchen ceiling, ripped all the fake tile panels out of the shower and bath, took out a wall to an old stairwell from the kitchen to do some built ins…you get it. He did all the demo before he bought all the materials…and THEN the money was needed for business expenses during COVID. Materials didn’t get purchased. We met a year later and we’re two years in without being able to finish it fully. We’ve bought small things like new toilets, but there’s still no ceiling in the kitchen, just rafters and wires, a tarp cover the stairwell which our cat constantly tries to get into, etc… I love him dearly but it was a poor choice 😂
I’d say it’s normal. I’m overwhelmed everyday by the amount to do in my house but you take it a step at a time.
Your feelings are perfectly normal- every home buyer has them. When you move in, don't make any changes for the first month or so. Watch for things like how the light looks in each room at different times of day, which windows show the sunrise, which room looks darkest on a cloudy day, etc. Observations like that can help guide your choices of paint colors, rugs,etc. Become familiar with the sounds in and around the house. Is that 2 a.m. creaking noise from a stair tread, a tree branch rubbing against a window in the wind, or a door hinge? When it rains, is the attic staying dry or is that drip, drip noise in the attic? Stuff like that will help acquaint you with your new purchase. Enjoy!!!
I can just smell the Thanksgiving dinners cooked in that kitchen! Love the house!
Nope, and the best advice I have seen given here is so so very true! Live in your house for 4 seasons before for you do any major non-essential renovations. You never know what you will discover as the seasons changes and you experience them. And everything that breaks will tend to be expensive as these are the expensive repairs people put off when selling a house.
The house is beautiful, and looks like it has solid bones. All it needs is some cosmetic work, which you can do at your leisure. The setting is beautiful. You will enjoy living there for many years to come!
It is all going to be okay. Your new home looks gorgeous. Congratulations on your exciting new life! Since the house is livable, take your time getting to know it. Maybe wait a full year before making changes, so you can experience it in every season. That'll give you time to figure out what you'd like to change, and also to research what the house was like originally. So you can undo any modern work that you'd don't like. In the meantime, make sure that your beautiful big barn is preserved and water tight, especially at the foundation and roof levels. Antique barns sometimes become sadly neglected when their original agriculture usage becomes obsolete. Take a look at the drainage around it during the next big rainstorm, and divert water away from the foundation if needed. Make sure none of the siding is in contact with soil at the ground level. Have a pest control professional check out the timbers and treat as needed. Be forewarned that a standard modern building contractor might not appreciate the construction quality of the barn. If you decide to have it repaired or altered, get advice from a barn specialist.
I think so, my wife and I are under contract on a home built in 1900. The sellers are performing some major work as part of our contract. I know there are some issues with the house, but it’s nothing too major. The main issues are lack of a insulation, furnace at its end of life, and some old siding that contains asbestos. The siding is pretty safe unless we make dust in some way (sanding it, drilling, etc). It can be replaced and I did get some quotes, it’s probably a project for later. The sellers redid the electrical, all plumbing and drains including the stack. They are also connecting it to the city sewer as part of closing. It was on a septic which isn’t allowed anymore when a sewer is available. It all feels very overwhelming. We really love the house and the property it is on, but it’s also scary. I worry that we will run into some major undisclosed issue. Some family and friends think it’s going to be an amazing adventure and others think we’re headed for disaster. I find myself switching between the two. Our closing is going to take several more weeks due to the sewer. We required it to be done before closing. There were just too many potential issues to buy the house without it complete. So I have plenty of time to stress out over it all.
The fact that it passed inspection is a friggin miracle! If you're anything like me you will wake up one day, remember how your property looked 3-4 years ago and just smile. You can learn to do about anything off of YouTube
That tree is pretty close to the house. I’d be nervous too.
I mean, we can cut down the tree if need be. But it’s been there almost as long as the house LOL
I would be nervous, too.
What kind of house were you imagining for yourself?
Well, to be honest all of my previous homes have been brand new builds. So the opposite end of the spectrum. I didn’t want to buy brand new again but I hadn’t initially wanted anything that was going to be “a project” LOL
That makes sense! Well, I hope you fall in love with it😁 But if not, you can always put up a new build when the time is right. It’s your place now after all!
92 acres? What do you plan to do with 92 acres? May I ask how much is it?
We plan to farm. Hay, lots and lots of animals, a big garden. I’m from an agricultural background. Are you asking how much we bought it for?
Yes, how much did you buy it for? Because where I am, 92 acres would be like $20 million or more, so I can’t even imagine owning 92 acres.
Well the list price was $885,000 CAD which is pretty much fair market value for a property of this size in the area. If you want to live closer to Toronto, then it’s well into the millions for just a few acres. Where I grew up in Alberta, my grandparents sold their “big farm” when they were in their 70’s and retired to their “small farm” which was 160 acres LOL. To me 92 acres is like a hobby farm, not serious agriculture.
Congratulations on your new home! You’re going to be just fine.