Older homes usually have character but pose many challenges when it comes to renovation. Although some remodeling problems apply to newer homes as well, older homes have their own set of unique problems. Knowing the challenges that you might encounter will make it easier to set a realistic timeline and budget for your project.

Here are the challenges that you might face when renovating an older home:

Outdated Electrical and Plumbing

Plumbing and electrical issues are common in older homes. Before 1960, the use of galvanized pipes inside the house and for sewer lines was quite common. However, these pipes tend to clog up and corrode very fast over time. If you are doing plumbing renovation in your home, you need to replace the old pipes with copper or PVC pipes. According to the owner of Restoration Elite, dealing with leakage problems faster prevents water damage.

Electrical wiring in old homes needs to be updated and brought up to code. Depending on the type of appliances that you own, you might have to put in modern wiring that supports computers and entertainment systems.

Unsafe Materials

If you live in a house that is decades old, there might be some asbestos in the ducts, floors, and roof as well as lead in the paint. If you do not disturb them, these materials are harmless.

However, if you are renovating your house and there is a chance that you might scrape the materials, you should move out of the house for the duration of the project.

Although the cost of asbestos and lead removal can be high, it will be worth every penny to ensure the safety of your family. You can buy some tools to test whether the paint in your home has lead in it.

Unavailable Materials

Older homes were constructed under different building codes and standards, which means that the materials are not the same as those used today. Rooms, doors, and bathtubs are smaller in older residences. If you want to retain the character of your home, finding materials that will match the others will be tricky.

You should consider shopping at reuse centers and architectural salvage stores for the outdated materials. However, you might have to pay more to get your hands on original materials. If your home has traditional lighting, you should find old-looking light fixtures such as a wall mount gas lantern to retain the look.

Outdated Layouts

The floor plans and features that homeowners are looking for nowadays differ greatly from those in old homes. If you want an open kitchen floor plan between the dining area, kitchen, and living room, you will have to demolish some walls. Older homes also had tenement housing where large houses were divided into small apartments, which is why they have tiny rooms.

Some bedrooms in older homes do not have closets and even if you want to add one, there might not be enough room to do so. If you want to modernize your house, you would have to call an architect to calculate the actual cost.

Years of Bad Renovation Work

If a home is decades old, chances are that it has had many owners. This means that it has undergone numerous changes, which would make it difficult to know the original design.

Renovations might have been made with no regard to the building’s structure. You might have to find a good contractor to undo the years of damage, which is expensive.

If you want to renovate an older home yourself, you should consult with an engineer first. That way, you will have help from an expert.

Nothing elicits panic like the sight of water slowly creeping up the bowl of your toilet with nowhere else for it to go.

A blocked or slow toilet isn’t a terribly uncommon issue and most homeowners will deal with it at least once in their lives, but a blocked toilet is always a symptom of something else. Sometimes, it can be as simple as too much toilet paper or a child’s toy wedged in the trap, however, a blocked or slow draining toilet can also me a sign of a more serious issue.

Most common ways to unclog a blockage

There are a few common (and not so common) ways that you can unclog a minor clog. Use of a plunger, a toilet snake, or chemical compounds can usually clear small blockages, and there are even ways to unclog a toilet without a plunger by using a generous amount of dish soap and boiling water.

Cheap and effective, a plunger can be a real lifesaver to have around the house in a pinch. Using a plunger may seem self-explanatory, but there are many people who fail to use a plunger correctly and fail to remove a clog because of it. Plungers work based on suction and pressure, so you’ll need water in the basin to create a vacuum seal. Make sure there’s at least 3 to 4 inches of water in the toilet bowl before attempting to use a plunger. You can add a bit of water if need be, though in most toilet clog situations the issue will be more water, not less. To deal with this, remove some of the water from the full toilet bowl with a bucket so that you have enough water to create a seal without it splashing on you.

Plunge in a vertical motion so that the plunger is covering the drainage hole entirely and creating a good seal. Plunge up and down in a steady motion. You don’t need to be especially violent about this, since it’s all about maintaining the seal. After 20 seconds, lift the plunger. You may see some debris come up into the bowl. It’s important to remove this before it goes back down the drain and adds to the blockage.

Plunge again for another 20 seconds. It’s important to plunge twice to make sure the clog has been entirely removed.

How to use a toilet snake

A toilet drain snake is a long coil of wire with a corkscrew tip that you feed into the pipe until you encounter the offending clog. Once you find the clog, turn the snake clockwise to “screw” into the clog and break it up. If it’s a firmer clog (like a toy), the clog may wind itself around the snake and draw it back up.

A simple, cheap snake can do the trick for easy clogs, but when things more complicated you’ll want to call a professional. This is especially true if your toilets keep clogging, which is a sign of a larger problem. If you can’t break up a clog on your own or the plunger or snake encounters no blockages, you’ll want to call a plumber in Toronto to help diagnose the issue and correct the problem before it gets worse.

Pro tip

Think you may have a clog but don’t want to risk flushing the toilet and finding out? Take off the toilet tank lid and reach in until you find the flapper. Lift it manually and see if the water starts to drain or back up. This will prevent you from flooding your bathroom!

There is nothing as exciting as the search for a new home. While you may be busy picking out paint colors and rearranging furniture in your mind when you tour a home for sale, the home tour and inspection are when you can really look closely at any home you want to buy. Aspects of the home that cannot be easily or inexpensively changed are the most important to consider before purchase:

Location, location, location 

Take a careful look at the neighborhood, nearby schools, and how far it is from work or any places you visit often. Is there a lot of traffic noise? Are there families with children or pets in the neighborhood? These are things that will affect your life greatly if you move into a home. Too many prospective homebuyers focus only on the home, only to realize later that the neighborhood itself isn’t a good fit.

The size of the home 

The size of a home is another feature that is very difficult to change. You may be able to add on a small room or deck, but the basic footprint of your house will likely stay the same. Is it large enough for your family and future? Is it too big to maintain or keep warm in the winter? If you aren’t sure what size house you really need, visit lots of open houses and check out this article from the folks at Get Rich Slowly: “How Much House Do You Need?”

The condition of plumbing, HVAC, and major appliances 

Some of the most expensive repairs come from hidden systems in the home. It may not be obvious that the air conditioner is on its last leg if you tour the home on a cool day, but if the unit fails after you move in, you will be stuck with the cost of repairs. It is always recommended to have an expert look at major components of a home before purchase.Give experts a call for  air conditioner repair in Oshawa or to have them evaluate the HVAC of your future home.

The age of the roof

How old is the home’s roof? Did the previous owner take care of it with general maintenance and proper rain gutters? You will want to know the answer to this question before purchasing any home. A traditional shingle roof should last at least 15 years (with a lifespan of up to 30 years with proper care in certain climates), while metal roofs can last 50 years or longer.

Windows, aspect, and lighting 

Although it is possible to add or remove windows, it is an expensive process to do so. Pay attention to the light and orientation of the home during your walk-through. A window with southern exposure will generate more heat than windows facing north, for example. Do you need to know what to look for? An extensive article on the effect of home aspect (the direction a home faces) on temperature and lighting is available here.

Fresh paint, appliances, or flooring can make a house look new. Don’t get distracted by the parts of a home that are easily changed. Instead, take a look at the five components outlined in this article to make the best long-term home purchase for your current and future needs.

Whenever we decide to renovate a part of the property, no matter how delighted we are with the end result, there is always a mountain of mess and debris to deal with, and aside from a small minority, the local builder will leave that to the customer. If you have had your windows replaced, for example, you are likely to find bits of softwood and timber screws embedded in the borders, and there could also be the odd empty tube of silicone, a major component of window installation. If this is the first time you have had any major work done at home, and you are dreading the eventual clean-up, here is some good advice to ensure that all turns out well.

• Hire a Skip – There’s no point in messing around, and any space left in the skip can be filled up with unwanted items that we all seem to accumulate over the years. If you happen to live in NSW, there are affordable skip bins in Sydney at Bins Skips Waste and Recycling, a family owned business with down to earth prices. There is a wide range of sizes, and if you are unsure, explain the project to the skip supplier, who can recommend the right skip for the job.
• Plenty of Cleaning Materials – You and your team (you will need help) must have adequate supplies, which would include rags, mops and buckets, brooms and dustpans, and some glass cleaner, and also some scouring pads, oh, and you must not forget the quintessential bin bags, which are always needed. If it is a big clean up after major renovations, you might need a wheelbarrow and some shovels, and don’t forget refreshments for the workers, who will certainly need some sustenance. If you would like a detailed checklist for spring cleaning the home, there are informative blogs on the topic.
• Assess the Damage – Assuming, of course, there is more than just a matter of cleaning up, one should assess the damage and decide on the best course of action. If you feel the contractor didn’t fulfill his part of the bargain and left in a hurry, why not call him and ask him to take a look for himself? No one can argue with the facts, but failing that, make sure you don’t use his services in the future.
• Golden Opportunity – If ever there was a time to spring clean the home, this would be it, and with a little planning and a suitably sized skip, you can have all the carpets deep cleaned, and if the budget stretches that far, why not redecorate as well.

All you need is a little organization, a team of willing helpers and an empty skip, to successfully clean up after a major renovation, and with a winning attitude, your home will soon be spic and span. If you need any help sourcing a local skip hire company, an online search will point you in the right direction.

If you have ever heard of a home equity conversion mortgage (HECM) then you have heard of a reverse mortgage because they are the same thing. And, if you have heard of them, you have probably heard that they are a favorite mortgage type among retirees, but why is that? What makes reverse mortgages so special? Here is a brief overview of the reverse mortgage application process which will help you understand the difference between an HECM and a traditional home loan.

Types of Homes Which Qualify for Reverse Loans

The first thing you must know about reverse mortgages is that owning a building does not mean you can automatically qualify for such a loan. The building you own must be a private home or a condominium with four apartments or less in it. You must also live in the building yourself and use it as your primary residence. Additionally, the home must be valuable enough to warrant a lender loaning money based on its equity. That is one reason why a home with an existing mortgage is ineligible unless you are willing to use some of the HECM money to pay the first loan off right away.

Personal Qualification Requirements for Reverse Mortgages

On a personal level, you must be at least 62 years old in order to obtain a reverse mortgage on your home. Also, it must be your primary residence, not a secondary living space like a vacation home. Additionally, you must live in it, so you can’t obtain a reverse mortgage on a rental property unless you also continue to live in the home at the same time as your renters. In the event that you are signing the loan with someone, such as your spouse, that person must also be a resident of the home and must also be at least 62 years of age.

Why Reverse Mortgages Are Beneficial

One reason a reverse mortgage may be beneficial to you is that you will have flexibility over the payments you receive from your home equity. You can get a lump sum right away when you need it, or you can set up your reverse mortgage to pay you a little bit each month. In some cases you may also be able to set up a line of credit, allowing you to borrow exact amounts against your home value when you need them.

Another reason why reverse loans of this nature are considered beneficial is that they don’t have the same rigid repayment structure as traditional loans. Therefore, if you get an HECM, you won’t have the added financial burden of an extra ongoing bill each month. In fact, depending on your established loan terms, you may actually receive payments from one month to the next.

Federally-Controlled Versus Private Reverse Mortgage Lenders

There are several reverse mortgages available through federally-controlled lenders such as the jumbo reverse mortgage program. However, private reverse loan lenders are also in operation. Most legitimate private lenders charge higher fees than government-sanctioned lenders. You must also be careful when choosing a lender because some scam artists masquerade as legitimate lenders of reverse home loans.

How a Reverse Mortgage May Impact Your Family

You must consider your family when deciding whether or not to obtain a reverse mortgage. Although your family members’ assets will be safe if you pass away while there is still a loan balance, your home itself will not. Your family members will be faced with the decision of whether or not to pay the balance or allow the sale of the home. Therefore you must ask them if they would be willing or able to cover the loan balance in the event of your untimely death. You must also consider the fact that your family may not receive any money if the home is sold unless the amount of the sale is higher than the remaining loan balance.