Buying An Old House

Denver has had a strong real estate market for many years. Entry level houses still move quickly even though the overall economy has not done well for the last two years. Denver also has a large inventory of old houses. Many of these old houses are in neighborhoods that were considered less desirable until just a few years ago. They were typically lower income neighborhoods and some of the old houses have been neglected for many years.

People have been moving back into the older neighborhoods and fixing up the houses. For the most part that's a good thing. But sometimes it's not so good. The older houses are attractive for investors. With new carpet, paint, kitchen cabinets and appliances it's not hard to take an old house and make it look nice. With a little spit-n-polish the house is restored to its original charm.

Unfortunately many of these houses need more than just cosmetic repair. I frequently see old houses that look great at first glance. But after a closer look I find major problems with plumbing, electrical, heating or with the structure itself. Sometimes the cosmetic repairs need to be done all over again after fixing the systems.

What should home buyers do?

  1. Keep realistic expectations. Unless you've been told that all the systems have just been upgraded you should expect that most old houses will need some repairs or upgrading. That's just a part of owning one.
  2. If it looks like there has been recent work on the major systems, ask if the work was done by licensed contractors and if there were building permits. Is there a warranty? Building permits are still required for major work, even if done by the owner. These are public records that anyone can check.
  3. Consider buying a house that hasn't been fixed up yet. Keep an open mind - it's hard to look past the rough edges but with new carpet, paint, kitchen cabinets and appliances it's not hard to take an old house and make it look nice.
  4. Hire a professional home inspector who's familiar with old houses. When buying a house your emotions run high making it almost impossible to stay objective.

Relax and be patient (but persistent) and you'll find that perfect old house!

More On Mold

I frequently get questions like this:

"I found mold growing on the wall in my daughter's closet. Is this mold a health problem for my family? What should I do about it?"

First, if you've got a concern about the health of your family you should talk to your doctor. I'm not going to pretend to be a health expert.

What I can tell you is that mold growth is a clear sign of a moisture problem. The moisture problem should be identified and corrected before anything is cleaned up. If the moisture problem is not corrected then the mold will simply grow again, no matter how well it's cleaned up. Some possible moisture sources to look into:

There are other possibilities, but these are the most likely places to start looking. Keep in mind that the moisture source may be in an adjacent unit if you are in a townhouse or condominium.

Furnace Filters

The single most important thing you can do to prolong the life of your furnace is to change the filter regularly (regular professional service is a close second). A dirty filter will cause the furnace to overheat and wear out sooner. A filter installed incorrectly will let air go around the filter instead of through it. This will clog up an air conditioning system. Air filters should be changed monthly during the heating season (also during the cooling season if you have air conditioning).

The first step to changing the filter is to turn off the electrical power to the furnace (remember to turn it back on afterwards). Look for a switch near the furnace - it might look just like a light switch, or it may have a small silver fuse box with the switch.

Next find the filter. There are 3 typical locations:

  1. On many older furnaces (and some newer furnaces) the filter is inside the blower compartment. You will need to open the furnace cabinet to change the filter (that's why you want to turn off the power first).
  2. On many newer furnaces the filter is inside a door cut into the return duct next to the furnace. In this case it's important to set the filter on an angle (see the diagram). If you try to set the filter upright it will fall over and be useless.
  3. Sometimes the filter will be located behind the return air grill in the living space. This is rare, but is becoming more common in houses with an attic-mounted furnace - it saves you from going into the attic to change the filter.

Air Filter Location