For many people, the charm of an historic neighborhood holds a lot of appeal. The houses are all unique with detailed architecture and old-world charm. Most homes are also located in desirable areas with mature trees and wide sidewalks lining the streets.
The design opportunities for these homes are endless, but don’t let your visions of what could be overshadow a realistic assessment of just what you are buying. Unless you have some experience remodeling older homes, or at least have a good relationship with a local contractor who does, you can easily bite off more than you can chew. At times buyers purchase an older home only to find out that they cannot easily get the kind of materials they need, and they end up paying huge premiums for custom work.
There are considerations with historical homes that don’t exist with the conventional modern houses, such as historic district regulations, building codes, and remodeling standards. Many of these homes are located in protected neighborhoods that have a historical designation in order to preserve the character of the area. These rules can sometimes prevent a homeowner from making the kind of changes they’d hoped for such as a large addition or upgraded amenities like a pool or external garage. Most of these are restricted to structural changes, but, you should double check at the local municipal offices and research any restrictions for the property in case the seller neglects to inform you otherwise.
When renovating an historic home, often replacement doors and windows is the first place to start. Older homes have wood windows and doors, and wood deteriorates, warps, and shrinks over time. Old windows were single-pane glass as well, which means drafts and high energy bills. The good news with replacing windows and doors in historic homes is that there are manufacturers who specialize in historically-accurate replications. Even if your historic district has no window and door standards, you probably want to preserve the architectural design.
Window Outfitters specializes in replacement doors and windows for older and historic homes. We have plenty of experience to know what’s involved, and we can work with your historic district to make sure you’re in compliance. If you are looking to purchase – or have already purchased – an historic home and have questions about how to get started with your renovation plans, give us a call. 952-746-6661
Window Outfitters is a premier Window Replacement, doors, siding contractor and installer. As Contractor in the St Paul, Minneapolis, (Twin Cities) Minnesota (MN) metro, we proudly serve, but are not limited to, the following areas: Minneapolis Energy Efficient Vinyl Windows, Replacement Window Contractors Minnesota, Burnsville, Apple Valley, Lakeville, Savage, Bloomington, Edina, Richfield, Eagan, St Paul, Hastings, Minnetonka, Plymouth, Maple Grove, Eden Prairie, Farmington MN, Chaska, Shakopee, Chanhassen, Victoria, Mendota Heights Anderson Windows Minneapolis, Marvin Windows Minneapolis.
