Before Restoring Victorian Home, Ask Questions
Despite the approach of the millennium, millions of people may think that they were born a century too late. Take my wife, for instance. She’d prefer a Victorian home with chintz and gingerbread.
Victorian homes represent an era in the late 1800s and early 1900s whose builders took pride in superb craftsmanship. The “Victorian” label comes from England’s Queen Victoria, whose morals and tastes dominated much of fine society during those years.
Victorian homes are generally two or three floors but display many faces. Their styles bear names such as Queen Anne Revival and Italianate.
To my knowledge, Victorian homes are standing in every state of the Union. From Hawaii to Maine, you’ll find them in every state of repair and disrepair.
And while what you see on the surface of a Victorian home may be pleasing to the eye, there are a few potential problems which usually deserve close attention.
How is the plumbing? One of the biggest expenses in the restoration of any home, new plumbing can be a huge drain on a pocketbook. Does a home you’re looking at have the original plumbing? Has it been duct-taped together so many times that you’ll need a complete replacement?
The same questions apply to an old home’s electrical system. Usually, this is easier and less expensive (but not by much) to bring up to code.
What about the foundation? In most cases, Victorian homes still sit on a stemwall foundation with a crawlspace or partial basement. Even if you’re not a foundation expert, sagging floors or cracked walls are hints of this problem.
These aren’t the only potential problems in a Victorian home or any other historial style. If you even consider buying one, go into it with your eyes open. Ask owners of other such homes how it’s been for them.
If you want to see the positive side of living in a Victorian home, try a magazine of the same name. Published in Orange, Calif., Victorian Homes contains a wealth of information - stories and the advertisements themselves - to get you acquainted with this style. Call (800) 999-9718.
When my wife and I built our home about 10 years ago, we first considered a Victorian reproduction. Trouble was, with all the decorative touches such architecture demands, we were looking at a pretty high cost per square foot (about $125), too much for the limited funds we had at the time. So we built a Cape Cod-style home.
But if we ever build another home for ourselves, it may be a large Victorian. My wife has to have some place to wear all those fancy dresses and hats.