Questions to Ask When Buying an Old House
For anyone working out the questions to ask when buying an older home, whether that is a plain farmhouse, a historical property with rules attached, or an old church or schoolhouse turned into a home. The 58 questions run in the order the decision goes: the house's history and permits, its historic status, structure and water, systems and hazards, a group for old churches and other conversions, then inspection, insurance and money. Most go to the seller or the listing agent, and some are for your inspector, the local preservation office, a lender and an insurer.
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The questions
Each question, and why to ask it
History and permits
When was the house built, and what major work has been done since, and by whom?
Why ask it
The build date tells you which era's materials and methods you are dealing with, and the work history tells you who has been inside the walls since. A roof, a rewire or a new kitchen done by a named contractor can be checked, while work credited to a previous owner's weekends cannot.
Which parts of the house are original, and which were added or altered later?
Why ask it
An addition usually sits on its own foundation and meets the old roof at a seam, and that seam is where settlement cracks and leaks tend to show first. Knowing the sequence also explains odd floor levels and why one wing is colder than another.
Has there been a fire, a flood or a major structural repair at any point in its past?
Why ask it
Charred rafters in the attic or a tide line on basement stone are not rare in a house that has stood a century, and neither rules it out. What you need is who repaired it, whether an engineer was involved, and whether an insurer paid a claim.
Are there open permits, code violations or municipal orders on the property right now?
Why ask it
In many places an unclosed permit or an outstanding violation passes to whoever owns the house next. Ask the building department how it works locally and check the address with them yourself, since sellers are not always told.
How long have you owned the house, and what did you have to fix in your first year?
Why ask it
The first year's repairs are the ones the previous owner left behind, which shows how this house treats a new arrival. A seller of twenty years also knows which wind direction finds the leak, something a recent flipper cannot tell you.
Were the additions and the finished attic or basement permitted, and do they meet today's rules for exits and ceiling height?
Why ask it
A bedroom with no window big enough to climb out of, or a stair too steep for today's code, can affect insurance, resale and appraisal, quite apart from safety. The paper to see is the final inspection sign off and not just the permit, because a room can be finished without ever being approved as a bedroom.
Has the house ever stood empty, been divided into apartments, or been used as something other than a home?
Why ask it
A winter without heat can split pipes and radiators and let a roof leak run unseen for months. Division into units leaves behind extra meters, capped gas lines and abandoned kitchen plumbing inside the walls.
Has the lot been surveyed, and are there shared driveways, rights of way or easements that go back generations?
Why ask it
Old lots were often described by fences, streams and a neighbor's name, and a shared lane or a well on the wrong side of the line can go unnoticed until a sale. A current survey, set against the deed, settles what the listing cannot.
Are there old plans, photographs or a written history of the house?
Why ask it
An early photograph shows the porch, chimneys and windows the house started with, which helps with a review board and guides any repair meant to match. The town records office or the local historical society may hold more than the seller does.
Historic status
Is the property in a historic district, or under design review or a preservation easement?
Why ask it
In a regulated district, replacing windows, siding, roofing, or even paint colors can require approval, and the approved choice is often the more expensive one. An easement is different again: it is written into the deed and usually stays with the house whoever owns it, so read the document itself.
Is the house itself listed or landmarked, and by which body: national, state or local?
Why ask it
The level matters more than the plaque. In some countries a national listing controls every alteration, while in others it is mostly an honor and the local designation is the one with force, so ask the preservation office which rules bind a private owner here.
Does the protection cover the interior, the outbuildings and the grounds, or only what faces the street?
Why ask it
Buyers of a historical property often assume the rules stop at the front elevation. Staircases, fireplaces, a carriage house or a boundary wall can be protected too, which decides whether the kitchen you are picturing is even possible.
What has the review board approved or refused for this house and its neighbors, and how long did each decision take?
Why ask it
Past decisions are the best forecast of your own application. Minutes are usually public, and a street where solar panels, rear additions or new garages got through tells you more than the written guidelines do.
Is there work on the house that was done without the board's approval?
Why ask it
Vinyl windows or a rebuilt porch put in quietly can come to light when you apply for something else, and the duty to put it right may fall on the current owner. Compare the house with older listing photos and ask how enforcement works in this district.
Are grants, tax credits or reduced-rate loans available for repairs here, and what conditions come with them?
Why ask it
Help exists in some places and not in others, and it often depends on getting approval before work starts, on the standard of the repair, or on whether the building earns income. The state or national preservation office can say what applies to an owner who lives in the house.
Do repairs have to use particular materials, and who nearby does that kind of work?
Why ask it
A rule that calls for slate, wood sash or lime render is only as affordable as the nearest tradesperson who still does it. Get one name and one rough price for the repair you expect first, and get them before the offer.
Structure and water
What is the foundation made of, and what condition are the sills, joists, and basement or crawl space in?
Why ask it
Rubble stone, brick, and block all behave differently, and the expensive damage in an old house is often at the sill, where wood meets masonry and moisture collects. Look for jacked posts, new lumber sistered to old, and powdery mortar, then ask what prompted each of those repairs.
Do the floors slope or the doors stick, and is that old settlement or movement still going on?
Why ask it
A house that leaned decades ago and stopped is a different purchase from one that is still moving. Fresh cracks through new paint, doors recently planed, and gaps that open and close with the seasons point to movement worth an engineer's visit.
Has water ever come into the basement or crawl space, and what was done about it?
Why ask it
Plenty of old basements have taken water at some point, so the useful answers concern the source and the fix: gutters and grading, a sump, an interior drain, or an exterior excavation. Fresh paint on a foundation wall, a new sump with no discharge, and a dehumidifier running in a dry season are all worth asking about directly.
Where do the gutters and downspouts send roof water, and does the ground slope away from the walls?
Why ask it
Most old foundations were never waterproofed, so they rely on water being led away at the surface. Watch the house in rain if you can, and find out whether the downspouts run into buried clay drains whose far end nobody has seen.
How old is the roof, how many layers of covering are on it, and when was the flashing last addressed?
Why ask it
Multiple layers mean the next roof includes a tear off, and on older houses the leaks usually start at chimney and valley flashing rather than in the field of the roof. Ask about stains in the attic rather than only about the shingles, because the attic is where the truth is.
Are the chimneys lined, still in use, and when were they last inspected or swept?
Why ask it
An unlined or deteriorated flue on a working fireplace or an appliance vent is a fire and carbon monoxide risk, and relining is a real expense. A chimney that has been abandoned but not properly capped becomes a water entry point straight into the middle of the house.
Are the walls and ceilings original plaster, and where has it cracked, sagged or been covered over?
Why ask it
Plaster on wood lath hangs by the keys behind it, and a ceiling that sounds hollow when tapped may be ready to let go. Drywall laid over old plaster is not a fault in itself, though it can hide stains and makes later wiring work slower.
Has the brick or stone been repointed, and with what kind of mortar?
Why ask it
Soft old brick was laid in lime mortar that gives a little and lets damp out. A hard modern cement mix pushes moisture through the brick faces instead, which then flake, so ask who did the repointing and look closely at the patches.
Are the windows original, do they open and stay open, and are there storm windows?
Why ask it
Original sashes can often be repaired and weatherstripped for less than replacement, which matters where a historic district will not approve new ones. Broken sash cords and frames painted shut are ordinary repairs, so try every window before you count any of them as a loss.
What shape are the porches, steps and exterior trim in, and when were they last rebuilt or painted?
Why ask it
Porches often stand on shallow piers of their own and rot first at the column bases and where the deck meets the house. Press a key into suspect wood: sound timber resists, and filler under fresh paint does not.
Has the house had termites, carpenter ants, powder post beetles or rodents, and is there a treatment warranty that transfers?
Why ask it
In an older house the question is not whether insects have visited but what structural damage they left and whether it was repaired. Old bait stations around the foundation are a sign there is a history to discuss, and a warranty only helps you if it passes to a new owner.
Systems and hazards
What kind of wiring does the house have, what is the panel amperage, and are the outlets grounded?
Why ask it
Knob and tube wiring, cloth insulated cable, a fuse box, or a 60 amp service all limit what you can run and can lead an insurer to decline the property or demand an upgrade as a condition of coverage. Photograph the open panel, and count the two prong outlets as you walk through.
Has the house been rewired in full or only in part, and is any of the old wiring still live?
Why ask it
A new breaker panel can feed circuits that turn original a few feet past it. Have the inspector or an electrician trace what they can in the attic and basement, where old runs are visible without opening a wall.
What are the water supply pipes and drain lines made of, including the line from the street?
Why ask it
Galvanized steel supply lines rust closed from the inside and show up as weak pressure upstairs, cast iron drains crack at the joints, and a lead service line is a specific issue worth confirming with the water utility rather than the seller. Look under sinks and where the main enters the basement, and run two taps at once.
Is the house on public sewer or septic, and has the line been camera inspected or the tank recently pumped?
Why ask it
A sewer lateral on an old property can be clay, root filled, or collapsed, and replacing one under a street or a mature garden is expensive enough to change your offer. On septic, ask for the last inspection and pumping records and whether the system is sized and permitted for the number of bedrooms you plan to use.
How is the house heated, how old is the boiler or furnace, and when was it last serviced?
Why ask it
A steam or hot water system with an old boiler can last a long time or fail within a year, and the answer depends on service records rather than appearance. Radiators that bang, stay cold at one end or sit over a drip pan are telling you about the pipes as well as the boiler.
Has there ever been an oil tank on the property, in the basement or buried in the yard, and what became of it?
Why ask it
A buried tank that leaks becomes a soil cleanup, and who pays for it depends on local law and on what the contract says, so settle it before closing. Old tanks are more often forgotten than hidden: look for a filler pipe or a vent by the outside wall, and ask for the removal or decommissioning certificate.
What did heating and cooling cost over the last twelve months?
Why ask it
Tall ceilings, single glazing and uninsulated walls show up in the bills before they show up anywhere else. Ask for the actual statements, including the coldest month, since a yearly average hides the bill that hurts.
Where is the house insulated, and has anyone added insulation to the walls?
Why ask it
Old walls were built to dry out, and blown in or foam insulation added without a plan for moisture can trap it inside the assembly, which shows up years later as paint failure or rot. Ask what was installed, by whom, and whether anything was done about air sealing and ventilation at the same time.
Is there central air or ductwork, and if not, where could cooling go?
Why ask it
A house heated by radiators has no ducts, so cooling means threading them through closets and ceilings or fitting ductless units. In a regulated district the outdoor equipment may need approval too, which limits where it can sit.
Is there asbestos anywhere in the house that you know of, and where?
Why ask it
Pipe and duct wrap, floor tile and its adhesive, some siding and roof shingles, and textured ceilings are the usual places in an older house. Material that is intact and out of the way is often left in place, so what you need is a map of where it is, because that shows which renovation plans have become abatement jobs.
Has the paint been tested for lead, and where is it chipping or rubbing, such as windows and door frames?
Why ask it
In the United States, sellers of most homes built before 1978 have to hand over a lead paint disclosure, but the form often says only that nothing is known. The places to look hardest are windows, door jambs and stair rails, where paint rubs into dust, and if small children will live there a test tells you more than the form.
Has any asbestos or lead been removed or sealed, who did the work, and is there paperwork?
Why ask it
Professional removal usually leaves paperwork behind it, often a report and a clearance test. Removal by a past owner with no records is the case to ask more about, because nobody checked what the job left in the house.
Has the house been tested for radon, and the well water if there is a well, and can I see the results?
Why ask it
Neither shows itself on a viewing, and radon in particular varies house by house rather than by neighborhood, so a neighbor's result proves nothing. Ask for dated results and whether any mitigation system on site is still working.
Has mold or rot been found behind walls, floors or cabinets, and what was the source?
Why ask it
A musty closet on an outside wall or a bathroom with no fan usually traces back to a leak or to air that cannot escape. Treating the stain without finding the water means it returns, so a cleanup invoice that names no cause is only half an answer.
Old churches
Was the conversion from a church, chapel, school or barn approved, and is the building legally a dwelling now?
Why ask it
A conversion usually needs a change of use or its local equivalent, plus a final sign off showing the work was accepted as a home. A lender or an insurer may ask for that paper, and the planning office can confirm what was granted and on what conditions.
Did the congregation or denomination attach covenants to the deed when it sold?
Why ask it
Religious bodies sometimes sell with restrictions on what the building may become, and with rights kept back over fittings or memorials. Have whoever handles your legal work read the deed itself, not a summary of it.
Are there burials, memorials or a public right of access on the grounds?
Why ask it
A churchyard can stay in use, or stay open to visiting families, long after the last service. Who maintains it, who may enter and what you may alter depend on local law and on the sale terms, so ask how it works there before you picture a garden.
How is the main hall heated, and do you heat all of it through the winter?
Why ask it
A nave is one tall room with masonry walls and a great deal of glass, and warm air goes straight to the roof. Owners who retreat to a few rooms in the cold months are telling you what the whole space would cost.
What condition are the stained glass, the tower or steeple and the bell in, and who repairs them?
Why ask it
Leaded glass bows as the lead ages, and steeple repairs are priced largely by the scaffolding needed to reach them. These are specialist trades, and they are often the very features a listing protects, so a cheaper substitute may not be allowed.
Does it have the water supply, drainage and electrical service a home needs, or only what a meeting hall needed?
Why ask it
A building made for a few hours' use each week may have a single toilet, a small septic tank and a modest electrical supply. Kitchens, bathrooms and laundry added in the conversion should have brought upgrades with them, and the permit file shows whether they did.
Will a lender and an appraiser treat a converted church as an ordinary home?
Why ask it
Unusual buildings are hard to value because few comparable sales exist nearby. Speak to a lender before you offer, and ask the agent which sales the last valuation leaned on.
Inspection and money
Can I bring in a structural engineer, a sewer camera and a chimney sweep before I commit, and test for asbestos or lead?
Why ask it
A general inspector will flag areas of concern but usually will not open a chimney, run a camera down a drain, or price a structural repair. Refusal, or a deadline too short for these to happen, is itself information about what the seller expects them to find.
Is there an earlier inspection report or engineer's letter I can read?
Why ask it
Reports from the seller's own purchase, or from a sale that fell through, show what was already known and when. Set an old report against the house today and you can see which problems were fixed and which were lived with.
Who insures the house now, what does it cost, and have you had any claims or been turned down for coverage?
Why ask it
Old wiring, an aged roof, an oil tank, or a claims history can make a house expensive or impossible to insure, and you would rather learn that during diligence than after your offer is accepted. Ask for the current premium and get your own quote on the specific address before you commit.
If the house were badly damaged, would the policy pay to rebuild it as it was, in the same materials?
Why ask it
Plaster, slate and old growth timber cost more to replace than their modern stand-ins, and a historic designation or today's building code may dictate how a rebuild is done. Policies differ on whether they pay for like for like or only a modern equivalent, so put the question to the insurer in those words and read the answer in the quote.
Is the house in a mapped flood zone, and would a lender insist on flood insurance?
Why ask it
Many old houses stand where they do because of a river, a mill or a harbor. Flood coverage is often a separate policy with its own price, so check the official map for the address and ask for any elevation paperwork the seller holds.
Would the house qualify for a standard mortgage as it stands, or does it need a renovation loan?
Why ask it
Some loan types will not close on a house with peeling paint, an unsafe stair or no working heat until those are repaired. A lender can tell you early which category this house falls into and whether a loan that includes repair money is offered where you live.
What would a contractor who works on houses this old charge for the repairs I already know about?
Why ask it
Old house repairs rarely match a general price guide, because opening one wall tends to reveal the next job. A written estimate from someone who has done this work gives you a number to negotiate with and a first look at who you might hire.
Which tradespeople have looked after the house, and may I have their names?
Why ask it
The plumber who knows where the shutoffs are and the roofer who has the matching slate are part of what you are buying. They can also tell you, more frankly than a seller will, what they advised and what was put off.
What comes with the house: spare slates or tiles, original doors, hardware, shutters or storm windows?
Why ask it
Attics, sheds and basements of old houses often hold the parts taken off over the years, and matching them later is costly or impossible. Get anything you want kept written into the contract, since a clear-out before closing is the usual way it disappears.
What would you deal with next if you were staying, and what does the house need in the next five years?
Why ask it
Framed this way the seller answers as an owner rather than as a defendant, and the list you get is usually more honest and more specific than any answer to a question about problems. Someone who has lived with an old house knows exactly which item is due next.
Evaluating an Older Home
Practical guidance for the conversation itself
Assemble the Right Help
Hire an inspector who works on houses of this age
Ask candidates how many houses from this period they inspect a year, whether they will enter the crawl space and the attic, and how they handle knob and tube wiring, rubble foundations, and steam heat. An inspector who mainly covers recent construction will describe an old house as a list of defects rather than telling you which items are normal and which are urgent.
Add specialists where the money is
A sewer camera, a chimney inspection, and where relevant a structural engineer or an asbestos survey each cost a fraction of the repair they might uncover. Book them during the inspection period rather than after, and ask the seller's agent for access at the time you make the offer so the schedule works.
Get insurance quoted on the address, not on a guess
Call an agent with the year built, the wiring type, the roof age, the heating system, and any oil tank history. A declined or heavily loaded quote is a genuine reason to renegotiate or withdraw, and it is much better to hear it while your contract still lets you do either.
Visit the local building department
Permit records show what was done legally, what was opened and never closed out, and sometimes old plans. In a historic district, the same visit tells you what you would be allowed to change, which is more reliable than an agent's recollection.
What to Look at Yourself
Go to the basement and the attic first
Those two spaces are where the house is undisguised. In the basement look at the sill, the joist ends, the base of posts, water staining, and pipe material. In the attic look for daylight, stains around the chimney and valleys, insulation depth, and whether bathroom fans vent outside or just into the roof space.
Read the repairs, not just the finishes
New lumber beside old, a jack post under a beam, fresh mortar in one section of wall, or one repainted foundation wall each mark a problem someone dealt with. None is automatically bad. Each is a question about what caused it and whether the cause was fixed or just covered.
Test what is easy to test
Run two taps at once and flush a toilet to judge pressure, fill a tub, open and close every window, and try light switches in every room. Walk the floors and note where they slope; an old house with a consistent settle is different from one with a new dip in a single spot.
Walk the outside at ground level
Check that soil slopes away from the foundation, that downspouts discharge away from the wall rather than into the ground next to it, and that no bed of soil or mulch sits against wooden siding. A good share of the water in old basements arrives across the surface first.
Where Buyers Get Caught
Budgeting for the renovation you want, not the systems you inherit
Kitchens photograph well; wiring, plumbing, heating, roofing, and drainage do not. Get quotes on those before allocating anything to cosmetics, because they usually consume the first years of your budget.
Assuming you can change what you see
In a regulated district, windows, siding, porches, and roofing may be controlled, and permission can take months. Confirm what is allowed before you buy on the strength of a renovation plan.
Treating old materials as automatic emergencies
Asbestos that is intact, lead paint that is not flaking and old wiring that still works are often managed in place rather than torn out at once, and panic pricing serves nobody. A licensed assessor or electrician can say what needs removal, what needs watching, and what only matters when you renovate.
Letting the inspection period run out
Specialist visits need scheduling, and sellers are often slow to grant access. Ask for a period long enough to fit them in, and start booking the day your offer is accepted rather than waiting for the general inspection report.
Forgetting the oil tank
An abandoned underground tank can sit unrecorded for decades and become the owner's problem when it leaks. Ask directly, look for filler pipes and vent lines against the exterior wall, and consider a tank sweep where oil heat was once common.
Treating a converted church or schoolhouse as just another house
A conversion raises questions an ordinary house never does: whether the change of use was approved and signed off, what the deed still reserves to the congregation, who may visit the grounds, and what one tall room costs to heat. Settle those before the usual old house checks, because any one of them can end the purchase by itself.
Documents and Records to Ask For
- Permit history and final inspection sign offs for all past work
- Seller's disclosure statement where one is required, plus in the United States the lead paint disclosure for homes built before 1978
- Any asbestos survey, radon test, or well water test results
- Oil tank records: installation, removal, decommissioning, or a tank sweep report
- Sewer camera report, or septic inspection and pumping records
- Chimney inspection reports and relining documentation
- Roof invoices, showing tear off or layer count and flashing work
- Pest inspection reports and any transferable treatment warranty
- Current insurance policy, premium, and claims history for the address
- Utility bills across a full year, especially a winter month
- Historic district guidelines and any approvals or conditions attached to the property
- The deed and any survey of the lot, with the covenants, easements or rights of access they show
- Change of use approval and final sign off for a converted church, school or barn