You might opt for a vintage home in India for an abundance of space or you may go for it due to your financial health. Be it the craftsmanship or the sturdy foundation of the house. There are many reasons to love a vintage home. Buying a vintage home in India has its list of boon and bane. Despite your preferences, there are a few considerations you need to take note of before you buy a vintage home.

1.The Importance of Inspections

It takes a village and a lot of time to understand a house and the way it was designed. Spare some time and visit the house you are planning to buy. Always have an expert to accompany you for the visits. Human errors are likely to happen, so make sure you make a little more than a couple of rounds to cement your decision. Inspections give you a better understanding of the design. With an expert, it gives you a rough idea of how much money you would spend on the renovations.

2.A Strong Foundation

Back in the days, houses took longer to build without a lot of machinery. This is the reason why your preferred vintage home still stands. Issues range anywhere from poor soil to damaged support footings. This can range from small issues to high-cost changes. Hire a structural engineer to help figure out the necessary changes that the construction needs.

3.Pest Control

It goes without saying that if a house is old, it probably has a pest issue. Pests like rodents, rats, bugs, and bats are common in India. Especially, if your vintage house has a backyard. Make sure you run through various pest control plans and pick the one you find best suitable. If your home in India is at least 50 years old, choose a plan that recurs every six months for at least a couple of years to eliminate any possibility of return.

4.Ghosting

Before you decide on choosing a home in India, check how long it has been empty. The longer a house sits empty, the more it faces issues of its structure and components. Your prospective house could have dampness in walls and ceilings or toxic gases like Carbon Monoxide. Moulds are another issue that you could face. Installing an air exchanger and dehumidifier are of great help to rescue you from mould-migraines.

Older houses also used asbestos in construction. They also used lead-based paints. Both of these have been studied thoroughly and categorised as hazardous for humans. Make sure you run checks on the construction materials that have been used.

5.Check Its History

This might sound like a point straight from a horror movie but it’s not. Make sure you get an idea of who stayed in the home before you- the renovations that they made, the insurance that they had etc. These points would help you with your checklist of items to prep for.

Imagine moving into your house with walls painted, only to realise that the person before you had painted on wallpapers. Now you have a wall problem and that is quite a horror of its own!

6.Plumbing and Electrical Plans

If these walls could talk they would surely tell you the secrets that they contain. When shifting to an older home you are going to face problems of outdated electrical wiring plans. Outdated electrical plans are not eligible to carry the weight of a modern-day user. Get a certified electrician to fix these problems. 

Plumbing is another issue you need to get checked. Paint is not the only lead-based aspect of old homes. Pipes also have lead composition. If the pipes are too old, it might start decomposing and shedding particles in the water you consume. So beware of all the plans that go inside your walls as they might be fatal if not paid attention to.

Buying a vintage home in India is an aesthetically pleasing plan but it is also a lot of responsibilities rolled up in one. With an old home, all you have is a structure that needs to be worked upon. It might get a little expensive and time-consuming. But there is a sense of pride that comes with owning a vintage home in India that stays unparalleled and weighs out all of its downfalls.