Buying an Old Home in Vermont: Truth #1

Vintage or Antique Homes are one of my personal weaknesses and one that I succumbed to in 1997 when I purchased my very own 1820 Center hall Colonial Farmhouse on two acres. I think I can blame my parents for this love affair with architecturally significant and historic homes as they bought there first home in 1948, a 1780 Center Hall Colonial, where my mother still lives to this day.

For those of you out there who share this passion, there are some basic truths that you have to embrace in order to purchase one of these homes with confidence. I will be posting these truths over the next couple of weeks and hope that you find them helpful in deciding whether or not you really are an old house buyer.

Truth #1: Lead Paint: Yes there is most likely some lead paint located on the painted surfaces in all old homes that you may encounter. Unless they have been gutted to the studs and all of the original wood work removed, a Cub Scout armed with a camping knife and 15 minutes of un-supervised exploration time will find lead paint. If you would prefer an older home that has been gutted and replaced with all new surfaces then I would suggest buying a reproduction or totally new home of the style that you prefer. In my opinion, most of the charm of an older home is the old woodwork, trim, flooring, ceiling etc and most buyers are willing to put up with the older plumbing, wiring and mechanicals that often accompany the charm, in order to have it. To buy an older home with the old plumbing, wiring and mechanicals and the new interior may not be a wise decision and a new home may be a better choice.

The danger posed by lead paint in the vintage home is most often a factor of the condition of the paint. If the paint is in poor condition and some family member decides to dine on the loose paint chips, or worse, takes to chewing the window sills as a form of entertainment, lead poisoning is the result. Neither of these activities is advisable and will result in elevated levels of lead in the blood stream. Sanding, scrapping or stripping older painted surfaces if done haphazardly can put lead dust into the air to be inhaled with the same result. In short, if buying an older home, know that lead paint is located somewhere in the home. Don’t eat the paint or remodel without taking the proper precautions and you should be relatively safe.