Buying Property For Dummies Read online

  Master Builders Australia (www.masterbuilders.com.au).

  The building inspector provides you with a written report, pointing out faults in the property, whether they can be repaired and, if so, how much these repairs are likely to cost. The report should also highlight any unsafe or unauthorised renovations and extensions.

  The following list covers some of the aspects of a property that a building inspection report addresses and comments on:

  Concrete paths

  Condition of guttering and roofing

  Evidence of any asbestos

  Evidence of council approval of building additions and/or renovations

  Evidence of termite damage

  Evidence of water damage

  Overall condition of doors, windows, cupboards, basins, sinks, taps and other fixtures

  Overall condition of mortar, plaster and paint

  Plumbing and drainage

  Roofing and wall insulation

  Star ratings for energy and water efficiency

  State of the fencing and/or retaining walls

  Structural integrity

  Ventilation issues

  Wiring and general electrical safety

  Chapter 6

  Buying a Piece of History

  In This Chapter

  Knowing the true costs of buying a period home

  Acknowledging heritage restrictions

  Looking at Australian housing styles

  You’re either the type of person who loves a home that has age and character, or you’re not. Many people would far rather buy a property that incorporates modern standards and is newly plumbed and wired than one that has a quaint iron lacework verandah and a tiled fireplace in every room.

  However, period homes have lots of charm and, moreover, people in Australia place a high value on property that has a sense of history. A 2004 study by Macquarie University showed that the prices of period homes — whether in cities or in country towns — increase faster than do non-period homes.

  If you’re interested in buying in a certain area — for instance, in the inner suburbs of an older capital city — you may not have much of a choice whether you want to buy a period home or not. Many suburbs are almost entirely built in one particular architectural style.

  What constitutes a period home is changing, too. As recently as the mid 1990s, the term ‘period home’ referred mainly to properties built before 1910. Today we accept that properties built during the 1950s and 1960s have characteristics and attractions of their own. One day there may even be heritage restrictions on properties built during the 1970s and 1980s.

  Buying a property with historical value can bring its own challenges. Apart having to deal with an old structure and outdated amenities — something you anticipated — you may have to deal with your local council. Some councils place strict restrictions on what you can and can’t do to the exterior and sometimes even the internal structure of the property.

  In this chapter, I discuss some of the problems you may face in buying and renovating a period home to a liveable standard, and also look at the characteristics of some of the more common period home styles found in Australia.

  The Pros and Cons of Buying a Period Home

  Advantages, disadvantages and idiosyncrasies are common themes for period homes. Heritage restrictions and costs of renovating are considerations as well. This section looks at the impressive and the doubtful aspects of buying an architectural style that captures your heart.

  Impressive pros

  Nothing is more impressive than a beautifully restored or renovated period home. The lofty ceilings of a Victorian home, the elaborate timberwork of a Federation-style home and the grand verandahs of a California bungalow have a character and quality quite beyond that of even the smartest modern designer building.

  Modern homes never seem to show the attention to detail of a Victorian home’s elaborate ceiling rose or the decorative flourishes of an Art Deco home. Even the roofs and brickwork of older homes often have features that give them a special character.

  However, not only do older homes have character, they were often also built with a solidity that makes them longer wearing, more soundproof and more adapted to our climate than many modern homes. The fact that homes are still standing often 100 years after being built is a testament to the original high quality of the workmanship and the materials used. Older homes built in double brick or solid weatherboards keep their interiors cool in summer, and also insulate the house from noise. Wide overhanging verandahs protect the interior from harsh summer sun, while north-facing sunrooms capture the warmth of the sun in colder climates.

  Also, period homes are usually located in established suburbs with attractive tree-lined streetscapes and many good local facilities. An architectural attractiveness is more evident (and more valuable) when expressed via a whole street full of period homes from around the same era. Period homes have a sense of history, too, of the lives of others who lived in the home and of the ways they changed the home to suit their needs and lifestyle.

  Not-so-impressive cons

  However, older homes do have some drawbacks. While the construction may be more solid than many houses built today, worth remembering is the fact that older homes were built before the introduction of many of the lifestyle comforts we now take for granted. Problems that may be presented by an older home include inadequate foundations on clay soils, ageing plumbing, wiring and heating systems, as well as floor plans suited to an age far different to our own. Many people buy a gorgeous older-style cottage only to find they need to spend thousands of dollars replacing cloth-taped electrical wires and cracked terracotta pipes.

  If you fall in love with a property and are determined to make that property your home, steel yourself for the cost of replacing the ancient wiring and decrepit plumbing. Assuming your budget can stand it, however, updating your home’s plugs and pipes is an excellent investment.

  Living with the idiosyncrasies of a period home

  Even if you renovate an old property, you may still have to live with some features that you can’t change. Many single-fronted Victorian houses, for instance, have a floor plan that resembles a series of railway carriages — one room after another leads off from a narrow hallway. You may be able to open up the back of the house to create an open-plan living area, but you probably can’t transform it into the centralised floor plan you may be dreaming of.

  Now look at the characteristics of the building itself. Apart from out-of-date wiring and plumbing, which must be replaced for safety’s sake, your period home may have some idiosyncrasies of its own. The original windows may be smaller than you like, the high-ceilinged rooms may be difficult to keep warm, and the beautiful solid timber original doors may not close as neatly as in a brand-new project home. While you may be able to change some of these features, others, such as the high ceilings and the imperfectly closing doors, you may have to learn to live with.

  Dealing with Heritage Restrictions

  Some local councils place restrictions on the changes and improvements you can make to a particular property. These restrictions are more common in inner-city areas of consistent period architectural style and some country towns that have a particular heritage style.

  Heritage restrictions can be placed on a particular property, or on an area. A heritage restriction on a particular property indicates that the property has historical or cultural significance that makes it worth preserving as close to its original state as possible. Such a property may be listed with the state or national heritage listing — depending on its significance.

  In most cases, an area rather than a particular property has heritage restrictions. (In Victoria, such restrictions are described as heritage overlays.) These restrictions delineate areas or places considered to have significant heritage values worth preserving. This significance may be a consistent streetscape of homes in a certain period style, or examples of unusual buildings constructed during a particular period.

/>   Restrictions often only apply to the exterior of the building, in an attempt to keep the streetscape consistent; if your property is affected, you may not be able to build on or change the front of the property without council permission. You may also be required to make sure that things like verandah trimmings and fences are in keeping with the style of the other homes in the street, and to paint the exterior in colours that fit in with the period of the home. In many cases, you may not be allowed to add a second storey unless it is designed to be inconspicuous from the street.

  The main issue for you to be aware of in keeping to heritage restrictions is to think about how any work you do to your home affects the streetscape. Any plans you put into council when you apply for development approval or a building permit need to address this issue in what is called a viewline analysis. This analysis covers drawings in plan (from above) and elevation (from the sides) that show whether the extension is visible from the street and what it looks like.

  Some councils are happy for you to create a contemporary extension to a home in a heritage area as long as it is well designed and has a connection to the older home in some way — such as the materials used or the shape. Check with your local council’s heritage adviser for guidelines on the design of extensions to a heritage-restricted home.

  Some individual homes or streetscapes, however, are considered to be so historically or culturally important that councils place restrictions on how owners can alter or renovate the interiors. While no council would expect you to use a century-old bathroom or kitchen, in some cases, councils prohibit the demolition of parts of the property, and have rules on what materials you can use in your renovation to ensure that the character of the property isn’t altered too dramatically. For instance, you may not be able to replace your slate roofing tiles with terracotta tiles.

  Finding out whether a property is heritage listed or is in an area that has heritage restrictions should be part of your research. In most cases, the real estate agent should inform prospective buyers. If you suspect that heritage restrictions may apply, you may want to ask the question upfront. Check with your local council for the rules and restrictions that apply to heritage areas and heritage-listed properties in your area. Some councils are stricter in their restrictions than others.

  If you’re happy to live with them, heritage restrictions aren’t necessarily a bad idea. A study carried out by the economics department at Macquarie University in 2004 found that heritage-listed homes in Sydney were valued, on average, 12 per cent higher than non-heritage listed properties.

  Renovating your period home

  Whether you need to toe the line of strict heritage-listing rules, or you would like to at least retain some of the character of the home in your renovations, you’re best to carry out some research into the home’s original style and characteristics. In some cases, you may be buying a property that has been less than sympathetically renovated in the past and you may want to return some of its original character and features.

  Most local councils can supply guidelines on important exterior and interior features and colour schemes that apply to the housing styles in the area. Councils and local libraries may also have documents and historical photographs that may give you more information about your particular suburb or, if you’re lucky, your actual street.

  For more general information about housing styles and about restoring old homes, the National Trust or the Heritage Council in your state or territory can provide you with relevant publications. Some informative books and magazines that focus on particular architectural styles are available, as well as manuals on how to renovate with sympathy for the original style of a property.

  Look closely at surrounding properties to get a sense of the features and colour schemes shared by the period homes in your area.

  Unless your house is in an area of strict heritage restrictions, you don’t need to slavishly follow a period style when you renovate. Some of the best renovations are those that integrate period elements of the original home — architectural forms, decorative motifs, colour schemes or building materials — into a contemporary style.

  One council (Moreland City Council in Melbourne’s inner north) points out that in altering a period home, you’re adding a chapter to its history and that the connection between the new and the old is as important as the original home. Rather than trying to blend the new with the old seamlessly, it may be more aesthetically and culturally worthwhile to clearly distinguish the new chapter from the old — through some kind of visual break, like using a clearly contemporary design, or recessing part of a wall.

  Restoring original features

  Restoring a period home can be an expensive proposition, depending on how closely you want to recreate its original style. Painting a home in its heritage colours shouldn’t cost much more than giving it a contemporary colour scheme. If you’re lucky, the property still has many of its original features that just need some tender loving care — and several weekends of hard work — to return them to their former glory. Doors and window frames can be sanded back to the original woodwork, and carpets lifted to polish the floors.

  When it comes to replacing or restoring features like ornate Victorian ceiling roses and Art Deco basins, costs can start to mount. Replacing things like original light switches, vents and pressed metal ceilings can soon add thousands to your budget. You may want to decide at the outset how faithfully you want to keep to the original style and features.

  Specialist suppliers of already refurbished period fittings and furnishings have sprung up to cater to the growing demand for these products. Many of these suppliers also stock reproduction furnishings in various period styles.

  Websites that specialise in resources for renovators of period homes in Australia include

  The Period Home Renovator (www.periodhomerenovator.com). This website has a list of resources and suppliers for renovators of period homes, information on different period styles and an archive of articles from its magazine.

  World of Old Houses (www.oldhouses.com.au). A great site full of information, ideas and links to anything to do with restoring and refurbishing old homes in Australia.

  Trading Post (www.tradingpost.com.au) or its print publications and the classified sections of metropolitan and local newspapers are another way of sourcing furnishings and fittings being sold by individuals who may be replacing their home’s period features with something more modern.

  eBay (www.ebay.com.au) is another good source for second-hand fixtures and fittings.

  If your budget is tight, look in second-hand building materials outlets for fittings and furnishings that may need some work to return them to their earlier glory. Sometimes you come across a property on demolition row with features around the same period as your own home. Talk to the demolition company before it starts smashing things up; you may also have to elbow your way past people collecting doors, windows and other furnishings to sell in the second-hand building material yards.

  Unless your property is in a strict heritage area, or you’re a stickler for detail, you don’t need to ensure every furnishing and fitting is in its original period style. Just make sure the additions and fittings are consistent with the period; for example, use traditional materials, such as timber window frames rather than aluminium window frames in homes built before the 1930s.

  Architectural Periods and Styles

  Australia’s historical housing styles grew out of styles imported from Britain and America and other colonies like India. In many cases, the imported styles were modified to adapt to the local climate and lifestyle. For example, the deep verandahs of the colonial and Victorian eras were a response to the harsh Australian sun, and the elevated Queenslander style was a response to the hot, muggy climate and frequent floods that beset that tropical state.

  Different styles developed in response to new materials and also new mindsets. Houses became grander and more elaborately decorated as the Victorian boom reached its height, and th
en were pared down to greater simplicity after the housing crash of the 1890s. In the mid to late 1900s, modernist homes built with a framework of steel and using glass were able to create large open spaces.

  In this section, I summarise the characteristics of each housing style. However, be mindful that during any period, regional variations of the theme occurred and many sub-styles and spin-off styles resulted.

  Colonial style: 1788–1830s

  New South Wales and Tasmania are the states to find examples of this very early style of Australian housing. The large deep verandahs on these otherwise simple low-roofed homes were adopted from the bungalows of India and proved well-suited to the local climate, providing an escape from the glare of the Australian sun. Many houses were built of timber boards or split logs and had mud or flagstone floors. Others were built of stone. While some originally only had two rooms, most have had rooms added over the years.