Renovating an old house is a different discipline from renovating a newer one, and the difference is not mainly about cost. It is that the scope cannot be fully known in advance, so the process has to be structured around discovery rather than around a fixed specification.
This guide covers that process: what to investigate, in what order, and how to sequence the work. Budgeting for an old house is covered separately in our guide to remodeling an old house.
The discovery phase, which comes before any design
Structure first. Sill plates and the bottom of the framing where it meets the foundation, joist ends where they bear into masonry, and any evidence of past movement. These are the findings that change whether a project is viable, and they are cheap to check and expensive to discover late.
Then the systems. Open the panel and look at the service size and the branch circuits. Check whether supply plumbing is galvanised and whether the waste stack is cast iron and how far gone it is. Establish what the heating system is and how much life it has.
Then the envelope. Whether there is any insulation in the walls, the condition of the windows, and where air is moving. In this climate this is the work that most changes how the house lives, and it is only accessible while walls are open.
Only then design. A plan drawn before this investigation is a plan that will change.
The sequence that works
- Investigate. Open inspection points. Two or three days of work that de-risks everything after it.
- Stabilise. Anything structural, plus water getting in. Roof, gutters, drainage, foundation.
- Replace systems. Wiring, supply plumbing, heating. While walls are open and before anything is finished.
- Insulate and air seal. The same window of access, and in this climate the highest-return work in the house.
- Structural and layout changes. Wall removals, openings, any reconfiguration.
- Restore what is worth restoring. Trim, floors, stairs, original windows where they are sound. This is slow, skilled work and it should not be rushed at the end.
- Kitchens and bathrooms. Once everything behind them is sound.
- Finishes. Last.
Mistakes we see most often
- Designing before investigating. It produces a plan that meets the house rather than the other way round.
- Stripping original trim, doors and hardware because replacing is faster. It is the thing that made the house worth buying.
- Replacing sound original windows rather than restoring them and adding storm windows, which frequently performs comparably and preserves the elevation.
- Rushing the restoration work at the end when the budget is tight, which is where the character actually lives.
What this means in the Capital Region
Capital Region period housing is genuinely good stock. Troy’s brownstones and Victorians, Albany’s Center Square and Pine Hills, the Schenectady Stockade and Realty Plot, and Saratoga Springs’ historic districts were substantially built, and the framing and joinery in them is frequently better than anything contemporary.
The recurring findings are consistent: knob and tube remnants, galvanised supply lines, a cast iron waste stack somewhere in its final decade, no wall insulation, and at least one previous renovation that was done badly. None of these are unusual and all are solvable. The one that catches people out is that they are all cheapest to address simultaneously, while walls are open.
Want this priced for your own home? Jeffrey Mason will walk the project and give you a free written estimate. No obligation, no sales rep. Call (518) 308-6427.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I start with an old house?
Investigation, before design. Structure, then systems, then envelope. Opening a few inspection points costs two or three days and prevents most of the expensive surprises.
Should I replace original windows?
Often not, if they are sound. Restoring original sash and adding good storm windows frequently performs comparably to replacement, costs less, and preserves the elevation of the house. Rotted or previously butchered windows are a different matter.
What should I never remove?
Original trim profiles, doors, hardware, stairs and floors where they are sound. These are what a buyer of a period house is paying for, and once they are gone they cannot be convincingly replaced.
How long does an old house renovation take?
Six to fourteen months for a whole-house project, longer than an equivalent newer house because of discovery, restoration work and the fact that nothing is square or standard.
Related guides
- Remodeling an Old House: What to Expect and Budget For
- Victorian House Renovation Guide for Albany NY
- Whole House Renovation Cost: Complete Budget Guide
- Complete Home Renovation: Timeline, Budget, and Expectations
- Custom Home Renovation: Transforming Your Vision Into Reality
- Full Home Renovation: Step-by-Step Planning Guide