By: Carolyn Roland

Many people wonder what it means to specialize in listing and selling historic homes. If you stop to

think about it, the clock of history is always ticking and today’s news becomes tomorrow’s history.

We can all remember back to the Twentieth Century, which isn’t all that long ago. Well, homes built from 1900 to 1950 fit one criterion for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. But more importantly, they represent a large number of well-built homes which originally had wood floors and trim, fireplaces or radiators (with their moist heat and no drafts), columns, porches, and maybe slate or tile roofs.

These homes are located mostly in urban areas and exterior construction is usually stone or brick or a combination of both. After the Chicago fire in 1871, frame or wooden houses could not be built in Wilmington, but other areas in Delaware continued wood shingle construction. As this area is known for its fine clay, we see red brick construction, and abundant stone quarries in the northern part of Delaware were handy for most of the foundation walls until concrete block became popular.

Value is seen not only by local residents, but by people from other areas who move to Delaware because of the many well preserved buildings here. Be aware that some towns such as Wilmington, Smyrna, and Old New Castle have put into place review boards which govern exterior changes to buildings in their designated historic districts.

The popularity of “Flip This House” type shows encourages investors to “improve” older houses. Unfortunately, these people often remove original elements and substitute what they consider to be “better” modern woodwork straight from the local lumber yard, and often remove exterior elements which gave the home its unique appearance. To the knowing observer, these homes sometimes are subject to such major changes that they stick out like a sore thumb from surrounding houses, and are sometimes known as “Remuddlings.”

As a general rule, home buyers are more tolerant of the less “improved” 18th and 19th century homes. As long as there is room to add bathrooms (critical!), the knowledgeable antique home buyer is more flexible than the 20th century home buyer. (More on these periods in a future article).

You are probably wondering what changes add value to a 20th century home. So put yourself in the place of a buyer, and think about what you need in a home to make it functional for your family. Unlike the very early home buyer, you expect 1 ½ baths, and a modern kitchen with an eat-in area. And a pre-1970 home should have oak or pine floors. If they have been covered by carpets, this is a good time to uncover them and have them professionally refinished with a low gloss (high gloss finishes shout “look at me”). I can’t count the number of times buyers have tried to pry up a corner of carpet to see what kind of floor is underneath. And let go of the wall to wall sculptured or shag that is 30 years old.

Bathrooms should have either pristine original fixtures and tile, or some of the contemporary versions of subway wall tile, hexagonal floor tiles, and pedestal sinks (all enjoying revivals presently).

Kitchens seem to inspire more creativity, and most people seem to lean toward stainless steel appliances and granite countertops, and room for the family to eat together.

Whether you are thinking of buying an older home, or thinking of selling your pre-1950 home, call Carolyn Roland at 302-234-6063 to find out what a difference it makes to have a Realtor who listens to you and knows where you are coming from.

Carolyn Roland has been keeping her thumb on the pulse of homebuyers in New Castle and Kent County, Delaware, as well as Chester County, Pennsylvania since 1987. Trained as an architectural historian, she worked as a guide in several historic home museums in Delaware for 10 years.

Testimonials:

A recent seller of a home on the National Register of Historic Places said “We are very grateful for the fine efforts you provided in marketing and selling our old house in Magnolia. We also feel assured the new buyer is one who would preserve and protect its unique historical and architectural qualities.” ~J.E., Honolulu HI

A buyer of a home in Smyrna’s historic district had this to say, “Carolyn Roland knows the right questions to ask and pays attention to the buyers’ answers. We couldn’t have succeeded in our real estate goals without her!” ~K.O’D. Smyrna