I would definitely save it. Newer houses especially trailers don't have the quality compared to older houses...some start to fall apart after a few years. I've talked to many people who have torn down an old house in good condition and replaced it with a new one and highly regret it. I would at least fix what is broke first. Thanks for sharing!!
Keep it. Stabilize the roof to stop water ingress then take your time clearing out the inside and fixing any other problems. Unless there is a time limit, then you can take as long as you like to get it sorted. Rent it out or air BNB then in a few years time it could be a house for one of the kids. Merry Christmas to all
Take your time. Renovate it little by little. A fun project. Not many people have access to nice old homes like that, that they can do up and such. You will look back and regret knocking it down if you do. All the best. Kiwi Wheat farmer. Steve.
The reason the old back porch siding (now kitchen) is straight and the floor slopes, usually indicating the addition had settled, and new siding was hung level hiding the slope of the walls/floor. It’s not too difficult to jack up and level a sunken foundation but it settled due to water running under it so fix this problem. The siding will have to be taken off to level that part of the home I do believe, as it is holding it solid in the sloped position.
If you were going to keep it for a family member to live in someday then it might be worth remodeling. Sinking the money it would take to fix it up right would cost more than any other option. And for a rental that's not a good idea and would be a HUGE headache. Even tearing it down (since you have the equipment) and building a new, smaller 3 bedroom 2 bath home would probably be cheaper than a re-model of that old house... Don't do a doublewide or a single wide trailer. If anything do a smaller Modular home on a real foundation. They actually appreciate in value. A true trailer or doublewide depreciates like a car.
We live in an 1883 built house in KY. Houses of that era are tough and built to last. I couldn’t tear down a historic building like yours. I would start by getting all of the ‘stuff out and look at water entry issues to prevent any further deterioration. Then do a little exploring of the damaged sections to see what is really going on. Getting it into reasonable shape to rent out might not take that big of an investment.
Great video Brian. Good to see Mrs. Brown for more than a few seconds. My opinion is this, unless you intend to keep the house in the family for the kids in the future, I wouldn’t spend the money to renovate for a rental or bnb. If there may be plans to have family live there someday, fix it and find a good renter and keep it.
I know it would be alot of work fixing it up but the fact that it's over 100 years old makes it kinda cool I see your point brian like your friends said such a cool older house to not keep maybe it's just me liking older houses from watching this old house and them fixing houses as old as that one or older
The way most business people look at it is that if you don’t break even in 5 years then it’s not a good ROI. I think that a good pre built or prefab would also be a good option. Especially if you’re hoping to keep the family involved on the farm. Loved your Christmas jacket while trying to hawk the factor meals. Nice touch. Love your channel,thanks for keeping it honest. Hoping you and your family have a wonderful Christmas.
Even to properly insulate that house you'd have to gut the interior and then you should replace the old mouse chewed wiring and so on... but it is a cool old house. That samdstone foundation might be the gift that keeps giving in the form of snakes too, and not everyone like the thought of sharing their house walls with snakes. I like old stuff, but if the goal is a rental house, itd prolly be lower maintenance long term to demo this house and start over, and you may even get it renter ready quicker...
All i would say is how much value would a double wide keep? $125k for a double wide + demo costs? $150k. In 10 years time what would be the value of the doublewide vs the renovated house as an asset? I'd personally renovate it, fix the roof get the water leak sorted and then cut a hole in the sagging floor and see how it looks underneath, might not be as bad as you think if its just a couple of supports rotted out.
Our home came with the farm that bought in the early 80s which will give an idea how much money we could borrow back then. 30 years ago we started remodeling room by room and the only regret is that we didn’t put a new foundation under it. The foundation is solid but it is still a 125 year old basement. There’s a time when you have to turn and walk away as renters will be a headache for ever.
It does have a lot of character, and a lot of stories to tell. If I owned it, and I wanted to live there on that property, which does have an excellent view, I would fix it up. It’s one of those labor of love, keep the history type houses. If you’re just looking at it as an investment, it’s a tear down for sure, and build new. I would think new roof, new furnace, electrical, plumbing. I just saw that one small bath, which no one is going to want these days. Probably going to have to rebuild the whole part that’s sinking, plus maybe more in depth roof work with that part also. How well is it insulated, do the windows work mechanically, single pane also. Even though I hate losing these old farmhouses, I think you’re better off tearing it down.
You boys have the equipment to do the farmer hole. What's a farmer hole. You dig a big ass hole right behind that house. You use the same equipment to knock said house with all the contents. Into the hole. You set the hole on fire. When the fire burns out. Push the foundation in the hole. Bury it all. Then let it settle (5 years ish) during that time you can farm the area around it or do nothing. Either way you have time to grow some funds and come up with a plan for said plot of land.
This home has been added onto several times’ which created some structural problems. The back kitchen/utility bath area is sagging because that foundation is not tied into the original foundation and probably not draining correctly allowed water under it. Coupled with the original basement access probably not sealed correctly on outside edge, allows water under foundation. Original home built forced air heaters were not invented yet home originally heated by fireplaces. Bedrooms were not heated back then except by convection heat rising from first floor fireplaces. Main central entrance common as screen doors were the AC systems then, you opened the front and back doors and windows and hot air rose through the large staircase carrying cooler air upwards into the bedrooms and exhausted out bedrooms windows. Double hung windows were used back then where the top n bottoms opened, you would open the top sash to get the hot air out of bedrooms (hot rises) 😂The heating system looked to be oil and not efficient why they had wood stoves in the rooms. Also the existing heater vents were not spaced correctly in the rooms. The servants quarters also added on look at roof line. A common problem is “kick outs” were never installed back then along the roof rake line of new addition to wall,water literally runs down into the walls at the leading bottom edge of roof/wall juncture. Closets were not invented yetwhen original home built armoires or free standing furniture with very small closets were used. Why older homes have closets that appear to be added on (they were). I am 70 and built /remodeled my whole life. There’s a lot of upgrades to do the electrical if not a current 200 amp panel your insurance might not cover the home. I’m a believer in remodeling and keeping the old homes but the cost to properly insulate it, entire new HVAC systems and foundation leveling on kitchen, probably better off and less time and headache just get a track hoe and bury it….., I’ve done this a few times. Burn what you can and bury the foundation, some iron. Recycle what iron metal you can just to get rid of it. Enjoy your videos good luck! Bernie from Oklahoma One more fun thing, as you closed the Servants door I saw a “Peep Hole” viewer going into the main bedroom LOL.
Would love to have that house on 50 acres to remodel and live in love the old houses. But would not fix to rent out way to expensive to remodel and rent out
I hate getting rid of old farm houses but it needed work 40 years ago. Might be a bit late now. Could get in there clean it out and rip out walls and stuff that are damaged see what it needs before making a final decision.
One of my co-workers bought an old farm house. He and his wife remodeled enough to move in and continued to work on remodeling while they lived in it. After finding their third snake, they called in a pest control who started searching the house. Ended up finding over 20 snakes in the attic. He said when the pest control guy first went up and stuck his head in the attic, he screamed and fell backwards as he was eye to eye with an unhappy snake. They still live there and the snake issue has gotten less, but they do on occasion find one still.
Honestly, theres a few things in the house that would maybe be cool to save. Some of the older doors or at least the mechanisms. The railing in the main stairs is really neat for sure. The rest, likely not worth the trouble.
I would fix it up and rent it out as a vrbo/air b&b the historic features and location would help you get more gusts. Just a thought we have several farms and one house had a similar situation with the servent quarters in the attic, and that we restored it and remt it out on verbo.
Our fuel oil tank 1957-2005 for home heat was in the basement, as were most homes with fuel oil heat......You could use cheaper straight No.2 no worries about jelling up. The reason those 260 gallon tanks were skinny and oblong was to fit through doorways...
We have a second old farm house on our farmstead. It has the second small staircase like this one. In our family bible it talks (in German) about the house that says the second small staircase was build for an escape route from the upstairs bedrooms in the event of an Indian attack. Our farm has been in the family since 1868 and we have a couple pictures dated earlier before Michigan was a state.
The small closets thing came from Germany where back in the 1800's you were taxed on every room, even the closets if they were too big! My Grandparents house was the same way.
I love some of the handiwork you see in old houses but if they have major issues - money pit - Brian is right that a new double wide would be a better solution if you are wanting to have a rental. Maybe the volunteer fire department needs some practice....
I've watched you guys a lot! I farm and the wife flips houses [My thoughts....be prepared to spend between 40K- 100K.] Believe me, you'll find more than you want to find when you get into it. My opinion....salvage the ornate stuff and turn Bob loose on the D8 and plant corn on it. We also rent 3 houses out. Maybe lightning will hit it on a moonlit night?
Consider renovation to it's original condition. The potential for re-sale is much higher than a multi-year old double wide for someone that desires to utilize an acreage for semi-retirement or potentially a business of some type. It would mean making sure that all utilities are available and updated. (I had a friend that sold a renovated stone house and sold it to be moved about 20 miles to a new acreage - all in the Sioux Falls SD area.) In the interim, you can use it as a hunting rental and/or VRBO to generate $$. Good luck on your decision!
Man, renting is good for some extra $... But man being a landlord is a pain in the ass. Helped my folks clean out many rentals filled with renter's discarded stuff.
If it was a classic old craftsman or something, you might find someone willing to pay some decent money to lease it, but… I’m not sure it’s worth the effort as is. I think your idea of a prefab cabin or tiny home is pretty good.
I'd fix it up. If you are comfortable dealing with people (renters) this would be a source of income . The place is already paid for and your only expense would be repairs. If you would rather not deal with a renter then contract with a rentat management company. They could even be contracted to do maintenance with the property. I like what you have here. Some of these older homes are better than todays homes. Good luck amd Merry Christmas
Doublewide will be cheaper initially, but how long do they last? if you do fix it up, what would its projected life be? and thus you can look at proper life-time cost of the options.
My great aunt had a house with that style of entrance and stairs from the 1900's in the backwoods of Southwest Virginia with that same type dark paneling that was upstairs. As for the niceness of it, you would need to rebuild half of the house. What if you gutted and\or rebuilt the damaged half? How much is original and how much was added on. Maybe completely rip out the add-on and then see where you are at?
When they say they don’t build them like they used to be damn grateful they don’t. Yes it’s an old house yes it’s got history and it’s a money pit 100% for sure. If you did like an Airbnb maybe I don’t know if there’s some great attraction in your neighborhood . You could possibly fix it but it’s a headache throw a match in it and fill in the hole be done. Besides Bob’s got all that bad ass excavating equipment sure would be nice to play with some of it.
I agree that it would be hard to tear down because of its character. But, other things to consider - electrical, plumbing, and heating plus probably should add a bathroom on the 2nd floor. What I have seen done is stripping the interior down to its studs (saving whatever trim you want), and reconfiguring for today’s life style. But, that’s expensive. But, is the objective of that farmstead to contribute income to the Brown’s? That question needs answered first, IMO.
Spend a few tons of $ to remodel an old house, and you have an old house. Toss a match on it, and spend a few tons less $, and you have a NEW house, with less headaches of remodeling. I live in a 1947 built house, and am thinking that I would have been better off torching it.
Find someone who repurpose’s old carpentry work, sell them what they want, tear the house down and build a cabin style house but make it nice enough that if air bnb isn’t your thing, you can have a long term renter. With the view off the front porch, I’d say it’s a great place for a cabin. Didn’t get to see all around it but if there’s a valley or creek close by, put Bob to work with the d8 and put a pond in as well
brave to renovate any old house these days, the cost would be scary, some one will rent it off you like it is I rent one like that myself and the renter is happy to have somewhere to live cheap and cheap security for the farm, every one is happy
A lot of the decision would involve putting a pencil to potential renovation costs, future longevity, rental income to recover investment, etc. For the value and scarcity of tillable land, my inclination would be to convert it back to farmland and walk away from landlord/tenant issues.
I worked for a guy years ago every farm he bought with a house would get rented until it was inhabitable. He would collect the money off storm damage on them and use it for new buildings and grain bins on the main farm. When no more to collect of of them we demoed them. That one there he would paint the inside and rent it out. No other repairs.
Fix it up ,it's a great old farm house and many are disappearing spend some money on it then rent it out for some years,, then let one of the kids buy it keeping it in the family.
Tear the kitchen and servants quarter down, fix the roof/attic, renovate another room for kitchen/laundry. No renters - vrbo or air bnb. The stoves, light fixtures, transoms and staircase are worth some money. I’d love to know the history and whether you could claim any historical funds and status.
A lot of these old housed in our area in Texas turn into storage, or are just abandoned. Sometimes, the current owner has ties to the house, and fixes it up to rent, but judging from the abandoned houses near me, that is rare.
The greatest compliment I can pay you Brian and Kayla is my wife watches your show with me sometimes. I can’t pay her enough to watch MRE Steve. Good on ya. Keep making the odd funky video Brian. Luv ya.
If you are considering a $130k “trailer” (which always seem to have a short lifespan compared to a house) you should think about putting near that much into that house, NOT a penny over! I think you’d find better long term insurance issues and ROI on that scenario and feel better about it in the long run. Now me, I personally would think tearing it down and putting crops on it would be better return.
AND consider the RUclips revenue you could gain by renovating the old house. You’d get quite a few episodes outta that. I’d watch renovations all day, but not watch episodes putting a double-wide or a prefab cabin there.
Месяц назад+1
For hunting season I'd put some small cabins there we call them glamping huts put in a separate hut for toilets and showers bingo more income for farm 4 cabins and toilet block might be cheaper
From what i have seen on youre vid its a awesome spot to live so i say double wide and the rent will pay for it i quess, greetings from a Dutch dairyfarmer
Financially and for an income property it would probably be best to tear it down bring in a double wide,,everything new with central heat and air..how is the well and septic system? Now if you wanted to keep it dump a ton of money in it, put a basement under it to keep it in the family that's something to think about. I wouldn't get emotionally attached to it if it were mine. It needs a ton of work.. call it the Money Pit
I can tell you we just lost our 162 year old barn that had a lot of memories for our family. This was tuff. All we did was leave the light on over a calf born that evening for warmth. If that house holds no memories for your family I would say let it go. I'm finding online companies in Ohio that may be interested in the beams I'm saving. Hand hewn. They may be interested in that house.
I don't know where my suggestion went. It WAS... tear it down, but only after you take about 4 weekends and sell all the interior items as well as anything on the exterior. There's less stuff to demo and burn and bury. One day one of your kids or BJ's , will appreciate having a neat place to put their own style of home .
BFF has the equipment to tear down and haul away relatively cheap. Pre-fab as Brian stated @130k so $200K total provides a family a decent rental home. If the farm can do 2-250K that would be a very decent thing to do. More small businesses need to take on this type initiative rather than sell out to large corp and gov't. I am just a dumb pro-social programs and services type of Canadian, I am sure whatever you do will be good. Thanks for the interesting explore of an old house.
Tear the thing down. It's something that's up to code and with modern day amenities . You're idle out in Iowa would have saved himself a ton of money if he would have just tore his house down and built new.
I would tear it down, but 1st I would get a hold of your local fire department and see if they would be interested in using it for training purposes. We had a house that homeowner was going to tear down and he let us train in it.
15+ years ago, a beautiful 100 year old house was butchered up by an owner with some weird additions, including an indoor swimming pool. The new owner donated the house to Habitat for Humanity, they auctioned off light fixtures, hardwood flooring, stairs, windows and whatever anyone would pay for. There was a time limit on removal, then the house was demolished. It's an option! Personally, have a small 3 bedroom home built over a basement, 2X6" walls, steel roof, better investment than a modular or double wide.
Mike w Outdoors with the Morgans put a prebuilt cabin/shed on a property he has in WV about a year ago that turned out to be pretty nice so far. It came just framed and exterior complete and inside needed completed but that might be a cost effective route to go?
You have have number $$ to make a decision. To tear down or new. With a fixer up you are opening unseen problem the cost more then plan for with some that old.
Rebuild it fix what you can to make it livable you won’t make the money back if you take it down and rebuild a new house cheaper to sale it with an acre of land or just take it down and remove insurance
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I would definitely save it. Newer houses especially trailers don't have the quality compared to older houses...some start to fall apart after a few years. I've talked to many people who have torn down an old house in good condition and replaced it with a new one and highly regret it. I would at least fix what is broke first. Thanks for sharing!!
Please renovate this wonderful house!
Keep it. Stabilize the roof to stop water ingress then take your time clearing out the inside and fixing any other problems. Unless there is a time limit, then you can take as long as you like to get it sorted. Rent it out or air BNB then in a few years time it could be a house for one of the kids. Merry Christmas to all
I've restored 5 old houses in worse, sometimes much worse, condition. In the end stages of one right now... That's a keeper.
Take your time. Renovate it little by little. A fun project. Not many people have access to nice old homes like that, that they can do up and such. You will look back and regret knocking it down if you do. All the best. Kiwi Wheat farmer. Steve.
The reason the old back porch siding (now kitchen) is straight and the floor slopes, usually indicating the addition had settled, and new siding was hung level hiding the slope of the walls/floor. It’s not too difficult to jack up and level a sunken foundation but it settled due to water running under it so fix this problem. The siding will have to be taken off to level that part of the home I do believe, as it is holding it solid in the sloped position.
If you were going to keep it for a family member to live in someday then it might be worth remodeling. Sinking the money it would take to fix it up right would cost more than any other option. And for a rental that's not a good idea and would be a HUGE headache.
Even tearing it down (since you have the equipment) and building a new, smaller 3 bedroom 2 bath home would probably be cheaper than a re-model of that old house...
Don't do a doublewide or a single wide trailer. If anything do a smaller Modular home on a real foundation. They actually appreciate in value. A true trailer or doublewide depreciates like a car.
If those walls could talk to share the joys and sorrows this house has held.
Love ❤️ it! It’s a beautiful place. Would be sad to tear it down.
We live in an 1883 built house in KY. Houses of that era are tough and built to last. I couldn’t tear down a historic building like yours. I would start by getting all of the ‘stuff out and look at water entry issues to prevent any further deterioration. Then do a little exploring of the damaged sections to see what is really going on. Getting it into reasonable shape to rent out might not take that big of an investment.
Yep...but old houses are also a lot of work if you want to rent them, with codes etc...
Good luck remodeling it. Don't forget about the septic system. And if the well can pass inspection
Bob and the d8 dozer. Fun for him
Have Cole the corncob remodel it for you 😊. Thanks Bff
Cole Cornstar's Farm Construction Works Project Management Program®... 🤣🤣🤡🤣
How not to build a grain store or renovate an old house...
Great video Brian. Good to see Mrs. Brown for more than a few seconds. My opinion is this, unless you intend to keep the house in the family for the kids in the future, I wouldn’t spend the money to renovate for a rental or bnb. If there may be plans to have family live there someday, fix it and find a good renter and keep it.
Your great room with two Christmas trees looks beautiful. Love the ribbons on the cabinet doors.
Beautiful open staircase. Fix it up.
I know it would be alot of work fixing it up but the fact that it's over 100 years old makes it kinda cool I see your point brian like your friends said such a cool older house to not keep maybe it's just me liking older houses from watching this old house and them fixing houses as old as that one or older
The way most business people look at it is that if you don’t break even in 5 years then it’s not a good ROI. I think that a good pre built or prefab would also be a good option. Especially if you’re hoping to keep the family involved on the farm. Loved your Christmas jacket while trying to hawk the factor meals. Nice touch. Love your channel,thanks for keeping it honest. Hoping you and your family have a wonderful Christmas.
Even to properly insulate that house you'd have to gut the interior and then you should replace the old mouse chewed wiring and so on... but it is a cool old house. That samdstone foundation might be the gift that keeps giving in the form of snakes too, and not everyone like the thought of sharing their house walls with snakes. I like old stuff, but if the goal is a rental house, itd prolly be lower maintenance long term to demo this house and start over, and you may even get it renter ready quicker...
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR to YOU AND ALL THE FAMILY
Replace roof first and spouting keep water away from foundation. It's definitely on a nice setting.
All i would say is how much value would a double wide keep? $125k for a double wide + demo costs? $150k. In 10 years time what would be the value of the doublewide vs the renovated house as an asset? I'd personally renovate it, fix the roof get the water leak sorted and then cut a hole in the sagging floor and see how it looks underneath, might not be as bad as you think if its just a couple of supports rotted out.
I love looking at old houses, had to have been so pretty in its day.
Our home came with the farm that bought in the early 80s which will give an idea how much money we could borrow back then. 30 years ago we started remodeling room by room and the only regret is that we didn’t put a new foundation under it. The foundation is solid but it is still a 125 year old basement. There’s a time when you have to turn and walk away as renters will be a headache for ever.
It does have a lot of character, and a lot of stories to tell. If I owned it, and I wanted to live there on that property, which does have an excellent view, I would fix it up. It’s one of those labor of love, keep the history type houses. If you’re just looking at it as an investment, it’s a tear down for sure, and build new.
I would think new roof, new furnace, electrical, plumbing. I just saw that one small bath, which no one is going to want these days. Probably going to have to rebuild the whole part that’s sinking, plus maybe more in depth roof work with that part also. How well is it insulated, do the windows work mechanically, single pane also.
Even though I hate losing these old farmhouses, I think you’re better off tearing it down.
AB&B sounds good log cabin type the setting is perfect for hunting and a getaway...great place....Great vid 👍👍👍👍
You boys have the equipment to do the farmer hole. What's a farmer hole. You dig a big ass hole right behind that house. You use the same equipment to knock said house with all the contents. Into the hole. You set the hole on fire. When the fire burns out. Push the foundation in the hole. Bury it all. Then let it settle (5 years ish) during that time you can farm the area around it or do nothing. Either way you have time to grow some funds and come up with a plan for said plot of land.
This home has been added onto several times’ which created some structural problems. The back kitchen/utility bath area is sagging because that foundation is not tied into the original foundation and probably not draining correctly allowed water under it. Coupled with the original basement access probably not sealed correctly on outside edge, allows water under foundation. Original home built forced air heaters were not invented yet home originally heated by fireplaces. Bedrooms were not heated back then except by convection heat rising from first floor fireplaces. Main central entrance common as screen doors were the AC systems then, you opened the front and back doors and windows and hot air rose through the large staircase carrying cooler air upwards into the bedrooms and exhausted out bedrooms windows. Double hung windows were used back then where the top n bottoms opened, you would open the top sash to get the hot air out of bedrooms (hot rises)
😂The heating system looked to be oil and not efficient why they had wood stoves in the rooms. Also the existing heater vents were not spaced correctly in the rooms. The servants quarters also added on look at roof line. A common problem is “kick outs” were never installed back then along the roof rake line of new addition to wall,water literally runs down into the walls at the leading bottom edge of roof/wall juncture. Closets were not invented yetwhen original home built armoires or free standing furniture with very small closets were used. Why older homes have closets that appear to be added on (they were). I am 70 and built /remodeled my whole life. There’s a lot of upgrades to do the electrical if not a current 200 amp panel your insurance might not cover the home. I’m a believer in remodeling and keeping the old homes but the cost to properly insulate it, entire new HVAC systems and foundation leveling on kitchen, probably better off and less time and headache just get a track hoe and bury it….., I’ve done this a few times. Burn what you can and bury the foundation, some iron. Recycle what iron metal you can just to get rid of it. Enjoy your videos good luck! Bernie from Oklahoma
One more fun thing, as you closed the Servants door I saw a “Peep Hole” viewer going into the main bedroom LOL.
Would love to have that house on 50 acres to remodel and live in love the old houses. But would not fix to rent out way to expensive to remodel and rent out
Fix roof first Top priority
Strip the house of all the neat stuff like the wood burners and electrical fixtures ect. and sell them . then start up the DOZER!!!
I hate getting rid of old farm houses but it needed work 40 years ago. Might be a bit late now. Could get in there clean it out and rip out walls and stuff that are damaged see what it needs before making a final decision.
Don't let Cole the Cornstar near that house he'll try to put an underground movie theater in it
Haaaaa
Good to see Monroe! Miss the Working Words Podcast!
Put out feelers for someone who wants to renovate old houses, carve out 1 to 2 acres, and sell it off as a homestead property.
One of my co-workers bought an old farm house. He and his wife remodeled enough to move in and continued to work on remodeling while they lived in it. After finding their third snake, they called in a pest control who started searching the house. Ended up finding over 20 snakes in the attic. He said when the pest control guy first went up and stuck his head in the attic, he screamed and fell backwards as he was eye to eye with an unhappy snake.
They still live there and the snake issue has gotten less, but they do on occasion find one still.
I think that is a much as I have heard Monroe talk in all your podcasts combined . Happy holidays to all .
Honestly, theres a few things in the house that would maybe be cool to save. Some of the older doors or at least the mechanisms. The railing in the main stairs is really neat for sure. The rest, likely not worth the trouble.
I would fix it up and rent it out as a vrbo/air b&b the historic features and location would help you get more gusts. Just a thought we have several farms and one house had a similar situation with the servent quarters in the attic, and that we restored it and remt it out on verbo.
A lot of potential there in that old house .just remember good re niters are a blessing bad ones give headaches
Our fuel oil tank 1957-2005 for home heat was in the basement, as were most homes with fuel oil heat......You could use cheaper straight No.2 no worries about jelling up. The reason those 260 gallon tanks were skinny and oblong was to fit through doorways...
Merry Christmas and happy new year
We have a second old farm house on our farmstead. It has the second small staircase like this one. In our family bible it talks (in German) about the house that says the second small staircase was build for an escape route from the upstairs bedrooms in the event of an Indian attack. Our farm has been in the family since 1868 and we have a couple pictures dated earlier before Michigan was a state.
The small closets thing came from Germany where back in the 1800's you were taxed on every room, even the closets if they were too big! My Grandparents house was the same way.
I love some of the handiwork you see in old houses but if they have major issues - money pit - Brian is right that a new double wide would be a better solution if you are wanting to have a rental. Maybe the volunteer fire department needs some practice....
I've watched you guys a lot! I farm and the wife flips houses [My thoughts....be prepared to spend between 40K- 100K.] Believe me, you'll find more than you want to find when you get into it. My opinion....salvage the ornate stuff and turn Bob loose on the D8 and plant corn on it. We also rent 3 houses out. Maybe lightning will hit it on a moonlit night?
Consider renovation to it's original condition. The potential for re-sale is much higher than a multi-year old double wide for someone that desires to utilize an acreage for semi-retirement or potentially a business of some type. It would mean making sure that all utilities are available and updated. (I had a friend that sold a renovated stone house and sold it to be moved about 20 miles to a new acreage - all in the Sioux Falls SD area.) In the interim, you can use it as a hunting rental and/or VRBO to generate $$. Good luck on your decision!
Mornin to the Brown family. And a happy holidays.
Can't wait to see what you do!
Man, renting is good for some extra $... But man being a landlord is a pain in the ass. Helped my folks clean out many rentals filled with renter's discarded stuff.
If it was a classic old craftsman or something, you might find someone willing to pay some decent money to lease it, but… I’m not sure it’s worth the effort as is. I think your idea of a prefab cabin or tiny home is pretty good.
I'd fix it up. If you are comfortable dealing with people (renters) this would be a source of income . The place is already paid for and your only expense would be repairs. If you would rather not deal with a renter then contract with a rentat management company. They could even be contracted to do maintenance with the property. I like what you have here. Some of these older homes are better than todays homes. Good luck amd Merry Christmas
tear it down and build a home more energy efficient ND TO SUIT YOUR NEEDS
Log cabin kit and do your own interior work. Then air b&b😊
I’m a big fan of the air b&b idea!
Thanks for thehouse tour!
Doublewide will be cheaper initially, but how long do they last? if you do fix it up, what would its projected life be? and thus you can look at proper life-time cost of the options.
Fix it and live in it!
My great aunt had a house with that style of entrance and stairs from the 1900's in the backwoods of Southwest Virginia with that same type dark paneling that was upstairs. As for the niceness of it, you would need to rebuild half of the house. What if you gutted and\or rebuilt the damaged half? How much is original and how much was added on. Maybe completely rip out the add-on and then see where you are at?
Save that house You will NEVER regret it.
They are few and far between
In a way, i can see the historic value but i also the financial picture. Kinda like the log cabin idea. Tough call.
When they say they don’t build them like they used to be damn grateful they don’t. Yes it’s an old house yes it’s got history and it’s a money pit 100% for sure. If you did like an Airbnb maybe I don’t know if there’s some great attraction in your neighborhood . You could possibly fix it but it’s a headache throw a match in it and fill in the hole be done. Besides Bob’s got all that bad ass excavating equipment sure would be nice to play with some of it.
I agree that it would be hard to tear down because of its character. But, other things to consider - electrical, plumbing, and heating plus probably should add a bathroom on the 2nd floor. What I have seen done is stripping the interior down to its studs (saving whatever trim you want), and reconfiguring for today’s life style. But, that’s expensive. But, is the objective of that farmstead to contribute income to the Brown’s? That question needs answered first, IMO.
Spend a few tons of $ to remodel an old house, and you have an old house. Toss a match on it, and spend a few tons less $, and you have a NEW house, with less headaches of remodeling. I live in a 1947 built house, and am thinking that I would have been better off torching it.
Find someone who repurpose’s old carpentry work, sell them what they want, tear the house down and build a cabin style house but make it nice enough that if air bnb isn’t your thing, you can have a long term renter.
With the view off the front porch, I’d say it’s a great place for a cabin. Didn’t get to see all around it but if there’s a valley or creek close by, put Bob to work with the d8 and put a pond in as well
brave to renovate any old house these days, the cost would be scary, some one will rent it off you like it is I rent one like that myself and the renter is happy to have somewhere to live cheap and cheap security for the farm, every one is happy
I have that all niter wood stove bought new in about 1985 .Richmond in.great stove except the blowers were shit.
Houses if that age are going away quick, those are our connection to the past. I'd fix it up in a heart beat
A lot of the decision would involve putting a pencil to potential renovation costs, future longevity, rental income to recover investment, etc. For the value and scarcity of tillable land, my inclination would be to convert it back to farmland and walk away from landlord/tenant issues.
I know of 7 houses that were sold and moved and completely redone them. If main structure is good they can be a great home.
I worked for a guy years ago every farm he bought with a house would get rented until it was inhabitable. He would collect the money off storm damage on them and use it for new buildings and grain bins on the main farm. When no more to collect of of them we demoed them. That one there he would paint the inside and rent it out. No other repairs.
Fix it up ,it's a great old farm house and many are disappearing spend some money on it then rent it out for some years,, then let one of the kids buy it keeping it in the family.
Tear the kitchen and servants quarter down, fix the roof/attic, renovate another room for kitchen/laundry. No renters - vrbo or air bnb.
The stoves, light fixtures, transoms and staircase are worth some money.
I’d love to know the history and whether you could claim any historical funds and status.
A lot of these old housed in our area in Texas turn into storage, or are just abandoned. Sometimes, the current owner has ties to the house, and fixes it up to rent, but judging from the abandoned houses near me, that is rare.
The greatest compliment I can pay you Brian and Kayla is my wife watches your show with me sometimes. I can’t pay her enough to watch MRE Steve. Good on ya. Keep making the odd funky video Brian. Luv ya.
If you are considering a $130k “trailer” (which always seem to have a short lifespan compared to a house) you should think about putting near that much into that house, NOT a penny over! I think you’d find better long term insurance issues and ROI on that scenario and feel better about it in the long run.
Now me, I personally would think tearing it down and putting crops on it would be better return.
AND consider the RUclips revenue you could gain by renovating the old house. You’d get quite a few episodes outta that. I’d watch renovations all day, but not watch episodes putting a double-wide or a prefab cabin there.
For hunting season I'd put some small cabins there we call them glamping huts put in a separate hut for toilets and showers bingo more income for farm 4 cabins and toilet block might be cheaper
all depends on the foundation. What condition is it in. That is first
From what i have seen on youre vid its a awesome spot to live so i say double wide and the rent will pay for it i quess, greetings from a Dutch dairyfarmer
I would check if there's a log cabin under the siding. Would be worth some money!
Financially and for an income property it would probably be best to tear it down bring in a double wide,,everything new with central heat and air..how is the well and septic system?
Now if you wanted to keep it dump a ton of money in it, put a basement under it to keep it in the family that's something to think about.
I wouldn't get emotionally attached to it if it were mine. It needs a ton of work.. call it the Money Pit
You have the perfect tool to take care of the house issues, the D8 CAT bulldozer!
Consider the cost of demo and removal of debris to add to the cost of a double wide
We have an excavator and a bic lighter I think the cost will be minimal
Donate to local fire dept they can use it for practice burn and then put double wide on lot 😊
Yeah, replace it with an eyesore great idea
I can tell you we just lost our 162 year old barn that had a lot of memories for our family. This was tuff. All we did was leave the light on over a calf born that evening for warmth. If that house holds no memories for your family I would say let it go. I'm finding online companies in Ohio that may be interested in the beams I'm saving. Hand hewn. They may be interested in that house.
I have a farm house that has been passed through the family built in 1886, its been redone many of times.
I don't know where my suggestion went. It WAS... tear it down, but only after you take about 4 weekends and sell all the interior items as well as anything on the exterior. There's less stuff to demo and burn and bury. One day one of your kids or BJ's , will appreciate having a neat place to put their own style of home .
I would look at the structure to see if it is sound
Secure/fix the roof to stop the leaks then work on repairs over time. The depreciation on a double wide is very, very bad. Keep the house.
BFF has the equipment to tear down and haul away relatively cheap. Pre-fab as Brian stated @130k so $200K total provides a family a decent rental home. If the farm can do 2-250K that would be a very decent thing to do. More small businesses need to take on this type initiative rather than sell out to large corp and gov't. I am just a dumb pro-social programs and services type of Canadian, I am sure whatever you do will be good. Thanks for the interesting explore of an old house.
Sell it with an acre or two, owner finance...
Tear the thing down. It's something that's up to code and with modern day amenities . You're idle out in Iowa would have saved himself a ton of money if he would have just tore his house down and built new.
Didn’t know I had an idol lol
I would tear it down, but 1st I would get a hold of your local fire department and see if they would be interested in using it for training purposes. We had a house that homeowner was going to tear down and he let us train in it.
I take the house and farm😊
15+ years ago, a beautiful 100 year old house was butchered up by an owner with some weird additions, including an indoor swimming pool. The new owner donated the house to Habitat for Humanity, they auctioned off light fixtures, hardwood flooring, stairs, windows and whatever anyone would pay for. There was a time limit on removal, then the house was demolished. It's an option! Personally, have a small 3 bedroom home built over a basement, 2X6" walls, steel roof, better investment than a modular or double wide.
Mike w Outdoors with the Morgans put a prebuilt cabin/shed on a property he has in WV about a year ago that turned out to be pretty nice so far. It came just framed and exterior complete and inside needed completed but that might be a cost effective route to go?
Great video Brian and Kayla
Appreciate it!
You have have number $$ to make a decision. To tear down or new. With a fixer up you are opening unseen problem the cost more then plan for with some that old.
It looks like the main part of the house might be an old log cabin construction. That wood can be extremely valuable if it's in fact that old.
Rebuild it fix what you can to make it livable you won’t make the money back if you take it down and rebuild a new house cheaper to sale it with an acre of land or just take it down and remove insurance