Hello again!  We continue our Historic Restoration review by covering pitfalls, challenges and rewards.

Preserving a part of our history can be extremely satisfying.  Here are some things to consider:

1. Pitfalls: The single largest pitfall to approaching an historic restoration project is establishing a sound budget.  Cost overruns can be quite significant if a solid strategy is not in place and the cost of historic renovations can be more expensive than new construction, depending on the scope of the project and the materials you would like to use. Go into this project with your eyes wide open and be sure that a qualified contractor can give you an accurate bid on what you are trying to achieve.

2. Challenges: substandard plumbing, heating, wiring, foundations, rotted wood, non-compliance with zoning, etc. must be considered.  Choosing an experienced architect with historic preservation expertise is advisable to help identify potential pitalls and work with your contractor to address these issues in advance.

3. Rewards:  Charming features, quirky layouts and the pride of owning a piece of our history are all of the reasons that make historic restorations worthwhile.

Tiefenthaler recently renovated the 1870 Jonathan Ward residence in Westport, CT. The kitchen in this residence was recently featured in East Coast Home + Design magazine. Click here, then scroll to page 40:

http://mydigitalpublication.com/publication/?i=96462