Renovating an Old Farmhouse

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Do your homework... it can take quite a bit of searching to find a farmhouse suitable for renovating.
Do your homework... it can take quite a bit of searching to find a farmhouse suitable for renovating.
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Check for structural soundness before bidding on any old house.
Check for structural soundness before bidding on any old house.
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Look carefully for any signs of termites or dry rot.
Look carefully for any signs of termites or dry rot.
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You will need to trim overgrown trees and shrubs.
You will need to trim overgrown trees and shrubs.
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Be prepared to work hard on your farmhouse renovation.
Be prepared to work hard on your farmhouse renovation.

First, the bad news: Since the end of WW II, hundreds of thousands of small family farmers have been forced off the land by sprawling corporate agri-business conglomerates.

Next, the good news: There are now thousands upon thousands of abandoned farmhouses scattered throughout this country. Although most need modernizing, a goodly number are available – with (maybe) a barn, outbuildings and garden patch thrown in – at bargain-basement prices.

Thanks to today’s large-scale agricultural operations, there are literally thousands of old farmhouses in the United States begging for someone to give them a second chance. Usually abandoned because they were no longer needed when two or more small farms were consolidated into a single large one, such structures have often been left to deteriorate from neglect. Some lack running water or indoor toilets, most do have electricity . . . and a good many are perfectly livable “as is”. In many cases–although the big operators won’t sell you lot of land–you can buy one of these homes, its outbuildings and a couple of acres for a pretty reasonable price.

I know three ways of locating such an old house. The first, and probably easiest, is to contact a real estate company which deals in farm property from coast to coast . . . and ask for listings in the area of your choice.

  • Published on Sep 1, 1972
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