A historic home can be a great purchase. The condition is knowing what a house this old should look like, and having people beside you who can tell serious from expected.
300 N. Academy Street in Kingstree is the proof. The photos look rough. None of it was a surprise.
“These fixes were not a surprise. This home will be beautiful and ready to stand for another hundred years.”
Justin Steel
A house with a name
300 N. Academy didn’t start on Academy Street. It was built in Salters, then moved to Kingstree and renovated, most likely in the late 1970s. It is one of three houses the Jenkinson brothers moved into town.
South Carolina’s historic resources survey reached it in September 1980 and recorded it as the Fleming House, with a construction date of 1730/1750. That date reaches back to Kingstree’s first settlers. Ulster Scots began arriving in the 1730s, and most built on their plantations rather than on town lots, per Kingstree’s National Register nomination.
The Scott House on Live Oak Street, built about 1843, is the oldest Kingstree house still on its original site. Older ones, like Thorntree and the Fleming House, were moved in. The next post in this series tells the full story of the move.
On Academy Street it keeps good company. The Colonel John Gotea Pressley House at 216 N. Academy dates to 1855, and the M. F. Heller House at 405 Academy to about 1845.
Why people fall for old houses
Historic homes were built one at a time, by hand, for one owner and one lot. It shows in the proportions, the woodwork, the windows and the porches.
Many older South Carolina homes were built with old-growth heart pine, lumber that is no longer cut new. Restoring one keeps a piece of your town standing.
It looks bad. It isn’t a surprise.
Every house that has stood this long has settled, been patched, rewired, re-plumbed or re-roofed along the way. The question is never whether an old house has issues. It is which ones are expected and which ones are serious.
Before you buy, someone on your side should answer three questions about every item:
- Is it structural? Foundation piers, sills and framing get a look from a contractor or engineer who works on old houses.
- Is it active? An old water stain or old termite damage is different from a leak or an infestation happening now. In South Carolina, the standard check is the wood infestation report known as the CL-100.
- Can it be insured and financed? The age of the wiring, roof and plumbing can decide whether a carrier writes the policy. Ask before your due diligence period ends.
Every fix in these photos was known going in. During the due diligence period on 300 N. Academy, a home inspector went through the house and contractors came out to assess the work. That is how we knew the investment was a wise one before closing.
What “represented properly” looks like
You want an agent who has walked old houses and knows where to look first. Justin Steel has been in real estate since 2006, with over 250 career sales.
You want partners who can call serious versus expected. That means a home inspector, a structural engineer when it’s warranted, a licensed wood-infestation inspector, and contractors who know old houses. And you want to use your due diligence period to get them all inside before you’re committed.
Ready for another hundred years
300 N. Academy will be beautiful again, and built to last. We’ll share the finished house when the work is done.
Thinking about a historic home?
Before you write an offer on an older home, from Kingstree to the coast, call The Steel Group at Keller Williams Realty at (843) 868-5504. We’ll walk it with you and tell you what’s expected and what’s serious.
FAQ
Is a historic home a good buy?
It can be, when the price reflects the work and you know the work before you buy. The risk is in surprises, not age.
What should I check before buying an old house in South Carolina?
Structure, moisture and termites (the CL-100), roof, wiring, plumbing, and whether the house can be insured. Older homes also come with a federal lead-based paint disclosure.
How do I know if a problem in an old house is serious?
Have the right specialist look at it before your due diligence period ends. Your agent should know which specialist each item needs.