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If you are the type of person that loves ‘Old Homes’, then you must visit the Colorado Rockies! Breckenridge, Colorado is the perfect place to live for those who want to enjoy the benefits of both mountain and town life.
Breckenridge was originally settled during the Gold Rush. As time passed, it eventually became the Breckenridge Historic District which was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1987. It is one of the few surviving examples of a Victorian planned town, and it demonstrates the development of nineteenth-century resort towns which prospered from railroad transportation and recreational opportunities afforded by nearby mountains, rivers and now Dillon Reservoir.
The buildings and streetscapes reflect the elaborate Victorian planning and construction common to a Franklin era town planning. The district features commercial, residential, and civic architecture representing various Victorian styles: Gothic Revival, Italianate, Queen Anne, Shingle style, Richardsonian Romanesque.
However, there are many considerations when considering buying or renovating a historic home in Breckenridge. Decision depend on the location, the age of the house, and your plans for renovation.
Before buying the property, you need to ask questions. Such as, what is the zoning of the property? Is it located in a historic district? Is it protected? If not, can you apply for an easement to protect it from future development? Will it be subject to public scrutiny? Will it be on any historic registers or preserved as a landmark?
If you’re satisfied with the answers your contractor gives you, the next step is knowing how much the renovations will cost and whether they are worth it. Historic homes can be expensive to maintain but if you're passionate about them, the costs might be worth it in the end.
It is important to understand the features and quirks of the home. For example, if the house is made with wood, it could have dry rotted and need to be replaced with metal or PVC pipes. It's also important to know the condition of the foundation, plumbing, electric, roofing materials, and windows.
Also, these homes are most likely positioned specifically on “tight” lots and could share paths and fences with other people. It is also important to understand that these historic structures, for better or worse, can never be moved.
Another thing that needs to be considered as well is the lack of parking spaces, some of these homes come with the idea that they were possibly moved to the downtown cores sometime in the 19th century by the locals, and were not taken into account that we might have multiple vehicles in the future.
Lastly, historical homes need to be preserved for future generations of Breckenridge residents, as a lot of these homes hold decades of secret treasures from owners of the past, so it's important to make sure that any renovations or updates are done carefully and according to specific guidelines set by the Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) in the area.
In order to make sure that you buy the best house in your price range, it is important that you start your search early and get professional assistance from an architect or contractor.
If you are looking for historic homes for sale in Breckenridge Real Estate, call Lindsey Stapay at 970-435-5700 to arrange a showing of all the properties for sale at Breckenridge and Summit County, Colorado.