The Best Places to Buy Historic Homes in South Carolina

Owning a true piece of American history has many advantages. If you are looking to buy a historical home in South Carolina you have probably already considered the advantages of owning a historic home. The feeling of owning a home that has played a part in piecing together the American dream is very rewarding. The term “real estate” seems to have been overshadowed by massive new home developments and capitalism. But as veteran South Carolina real estate agents, we understand that history is an intricate part of our southern culture and preservation of historic residences are often disregarded as “tear down and rebuild projects”.

South Carolina is likely the most overlooked location for historic home ownership. Maybe because it’s so common for us to see them scattered throughout our landscape. You can travel up and down the SC coast and you’ll find large southern plantations in parts of the Lowcountry hidden behind moss covered live oak trees. If you’re a little hesitant about buying rural property in South Carolina you can easily find hundreds of Historic Homes for sale in Charleston on the market today. In Charleston, you can pretty much get whatever you are looking for. If you want to be in a historical waterfront home in the City of Charleston…it’s pretty common to be available. Chances are that you are likely to run across home in need of repair or a caretaker to maintain everyday upkeep.

But don’t think Charleston is the only place to find historic homes for sale in South Carolina. Columbia is only an hour and a half away from the Blue Ridge Mountains on one side and the Atlantic Ocean on the other and has a huge historic presence and a modest equestrian community. Camden SC, deemed the oldest inland SC city and the home to the distinctive “Carolina Cup Steeplechase”, is a popular suburb of Columbia. Here you will find lots of acreage for sale or equestrian farms for sale with historic homes on the premises. If you’re looking to be a little more urban and the historic plantation homes in Camden aren’t in your vision, you should revert back to Columbia.

Historically, Columbia was known as a “Mill Town” and the city itself is located in one of the most transportation friendly areas in the south. Rivers, railroads, and interstates have always played a major factor of successful historical commerce… as it does today. There were several active textile mills in the area. Mills needed workers, workers needed homes, and homes needed neighborhoods close to work. This idea created the best neighborhoods in Columbia for mill workers. The City of Columbia also prospered around the South Carolina State Capitol building and suggested the need for luxury mansions and historic homes in the city. Nowadays, historic homes for sale in Columbia are likely to be concealed by a lawyer’s office sign in the window. Most of these homes have been preserved, but the use has changed from residential to commercial use. In any case, there is a presence and a need of historic home preservation in Columbia.

South Carolina real estate has remained relevant throughout the years of economic turmoil. Historic properties tend to be among the top of the market in value. There are historical societies that are structured to help maintain the balance of new home construction and historic preservation in South Carolina.

5 Hot Tips to Sell Your Historic Home

Old as it may be, your historic home may just be the piece of property some home buyers are looking for. You don’t have to worry about the plenty of new homes selling here and there for old and historic houses have their own market segment. You just have to do the right things to make it sell. Here are 5 hot tips to jumpstart your goal.

Preserve the historic integrity of the house

Buyers of historic homes are very particular with the historic value of the house. As such, they prefer homes that retain and preserve decors, designs, and styles. These are all significant with how the house shaped its history.

Clean and repair

An old house doesn’t mean it has to look old and creepy with all the dust and cobwebs prominent on the things and house parts. It also should not reflect its age through obvious and unseen damages. Cleaning and repairing are two key processes that will help you make your old house presentable to potential buyers. Don’t forget to pay particular attention to your basement if you have one. Other house ports that you should look for damages are kitchens and baths. You should also clean and repair the windows, doors, sills, and even the moldings.

Grant buyer requests

Buyers have the right to request for repairs and fixes. You should grant them because other buyers would have the same request as what the first buyer would generally ask. Refusing buyer requests for repairs is deemed as an act of non-courtesy and will count against you as a home seller. You don’t want to have words circulating that you are rude and you are not yet ready to sell your house. Don’t you?

Capitalize on the home’s historic importance

Whether your house is an heirloom or you just bought it from its owner some years ago, you should capitalize on its historic importance to sell it. Conducting a research on how the house was built and who were its past residents would do a big impact. There might be some notable persons who are worth-mentioning. An event of great importance or perhaps an incident which helped changed how the house was looked upon by neighbors would also be significant. These are all points of interests that potential buyers would dare know from the depths of research pages.

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