Video: Reasons Behind Buying and Renovating Historic Homes

STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – Historic homes are a part of a town’s history.

Antebellum. Victorian. Arts and Crafts. Mid Century Modern. Some homes date back to the 1800’s, but many old homes are in disrepair.

It takes money and a good contractor to bring these pieces of the past back to life.

These homes have a story.

“Everyone wants a nice looking home, something that’s unique, and for someone that lives in a historic home such as myself, it’s just a matter of pride and a matter of, just essentially liking the history of a community,” says historic homeowner, Buddy Sanders.

Many of the families who built these houses and raised their families here are no longer living nearby, but some residents want to keep the community residential history intact.

“One day, some of these people that own these homes, their children will come back here and will want to see where their parents, their grandparents lived and it’s no longer here,” says Starkville resident, Faye Turner.

“If somebody don’t want it torn down, then they need to buy it, they need to preserve it, but I think they should be preserved and there is federal money and grant money out there to preserve them,” says Starkville resident, John Fondren.

Plus, some people say, they just don’t make them like they used to decades ago.

“The character of the neighborhood and the structure itself. There’s generally an architectural style and materials and designs that are just unique to that structure,” says Sanders.

Sanders bought his 90-year old house over a year ago and plans on spending around 11 grand on renovations.

“Restoring the original hardwood floors, essentially replacing the wood with materials that are alike on the home. Returning the color to a color of the house that would be typical of something that was built in the 20’s, along with doors and windows.”