What's scary about a 1960's Apartment Building?

[Justin Rostant]

I am looking at buying a stabilized apartment here in DFW built in the 1960's and was wondering if there are any age-related pitfalls that I need to be aware of. Also, is there a good rule of thumb for a maintenance per door cost when preparing a proforma?

[Kimberly T.]

Well, some issues that may be problems (or may not) that I can think of:

- Aluminum wiring was used in some areas starting in the mid or late 1960s to save copper for the war. Check if it has that. It can be retrofitted for probably $1000 to $2000 per unit, depending on number of outlets in each unit.

- Lead paint. If you care. Only really an issue if you plan on doing some serious demo/remodel.

- I think they may have used gyp board with asbestos. Again, only an issue if you do demo/remodel.

- Probably has galvanized sewer drain line(s), which may be nearing the end of their useful life. Can be retrofitted with a liner, or replaced.

- Don't know if they insulated walls/ceilings back then (assuming this is wood framed) in Texas. They didn't insulate them here in CA in the 1960s.

- I've heard of soils issues in parts of Texas that may have affected the foundation/structure, check if that's an issue in your area.

That's all I can think of right now. Maintenance costs probably depend a lot on the type of construction of the building, how well it's been maintained, and whether any of the above issues have been addressed already.

Good luck!