The Director of Developmental Services, Jared Mayfield, has a peculiar hobby of renovating historic homes to make it available to the market. Mayfield has already restored seven historic homes in Victoria.
He said that renovating a historic home is like solving a puzzle while trying to keep the character of the houses. "I think it's something you have to be passionate about, especially if you do it more than once. It's very satisfying to see the transition of what it looked like to after it's finished," said Mayfield during an interview with the Victoria Advocate.
The Executive Director of Victoria Preservation Inc. told Victoria Advocate that the restoration of historic homes can be a delicate process because the historic integrity is a big world. "For the most part that goes for the exterior. One of the first things people look at when they get into a historic home, [is] they look at the kitchens and the bathrooms, because people weren't used to the comforts we are [now enjoying]," said Wright.
The first thing that needs to be repaired in a historic home is its basic infrastructure, which may be outdated. "I've had houses where I've had to do everything - completely new wiring and completely new plumbing," Mayfield said. "It's kind of fun because you're trying to maintain the historic character of the outside and preserve the inside to still make it modern," Mayfield enthused.
One of the main problems in renovating old homes is that the materials used during its construction may not be available today. Renovators will also need to consider ensuring that the character of the house is in sync with the neighborhood.
"When you talk to groups of historic homeowners, they talk about the home like it's a family member," Wright said. "They become a part of the house's history, and the house becomes a part of them, too," Wright concluded.
