There was a bunch of live knob & tube in a rental unit that I finally got around to upgrading last year. Oddly enough the panel box had been replaced but not most of the wiring. Got two bids, one from a contractor I’d used for a bunch of small jobs previously, and one from someone who came highly recommended. The guy that was new to me came in with a more detailed bid that was less than half than the guy I knew. Go figure. I went with the new guy, and he did a great job with no “surprises.”
If it’s a smaller house or cottage, beware of in-floor furnaces. Nobody will touch these anymore, so when it dies you’re either looking at installing a wall heater or running ducts and going with forced air gas.
I love old casement windows, but they’re poorly insulated and not everyone knows how to work on ’em. Some guys will want to rip them out and replace with vinyl.
General upkeep is more expensive in an older house, so it’s really a question of priorities. I enjoy creaky floors, casement windows, the funky fixtures, and all the other charming things about an older house, but old plumbing and electrical suck.
