Before buying an older house, determine the condition of the building by thoroughly inspecting it yourself with a trained professional, such as an architect or structural engineer. Also, map out what you want to accomplish and determine how much money you can afford to spend.

As a service to users of the Preservation Services List, the following online links are listed to provide further guidance for maintenance and restoration issues. This list will be updated as necessary:

• Ohio Historic Preservation Office, including The Building Doctor:
  http://www.ohiohistory.org/resource/histpres/
• The National Park Service has a number of detailed technical bulletins dealing with recommended restoration practices and historic building materials such as paint, plaster, glass, wood and masonry:
  http://www.nps.gov/history/hps/tps/briefs/presbhom.htm
• The City of Lancaster, Pennsylvania has some useful, easy-to-read general guidelines for maintenance of older homes:
  http://www.cityoflancasterpa.com/lancastercity/cwp/browse.asp?a=869
• This Old House magazine: how-to information, includes online forum:
  http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/
• The Old House Web: how-to information, includes online forums:
  http://www.oldhouseweb.com/

For more information visit the Secretary of Interiors Standards for Rehabilitation at the National Trust Web site.