Close your eyes and imagine a classic Seacoast home with us. What do you see? Maybe it's a salt-weathered homestead tucked between dry-laid stone walls, its white clapboards catching the light just right. The roof pitches low in the rear, a nod to its 18th-century saltbox form. A red barn leans slightly with age. And inside? You might find original wide-plank floors, hand-hewn beams, and the telltale scent of linseed oil and old pine. Homes like this are everywhere in New England, and more than a few are still lived in. But the charm of these historic homes often comes bundled with drafty windows, cramped kitchens, aging systems, and layout quirks that don’t match modern life.
At Oxland Builders, we’re often asked: Can you really remodel a 100-year-old home? The answer is: Absolutely. But not without care, vision, and deep knowledge of what makes these homes special. We're here today to show you how we bring the classic New England homestead design into the modern age, preserving character while making room for energy efficiency, smart tech, aging-in-place, and everyday comfort. Because living history should be a pleasure, not a project that never ends.
Before you can bring a historic home into the modern age, you have to understand what defines it. In New England, the term “homestead” isn’t a catch-all. It refers to a very specific architectural lineage. These homes were never meant to be luxurious. They were cleverly built to endure, using available materials. Today, those same qualities make them so desirable to restore and live in.
While every old home tells its own story, most classic New England homesteads fall into one of a few dominant styles that evolved over centuries.
This style dominated coastal areas from Massachusetts to southern Maine and was especially common in seaport towns like Portsmouth and Exeter. Early versions were entirely hand-built from timber felled on site.
Originally a one-room “hall and parlor” plan, often expanded over time
Symmetrical front facade with central door
Steep roof pitches 7/12 to 10/12, (30 degree to 40 degree) designed to shed snow quickly
Low ceilings to conserve heat
Massive center chimneys that served multiple rooms
Windows are often arranged with six or more panes, as smaller glass was less expensive and more stable
Saltboxes were common in more rural inland areas where families added space as needed. You’ll still see many in towns like Stratham, North Hampton, and South Berwick, often with their original chimneys intact.
Essentially a 2-story colonial with a lean-to added at the rear
The long, sloping roof created a natural snow barrier and helped with water runoff
Asymmetry from the side, symmetry from the front
Two stories in front, one in back, often giving the illusion of more modesty from the road
Typically framed with exposed beams, hand-hewn and joined without nails
You can often trace the family’s growing needs in these homes through the structure itself. A small Cape might have started it all, with ells and additions tacked on as space or function dictated.
A distinctly New England solution to long winters
Multi-volume structures connected under one continuous roofline
Allowed farmers to access livestock, storage, and tools without stepping into the snow
Usually developed over time, rarely built all at once
These classic materials' unique shape and substance imbue the spirit of early American ingenuity into every enduring corner. These homes were constructed from what was on hand, and often from the land they stood on.
Clapboard siding was typically white pine, riven or sawn, and hand-nailed. In older homes, it’s common to find clapboards with rosehead or cut nails still in place.
Fieldstone foundations, often unreinforced and dry-laid, were made from stones cleared from the property.
Post-and-beam timber frames relied on mortise-and-tenon joints, wooden pegs, and no metal fasteners. These frames were dimensionally massive, we're talking 8x8 or larger, and incredibly strong.
Floors were wide planks, sometimes as much as 14 inches across, planed by hand and worn smooth by generations.
Interior finishes were functional: limewash, milk paint, paneled wainscoting, and built-in cabinetry. Closets were often shallow or nonexistent; storage was built into the walls and under stairs.
It’s also common to find quirks—“as-built charm.” Slightly uneven floors. Stairs that shift direction halfway up. Rooms that seem just a few inches off-square. These were homes built without blueprints by people who built from experience, not architectural plans.
What we now think of as charm often began as climate adaptation. The practical reason for many of the prevailing architectural practices is weather-related. These homes were effectively passive solar and energy-conscious long before those terms existed.
Small windows weren’t a design choice but a concession to heat retention.
Low ceilings kept warm air where people lived.
South-facing facades captured the most winter light and warmth.
Heavy doors with iron latches and wooden bars held out cold and wind.
A modern renovation that ignores the original structure risks aesthetic disconnect and structural compromise. Oxland Builders leverages our expertise to take our cues from what’s there. We know how to read a hand-cut mortise joint or identify original pine from later replacements. That informs every decision we make: what to keep, what to replicate, and what to rework for 21st-century performance. We believe that our task is to steward your piece of history into this century. We're writing the next chapter in a story that’s already stood for a hundred years. And we're excited to build you something beautiful.
Yes, you can. And you absolutely should, if you’re prepared to do it right. Historic homes aren’t often delicate. They’re resilient by design. But they do come with challenges: uneven framing, outdated systems, hidden structural surprises, and materials that require more than a trip to the hardware store. Renovating one is a commitment, but when done well, it’s the most rewarding kind of residential construction.
At Oxland Builders, we’re not guessing what’s behind that plaster wall. We’ve seen the balloon framing, the hand-hewn sills, the oddball transitions between additions built fifty years apart. We know where trouble hides and how to deal with it while keeping your budget and goals front and center.
Every home is different, but here’s what’s typical in a full-scope historic remodel.
Foundations may need reinforcement. Fieldstone foundations can last for centuries, but many need repointing, partial replacement, or structural supports to meet modern codes.
Framing is often non-standard. You’re not working with a level baseline, old floors slope, joists vary in size, and walls are rarely square. Expect some creative problem-solving.
Outdated wiring and plumbing. Knob-and-tube, cloth-wrapped wiring, cast iron stacks, galvanized supply lines, it all has to go. That’s not optional.
Insulation is either non-existent or insufficient. Many homes have empty wall cavities, poorly insulated attics, or deteriorated materials that create thermal gaps.
Hazardous materials are common. Lead paint and asbestos are expected in homes built before 1978. They must be addressed safely and legally.
If all this sounds overwhelming, that’s understandable. But with the right team, these challenges are manageable, and the results are nothing short of extraordinary. Mindset is crucial as you prepare for your remodel. You have to understand what’s worth saving, what can be replicated, and where it’s okay to introduce something new. That’s where experience shows up. And that’s where Oxland shines.
There’s a fine line between upgrading a historic home and stripping it of what made it beautiful in the first place. Modernization doesn’t have to mean open-concept everything, cookie-cutter finishes, or new-for-the-sake-of-new. It means designing with restraint. Building with intention. Preserving what still works, and improving what doesn’t.
We’ve made a name for ourselves doing just that.
Things might feel overwhelming and messy initially, but we've walked this path with many folks, and we have a great process to help us hit every important aspect of your historic remodel. We begin with your goals. Are you trying to open up the kitchen without removing every wall? Do you want better insulation, but need to preserve the original trim? Are you planning to age in place, or simply make the home more comfortable for everyday living? From there, we create a roadmap. It’s not one-size-fits-all. It never is. But there are patterns.
Layout modifications with purpose. We might open up the flow between the kitchen and dining while preserving walls where you want them. We use archways, half-walls, or framed openings to maintain a sense of structure and keep the house feeling like a house, not a showroom.
Insulation and air sealing upgrades. Wherever possible, we insulate from the outside in, especially when original plaster or woodwork is intact. Depending on the scenario, we’ll use closed-cell spray foam in attic rafter bays or dense-pack cellulose in open wall cavities.
Window strategies that work. We don’t throw out original sash windows if they’re restorable. We retrofit when we can, and when we replace, we are thrilled to use historically accurate units with simulated divided lights, wood frames, and proportioned muntins.
Systems integration that disappears. We install smart lighting, radiant floors, hidden speakers, climate zones don’t announce themselves. No plastic wall panels. No visible ductwork. Just comfort that works behind the scenes.
Aging-in-place features are built in from the start. Curbless showers. First-floor primary suites. Wider doorways. We design them into the house as though they were always there.
Something special happens when we seat modern and historic touches at the same table. Using selective contrast to highlight the old, we can spotlight an original beam over a new island, repurpose a salvaged door as a pantry slider, use hand-planed wood matched with painted shaker cabinetry, and so much more. The point isn’t to copy the past, it’s to speak the same language. That’s how you modernize a homestead. We're thrilled to make our living continuing it with care, skill, and a little humility.
It depends. That’s the honest answer.
No two historic renovations are alike. Some are light refreshes that "just" need insulation, mechanical updates, and maybe a layout adjustment. Others are full-gut, back-to-the-studs rebuilds, including additions, modern systems, energy upgrades, and custom finishes from the foundation to the roof ridge. The difference in cost between those two projects? It’s significant. But we can still talk ranges.
These numbers reflect what we see in neighborhoods up and down the Seacoast today, not national averages, not guesswork.
We know those are wide ranges. But they have to be. The condition of the existing structure, the accessibility of mechanical systems, and the level of finish all factor in. So does what we find when we open up the walls. That’s part of what makes historic work different, and why it takes a team with real field experience. See our comprehensive cost guide here for a further exploration of the factors that influence common projects in our area.
If you’ve never tackled a project like this before, it helps to know what’s driving those numbers. Here’s where budgets tend to expand, and what’s often worth the investment.
Structural surprises. Replacing rotted sills, jacking and leveling, or rebuilding failing foundations adds time and cost. It’s not flashy, but it’s critical.
Mechanical overhauls. Bringing plumbing, wiring, and HVAC up to current code, while threading it through post-and-beam framing without damaging original materials, is a craft of its own.
Insulation and air-sealing. Getting historic homes to perform well takes more than batting insulation in the walls. We use foam, cellulose, advanced vapor barriers, and strategic envelope planning to make these homes more efficient than many new builds.
Windows and doors. Custom-made windows to match original profiles aren’t cheap. But they’re often the difference between a generic remodel and one that feels like it belongs.
Finish materials. Salvaged wood. Custom millwork. High-end tile and stone. In historic homes, these details matter just as much as they did 100 years ago, and they will not matter less as the years go on.
Remodeling a historic home isn’t the cheapest route to a new kitchen or a second bath. But for the right homeowner, it’s the most meaningful. When it’s done right, you're a steward of and a participant in living history, and that's priceless.
Owning a historic home in New England creates a relationship with the past. These homes have weathered centuries. They've held generations of families, seen the world change around them, and stayed standing through it all. When you renovate a home like that, you’re not starting over. You’re picking up where someone else left off.
At Oxland, we don’t take that lightly. If you’re ready to make your homestead work for this century without sacrificing the character that makes it special, we’d love to help. We know the tools, we know the materials, and we know how to carry history forward with care.
Let’s get to work. Schedule a consultation with our team to talk through your goals and explore what’s possible.