I am debating the purchase of a home in Portland that is a designated Historic home, which comes with a number of special considerations. Are there general contractors that specialize in dealing with historical societies and/or historical projects? Also, before I buy this home, how much does historical society involvement typically slow down an extensive remodeling project of a 3500-4000 SF home?
Yes there are contractors who are specialized in Remodeling Historic Homes. First you need to meet with the Historic District office in the area where the home intended to be purchased. They have power to say to how the home will look like with the renovations, they have no say on the interior. Once you meet and they look at the house pictures, they will ask for architectural plans so you can submit a formal application to the Historic Board for there approval, they will ask for the plans to be changed / revised to make the renovation add to the look of the home and not less. Then you can decide if you want to purchase the house.
You would also benefit hiring a company like mine when you need to keep any of the existing finished inteirior woods in the home… Companies like mine specialize in repairing things as they are without the need for any extensive refinishing. We also tend to have ideas to make sure no matter how bad it is, there is always a way to fix it.