Ugggh .... demo work on an old house .... NAAASTY ! Sorry Bro, just had to say that first. Done too much of that kind of thing over the years. Don't want to discourage you from doing it but there are a lot of hazards. As long as you know what to look for the rest is your choice.
If you run into asbestos just walk away........
Wear coveralls,steel toe boots,respirator,gloves ,safety glasses etc. At the end of the job you're going to be covered in filth so remember to stop and decontaminate before you go into your home.
There's probably lead paint.
As Sledge mentioned ....plaster dust.
Most old houses have rat's nests buried in the walls,ceilings, and attics. They pee & poop in the nests and it's a Bio-Hazard. There's some kind of lung infection that you can get from them.
There's always a chance of something collapsing down on you as you're ripping stuff apart.
Better to have all of the utilities shut off before you get there.
There's fatigue .... you're prone to making mistakes that get you hurt when you're tired and in a rush to meet a deadline.
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Aside from the risks Brasscatcher laid it all out pretty well. Check the sewer and vent pipes. Sometimes they're copper in an older place. If you run into 2" - 3" copper pipe with brass fittings you've hit the motherload !
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