I'm a great lover of technology and progress in many ways. But there are things that I don't like to have new. One is my house. The house we live in is going to be 100 years old next year. When we looked at houses there were several listings that were new houses, but we passed on them for this house instead. There were several reasons for the old house besides simply not wanting to break a new one in:
1. affordability-generally speaking (unless you are talking historic properties) you pay less for the older house than the comparable one. In addition it was in a old neighborhood (all the houses were thrown up about the same time) and several beautiful oak and maple were planted on the devil strip (tree lawn to the rest of you folks).
2 The added quality details. The walls are plaster, not fiberboard. It makes it harder to hang pictures but other than that its nice. All the windows and doorways have wood frames. The dining room has a wood window seat and built in glass front cabinets. These are luxuries in modern homes.
3More, if smaller rooms. Our family is an extended one, and we were looking for a house that would hold 4 adults and 2 kids, preferably with everyone getting a space of their own. Newer houses are built with great room and several large bedrooms, but the house we found has 6 bedrooms, plus a living room that is separate from the kitchen, and doors that shut.
Now I readily admit their are downsides....the house is drafty for one thing, and there aren't nearly enough electric outlets, and only one bathroom, and the kitchen is too small. In fact the deep freeze is in the dining room because there are neither electric outlets nor space to put it in the kitchen.
If we go to sell it someday it will no doubt require considerable work, or else go out as a handyman's special.But its worth it to reside in a house with some character, a feeling that someone has been here and would be there after us.
However right now I have to go put a bucket under the leak in the attic, just in case it finally rains.
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ReplyDeleteThank you so much, I'll be by as soon as I can figure out how all this works...
ReplyDeleteEven though your list is simple, I think it covers everything you want to have in a house. The greatest benefit is its affordability. You usually can get more square footage while paying less from an old house. This would also mean that there’s a better chance that your mortgage will be approved. Of course, issues like renovations could happen, but that can be minimized through research and intensive house shopping.
ReplyDeleteOn the whole it has worked out pretty well. Recently the school system passed a tax levy and while other complain I can relaxknowing that my house's post 2008 value I might shell an extra 10.00 a month. I amso glad we went with this house.
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