Homes… Your Thoughts… Old or New?

[Fuddyduddy1952]

Maybe someone can answer a question I have. Within the last few years most houses around here have changed the front to look like this picture. Regardless of years built and a lot with stonework also. Two houses 1/2 mile away were built in 1900, a typical 2 story Virginia farmhouse. Many look like the second picture...then they add that front with the wood beams.
Curious as to why?

 

[WinterDeere]

No answer to your question, but the second one is prettier, esp. with a little fresh paint. But I'm an old house junkie.

Your roof pitches look alarmingly low for anyone who's used to snow. Ours here are all 10:12 or 12:12, on houses of that age.

 

[ultrarunner]

Current house has central vac but I still need my Electrolux for odd jobs…

Current house is the newest and was owner builder and owner was telecom engineer.

It’s extremely quiet with triple glazed windows Spanish clay tile roof and thicker insulated exterior walls.

6 kW array supplies all the kW used annually.

The more I think about the troubles my friends have with their new homes it’s majority build quality not meeting minimum standards.

 

[BackRoad]

Post and beam has been trendy for a while Mr. Fuddy...this too will change! And it's comparatively expensive to build. I'm like Mr. Winterdeere, finding old farmhouse styles being very welcoming!

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder...and lots of somebody's wanted this in 1975...

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

No answer to your question, but the second one is prettier, esp. with a little fresh paint. But I'm an old house junkie.

Your roof pitches look alarmingly low for anyone who's used to snow. Ours here are all 10:12 or 12:12, on houses of that age.

Exactly right! Our thoughts also, it ruins the 1900 look...but everyone does it.
Our friends & closest neighbors have a c.1978
split level. A nice house then I have a horse stable built. Within weeks they had all their bedroom doors replaced!!!

 

[etpm]

I love the look of old houses. Century old or older. I love the worn wood floors. The attention to detail. So when we were going to need a house about 20 years ago I looked into buying an old house and having it moved to our land. For very many reasons, good reasons, I abandoned this idea. Either I had to move into an old house situated where it was built or build my own new house where I owned property. We had a house built and even though our contractor turned out to be a thief the bones of the house are great. I did have to re-hang EVERY door in the house, had to remove the front doors completely to fix the installation, and fix other problems. Still, the house is what I wanted, 3/4" thick maple floors, solid wood 1 3/8" thick doors, all bronze hardware, 9 foot ceilings, Craftsman style trim, etc. We love our house and will live here until we are dead. We often get spontaneous compliments on our home. After about 18 years of living here the floors have dents and the house is starting to get that old house look that I love, that lived in look. By the time we die I think it will look pretty good. Our last house was built in the early 70s and was a piece of crap. No insulation in the walls, about 2 inches of blown in insulation in the attic, wiring in the garage and basement that was wired backwards, with the white wires hot and the black neutral, missing grounds, etc. I could go on and on. I was happy to sell it.
Eric

 

[Jstpssng]

When my sister was house shopping they found an 18 year old house which they thought was perfect. The inspection proved otherwise though.
Among other things the septic had never been pumped. Not a deal breaker except that the tank had been installed backwards. I'm no plumber or mechanical genius yet even I know that the outlet needs to be lower than the inlet.
That was just one of many things and even though it was in a good location, they decided to pass on it.

 

[ericm979]

If you leave just one exterior wall standing, it was considered a remodel, and none of that applied. LOTS of people did that.

Also it's often easier to get permits for a remodel, which can be a big deal in places where permits take a lot of time and money. I used to see this a lot in parts of the SF bay area.

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

I ran service calls for 43 years so I went to thousands of places. The nearby city in the late 1800s was known for one of the wealthiest in America. There are parts of downtown area homes are incredible. One I was remarking to owner how beautiful, all the hand carving, etc. He said this is the walnut room. Through this door is an identical room, the oak room. That door was like 2"-3" thick, half walnut one side, oak the other.
I looked at one for sale in 1980. $5,600! It was gorgeous, a large foyer with double staircases going upstairs, French pocket doors that had etched glass of grape vines and four marble fireplaces, 2 up, 2 down. One pink, a blue, green and yellow. A slate roof.
If it could have been moved out into the county it would be worth a fortune. Downtown you wouldn't want to live there.

 

[Oaktree]

I love the look of old houses. Century old or older. I love the worn wood floors. The attention to detail.

By "attention to detail" are you referring to fussy stuff like carved woodwork, embossed tin ceilings, gingerbread outside trim, etc? Not all old houses were built that way.
In the almost 50 years I've been a homeowner, my current house is only the second one (I tend to stay put! ). Both houses were built in the 1800s, and both were pretty plain jane. Current one just an old farmhouse. Other than the basic bones, neither house had much that was original, both had been remodeled substantially over the years (don't think they had drywall in 1830). Solidly built, but no time/money was "wasted" on frills.