old house vs new house

While experts seem to disagree from moment to moment about the future of the housing market, one thing is unequivocally unanimous: what is happening with the market today. Even though the sellers are flexing their muscles and doing jabs and punches in the air, we are still in a buyers market. And yesterday is the time to buy. Now only you can answer exactly what kind of house to buy, but perhaps the following information will help you make an easier decision.

There are three options available to homebuyers today: buy a new home, buy an older home, and build your own home. But because this item is No Titled “Old House vs. New House vs. Building Your Own House from Scratch,” we’ll only cover two of the three options: Old Houses and New Houses, each with advantages and disadvantages. Let’s start with the old, then ring in the new.

Advantages of buying an old house

The most obvious advantage of buying an old house is character. While new homes can be elegant, with all the bold lines and angles, they don’t compare to arched doorways, foyers, hand-carved banisters, stained glass windows, 12-foot ceilings, 7-inch baseboards, alcoves for telephones, the octagonal rooms. . . and just the grandeur that defined the turn of the century.

Another benefit is that older homes have withstood the ravages of weather, children, and pets for decades, even centuries. They are solid! What is going to be fixed has probably already been fixed. Not much on fundamental “ahas”!

And not wanting to state the obvious, but here we are, old houses sit in old neighborhoods. Established neighborhoods. Some old houses have been passed down from generation to generation. Relationships develop over the life of a home and its occupants, and a mindset of taking care of each other emerges that can extend to people who shop in the neighborhood. You don’t just buy an old house. . . you buy an extended family.

Whereas builders may exhibit a propensity for razing native trees, shrubs and grasses, leaving a freshly cut crown to create with! create! create! time has erased the madness of the first builders. What were once neighborhoods dotted with tiny saplings have now become homes nestled within the canopy of trees in the prime of life.

Finally, because the most common means of locomotion was two feet, people built their houses closer to their entertainment. Or more accurately, they built their entertainment closer to home.

Disadvantages of buying an old house

More work! If it seems like there’s always something to fix or update, that’s because there is! Unless the building was gutted and restored before you call it home, you may want to repair chimneys and stone foundations, level sloping floors, ground electrical outlets, remove cracked plaster, replace plumbing, update kitchen, etc. the bathroom, the oven, the windows and yes, add central air conditioning. Although once the old house has been cut and spruced up, what a showplace it could be!

Asbestos. Enough talk.

Older homes are famous for their smaller closets, garages, and storage spaces. In fact, there is photographic data to prove that early 20th century groups of people were no less than 5 feet tall and thinner than a runway model; however, that is not reflected in their homes. And don’t think about using the bases for storage or living space, because many are nothing more than a ground-based cellar that can only be accessed from the outside of the house.

Lastly, the layout of the old house is not conducive to large gatherings. . . at least meetings where people can be in the same room at the same time. Yes, the room was big. Yes, the living room was big. And yes, sometimes the lobby was spacious. But they all had one thing in common. Neither of them was open to the other.

Having listed the pros and cons of the old houses, it’s time to tackle the new ones.

Advantages of buying a new house

The most obvious advantage of a new home is that everything is new. There is an emotional factor at play here. There is nothing like having something new, that has never been used, be it a car or a house. Probably a lot like how Neil Armstrong must have felt before everyone else started moonwalking him.

Best of all are the modern conveniences like a built-in dishwasher and stove, plus bathrooms (and with shower heads!), and air conditioning, to name a few. While most of us can enjoy the occasional hardship of camping, no one really wants to live in a campground!

Builder’s warranty. Whether it’s a year or ten years, it’s better than nothing!

And even though many new homes feature cathedral and/or trey ceilings, they’re still more energy efficient than older ones. Think insulation in the walls, ceilings, and floors. Think double or even triple pane windows. Think 90% efficient air conditioning instead of, well, no air conditioning.

A BIG advantage to new homes is the neighborhood amenities. Today, if you’re not on a golf course, you’re close to one. If you don’t have a pool, the neighborhood council will have one. Bike paths, common areas and playgrounds are the norm.

And last but not least, new houses are more user friendly. Instead of simply putting together a house with all the essential parts, builders are taking consumer wishes into account. Open floor plan, split floor plan, functional basement, Jack-N-Jill baths, his and her powder rooms, first floor master, the list goes on.

Disadvantages of buying a new house

Less individuality. Because buyers have many of the same desires, floor plans become virtually indistinguishable from one another. There are exceptions, of course, but rarely do we find a reasonably priced home that boasts a two-story library. Most of the rest of the new house disadvantages can be found by reversing the old house advantages. For example, immature vegetation, foundation settlement, longer trips to the city center, etc.

In the end, though, it’s all in the eye of the beholder, and there’s a market for every style, era, and color of home. The only right option is the right one for you!