House Buying Q 3: older home vs. newer home....wwy say?

[sheryl]

Home Buying Q 1: decorating/painting, etc to sell a home.

Home Buying Q 2: ranch vs. 2 story home...wwy say?

Home Buying Q 3: older home vs. newer home....wwy say?

 

Not that I'm totally organized on this :tongue_smilie: but I wanted to remind y'all of my previous posts pertaining to selling/buying a home and those to which you responded.

 

Here I am now faced with older vs. newer homes. My dh and I love older homes and the character and details found in them. Now, I've seen attractive newer homes too. But, we've always liked the older homes. Our present house was built in 1967 and the quality is here in our small and modest house, but it's lacking in several areas: double pane windows, insulation is a question, lack of storage (general, linen, kitchen), and etc.

 

What are the pros/cons of living in a newer home? How do you define new? Or, let me say 1995 to present.

 

What are the pros/cons of living in the older home? Maybe before 1995 knowing that older usually means much older. Just trying to keep the "newer" option new?

 

Let me hear from you! Thanks. Sheryl <><

[Rebecca VA]

With a newer home I'd worry about Chinese drywall.

 

I prefer older homes, too. They're just more solid and often prettier.

[scrappyhappymama]

We strongly prefer older homes. In our area and in general, they have more character, have bigger rooms, have formal dining areas and more living areas, and are set on bigger plots of land.

 

They have their drawbacks too, but all of the above reasons outweigh the drawbacks for us.

[sheryl]

With a newer home I'd worry about Chinese drywall.

 

I prefer older homes, too. They're just more solid and often prettier.

 

R, what is Chinese drywall? S

[elegantlion]

We went from a home built in the 70s (not well built at that) to a home built in the 20s. We love the older homes. We love the character and charm of the era. The craftsmanship of the house. However, my dh is a carpenter, he can fix anything in an old house. We appreciate the quirkiness of an aged home.

 

Also not every older home was well built or well maintained. That can be a huge issue. We are fortunate that electrical, plumbing, siding and windows were updated in our home. Expensive update too and we're in a small house.

 

There are pros and cons to old and new. It almost depends on what you are willing to put up with age, condition wise and what you want in your home. Kitchen, bathrooms, and closets can be big downers in an older home.

 

If you have the money you can have a new home that is built to look old. They can be gorgeous, but pricey.

 

Updating can be expensive, it can be a pain if you're trying to do it while living in the home. It might also depend on how important aesthetics are to you. We love our new home, it's smaller than our other house, but we've discovered aesthetics are very important to us.

 

I would probably find some open houses in the new and old category and see which speaks to you the most.

[Rebecca VA]

Chinese drywall is drywall that was imported from China during the early 2000s and used in thousands of new homes. It seems to contain poisons that have caused illnesses and property damage to homeowners. You can find out tons more if you google "Chinese drywall."

[joannqn]

If you buy a home built before 1978, have it professionally tested for lead before buying it if you have young children or will have young children in the home. Have it tested before doing any remodeling for the safety of everyone of all ages. Also remember that any remodeling/construction work done on homes built before 1978 now require contractors to have a special license and use special safety procedures that take more time and cost more money.

 

I know this because we just abandoned our home (tried to give the deed back to the bank but they are ignoring our attempts to contact them and proceeding with foreclosure) because my youngest has elevated levels of lead in her blood. The doctor wanted her blood levels checked every 3 months to monitor it, and she was at risk of needing chelation therapy if they got too high. There's no way of knowing for sure (without spending tons of money we don't have) if damage was done to the older kids.

[mommyoftwinboys]

I've had both so I see pro's/con's to both.

 

With our new home(built in June) our electric bill has been really low due to all the energy efficient things in the house. For example, I just got my electric bill today for the month of December. We have a 3000sq ft home, we are home every day, we did have Christmas lights, the heat was on every day, and we had guests and my electric bill was $200..that was the most expensive one I've had yet..the cheapest being $77. I had a historic home before this house and it was only 2000 sq ft and my electric bill was much, much higher than that.

 

But, I do love the character of the old homes...you can't build a home like that now...I sometimes miss the old home because of all the charm..but it did have it's quirks that irritated me as well...to me location is more important than anything...

[sparrow]

It really depends on the house. My parents' house was built in the late '60s and is a poorly built house. Our house was built in 1970 and it is a quality built, solid house.

 

Overall, I would probably choose an older house.

[Sherry in OH]

old house pluses -

usually in established neighborhoods

landscaping in place

unique

lots of character - high ceilings, hardwood floors, detailed woodwork

lots of windows

front porches

attic space for storage

 

minuses

little or no insulation

asbestos siding

lead paint

unless they have been updated, windows are not double-paned

wiring (electricity) may not be up to par

plumbing may be ancient

the older the house is, the more likely it is that it was remodeled and that the remodel does not meet current code

odd layout due to multiple additions

basements are cellars and expensive to convert to living space

may not have air conditioning or a dishwasher

laundry in basement

constant maintenance

 

new house, pluses

insulation

new heating/cooling system

electricity and plumbing are newer (should be up to code)

cheaper to insure

basements usually dry and finished or ready to be finished

first or second floor laundry

attached garages standard

usually open floor plans

larger rooms

usually have a few years before major repair/replacement (furnace, roof, etc.)

 

negatives

usually in planned communities with little variation in style

often restrictions on what you can do as far as landscaping

usually farther from shopping and libraries

no character unless you have $$

often not much storage space

poorer quality

[Lara in Colo]

Older houses typically have larger lots and mature trees.

Older neighbors hoods can be found without an HOA (I really hate those)

Older houses have REAL wood burning fireplaces.

 

They also have older furnaces, lead paint asbestos, poor roofing, bad windows etc....

 

I agree with the PPabout the quality of the original builder. A cheaply built house will always have problems (older or newer) So I would suggest you neighborhood shop more than house/price shop.

 

Lara

 

 

Also when I was shopping for a house, I interviewed the neighbors to see if there were any problem people I should be aware of--just politely knock on a few doors and ask about traffic, mean/nosy people etc...

[Crimson Wife]

Most of the older homes we saw when we were house-hunting in fall 2009 needed *MAJOR* updating. They were typically estate sales or seniors going into assisted living/nursing homes and the houses were stuck in a 1950's-1970's time warp. We'd have probably needed to sink at least 20% of the purchase price into fixing the place up. And given the difficulty of getting home equity loans to pay for remodeling, we'd need to come up with cold hard cash to do it.

 

We wound up buying a home built in 1988 but which had the kitchen & master bath redone in 2005.

[Cinder]

I recall a conversation with a woman who preferred to buy a previously lived in home because she felt most issues a new home comes with would be worked out. And that the landscaping, fencing, grass would be established.

 

A much older home will usually not have enough electrical outlets for our modern lifestyles (computers, appliances, even bedside lamps and alarm clocks). When dh was in college he rented an apartment (in a fairly old house) that had only one outlet in each room.

[DawnM]

Our last house was in a Historic District and was built in 1910. It was a Craftsman. I MISS that house! I loved it.

 

We currently live in a 1989 custom built home (not a tract home) and it is very solid. The first owner was the builder himself. The exterior walls are 4x6 and that really helps with insulation.

 

Honestly, I don't think I would ever buy a tract home where they were slapped up quickly. They just aren't well built for the most part. I don't think the age of the home necessarily matters.

 

Dawn

[Catherine]

Older. Much better construction and more solidly built. More maintainance is needed, but the house will keep its value.

[Joanne]

I've owned 2 houses and am now renting a third.

 

House # 1 was less than 10 years old. There were some design flaws (like having the thermostat over the garage) that created energy efficiency issues. The amount of dead space/great room that was designed was, IMO, a flaw. I needed *usable* square footage vs. pretty, open space.

 

House # 2 (the one we are walking away from) was built in the early 80's. Not energy efficient. Needs major work. In fact, that is one of the reasons we chose to walk away instead of continue to "fight" for a legal, executed contract.

 

House # 3 - 2 years old. Nothing needs to be replaced or fixed. I haven't gotten utility bills yet, but I value the clean over "charm" right now. Maybe in another life circumstance, I'd welcome charm and character but not today.

[Margo out of lurking]

In general, I would definitely prefer the older house. (How old is "old"?) The landscape is developed, the neighborhood more established. While our brand-spanking-new house was lovely and had some nice touches, it was not particularly well built or well insulated.

 

We didn't even consider a newer home this time around. We ended up buying a home that had been completely remodeled in the past couple of years, so we have most of the new/niceness of a new house (Corian, appliances, new wood floors, replacement windows, doors, carpet, bathrooms) with what we like best about older neighborhoods (established, a mix of families/older couples, landscaping, larger lot size).

 

We've owned several homes. Other than how a house will fit our family, the biggest priority is resale value--which generally means location (, location, location). I'd choose a smaller home in a more desirable neighborhood/school district over a "perfect" house in another area.

[sheryl]

Our last house was in a Historic District and was built in 1910. It was a Craftsman. I MISS that house! I loved it.

 

We currently live in a 1989 custom built home (not a tract home) and it is very solid. The first owner was the builder himself. The exterior walls are 4x6 and that really helps with insulation.

 

Honestly, I don't think I would ever buy a tract home where they were slapped up quickly. They just aren't well built for the most part. I don't think the age of the home necessarily matters.

 

Dawn

 

Dawn, Tell me more...we live in Charlotte!!!

[KrissiK]

I think it depends on the house. I love the character and charm of older homes. I love the crown molding and all the little nooks and crannies. I love hardwood floors. My parents' home was built in the 50's and it is extremely well-built, everything about it is perfect from the stand-point of all the corners are perfectly square, the cupboards are air-tight, etc. It's beautiful in it's craftsmanship. However, their home is not typical. That being said, I'd never buy an older house because what I like more about my "brand new when we bought it 7 years ago" house is....

- abundance of electrical outlets where you need them

- bigger closets

- larger master-bath

- much much much more energy efficient

- fewer and larger rooms

 

I thought I might add that our house is a custom home in a custom neighborhood. It's not a huge home in a ritzy neighborhood, just 2100sq.ft. in a middle class neighborhood. I think whether a house is custom or tract makes a huge difference.

Edited January 6, 2011 by KrissiK

[Danestress]

Say you have $400k to spend on a house.

 

In my area, that gives you some choices. You could buy a cute older house in a more historic area. That might mean awful schools. In the cute historic neighborhood with good schools, it's going to buy you a house with some problems - the need for lots of repair, smaller quarters, etc.

 

Or you could buy a TON of house much further out in the burbs. Then you would have all the space you need, and perhaps a house that is decently built (if you do your homework and pick well) but you are out in the burbs. You are on land that used to be farmland but then got subdivided, and you will be with all the Yankees (just kidding, Yankee friends!) Your trees just aren't really providing the canopy you may want.

 

In our case, we sort of split the difference. I was not willing to live out where they are still building. I wanted to be in a neighborhood that I more or less recognize form my childhod, near the areas I grew up, not quite so far from down town. I wanted a settled area, and area with zoning laws that meant they would not put a car sales lot across the street. I wanted real trees.

 

But I wanted a house that I could comfortably raising my family in. We looked at older historic homes, but they either were going to require may more fixing up than I could stand or were going to sacrifice a lot of comfort. I had a teenager already, so I wanted a bit of space, bourgeois as it may sound. I wanted a bonus room. I absolutely really wanted an elegant, distinctive home, but I couldn't really afford one that would be appropriate for two introverts and their three teenaged sons.

 

But if you can find a larger old house with sufficient space and in reasonably good repair OR if you enjoy fixing things up a bit, or if you have enough money to just buy the dream house, I probably have more of a heart for older homes.

[sheryl]

Thanks everyone...again, great ideas and things to think about.

 

If anyone else would like to join in, I'm :bigear:

[sheryl]

I'm bringing this back another time or two to see if any of y'all would like to comment. :D:bigear:

[hsbaby]

One thing I would add is to watch houses that are about 12-15 years old. This is about the age that most major appliances start to fail (water heater, a/c, heater, etc). If I were to buy another home that age I would be sure these items have been replaced and/or you have a home warranty. We have had to maintain our warranty for 5 years now because we bought right at the point that all if the major things needed repair/replacement. It's been never ending and Tbe repairmen always tell us that 12-15 years is about the life of these types of things. Just thought I'd throw that out there:)

[Crimson Wife]

One thing I would add is to watch houses that are about 12-15 years old. This is about the age that most major appliances start to fail (water heater, a/c, heater, etc). If I were to buy another home that age I would be sure these items have been replaced and/or you have a home warranty. We have had to maintain our warranty for 5 years now because we bought right at the point that all if the major things needed repair/replacement. It's been never ending and Tbe repairmen always tell us that 12-15 years is about the life of these types of things. Just thought I'd throw that out there:)

 

If you have a good home inspector, he/she should catch those things. We factored into the final purchase price the fact that the roof and the furnace were getting towards the end of their expected life.

[happypamama]

We have had newer houses (less than 20 years old) and currently have an old house (almost 200 years old). Old houses definitely have their charm, especially if maintained well and correctly. You do have to watch for lead paint, and old houses do have their issues. Plus, we've found that as people updated our house, they didn't always do things correctly, so DH (who is an old house professional) has had to correct some things and has often lamented the loss of several original windows (the replacements are probably more efficient but not as historically accurate). Sometimes things like adding indoor plumbing or central heating may be slightly quirky. It can be very expensive and maybe sometimes tricky to find just the right person who knows what to do to repair/restore an old house properly. That's not to discourage you from buying an old house -- ours has its issues but is also a very solidly built house, and with time and money, could be pretty cool. We live with some issues (like, porch converted into laundry room -- but at least it HAS a laundry room) and have corrected others (like, working heat for our upstairs bedrooms). I think that if you are interested in an older home, you would want to find professionals to help you; I (former real estate agent) always recommend a professional home inspection on any potential house purchase, but if you're not an old house professional, find someone who is to look at the house thoroughly.

[happypamama]

Oh, and I forgot this (doesn't apply to us, since we live in the country, and nobody seems to care what we do): if you buy a historic house in a historic district, you may need to adhere to certain rules about what you can and can't do to the house/property (like paint colors and such). I guess modern houses with homeowner's associations have those issues too though, but it's something to consider.

[hsbaby]

If you have a good home inspector, he/she should catch those things. We factored into the final purchase price the fact that the roof and the furnace were getting towards the end of their expected life.

 

True. Ours was not good. At all. Sadly, there is not much recourse when the inspector does a terrible job. However, some of the stuff worked just fine....for about a year. Next time I would push the inspector to look very closely at these things. I just wanted to point out the life expectancy of such items so they would be scrutinized closely if the house was around that age.

[sheryl]

One thing I would add is to watch houses that are about 12-15 years old. This is about the age that most major appliances start to fail (water heater, a/c, heater, etc). If I were to buy another home that age I would be sure these items have been replaced and/or you have a home warranty. We have had to maintain our warranty for 5 years now because we bought right at the point that all if the major things needed repair/replacement. It's been never ending and Tbe repairmen always tell us that 12-15 years is about the life of these types of things. Just thought I'd throw that out there:)

 

Thanks. That makes sense. Good reminder.

 

If you have a good home inspector, he/she should catch those things. We factored into the final purchase price the fact that the roof and the furnace were getting towards the end of their expected life.

 

Thanks!

 

We have had newer houses (less than 20 years old) and currently have an old house (almost 200 years old). Old houses definitely have their charm, especially if maintained well and correctly. You do have to watch for lead paint, and old houses do have their issues. Plus, we've found that as people updated our house, they didn't always do things correctly, so DH (who is an old house professional) has had to correct some things and has often lamented the loss of several original windows (the replacements are probably more efficient but not as historically accurate). Sometimes things like adding indoor plumbing or central heating may be slightly quirky. It can be very expensive and maybe sometimes tricky to find just the right person who knows what to do to repair/restore an old house properly. That's not to discourage you from buying an old house -- ours has its issues but is also a very solidly built house, and with time and money, could be pretty cool. We live with some issues (like, porch converted into laundry room -- but at least it HAS a laundry room) and have corrected others (like, working heat for our upstairs bedrooms). I think that if you are interested in an older home, you would want to find professionals to help you; I (former real estate agent) always recommend a professional home inspection on any potential house purchase, but if you're not an old house professional, find someone who is to look at the house thoroughly.

 

Thanks....I appreciate you sharing your expertise! What is the price range these days for a professional inspector?

[Crimson Wife]

Thanks....I appreciate you sharing your expertise! What is the price range these days for a professional inspector?

 

We got a bunch of quotes that ranged from $400-$700. The inspector we ended up choosing was the highest quote but he had the credentials and several glowing recommendations to back it up. He was the president of the local chapter of the American Society of Home Inspectors. My dad, who has bought 8 houses and sold 6 over the past 30 years, said that the report we got from our inspector was the most thorough one he'd seen. It was definitely worth paying the extra few hundred bucks.

[happypamama]

Thanks....I appreciate you sharing your expertise! What is the price range these days for a professional inspector?

 

I honestly have no idea; it's been a few years for us, but I think it was around $300-400, so it may be higher now, especially if you want someone with old house experience. (In our case, a regular professional inspector did the water testing and general inspections, and my DH looked at the old stuff himself and decided there weren't major structural or other issues.)

[sheryl]

I honestly have no idea; it's been a few years for us, but I think it was around $300-400, so it may be higher now, especially if you want someone with old house experience. (In our case, a regular professional inspector did the water testing and general inspections, and my DH looked at the old stuff himself and decided there weren't major structural or other issues.)

 

Thanks! If it was quite a while ago, perhaps it is more costly now.

 

We got a bunch of quotes that ranged from $400-$700. The inspector we ended up choosing was the highest quote but he had the credentials and several glowing recommendations to back it up. He was the president of the local chapter of the American Society of Home Inspectors. My dad, who has bought 8 houses and sold 6 over the past 30 years, said that the report we got from our inspector was the most thorough one he'd seen. It was definitely worth paying the extra few hundred bucks.

 

Oh, thanks. This is good info to have as well. So, we don't get in a pickle is there a "list"? What am I asking here... You mentioned your Dad approved of yours b/c of its thoroughness. That tells me then some are not thorough. Is there a way to find out what is itemized on a good/bad one to know them apart. Not worded well, but hopefully it makes sense.

[Margo out of lurking]

We got a bunch of quotes that ranged from $400-$700. The inspector we ended up choosing was the highest quote but he had the credentials and several glowing recommendations to back it up. He was the president of the local chapter of the American Society of Home Inspectors. My dad, who has bought 8 houses and sold 6 over the past 30 years, said that the report we got from our inspector was the most thorough one he'd seen. It was definitely worth paying the extra few hundred bucks.

 

Excellent suggestion to go with ASHI certified. After buying our first home, in hindsight, we soon saw that our realtor placed her own interests first when referring a home inspector, mortgage guy, etc. When we bought the house, she got her commission. Of course, the people she recommended also wanted the house to sell, because they wanted her to continue giving them referrals. A convenient business deal for all of them, but we could have been totally screwed. (We weren't--and yes, she was working for us as a buyer's broker.)

 

We've had enough unpleasant experiences with realtors. Find someone you can really, truly trust. We've bought and sold several houses, and we finally have a honest, trustworthy realtor. We bought our current house this past summer, and I'm still aghast when I consider what I know the sellers' realtor knew but deliberately concealed from them. The worst part is that they live two houses down, and I feel like I know a dirty little secret.

[sheryl]

Excellent suggestion to go with ASHI certified. After buying our first home, in hindsight, we soon saw that our realtor placed her own interests first when referring a home inspector, mortgage guy, etc. When we bought the house, she got her commission. Of course, the people she recommended also wanted the house to sell, because they wanted her to continue giving them referrals. A convenient business deal for all of them, but we could have been totally screwed. (We weren't--and yes, she was working for us as a buyer's broker.)

 

We've had enough unpleasant experiences with realtors. Find someone you can really, truly trust. We've bought and sold several houses, and we finally have a honest, trustworthy realtor. We bought our current house this past summer, and I'm still aghast when I consider what I know the sellers' realtor knew but deliberately concealed from them. The worst part is that they live two houses down, and I feel like I know a dirty little secret.

 

Kristine, OK, thanks for sharing that. That brings up another question....HB Q #4 or 5 now :D What makes a good realtor? I know that be said of any person in any profession. A good friend of mine suggested her friend who is a realtor...."M" is a part-time realtor and Christian homeschooling mom. She seems to really know her stuff. She came to our house and gave tons of suggestions. But, you know I didn't "interview" her. I didn't ask about commission, her experience, etc. Should I have?

[Crimson Wife]

So, we don't get in a pickle is there a "list"? What am I asking here... You mentioned your Dad approved of yours b/c of its thoroughness. That tells me then some are not thorough. Is there a way to find out what is itemized on a good/bad one to know them apart. Not worded well, but hopefully it makes sense.

 

You can see a sample of our inspector's report here. He quoted us an inspection time frame of 5 hours (and actually ran a bit over that) whereas most of the other inspector quotes we got said 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Our agent was okay with the inspector we chose (probably because she stood to earn a commission no matter which house we ultimately bought) but the seller's agent was thoroughly annoyed by him.

[Crimson Wife]

Kristine, OK, thanks for sharing that. That brings up another question....HB Q #4 or 5 now :D What makes a good realtor? I know that be said of any person in any profession. A good friend of mine suggested her friend who is a realtor...."M" is a part-time realtor and Christian homeschooling mom. She seems to really know her stuff. She came to our house and gave tons of suggestions. But, you know I didn't "interview" her. I didn't ask about commission, her experience, etc. Should I have?

 

If she's your agent, she'll get half of whatever the seller pays in commission. Usually it's 6% but sometimes the agents will agree to lower that to get the deal done. Our agent & the seller's agent agreed to 5% in order to keep the deal from falling apart during the final negotiations.

[bookfiend]

Talk to insurance adjusters in your area. They can tell you what the building codes historically have allowed and which areas have the best built homes. Also, they don't have a financial incentive to persuade you one way or the other.

[StephanieZ]

IME, it depends on HOW 'older'.

 

Generally, I don't have much use for houses built in 40s-80s. (Now, I might even have to say 90s. LOL Time goes on. . .) Houses built in modern times, but no longer newiah. . . genearlly have relatively poor building materials, less character, but are old enough to require major maintenance (furnace, roof, etc.)

 

I lllloooooovvvee really old houses. My favorite house so far was our first house, a 1919 craftsman bungalo. Oh, so sweet. I miss it still! Adorable, solid brass door knobs, solid wood doors. . . darling, cute, oh, I miss it.

 

Since then, we've had brand new and a couple 10ish year old ones. If it's not really old, I like brand new (within 5 years). Of course, other things such an neighborhood, price, etc, can make a 10ish year old house a good buy, and that's why we've chose that twice. I wouldn't want the 20-40 year old range b/c of the many major maintenance issues combined with quality/style.

 

A couple important caveats on old houses: lead paint, electrical wiring. . .

[sheryl]

IME, it depends on HOW 'older'.

 

Generally, I don't have much use for houses built in 40s-80s. (Now, I might even have to say 90s. LOL Time goes on. . .) Houses built in modern times, but no longer newiah. . . genearlly have relatively poor building materials, less character, but are old enough to require major maintenance (furnace, roof, etc.)

 

I lllloooooovvvee really old houses. My favorite house so far was our first house, a 1919 craftsman bungalo. Oh, so sweet. I miss it still! Adorable, solid brass door knobs, solid wood doors. . . darling, cute, oh, I miss it.

 

Since then, we've had brand new and a couple 10ish year old ones. If it's not really old, I like brand new (within 5 years). Of course, other things such an neighborhood, price, etc, can make a 10ish year old house a good buy, and that's why we've chose that twice. I wouldn't want the 20-40 year old range b/c of the many major maintenance issues combined with quality/style.

 

A couple important caveats on old houses: lead paint, electrical wiring. . .

 

Right, our electrical is an issue.

 

Talk to insurance adjusters in your area. They can tell you what the building codes historically have allowed and which areas have the best built homes. Also, they don't have a financial incentive to persuade you one way or the other.

 

Oh, how smart is that! We live in NC too! We will do this. Thanks.

 

You can see a sample of our inspector's report here. He quoted us an inspection time frame of 5 hours (and actually ran a bit over that) whereas most of the other inspector quotes we got said 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Our agent was okay with the inspector we chose (probably because she stood to earn a commission no matter which house we ultimately bought) but the seller's agent was thoroughly annoyed by him.

 

Crimson, THANKS. I'll look at this and dh too. This is all so new. We've only bought one house since we've been married. And, of course we've never sold. Glad we're starting the research now. I didn't realize there was so much to do. OK, I'll seem silly asking this, but I can't help it. When we list this house, then we list AND buy with the same agent?

Very appreciate. Thanks, Crimson!

[happypamama]

OK, I'll seem silly asking this, but I can't help it. When we list this house, then we list AND buy with the same agent?

Very appreciate. Thanks, Crimson!

 

Not a silly question at all. You certainly can list and buy with the same agent; it's possible that since that agent will be getting both a listing fee and a buying fee on your behalf, he/she may be willing to accept a slightly lower listing fee, which means less you'll pay her out of the sale of your current home. No guarantee, of course, but you can always ask. Some agents only work with buyers, and some only work with sellers, but he/she will tell you that, and if that's the case, you can ask for recommendations from him/her for your other agent.

[Laura Corin]

I find this hard to answer. I grew up in a house which was built when George III was reigning. Our current house was built in the 19th Century, with additions at various points in the 20th Century.

 

I would look at the quality of the building, whenever it was built.

 

Laura

[sheryl]

I find this hard to answer. I grew up in a house which was built when George III was reigning. Our current house was built in the 19th Century, with additions at various points in the 20th Century.

 

I would look at the quality of the building, whenever it was built.

 

Laura

 

Laura, sounds lovely. Part of my heritage can be traced to Scottish routes. I've not been abroad, but from pictures Scotland, Ireland and I know many other old world countries look amazingly beautiful!

 

Not a silly question at all. You certainly can list and buy with the same agent; it's possible that since that agent will be getting both a listing fee and a buying fee on your behalf, he/she may be willing to accept a slightly lower listing fee, which means less you'll pay her out of the sale of your current home. No guarantee, of course, but you can always ask. Some agents only work with buyers, and some only work with sellers, but he/she will tell you that, and if that's the case, you can ask for recommendations from him/her for your other agent.

 

OK, got that. I'll ask "M" the real estate agent and friend of my friend. All of this info is very good to know.

 

As much as my dh and I really like (love) older houses, I am leaning towards a newer house....ONLY b/c we bought this 1967 house and moved in 20 years ago this month (1991). It was a fixer upper. Here's the kicker....we never really invested the time and money to "fix it up". That was totally our fault. We were focused on other issues and did not do what we should have....for our enjoyment, but also thinking ahead for resale.

 

THANKS HAPPY...!!

[Pretty in Pink]

I just adore older homes. Given a choice, I would choose an older home over a newer one. I see lots of new homes in magazines and such and while many of them are extremely beautiful I am just *drawn* to old homes.

[JFSinIL]

I have lived in a 1906 two-story house for 18 years after growing up in two new homes (a ranch and a two-story) and will take the older home with its plaster walls, actual solid wood doors, etc over newer, easily dinged construction any day.

[sheryl]

JFS, I saw the re-appearance of this thread (#3 in a series of many HB Q's threads.....:lol::lol::lol:) and wanted to say I agree with you. We talked with our real estate agent on Sat and it seems I would prefer a split floor plan in a ranch (found in newer construction) if there is no inventory of 1/5 story and/or walkout basement ranches from which to choose. However, I prefer real hardwood floors and many other features found in older homes. This is driving me bonkers....give and take on our wishlist.

[TranquilMind]

Home Buying Q 1: decorating/painting, etc to sell a home.

Home Buying Q 2: ranch vs. 2 story home...wwy say?

Home Buying Q 3: older home vs. newer home....wwy say?

 

Not that I'm totally organized on this :tongue_smilie: but I wanted to remind y'all of my previous posts pertaining to selling/buying a home and those to which you responded.

 

Here I am now faced with older vs. newer homes. My dh and I love older homes and the character and details found in them. Now, I've seen attractive newer homes too. But, we've always liked the older homes. Our present house was built in 1967 and the quality is here in our small and modest house, but it's lacking in several areas: double pane windows, insulation is a question, lack of storage (general, linen, kitchen), and etc.

 

What are the pros/cons of living in a newer home? How do you define new? Or, let me say 1995 to present.

 

What are the pros/cons of living in the older home? Maybe before 1995 knowing that older usually means much older. Just trying to keep the "newer" option new?

 

Let me hear from you! Thanks. Sheryl <><

My first house was built in 1924 with original everything. It really was gorgeous and even had large closets! 10 stained glass windows and a stained glass front door too.

 

All of my more recent houses and rentals have been built mid-century.

 

I'm really for a NEW home. I want everything to work! I want not to have to replace a roof again for a long time. I want large, walk-in closets and large baths. I want an immaculate exterior that requires no paint.

 

Someday...

[Carpe]

When we were looking at houses we were only looking at the years from 1980 to 1995. In my area the insulation regulations changed in 1979, and there was a building boom starting in 1995 and the quality went downhill significantly.

 

Houses built before 1979 have less insulation (unless they've been retrofitted) and much before that there is the dangerous materials like lead paint and asbestos insulation.

 

The houses newer than 1995 are really poorly constructed. There was a carpenter shortage that didn't end until the 2008 crash. Fewer workers were building more houses and some employees were highly unqualified.

The companies were hiring literally anyone who applied.

 

The big problems with the new builds are the foundations tended to crack because they did not wait long enough between packing the earth and pouring the concrete. And that the walls, floor and ceilings are not perpendicular, nor, in some cases, all that close.

 

We might buy a house that has been built since 2009 but they're charging too much for them.

[TravelingChris]

We have lived in upscale homes from the late 60's in our last two homes. They had been updated to new great windows,etc. We couldn't find homes as nice as those two have been with the landscaping they have with new homes. My house in VA had plenty of closet space, way more than enough. This one is somewhat tighter in that department but everything else is fabulous. Really great upgrades that make my house worth a lot more than I paid for and as evidenced by my replacement house insurance.

 

I have one experience in a new home and that totally turned us off of new homes. Piping falling apart, locks jamming on new locks, etc, etc. I knew others with new home construction and they always had more problems in the first year than I have ever had in an older construction. The one bad thing, though, about older homes is if you have babies or toddlers that peal paint. Lead paint was common in the 60's.