Is An Old Home for You? - The Pros

Title: 

Is An Old Home for You? - The Pros

Word Count:

412

Summary:

If you prefer a home that is unique and has character, you probably are giving some thought to buying an older home. Before buying, it is a good idea to carefully evaluate the pros and cons of owning the home. In this article, we cover the positive benefits I have realized by owning a home built in 1825.

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Article Body:

If you prefer a home that is unique and has character, you probably are giving some thought to buying an older home. Before buying, it is a good idea to carefully evaluate the pros and cons of owning the home. In this article, we cover the positive benefits I have realized by owning a home built in 1825.

The Pros of An Old Home

I know a great couple that bought a house built in about 1825. The pair bought the home in 1972 and moved in on August 15th of that year. The following article is written by the wife telling of some of their positive experiences in the old house.

 While maintenance has certainly been an issue, there are more than a few positives to the home. Everything is real. There is no fake anything. Bricks are brick. Wood is wood. Slate is slate. Fireplace mantles, chair rail, crown molding, and baseboards are not dinky little things; they are beautifully proportioned. The floors are rich, wide, heart of pine planks.

There is a rich feeling of history and being connected to our country’s past that permeates through our neighborhood. George Washington grew up just across the river and trudged up the lane across the street from us daily to attend school. James Monroe and Mathew Fontain Maury (the “pathfinder of the seas”) lived within a block of us. Our house was used as a boys’ military academy (Philips’ Military Academy) prior to the War Between the States. Put together, one gets a feeling of wonder when walking around the community.

Old houses can also be a very good investment. First, there is a limited supply of them. With the popularity of historic societies and the preservation movement, people have become more appreciative of them. Precisely because of the center city locations of many of them (which provided drawbacks for us when we first moved here), they are often in what have become highly desirable locations. Our house is within two blocks of commuter rail that runs into downtown Washington, D.C. and many old cities have old house neighborhoods in terrific locations. Boston, Richmond, Savannah, and Charleston come to mind.

We paid $35,000 for our house in 1972. Within the last year, two houses within a block of us have sold for more than a million dollars. I have a feeling that our home may be the best investment we have ever made.

That about sums it up. Beauty. A sense of it being “real.” Feeling connected to the past. And a darned good investment to boot. Yup. We have spent some blood, sweat, and tears. Real money, too. But I would do it over again in a heart beat.”

Now obviously here in North Texas you would not be able to find the historical significance this couple’s old house holds, however you can still find rich history in older neighborhoods governed by historical societies.