by Liz Roberts

Created on: April 01, 2008

There is more than charm that should make a person buy an older house. Consider what went into it, the craftwork, the love and most of all the good materials. Can you get this with a brand new mass produced house? No. Buying a refurbished house means acquiring something that is better built and possibly masterfully constructed. Buy a brand new house and lose out on all of that.

It's tempting to look at a newer house and think that it's at the height of high tech. Think again. Most "McMansions" nowadays are built so fast that it's like they're slapped together. The building materials are not always going to be top notch. Most of the time wood used is inferior to homes built during the Victorian and Edwardian periods. Even the Cape Cods and ranches built during the post World War Two boom years are more more solidly constructed than today's homes. You also have better tiling and flooring. Most of the tiles were made overseas and most of the wood used for hardwood floors are anything from oak to mahogany. If you want that in today's "newbie", you had better cough up the big bucks for that. Another point about buying an older home is that you'll have thicker walls in most cases. Nowadays later era builders prefer a flimsy version of drywall that can easily be broken. Roofing is not always going to be the best either. Sometimes new houses leak more than the old ones, thanks to a rapid constuction.

Buying an older home may also yield exquisite surprises. Many older homes from the late 1800's have decorated tin ceilings that are beautiful to behold. These can be painted or restored to their burnished copper origins. All in all it turns a room into a centerpiece and adds elegance to your decor. Another Victorian treasure is a set of pocket doors.These are usually caned or leaded glass doors that slide into walls, creating an archway. If you want privacy from your living room from dining or dining room from kitchen , all you have to do is push these doors together. Want one of those in a new house? Then be prepared to shell out close to ten grand or more for them. Older homes also possess artfully crafted fireplaces. Many mantles and surrounds have been done in stone or even wood. They also have intricately designed hearths that have been painstakingly laid by hand from an artisan and his apprentice. If you want that in today's house, one, you won't get stones or brick of exceptional quality, and two you won't get the meticulous handiwork. It will just be slap dashed together and ready to crack within five to ten years .

Buying a refurbished house may have some problems. You may have to get it mold washed every year to wash mold off the shingles. You may have to get more energy efficient windows installed or old lead pipes removed. There's a lof of general upkeep as well such as maintaining hardwood floors. These have to be properly waxed or you could damage or scar the surface. The attic may have to be insulated again for a more temperature regulated house. However these occurrences happen with new houses too. Buying an older home is a bit like buying a piece of estate jewelry. It's a beautiful gem that's one of a kind but it does require some elbow polishing and care to keep its' luster.

For anyone who is torn between buying an older home or a brand new 'McMansion" opt for the older one. You'll be glad you did. You'll be buying a work of art as opposed to a mass produced , much copied piece of junk.

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