Older homes are well built and meant to last. New houses are cheaply constructed.

Our house was built in 1930. Pros - its well-constructed, has character, has radiator heat, and the bedrooms are a decent size. Cons - the layout is choppy (i would love an open plan), the kitchen and bathrooms are small, the basement ceiling height is low, no garage. We've replaced a bunch of things over the years, roof, windows, kitchen cabinets, all the appliances, HVAC, etc but unless we want to totally gut it there's no way to make it open plan or enlarge the bathrooms/kitchen.

I can again tell the majority here aren't DC natives.

OP, if you post this in the Real Estate forum I bet you will get great responses that will be very helpful‼️

OP. Just watch out for lead and asbestos.

Grew up in a house built in the 20s, and it made me love older builds. My parents lovingly updated as needed but respected the original character. Not cheap, but a labor of love.

DH and I bought a condo in a building built in 1928. We’ve gutted and renovated bathrooms and the kitchen since we moved in. Definitely found quirks, but zero regrets, our home has so much character. New construction is so uninteresting. Plus the ghosts are fun.

Anonymous wrote:What about new builts post pandemic? Are those typically draft and leaky?

They use thermoply for exterior sheathing now. It's supposed to be better, but it's basically cardboard.

Anonymous wrote:How old?

Old is probably pre 1970s. But kids say it is anything older than their age

How old?

I think it depends on when and where it was built. We used to live in a 1960s house and it was nothing but problem after problem. I do think pre-1950 usually was built with higher quality materials but you have to update all the systems and there is a great deal of maintenance. We now live in a new build (non-custom, “big box” builder) built in 2020. I was so hesitant because these types of new builds tend to generate a lot of hate, but we loved the location (small group of homes built on a 12 acre tear down lot in an established area), and decided to take the chance. This house has been fantastic. Super airtight, efficient, the materials and systems have been solid and reliable, and we had it inspected by our highly regarded and very particular private home inspector who was super impressed by the quality. I think we got lucky with the particular contractors, etc working on it at the time. But my point is, that could apply to a house built during any decade. It’s difficult to make generalizations.

Extra care can mean that original materials are no longer available or sizes are non standard, so needing to replace a door or repair a fireplace is a big undertaking. You may have to replace a roof or upgrade plumbing.

I would totally rent one of those neo-farmhouse monstrosities that are popping up everywhere now but I wouldn’t buy one.

What about new builts post pandemic? Are those typically draft and leaky?

Anonymous wrote:I grew up in a new build home that was built when I was 2. It was drafty, leaky and had mold issues. I now live in a house that is 100 years old. Pre-1950 homes have quality materials and craftsmanship that is tough to find in homes built after that time. Trouble is they have to have been well-maintained. I was lucky to find an older home in good shape and I vastly prefer living here but it does require extra care.

What types of extra care? Is/was it costly to keep up with the care?

I grew up in a new build home that was built when I was 2. It was drafty, leaky and had mold issues. I now live in a house that is 100 years old. Pre-1950 homes have quality materials and craftsmanship that is tough to find in homes built after that time. Trouble is they have to have been well-maintained. I was lucky to find an older home in good shape and I vastly prefer living here but it does require extra care.

Pros and cons of older homes?
What has your experience been living in and/or maintaining
an older condo
duplex
townhouse or
single family house (single level, or one with main level plus a basement, or one with multiple floors and with or without a basement)?