Houses - The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

[catlady]

@DaniLouisiana, that's a beautiful little house!  i love the doors and glass knobs (my house has vintage 1939 bedroom doors with glass knobs, too).  and the high ceilings.  nice!

[PennySycamore]

@DaniLouisiana, that charming house reminds me of the bungalow that we first lived in when we moved to Greenville.  We had glass doorknobs throughout, a porch swing, nine-foot ceilings, a clawfoot tub and maybe a pedestal sink, too.  On days like today when it was warm but not hot, my daughters would take their afternoon naps on the swing as I did on our swing about 60 years ago.

I can't tell what the porch ceiling is painted, but it should be light blue to ward off evil spirits. That's a Southern thing.

[ClaraOswin]

On 1/22/2017 at 8:14 PM, jiggleromp said:

Here they are.  The overall square footage has increased.  So we have to bring that back down.  The dimensions are not on these, but the hallways are 4 feet.

Are those 3 identical bedrooms on the right? I am not great at reading floor plans.

I like the kitchen better in the 2nd one. Though maybe it's because I think it seems more functional than the "modern" one one the first house plan. I think the pantry placement is a bit odd on #1.

[DaniLouisiana]

@PennySycamore, Yes,  trying to explain to my husband just why the patio ceiling had to be blue and particular shade at that was Not fun!  I'm hoping to maybe get a look at that house next month-if hubs doesn't change his mind about Texas/Louisiana vacay and the house is still for sale...

Unfortunately, from his point of view, that house is right in the middle of "umpteen million cousinville".

[catlady]

the Magnolia Pearl thread got me looking around Fredericksburg TX (their store is located there) and i found these.  i like the first one a lot, but the second is just spectacular.  i'd be happy with just one of the guest cabins.....

http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/102-W-Austin-St_Fredericksburg_TX_78624_M74129-11876?ex=TX619466707

http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/575-Buckeye-Rd_Fredericksburg_TX_78624_M83972-75665

[PennySycamore]

@catlady, what charming houses!

I was watching Love It or List this morning.  One woman said she didn't want an open floor plan (said that sometimes she went into the kitchen to get away from people) nor was she impressed with these huge walk-in closets in the first house they looked at.  It was too fancy for her taste.  This couple actually decided to list their renovated house and the house they decided to buy had two regular, non-walk in closets.  It was actually refreshing to see  people like that on the show.  @RosyDaisy and I were talking about not wanting open floor plans on the Seewald thread the other day before we started talking about hot guys.

[catlady]

i was looking around realtor-dot-com again and found this: 

http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/4533-Foret-St_Addis_LA_70710_M70784-32615#photo0 

i like older houses......

[PennySycamore]

@catlady, that is such a charming house!  It reminds me of the house my mom grew up in.  It even has a bay balcony.  My grandparent's house had the balcony on one side and a bay window on the other.  They'd put the tree in the bay window at Christmas.  That house is gone now which is a shame because it was a great house.  

 

[Jingeyk]

@catlady im right there with you on the older house love. My husband is all about brand new builds and I greatly prefer older houses that need some work. We've just started house hunting, it's certainly been an eye opener on compromise!

[catlady]

here's another fun old house.  i have no ties to the area; i just picked the town at random.

http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/1415-15th-St_Bedford_IN_47421_M32391-78112

[PennySycamore]

That's a beautiful hous, with good bones, @catlady although I'd renovate the kitchen and  remove a bunch of the dolls.  That kitchen needs a great vintage range like an old Wedgewood or Magic Chef with a rounded bread warmer, a bunch of ovens and at least 6 gas burners.  It could use a vintage sink too.  That could mean anything from an apron front to one with an integrated drain board to a soapstone sink.

My daughter and I were looking over some expensive homes for sale in the Greenville -Spartanburg SC area.  There was this one house for sale for at least $3 million dollars in Spartanburg.  We could not believe how cruddy the kitchen was! It had both wood stained cabinets and then some uppers near the ceiling that were painted bright blue. It had double wall ovens which were white along with what looked like a 30 year-old Sub-Zero fridge.  Now there is nothing wrong with white appliances or a Sub-Zero that is 30 years old (Sub-zeros can last for years), but most people would expect something other than white ovens and would want a fridge with a cabinet panel.  The sink was drop-in (like mine, actually) and the countertops appeared to be white Formica which was stained.  Most people would want more in a kitchen where they paid so much.   

[catlady]

while nosing around on realtor-dot-com and getting random cities from google maps, i found this.  it was built in 1953 and likely has not been redecorated since 1973.  it can be yours for a cool $2.6m (USD).  Enjoy!  

https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/1-Harbour-Rd_Kings-Point_NY_11024_M36669-66493?ex=NY605652741#photo1

[PennySycamore]

@catlady,  I'd like to have seen more of that house.  It might be very interesting.  I'd have to re-decorate though.

[catlady]

@PennySycamore, this one's a little different; a little more expensive, too........  

https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/260-Polpis-Rd_Nantucket_MA_02554_M41068-76696

[PennySycamore]

@catlady, OMG!  That house! More particularly, that property.  The February House Beautiful has an article about a house on Nantucket that I like better.  It's an old house (over a hundred years old) and isn't wired for ceiling lights so it has swag lights and, of course, lamps.  The walls are honest to god shiplap, not that "shiplap" that Joanna Gaines loves to put in the houses in Waco.  (That shiplap always appears fake since it is.)  

I could imagine having a couple of nice sailboats in the harbor:  a few dinghies and a beautiful, classic Hinckley yacht.  If you could afford that house, you could afford a Hinckley.

[PreciousPantsofDoom]

The prices on some of those homes have me quite envious. I live in an EXTREMELY expensive area. As in million dollar fixer upper type area. It's depressing to see what our money could buy here.  Things that look like Crack houses (these are popular for building lots, tiny apartments, butt ugly larger places that come with an hour+ commute. 

We might be moving to another nearby city that is cheaper, so I've been trolling their real estate listings to see what we could get.  The things I'm seeing in our price range actually look nice.  It's making me feel a bit happier about having to move. 

What is making me crazy though is the number of bad real estate photos. Most of them are professionnally done, but a surprising number are clearly not. And even if they don't look like they took them with a phone, what kind of idiot to you have to be to take sales photos of a house worth hundreds of thousands  of dollars that have laundry (underwear!) draped around a room. Bathrooms with wet towels strewn around and toiletries everywhere etc.  I get it if it says something in the listing about having a tenant in a basement suite or something (they are not always too thrilled about their place being sold,) but come on! If you are the owner, I assume you want as much $$ as possible for the house, so just clean it up for the photo. Shove stuff in the closet if you have to, whatever. And if you are the agent at least close the lid on the crapper. 

I see those things and I do wonder how well they have maintained it.  Not to mention wondering if there is enough storage.  

 

 

Edited August 10, 2020 by PreciousPantsofDoom

[DancingPhalanges]

Does anyone here follow the old house/historical type Insta accounts? I follow several types of accounts and am always amazed at the price differences. I love looking at real estate and imagining what I would do if I was in the market. I would love to buy a beater house near a beach but the hurricane insurance is the cost of the mortgage practically. 
 

Some of my favorite accounts:

https://instagram.com/cheapoldhouses?igshid=4oqodphemu3w

https://instagram.com/fortheloveofoldhouses?igshid=4e9zh1gza1jy

https://instagram.com/historicalhomes?igshid=1xybpuwn1v72j

[PlentyOfJesusFishInTheSea]

47 minutes ago, PreciousPantsofDoom said:

The prices on some of those homes have me quite envious. I live in an EXTREMELY expensive area. As in million dollar fixer upper type area. It's depressing to see what our money could buy here.  Things that look like Crack houses (these are popular for building lots, tiny apartments, butt ugly larger places that come with an hour+ commute. 

We might be moving to another nearby city that is cheaper, so I've been trolling their real estate listings to see what we could get.  The things I'm seeing in our price range actually look nice.  It's making me feel a bit happier about having to move. 

What is making me crazy though is the number of bad real estate photos. Most of them are professionnally done, but a surprising number are clearly not. And even if they don't look like they took them with a phone, what kind of idiot to you have to be to take sales photos of a house worth hundreds of thousands  of dollars that have laundry (underwear!) draped around a room. Bathrooms with wet towels strewn around and toiletries everywhere etc.  I get it if it says something in the listing about having a tenant in a basement suite or something (they are not always too thrilled about their place being sold,) but come on! If you are the owner, I assume you want as much $$ as possible for the house, so just clean it up for the photo. Shove stuff in the closet if you have to, whatever. And if you are the agent at least close the lid on the crapper. 

I see those things and I do wonder how well they have maintained it.  Not to mention wondering if there is enough storage.  

 

 

Go check out the houses with the bad photos. You could get a deal! A surprising number of ppl will stay away so less competition for you!

[47of74]

I was joking with someone at work if work bought me this place in Columbia, Missouri I might be willing to move.

Of course I think I'd want something a bit smaller than almost 5000 square feet.  I think a condo where I don't have to do yard work or shoveling would be nice. 

[clueliss]

I clicked to see what part of town that was in, yup SW Columbia.  

[catlady]

for those of you who like older houses, this one has some spectacular woodwork in the foyer, and the kitchen has what are probably the original cabinets.  enjoy!

https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/1511-Washington-St_Emporia_KS_66801_M71887-42250?view=qv

[JermajestyDuggar]

13 minutes ago, catlady said:

for those of you who like older houses, this one has some spectacular woodwork in the foyer, and the kitchen has what are probably the original cabinets.  enjoy!

https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/1511-Washington-St_Emporia_KS_66801_M71887-42250?view=qv

Oooh I love tudors! Of course the house had way too much stuff. So if I owned it, I wouldn’t clutter it up because I would want the focus on the beautiful woodwork. 

[catlady]

yes!  I couldn't help but think JillRod had a hand in dreckorating! 

[PennySycamore]

@catlady,  I love that house!  You see those Tudors in the old, affluent areas of Greenville (North Main and McDaniel Avenue areas and Greer, SC (Poinsett St, North Main and the Davenport House).  I want either that back door curtain on my back door or some proper cafe curtains which they also have.  

There was a story on Houzz recently where this couple "saved" this old historic Victorian near Sonoma.  They didn't save it; they destroyed the interior and made it modern/comtemporary.  If they'd not been restricted as to the windows, they'd have replaced them too.  The outside looks Victorian, but absolutely nothing about the interior does.  They got two positive comments at the top of the story, but the overwhelming majority of them were "Why did you do this to this house?" 

[catlady]

@PennySycamore, that hurts my heart.  I used to pass by a house near work, an early 20th century bungalow.  It sat vacant for a few months and then someone began working on it.  The outside looked beautiful when it finally went on the market, but the interior looked like a run-of-the-mill newly built McMansion.  The kitchen/dining/living room was reduced to a rectangle of gray Sheetrock with vinyl windows.  It made me sad to think what kind of woodwork they ripped out.  Nothing in the interior was reminiscent of a bungalow.