DH and I are on the house hunt! We are looking in the city but have slightly different opinions on houses. He prefers homes that are either recent constructions or recently gutted and remodeled. I prefer older homes with a little more character. I like the idea of remodeling some aspects but keeping a lot of the original flavor of the home.
Which do you prefer?
wonderful grape / 20453 posts
New. "character" is nice, but neither of us is handy and i HATE when things break down and need to be fixed, so I prefer new stuff. I also just prefer the more modern designs.
GOLD / wonderful coffee bean / 18478 posts
I need a house with character. It would be nice to find an older home that was recently remodeled.
coconut / 8498 posts
I prefer older homes, and we're in a home that was built in the 40s now. However, when we move (next 4-5 years) we will be looking for a newer construction. I love being able to remodel and make things "us," but it's hard with little ones running around.
admin / watermelon / 14210 posts
mr bee likes houses with character for sure. i prefer older homes but would want to renovate and update it but not sure if i'm up to the challenge unless i win the $495 million powerball.
pomegranate / 3809 posts
I prefer older houses with modern updates. I feel like they were build better and have sturdier bones and better material than today, especially in huge developments where they just slap homes together as fast and cheap as possible.
apricot / 446 posts
Like @purplepumps, I prefer older homes because I feel like they are more likely to be built to last.
blogger / wonderful cherry / 21616 posts
I like older homes with lots of character that has been meticulously maintained by previous owners; meaning it has a central heating system (can't stand baseboards), new roof, updated/well taken care of wood/flooring etc... If the house is old/has character but needs a LOT of work then I would be too scared that it would have too many problems and become a money pit.
However, I hate "cookie cutter" style homes/neighborhoods where they all look alike. We would love to build our own home someday and would definitely be picky on the contractor we choose because we want quality for sure. I think newer houses can have character is built nicely.
pomegranate / 3160 posts
Ugh, DH and I are just looking at houses now. We're leaning more towards new construction/newly remodeled. I think homes with character are fabulous, but they seem to also come with a lot more work--which we just really don't have the time or money to deal with.
blogger / pomelo / 5400 posts
Love older homes with character. DH loves new homes since he is not the least bit handy. We're compromising by building a home that will have some characteristics of an older home. It won't be like the McMansion everyone builds.
persimmon / 1453 posts
My ideal house is 3 years old but looks 300 years old! I really appreciate modern features like triple pane windows and geothermal heating, but can't stand the cheapo boxy look.
GOLD / papaya / 10206 posts
I prefer newer homes. I know we`re missing out on the character but I hate the idea of old sagging floors, strange electrical in the walls etc. Our house is 13 years old and that is just fine with me.
bananas / 9973 posts
Probably a newer home because of open floor plans, bigger closets, and bigger rooms/kitchens in general. But where we live, "old" doesn't go any further back than the late 60s at most, so it's not the typical kind of "character" people on HGTV are always waxing poetic about! Our home is from the 70s but had a lot of updates and remodeling done prior to our purchase.
honeydew / 7586 posts
I fell in love with a home that was built in 1920. It needs some love (particularly the bathroom and kitchen) but nothing that would need updated right away.
Now I need to figure out how to get the fella on board...
I seriously LOVE this house!
grapefruit / 4311 posts
we bought a newer home (it was built in '98, so def not a fixer upper) and all the the time i regret not holding out for an adorable cottage or craftsman style older home. although we are not handy or good at major DIY so we probably would have felt a little helpless 
pomelo / 5331 posts
Older. Any new construction we could afford would be cheap materials and slapdash. I had a friend who moved into a new house and the finishing work was so incredibly crappy, doors hung crooked, etc. It really soured me on anything new. I know they're not all like that, but we wouldn't be able to afford anything that was built with quality. And stuff breaks on new homes, too. We had another friend who moved into a new home that was later discovered to have Chinese drywall!
grapefruit / 4056 posts
In theory I would love an older "character house", but in practice when we were house shopping I couldn't give up bigger closets, ensuite bathrooms, and all the other bells and whistles that well constructed new homes come with.
Not having to worry about breakdowns and stuff in the first few years is SO nice as well!
GOLD / papaya / 10166 posts
New! So much more room and more energy efficient. I like to look at older homes. But I couldn't live in one.
blogger / nectarine / 2687 posts
both! i'd love an older house with character that has already been remodeled and updated. 
pomegranate / 3716 posts
I definitely prefer new construction... I'm worried if we get an old house (as in 70+ yrs old), I'll feel a bit creeped out about all the history of the house.
pomegranate / 3503 posts
We both prefer older homes as well. We didn't mind having to redo some areas of the house. That way, you can add your own touches. But we lucked out because the previous owner of the house was just starting to get into the house remodeling business. Our house was his 2nd or 3rd project. He updated and expanded the house but still maintained the original look and feel. Wherever possible, he kept the original detailing of the house. Good luck with your house hunting!
pineapple / 12526 posts
I love older homes. I grew up in a house built during the Civil War. I love the character and history.
We have a 1940s bungalow waiting for us when we get home.
kiwi / 614 posts
I definitely prefer older homes with character. I like it when they are updated just a little while respecting the original features. Like maybe leaving original flooring & woodwork but using a more modern paint color.
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