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This article is part ofOld House Appreciation with Bob Vila , a calendar month - foresighted serial devote to showing you the best places to find historic homes , professional and cons of investing in an older house , possible repairs and precaution , and our favourite examples in a variety of business firm styles to keep you inspired along the way . We ’ve included current food market trends mixed with Bob ’s tried - and - true advice , our vetted shopping guides , and the behind - the - scene tips you postulate to make your old house a home .
menage buyers have several reasons for consider an old menage , such as getting more living place for the damage or falling in making love with the computer architecture from a specific menses . While new sign follow with never - before - lived - in appeal , the home of yesteryear offer a sense of chronicle , and many are located in established neighborhoods with towering trees .
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House styles come and go , and the era in which a house was built will reflect the trends of that time and a few perks and quirks buyer should sleep with about before take in an offer . Ahead , discover some of the more popular architectural home style by tenner , and see the pros and cons ofbuying one of these older homes .
Homes of the 2000s/90s
While they ca n’t be considered old by any stretch , star sign build in the 1990s and early 2000s differ slightly from today ’s newly build homes . The good news is that they should comply with current building codification , so purchaser should obtain secure wiring , sizeable electric exit , and effective insulation . However , some features , such as HVAC units , could be dated and less - than - efficient , so be quick to replace them . Some of these home styles may also necessitate cosmetic updating to give them fresh appeal .
McMansion : The thriftiness was develop at the turn of the 21st century , and raw houses were expanding as well , giving rise to the geological era of the McMansion . Sometimes called neo - eclectic business firm , these huge homes offer more than enough room to grow , but they are n’t flashy to heat and cool down due to their size . Per square metrical foot , today ’s vendee will likely give less than they would for a new house . However , some McMansions were built promptly to keep up with demand , so keep an middle out for quality workmanship .
Façade - front : More a tendency than an architectural expressive style , façade - front homes were common in the late 1990s . They allowed home builders to create stunningcurb appealby incorporating stone or brick on the front of the house , but the side of meat and back of the base were adorn in cheaper siding . This made the home look telling and more expensive from the front , but the builder may have thin corner elsewhere to save money . front for building materials with staying power , not just hold in appeal .
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Condominium : Buying a single condo within a larger multiplex started slue at the turn of the 21st century , and for good reason : Buyers could own their own home without have to maintain its outside or cut down the chiliad . condo from this era are still quite popular , but be cognizant that most condominium come with nonindulgent formula . homeowner are belike restricted in remodeling projects and exterior alterations . Living in a condominium may also come with steep homeowners association fees that go toward maintaining the public areas of the development .
Homes of the 1980s/70s
Homes of the 1970s and 80s adopt geometrical movement from architects like Frank Lloyd Wright , which land modern-day and disunited - level houses to the forefront . internal gizmo and fixtures convey on new colors , include Persea Americana , brown , and even aqua . This was an era when significant change were take place in the building industriousness , and hazardous materials , such as asbestos and lede - base paint , were banned . Keep in mind , however , that homes built before 1978 may contain both .
modern-day : A style that punctuate angle and geometric lines , the contemporary plate of the 1970s was one of the first to tender anopen story plan , which many of today ’s vendee still choose . Many present-day home plate of this X incorporated multiple large window , overleap ceilings , loft spaces , and asymmetrical exteriors . When considering a contemporary home style today , keep in psyche that heat and cool costs could be significant unless these windows have already been replaced with more energy - efficient ones .
Split Level : This architectural style was freehanded in the 1960s but did n’t reach blanket popularity until the 70s , when everyone need the look . However , the trend did n’t remain popular for recollective due to some notable downsides . The typicalsplit levelmay have steps out of doors lead to the front door and more staircase at heart . Stairways could run up to a 2nd story of bedchamber , or a few footmark could moderate up and down between living spaces all on the main level .
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In a split level , the service department is sometimes tucked beneath the primary storey , which increases the risk of machine exhaust filter into the home . And because split - level homes were a popular pick for splash luck , yards may be steep and unmanageable to mow and maintain . On the top side , they ’re architecturally unique , and because split grade are not in great need today , they ’re unremarkably price well .
A - systema skeletale : This triangular - style home was all the passion in the 1980s and is still dominant in some region . It ’s one of the tinny family styles to build , since much of the outside is roof — sloped and covered with shake . One of the master feature of anA - frameis a large wall of windows in the front that inspires a impression of bringing the outdoors in . Unfortunately , many A - frames have a mess of neutralize space inside because their wall slope and circumscribe headroom . Still , this is an energy - efficient style , and A - frames are comparatively depressed sustainment .
Homes of the 1960s/50s
A sensation of home euphoria after World War II ended and growing families due to the Baby Boom resulted in the immediate elaboration of communities and the pauperization for affordable housing . dry wall and plyboard were just part to see mickle production , so the time it took a builder to discharge a house was shortened . The trend were toward affordable living accommodations , bare line , and a desire to bring nature indoors through picture windows and slither methamphetamine hydrochloride doors . Midcentury modern homes and cattle farm - style houses popped up around the country , while the southwest of the nation enjoy Pueblo Revival homes .
Midcentury Modern : Still pop today , midcentury modern homes serve as a transition to the contemporaneous homes progress a decade after . The midcentury modern house focused on family , typically offer three bedrooms , one bathroom , and a separate dining area . Most of the midcentury place on the marketplace today have already been remodeled to some extent , but they could still have substandard wiring , insulation , and windowpane . On the upside , their sporty lines and dewy-eyed roofs make them cost - efficacious when remodeling .
Pueblo Revival : Adobe walls address with stucco — both interior and exterior — are a staple of the Pueblo Revival period of the 50s and LX . Home buyers in Arizona and New Mexico can still pick up one of theseSpanish - influencedhomes for a reasonable price . The stucco was intended to mimic the adobe walls of Pueblo Native American houses . The roofs are flat or low - pitched and cover with terra - cotta tiles that were topically source . Remodeling a Pueblo Revival can be costly since it ’s a major project to supplant old windows or widen narrow doorways due to the stucco and block building .
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Ranch : Simple and affordable to build , cattle farm - style dwelling are still a big bang . Unless the business firm sits on a cellar , everything is on one grade and easy to get to , making the cattle farm home a suitable option for retired person andempty - nesters . Plus , a ranch - style sign of the zodiac is comparatively well-off to recast . It typically features two or three sleeping accommodation and a individual bathroom . Many offered no formal dining room , but they came with copious built - in repositing cabinets . If a cattle ranch home you ’re considering has n’t already been updated — bring the wiring and plumbing up to computer code could be costly .
Homes of the 1940s/30s
The 1930s go down on in alongside the bitter winds of the Great Depression , and theater edifice slowed to a creeping . householder default on in disc numbers pool on their place mortgages , and money box were left hold family they did n’t want . When the economy improved in the forty , homeowner look toward new fresh lodging styles with a number of flair . Three popularhouse stylesof this period were Cape Cod , Spanish Colonial , and Modern .
Cape Cod : Although this dash date back to early colonist in the 1600s , it resurface in the 1920s and then visualise a surge in the forties when the soldiers add up home and pop out families . TheCape Cod houseis preponderantly found in New England , where its steep ceiling ( 8/12 pitch shot or exorbitant ) is tributary to lumbering snow loads slide right off . This is one of the more stylish case of older houses that is still comparatively compact .
Older Cape Cods featured two bedchamber , and a loft where extra home member board . They usually had a fundamental fireplace , which might seem cozy , but if it has n’t been removed by now , it could be a elementary source of roof leaks . The unconscionable cap line give this firm a great look , but they can be pricey to reroof . The purchase price should reflect whether the home has already been updated since it can be expensive to remodel .
Photo: istockphoto.com
Spanish Colonial : Another style that dates back to the 1600s , Spanish Colonial place check a revival after World War II and the Great Depression . Primarily located in the southwest region of the nation , these homes can be quite great , resembling wide villas .
These beautiful sprawling home can be pricey to leverage , to heat and coolheaded , and to remodel . The adobe andstuccowalls make it challenging to update wiring and plumbing element , and it ’s difficult to flesh out the small window , some of which did n’t even have glass panes when they were build . A rambling Spanish Colonial home plate could be a DIYer ’s dream , but it could also be amoney pit .
modernistic : After the depression , nursing home vendee seek little luxuries they ’d gone without in the preceding tenner . The modern house built in the forties come with slimly larger rooms , a nice - size kitchen ( for the geological era ) , at least three bedchamber , and one bath . It often boast an fifty - flesh layout and two cross gable roof lines . While these early New base are not unmanageable to redo , they ’re usually not vim efficient unless they ’ve already been update .
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Homes of the 1910s/20s
Many houses built in the 1910s and 20s are either gone or have been remodeled and updated . At the sentence they were progress , indoor plumbing was being install in modest houses — not just the homes of the wealthy as it had been prior to that time . The period ’s most common architectural style were minor but came with a sense of charm .
Bungalow : Thebungalow housetypically featured a heavily - looking handle front porch bordered by a half bulwark , which has become a touch of this way . If you find a bungalow in good condition , it will probably sit on a narrow-minded caboodle and may be surrounded by other bungalow rest home . It might be a deal if the wiring and plumbing have been update , but if the sign of the zodiac is still in its original stipulation , bear to devote premium Price for remodeling , including professional remotion of asbestos .
Craftsman : Styled after the Arts and Crafts movement of the late 1800s in Europe , the Craftsman style mansion had design elements similar to bungalows . Craftsman house extend simple lines , one and a half or two fib , and window on all sides of the home . They may also boast largecovered front porches . Like all houses a century old , Craftsman houses you find on the market today are probably already updated or will need extensive remodeling to take them up to codification .
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Art Deco : In some part of the nation , Art Deco homes were all the passion in the 1920s . They featured silklike origin , bright colors , and skin senses of Egyptian style — they were right at home plate during the Roaring Twenties . The good rest examples of Art Deco computer architecture are found in big buildings , but you ’ll determine toned - down elements in individual home . These menage may still have original cosmetic glass - inset windows , arched doorways , and angle parapets on the roof , all of which may be expensive to remodel .
Homes of the 1850s/1900s
The last one-half of the 19th hundred saw gains in building , and a stark difference develop between daily houses and the habitation of the wealthy . Well - to - do residents build up ornate Italianate and Queen Anne homes that might sit on an entire city blocking , while the less fortunate might exist in a scattergun house . Finding any of these three style in good stipulation today is a dainty .
Italianate : Found primarily along the East Coast but also in some Midwestern community , Italianate homeswere — and still are — bring down and telling . They were a democratic selection for the wealthy starting around 1860 , but something was very dissimilar then — construction fabric were pretty inexpensive .
Italianate family are often at least two , three , or four stories . They have mildly sloping roofs and sometimes a cupola at the very top where the family could sit and miss the vicinity . alas , Italianate homes can be money stone . They feature many flowery elements , such as under - eave corbel , that are expensive to keep yet offer no practical function . Many Italianate homes are gone , having lessen into disrepair and been demolish . If you find one that ’s been well - cared for , you could pay a premium price , but you ’ll have a stunning piece of story .
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Queen Anne : Also called a paint lady , this style of Victorian business firm vaunt multi - tonedhistoric paint colorsand intricate millwork . An unquestionable Queen Anne is quite the acquisition for a home buyer . The I in good shape today have almost certainly been updated . Most will come in with a powerful price tag , but for those who like the approximation of rambling around in a huge theater with tons of bedrooms and sometimes even a retainer ’s living quarters , there ’s nothing quite like this style .
If the house has n’t been updated , expect to make up premium remodeling fees for new wiring , plumbing , and asbestos remotion , and educate to live in a drafty house . These homes were seldom insulated when establish , and even if subsequent owners had insulant blown in the paries , it ’s not regard energy effective by today ’s standards .
Shotgun : Many small houses were build in the second half of the 19th century , but few were as iconic as theshotgun house . Resembling a single - wide of the mark roving place in layout , the shotgun house was foresightful and narrow . If you tour one , you ’ll in all probability enter the front door to find yourself in a living room and then carry on down a hallway on one side to a kitchen , one or two bedrooms , and a lavatory . Shotgun houses were inexpensive to build , and they ’re inexpensive today to reconstruct . They make good starter homes or retirement homes if they ’ve been updated and assert , but they ’re too pocket-sized for most develop families .
Photo: istockphoto.com
Homes of the 1800s/1850s
Homes of this era were built before indoor plumbery or electricity , so they ’ve likely undergone extensive updating if they ’re still around . Some of the more popular trend were the traditional farmhouse , Greek Revival abode build by the well - to - do , and log cabins that allow just the fundamental principle . Depending on the type and status , some of these homes can be quite desirable in today ’s securities industry .
Farmhouse : Almost all farmhouses were painted white , and many feature two write up and a square exterior design . If you find a farmhouse from this era , expect to see usurious , narrow stairway and ( very likely ) low doorways . No farmhouses had indoor plumbery , so yr later , their proprietor often added one or more additions to the nursing home to house a bathroom and a kitchen .
These old houses may have structural issues because their groundwork were often made from buxom Harlan Stone . If you grease one’s palms one of these old farmhouse , the solid structure will make it easy to add on . Before you replace the flooring , peel back the linoleum or carpeting to see ifhardwoodlies beneath . It often does and can be refinished to a beautiful warm sheen .
Greek Revival : Some of these monolithic rest home can still be found scattered across the southerly states , having been updated over the decade . Greek Revival houseswere popular for woodlet owner because they curb many rooms for their large families and often contain servant quarters . The kitchen featured two rooms — one for cooking and another where the cook stay . Most were at least two stories , and some were three stories . Large columns and wraparound covered porches helped shade off the home from the hot southern sun .
Indoors , you ’ll find wide sweeping stairways and ornate woodwork , but expect them to come with large utility flyer and almost cost - prohibitory criminal maintenance . In addition , the history of these homes as places of enslavement wee-wee them undesirable in much of today ’s marketplace .
Log cabinsplayed an all important role for early Americans who could n’t easy get other building materials . The cabins can still be find in several states , but many have succumbed to the ingredient .
Mostlog cabinswere undivided - elbow room body structure — like an efficiency apartment — with beds , tables , and a fireplace , all in nigh proximity . They were inexpensive to progress , but most were not updated . If you find one today , it will likely be on the dimension of a larger nursing home . Most are not considered liveable , and some may still have grime floors . A historic logarithm cabin could serve as a she - pour forth , little art gallery , or maculation to book a family reunification .
Homes of the 1700s and Older
Harsh conditions and shift dirt have demand a cost on all but the best - maintain houses from the 1700s and earlier . Still , some are around , and occasionally one even attain the market . chronicle buffs are likely to snatch up these up quickly . The better the original construction , the more likely it survived the centuries .
Saltbox : detect principally in New England , saltbox housesare easily distinguished by two stories with a short ceiling in the front and a longer slop ceiling in the back . Thanks to forest framing ( use of goodly wood eccentric ) , some saltboxes are still fend — as long as the generations of owner maintained and updated them . Most had a fundamental chimney that has been remove because it was n’t built to today ’s standard and often allowed cold air to backdraft into the house . Since saltboxes can be 300 yr old or older , carry to discover sloping floors , outrageous , minute stairs , and low ceiling . Due to their simple line of credit , however , remodeling is often affordable .
Federal : The Federal way became popular after the Revolutionary War , and some historical neighborhoods feature multiple Federal - style houses . If you ’re looking to buy one , be prepared to run into restrictions around reconstruct it . The good specimens ofFederal homestoday are often on theNational Register of Historic Places , which means they can only be update in a way that defend their historical integrity . Even if it ’s not on the Register , a Federal dwelling house can be expensive to remodel since the windows are likely remaining size and the door are littler than today ’s touchstone .
Many of these home base were built in a traditional , two- or three - account rectangle and side with brick . They often had more than one fireplace , which are likely no longer usable , and they did n’t have pillar or wraparound porches adorn the exterior . They were a study in simpleness , and their Interior were often utilitarian . Several well - like - for Federal houses can still be found in New England .
Tudor : Reminiscent of Swiss chalet , Tudor - manner homesare easily identified by their harmonious lines and medieval - await exposed timber beams . They ’re often found in northerly climate with outrageous roofs that help molt snow . The ones still standing today were built with backbreaking - responsibility construction materials , large forest , and stones that have stand the test of time .
The most distinguishing part of these domicile is their visible half - ray . On a actual Tudor style house , the space between these beams are filled with stucco or stone , and regrettably , that type of construction is prone to develop making water . Frequent inspection and maintenance are necessary to keep an historic Tudor firm in good shape . If you mark one though , you ’ll find an interior that put up thefeeling of an English manor . Original Tudors are challenging to bump . However , Modern Tudor elan homes in the early twentieth century through World War II copied Tudor design elements , and some contemporary homes mimic select Tudor constituent , like decorative half - timbering , but surveil standard building practice session .
Old family styles are not only architecturally interesting , but they also offer home buyers the opportunity to hold out in a bit of history . explore house styles as you chance the proper one for you may be a sport eruditeness experience — and a hoarded wealth hunt on your journey to homeownership .
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