Why I Go For Granny Houses
My ideal home is one that someone’s grandmother has lived in for the past 50 years and has done minimal updates.
EDIT: If you missed it, I made good on this post and we snatched up just this type of home.
They may have linoleum in the kitchen and an older bathroom, but that’s ok. Linoleum was the style back then for making the modern housewife’s cleaning responsibilities easier. Oftentimes, the original wood floors may still be under there and you’d be surprised what refinishing can do.
I want those wood floors because they are beautiful and they’re going to beat the hell out of whatever is on the market today in terms of style (ever met a wood floor who wasn’t in style? me either) and also quality. You can only sand down the good new wood flooring one or two times before you have to replace the entire thing again. Do you think that’ll last 100+ years like these Victorian/Edwardian floors? I don’t think so! The same goes for the quality and craftsmanship of historic doors, etc. It’s just not the same.
SECRET TIME!
Let me tell you about other people’s renovations: It’s the same Wayfair/Amazon light fixtures and other quick fixes to get it ready for the market… for them to get top dollar. I can promise they’re getting the job done as quickly and as cheaply as possible because they’re turning around and selling it. Would you buy the fancy stuff right before you don't get to use your house anymore? And youuuu get to pay for that when you buy it, and it’s probably being bid up due to the demand in housing!
I’d rather go along at my own pace and highlight the details that are already there and modernize the kitchen and bath as time goes on. Older houses are not a quick ride. They take time, and you’ll be happier this way longterm if historic houses are your thing. You are never going to get the quality of materials back that are there from the original construction date. Seven-year-old farmed trees and 500-year-old trees do not produce the same quality wood. It’s just facts! Old wood is naturally weather and pest-resistant because it was typically local wood used to growing in our existing conditions (and because we didn’t have shipping like we do today). New wood is farmed somewhere else and shipped to Home Depot, etc.
And, that’s my thoughts on the beat-up houses versus the shiny new ones everyone seems to prefer these days. Bonus thought - for some reason, houses that have had just three sets of owners seem to be the best ones. It’s just a pattern I keep seeing over and over again.
