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I think the decorations Coldjensons referred to, for example, include keystones slapped on top of wood where there are no arches, plastic shutters on the 2d and 3rd floor and not the 1st, fake plastic grills in windows and faux french doors, instead of genuine muntin windows, dormers that do not lead to any real rooms, and support beams that aren't supporting anything.
What's a faux french door? And I'm guilty have having the fake grills in my french doors, although they're wood, not plastic. How much do genuine muntin windows run? I would imagine those are pretty costly.
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Just so folks are aware, I do see why many would opt for a McMansion over a 60-70 year old split or high ranch. Some of it's economic, some of it is taste & preference and occasionally it is ego. Here on the Island, we don't have a lot of "charming" older homes. And usually if it's charming, it will cost you $$$, whether it be for upgrades or just aesthetics and location.
What's a faux french door? And I'm guilty have having the fake grills in my french doors, although they're wood, not plastic.
What I call faux french doors are french doors that are really solid glass with the plastic grills either inside them or over them, not doors composed of muntins.
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How much do genuine muntin windows run? I would imagine those are pretty costly.
I have no idea. My house came with them (and yes, it is an old house). My sidelights (two skinny "windows" on each side of the front door) are also muntin.
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Just so folks are aware, I do see why many would opt for a McMansion over a 60-70 year old split or high ranch.
I think you mean a 1960s-1970s split or high ranch, not a 60- or 70-year-old house. BTW, 1960s-70s houses are actually quite popular in many parts of the country right now.
What I call faux french doors are french doors that are really solid glass with the plastic grills either inside them or over them, not doors composed of muntins.
Guilty!
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Originally Posted by South Jersey Styx
I have no idea. My house came with them (and yes, it is an old house). My sidelights (two skinny "windows" on each side of the front door) are also muntin.
You're fortunate. I would imagine if they were within reason, my husband would have shown them to me. I assumed that kind of stuff was custom these days...and obviously there's a markup for that.
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Originally Posted by South Jersey Styx
I think you mean a 1960s-1970s split or high ranch, not a 60- or 70-year-old house. BTW, 1960s-70s houses are actually quite popular in many parts of the country right now.
Yes, my bad (late night last night and a long day today with 3 little ones. ) Although most of the homes in my neighborhood were built in the 50s.
Splits and High Ranches popular? Really??? They're all being leveled around these parts (my neighborhood.) Most folks I know have them last on their list when it comes to favorite "house style."
Splits and High Ranches popular? Really??? They're all being leveled around these parts (my neighborhood.) Most folks I know have them last on their list when it comes to favorite "house style."
New Jersey and the Washington, DC area--who has the worst traffic and some of the most expensive housing in the country. I have plenty of friends and colleagues who would definitely buy something older and smaller closer in instead of newer construction further out (depends on the house, condition, etc. of course).
Also, I know of one specific neighborhood (outside DC in northern VA) built in the 1960s-70s that was looking pretty ratty until recently. With the downturn in the housing industry, younger professionals/families could now afford a home and many bought houses in this specific neighborhood, gutted them, added modern amernities, etc. It is transitional but starting to look really nice now. There are some nice features in some of those homes including large picture windows, high ceilings, beamed ceilings, lofts, and more land.
New Jersey and the Washington, DC area--who has the worst traffic and some of the most expensive housing in the country. I have plenty of friends and colleagues who would definitely buy something older and smaller closer in instead of newer construction further out (depends on the house, condition, etc. of course).
Well, I wouldn't say that makes splits or ranches "popular" per se. I don't think most people are actively searching or requesting those types of homes. It's about the location. Same could be said for my husband and I. We didn't want a modest ranch, but the location was prime (acre plot, good school district, commutable to NYC & airports, beautiful established neighborhood, etc.) Like many of our other neighbors, our rational was we can always do an addition/remodel or rebuild.
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Originally Posted by South Jersey Styx
Also, I know of one specific neighborhood (outside DC in northern VA) built in the 1960s-70s that was looking pretty ratty until recently. With the downturn in the housing industry, younger professionals/families could now afford a home and many bought houses in this specific neighborhood, gutted them, added modern amernities, etc. It is transitional but starting to look really nice now. There are some nice features in some of those homes including large picture windows, high ceilings, beamed ceilings, lofts, and more land.
We had those large picture windows (6' x 6') and we replaced them with faux french doors. Had the beam ceilings too, but they weren't very appealing to us, at least not in our home design.
Splits and High Ranches popular? Really??? They're all being leveled around these parts (my neighborhood.) Most folks I know have them last on their list when it comes to favorite "house style."
I would much prefer a newer house even if it came with cheap finishings. You can always upgrade those.
As for these houses being better built than new construction I can still picture my father swearing a blue streak about how the studs were never where they were supposed to be. There are many people who romanticize the past but I can tell you that at least where I grew up (Long Island) the 60s/70s were not good times for quality built housing.
The rooms were small, the finishings crummy (although people did upgrade them), the basements leaked, the bathrooms were poorly designed. There also were not enough bathrooms for a growing family. I much prefer today's home design that would include at least 2 full bathrooms in a 4BR home.
I much prefer today's home design that would include at least 2 full bathrooms in a 4BR home.
We have four bathrooms (Family of 7), but everyone only uses the master bathroom. It has a phenomenal shower. Becasue of the shower everyone wants to use it all the time and they are used to that bathroom so they tend to go in there for everything. Also the toilet is raised about 2.5 inches due to a construction error and everyone seems to like that better. (I am not sure why they dont just make all toilets higher it is really nice to have it at chair height) The other showers and bath tubs are fine (one is even one of those stupid jetted tubs), but no one uses them. Even though the other bathrooms are open, the kids usually sit and wait for our bathroom to be available. Once in a while we end up with people showering in all of the bathrooms at the same time due to schedule issues, but that is usually due only to bad planning. If everyone planned ahead, we would almost never use the other bathrooms except to use the toilet at times.
I am not sure that you need a whole lot of bathrooms as much as one bathroom with a really super nice shower (spend the money you save on a bathroom or two) and another half bath or 3/4 bath for guests and for times when someone has to go while someone is taking a shower.
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As for these houses being better built than new construction I can still picture my father swearing a blue streak about how the studs were never where they were supposed to be. There are many people who romanticize the past but I can tell you that at least where I grew up (Long Island) the 60s/70s were not good times for quality built housing.
Unfortunately by the late 60s they were already making crummy houses. Things just got worse and continue to do so. However the 70s were an especially appalling time for architecture and construction. Still most houses from that time were better built than most newer houses, particularly in regard to the quality of lumber used. It sounds like you are comparing shoddy homes built by a shoddy builder in the 1970s to all modern homes. Compare them to shoddy modern homes and you will find that the modern homes are as bad or worse. Compare good homes from the 1960s or 1970s to "good" homes of today and in some aspects the older homes will compare better. In some aspects, not so much. (obviously some parts of the older home will need to be re-done. By the 70s they were already using junk although it is more heavy duty than a lot of today's products, it will be worn out by now and most of it is replacement quality not repair quality).
Modern technology improvements help make up for some of the short cuts, shoddy construction and cheap materials. However it does nto make up for all of the issues, especially poor quality materials and bad or indiffernt workmanship. Lumber is especially awful. A 2x4 in a house built in 1910 is at least 100 times stronger than a 2x4 used in a modern house (unless you are buying your lumber from amish lumbermills - then it is only 20-50 times stronger). Even lumber from the 1960s and 1970s is significantly superior to the lumber you can buy today on the common market.
One of the biggest problems is the workforce. Craftsmen who pride themselves on quality are almost gone. Most houses are built by nail gun operators, not by carpenters/craftsmen. Focus is on speed and efficiency, not on quality. If you can cut the number of nails you need to buy and put in by 1/2 and the house will still probably last 5 years before it starts having major problems, then you are a hero.
In any case the super cheapo homes from any time period are often poorly built, with exceptions. Even if you go way back to when they still used better materials and craftsmanship, you can find shoddy homes and good homes. For example, the Sears and Robuck craftsman kit homes were generally pretty well made, the thrown together shacks built by people with no knowledge, and no plans were often terrible. However pretty much all such homes are long gone becuase those same people did not know anything about foundations.
We have four bathrooms (Family of 7), but everyone only uses the master bathroom. It has a phenomenal shower. Becasue of the shower everyone wants to use it all the time and they are used to that bathroom so they tend to go in there for everything. Also the toilet is raised about 2.5 inches due to a construction error and everyone seems to like that better. (I am not sure why they dont just make all toilets higher it is really nice to have it at chair height) The other showers and bath tubs are fine (one is even one of those stupid jetted tubs), but no one uses them. Even though the other bathrooms are open, the kids usually sit and wait for our bathroom to be available. Once in a while we end up with people showering in all of the bathrooms at the same time due to schedule issues, but that is usually due only to bad planning. If everyone planned ahead, we would almost never use the other bathrooms except to use the toilet at times.
I am not sure that you need a whole lot of bathrooms as much as one bathroom with a really super nice shower (spend the money you save on a bathroom or two) and another half bath or 3/4 bath for guests and for times when someone has to go while someone is taking a shower.
We also have a house with a fabulous master bathroom. My kids love our shower but they also like having their own bathroom in the morning. I can still remember my brother banging on the bathroom door in the morning becaus he didn't want to go down two flights of steps to use the other bathroom (poor design in a 1968 split level).
I do think that todays homes are designed MUCH better than the splits and raised ranches of the 60s/70s.
Sachem alumni by any chance? I'm a former Flaming Arrow.
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Originally Posted by Momma_bear
I would much prefer a newer house even if it came with cheap finishings. You can always upgrade those.
As for these houses being better built than new construction I can still picture my father swearing a blue streak about how the studs were never where they were supposed to be. There are many people who romanticize the past but I can tell you that at least where I grew up (Long Island) the 60s/70s were not good times for quality built housing.
The rooms were small, the finishings crummy (although people did upgrade them), the basements leaked, the bathrooms were poorly designed. There also were not enough bathrooms for a growing family. I much prefer today's home design that would include at least 2 full bathrooms in a 4BR home.
I agree with you, a lot of the construction and materials used from the 60s and later are shoddy. My parents live in a 1960s center hall colonial. The structure itself seems solid, but the rest needs to be gutted and I certainly recall the chaos of getting ready with one bathroom upstairs! Like you, I'd prefer more bathrooms & bedrooms. (My dream is to have 6+ bedroom suites. ) I'm greedy and prefer not to share my bathroom if I don't have to. But for right now I'll have to settle for 2 bathrooms and bunkbeds for the kiddos.
ETA: man I take a long time to respond! LOL I just read CJ's posts.
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How much do genuine muntin windows run? I would imagine those are pretty costly. 
) Although most of the homes in my neighborhood were built in the 50s.
I'm a former Flaming Arrow. 
