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I call a 90's house "dated". Not as bad as 70s dated, but still dated.
In my area home styles haven't changed much since the 90's. The only difference I can think of is most houses now are built with vinyl windows, rather than metal framed ones. Everyone now seems to love that ugly dark red brick, whereas back in the 90's there were more earth tones used (which looked better IMO).
I consider a house "old" if it was built back before modern construction standards were put into place. Stuff like having rafters instead of trusses, odd size doors and windows rather than the modern sizes, wall studs not at 16" OC, galvanized or iron plumbing, etc..
Rather than characterizing the age of a home with the lifetime of a faddish decor, how about characterizing the age of the home in terms of its anticipated lifetime? Or characterizing it according to the typical lifetime of a home? In a neighbourhood in which nearly all the homes were built in the 1880's, the one built in 1940 can still be called "the 'new' house".
When it comes to post-WWII homes, nearly all are built according to the same Modern style and with the same modern materials (vinyl, composites, etc.) and methods. In this sense, there's little difference between what was built in 1950 vs 2010.
People without a sense of history or tradition probably have a very different interpretation of "old" than others.
Yes, unless you don't want them. What is good about a landline is that if the power goes out you stll have a way to make a phone call. Not always so if the power goes out at the cellphone company.
Except most of the phones on the market today need electricity to run. And really how often does one experience power outages that last for days? You can always charge your cell in your car.
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Originally Posted by Mini-apple-less
My duplex was built then and despite being nearly 20 years old, it feels similar to the stuff being built today. The only thing about it that gives away its age is the old fashioned phone jacks in the wall.
No, it's not a new house. It's almost 20 years old! And just because you think it looks like a house today doesn't mean anyone else does. Have you replaced practically everything within the last few years? Then it's all old. I can't imagine a kitchen from the 90's looking like a kitchen today unless it was recently remodeled. What type of metal are the fixtures? Brass? Chrome? Brushed nickel? Oil rubbed bronze?
A new house is one that was recently constructed and no one has lived in. After 18 years, surely it's been lived in. I've owned homes built in 1996, 2010, and 1942. I built the 2010 house and I would say it's newer, but not new. Two families have lived in it!
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Originally Posted by hotzcatz
We aren't expecting the 18 year old to last several hundred years or more, either! A well built and well cared for house should last at least that long if not longer.
This totally depends on where the house is and when it was built. A house located in tornado alley or hurricane central, probably won't last for several hundred years. Many builders today admit that the houses they're now building won't last 100 years. The materials just don't last. The lumber of today just sucks.
I live in an area where houses over 100 years old is very common. The downtown has buildings that date back to 1800. They have had hundreds of thousands of dollars of work done to them to keep them going. Most have been gutted and the interiors rebuilt. The exteriors have only survived because they're brick or stone. Wood rots over time even without an insect problem.
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Originally Posted by nybbler
Some odd ones in there. Medicine cabinets for 20 years? I've never seen one that failed. Do they count it failed when it starts showing a few rust spots inside? Showerheads last a lifetime? Not in hard water areas they don't. Shower doors fail after 20 years, really? Do people throw them out when they need new rollers? Plywood or softwood structure lasts 30 years? Never heard of anyone re-sheathing their house after 30 years... or, well, ever. Certainly my 1960 house has the original sheathing. I just replaced the original aluminum gutters this year (supposed to last 20 years).
I have a medicine cabinet from 1942 in my bathroom right now. It still opens....it's a little corroded, but have hard water and humidity and it's metal so I would expect that after 70+ years....well far less than 70 years.
I've had shower heads fail after a few years. And if you have hard water, they certainly won't last for 20 years. Maybe if you clean them after each use they will?
I've seen many homes need their plywood replaced especially when they've needed their roofs repaired/replaced. Might depend the location.....lots of snow, rain, and humidity here. Snow does a number to wood and roofs here.
Rather than characterizing the age of a home with the lifetime of a faddish decor, how about characterizing the age of the home in terms of its anticipated lifetime? Or characterizing it according to the typical lifetime of a home? In a neighbourhood in which nearly all the homes were built in the 1880's, the one built in 1940 can still be called "the 'new' house".
When it comes to post-WWII homes, nearly all are built according to the same Modern style and with the same modern materials (vinyl, composites, etc.) and methods. In this sense, there's little difference between what was built in 1950 vs 2010.
People without a sense of history or tradition probably have a very different interpretation of "old" than others.
Yes, our 1989 house is basically a replica of an older country-style house, with a bit of a custom twist thrown in (i.e. the numerous bay windows for example). It has gables in the front, transom windows and a wraparound porch, yet it also has both an open concept AND closed in at the same time. The two rooms at the front of the house are defined and walled in, but the kitchen is a long rectangle opened up to the living room. The house is called "neo eclectic" by the appraiser since it doesn't conform to one particular style.
What I've found with 80s and 90s homes is that the mechanicals used tended to be of superior quality. I know this is anecdotal, but my mother's Rheem A/C and furnace that was installed in the late 80s kept kicking until it finally started to show wear at close to age 30. Same with her water heater. She didn't have to replace any of those things until they were well into their second decade of ownership. In my current house, the upstairs A/C is an original Bryant and is still running perfectly. We're not gonna replace that puppy until it dies...same with our refridge (20 yrs) and microwave (16 yrs). We have a laundry list of things we're changing out but it says something that these things still work (and work well) for so long. Can't say the same for the mechanicals of my prior new construction home that was built in 2004. The builder installed ACs died seven years in. The water heater flooded after year 5. We replaced the ACs in 2010 and 2011 with Rheem (based on my mother's experience). This time, however, the Rheems were total crap and both had to have their evaporator coils replaced two years in (under warranty though). Can't comment on the water heater because it was still good when we sold the house, but I really do think that better materials were used in the 80s and 90s. People get hung up though on the dated 80s and 90s finishes (i.e. copious use of brass, heavily textured ceilings, etc.)
Obviously a home built in 1997 is not a new build. But given that it more than 70 years younger than any building I've ever lived in it seems farcical to call it old.
It clearly is not a new house. It is not an old house, but certainly not a new house.
I have a partially eaten chicken pot pie from 1997. Would you like to buy this "New" chicken pot pie?
I wouldn't buy a chicken pot pie--partially eaten, or not--that's 18 days old. Does the newness of a house wear off that fast?
I must say, though, this thread has really reinforced my preference for old (truly old, 70+ years old) houses, where one doesn't need to replace just about everything every 20 years.
I would consider it "newer" but in my region homes have a much older average age. There are not many "new" developments but plenty of homes from the 40's-70's and even before that (17-1800's). So something from the 90's I consider fairly new.
Our home was built in 1996 and if you compare it to a home my cousin has from 2004 it's light years better. Of course it is different construction/builders but I've come to get a sense that a lot of the 2000's neighborhoods that popped up were quickly and cheaply built similar to a thrown together condo/apartment complex.
When we were house hunting 3 years ago we looked at homes from the 70's that needed some major upgrades but were solid, then homes from the 2000's that felt and appeared to be weaker and less robust for the long haul. The house we bought was a fortress in comparison to many. 2x6 construction, thick insulation, the bones were in great shape. It was also a "one-off" as the cul-de-sac had privately bought lots that were custom built by the land owner or whatever builder they chose. It's nice to not have a cookie cutter neighborhood.
As for our appliances and utilities, the water heater is under 10 years old, the furnace is gas and runs like a champ since they require minimal maintenance. The AC is fantastic, although the condenser outside will need to be replaced in probably the next 5-10 years. The roof is in perfect shape with 30 year shingles, and the kitchen appliances may be original but are GE and Jenn-Air and have no issues. We did replace the original washer/dryer that came with the house, a 19 year run is pretty good but the rust on the tubs was getting to be an issue.
So all in all I consider this home fairly new as 20 years is really not a very long time for a home. They are not throw away or simply replaced items, and are meant to be standing and functional for generations. If I lived in a different area it might be considered an older home by there standards but in the Northeast/New England a home from the 90's is still a baby.
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