[desertrat22]

I see a lot of Omaha houses for sale in the $50,000 to $75,000 range built in the late-1800's and early-1900's.

Aside from age, are these homes cheaper because they're terribly inefficient with energy costs? If the heating and cooling bills are double or triple that of a newer home, I could understand the lower home value.

[McBain II]

Originally Posted by desertrat22

I see a lot of Omaha houses for sale in the $50,000 to $75,000 range built in the late-1800's and early-1900's.

Aside from age, are these homes cheaper because they're terribly inefficient with energy costs? If the heating and cooling bills are double or triple that of a newer home, I could understand the lower home value.

Several reasons

1) Housing in Omaha, for the most part, is extremely affordable. The cost of living is one of the lowest of any metropolitan area in the country.

2) Over time, Omaha has expanded westward, leaving many homes in the older eastern part of the city available for low prices.

3) Older homes are generally less energy efficient, but many of them have been upgraded over the years and carry only a small premium on the purchase price. Even a non-upgraded home is generally cheap enough that its still a great deal after the costs of upgrading.

[JustMe_T3K]

If you are really budget conscious regardless the age of the house,
request a copy of the last years utility bills. Check the age and efficiency of
the heating cooling system also.

[MountainMen]

There's an irrational mindset in Omaha that the further west you live, and the more dependent on a car you are, the better off your status. It doesn't have anything to do with utility bills.

[rachaella]

And another thing to keep in mind is that brand new houses in the suburbs can be bought for $160,000, which is relatively cheap anyway (if you look at the national housing market). I think in most cities, smaller older houses are about 1/3 of the price of new ones, the scale is just a little more exaggerated.

There's nothing wrong with living in an older house. I prefer it, actually!

[desertrat22]

I'm not a tree hugger by any means, but inefficient homes are really annoying because gas and electric costs are getting more and more expensive. Even out here on the west coast, I've seen poorly insulated homes lead to the early demise of an air conditioning or furnace unit.

Having said all this, I feel like a hypocrite because I'd prefer an attached garage that I can keep heated on certain occasions. I enjoy working with my hands, building or fixing things, changing my own oil, hobby activities, etc. During the winter, I'd be miserable in a detached garage without heat.

Does anyone know about what time attached garages became common?

[harshbarj]

I would assume attached garages became common around the 50's as thats when americas love afair with the automobile really set in. All I can say is in my neighborhood not one house has an attached garage and the houses were mostly built from 1880-1915. Even the few newer (1940's) all have detached garages.

[desertrat22]

Originally Posted by harshbarj

I would assume attached garages became common around the 50's as thats when americas love afair with the automobile really set in. All I can say is in my neighborhood not one house has an attached garage and the houses were mostly built from 1880-1915. Even the few newer (1940's) all have detached garages.

Are the detached garages in your neighborhood set up with electricity?

What I mean by that is besides a garage door opener would there be outlets for lighting and power tools, or would I need to have electrical work done?

[McBain II]

Setting up a detached garage with electricity is a rather simple venture. Same goes for heating and cooling as there are many options on the market, most of them rather affordable.

[desertrat22]

Originally Posted by Bosco55David

Setting up a detached garage with electricity is a rather simple venture. Same goes for heating and cooling as there are many options on the market, most of them rather affordable.

You mean simple if you do it illegally?

Out here, the building inspector's interpretations of building codes are, shall we say, unusual in a best case scenario.