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Somebody just said that it's boring in here, so I am bravely stepping up to the plate and it's with one of my pet peeves. When you have a house that you love and the new owner comes along and wrecks it. (Wrecking is subjective, but you know what I mean.)
My favorite house was an average sized Cape with a two car garage, unassuming but pretty. Had a large central chimney, and as the realtor said at the time, "It looks like it fell out of Cape Cod." Inside, it wasn't the most practical set up but it was pretty good--wish I still had it now with the optional downstairs bedroom--perfect retirement home.
What made it so attractive was the siding was made of cedar shakes. Never needed any upkeep, looked pretty--a gently weathered gray, and in the rain it smelled like heaven, if you like the slight aroma of cedar.
After we sold it and came back for a sneak peek, the new owners were applying paint to the cedar shakes and making snide remarks about how it had never even been painted! From what I know (and I may not know much, lol) once you apply paint to the cedar, you have to keep doing it. So you have defeated one of the main purposes. But there they were on ladders, painting the beautiful naturally weathered cedar.
To a lot of us New Englanders, a Cape with natural cedar shakes is practically sacred. Houses are different throughout the country. Did the new owners "wreck" your house after they bought it?
I can see how you might feel a pang if you had especially nice memories made in a house and the new owners changed it all around. They don't revere it the way you do.
I don't believe I've ever been back to see a house I used to live in as an adult. No wait, that's not true. I did live in DH's house for a few years. But it was a disaster by the time we finally forced the tenants out in 2014. I had it remodeled over the course of three years and then I took one last look. That was the moment I was sorry we were selling it. It was gorgeous! Honest to Pete, I stood in the all-new kitchen, surveyed the high-end appliances, granite countertops, under-cabinet lighting and I broke down crying. I drove by a few months later and saw some changes made, all of which only improved the home further. I have a decent kitchen now so I don't cry any more.
I hope the former owners of our current abode don't come by. We do our best to keep up the place. Last month we had 30 bulging large lawn/leaf bags set out for the city to collect. But we do have our own ideas that have supplanted some of their whims. Seriously -- the former lady of the house kept referring to herself as whimsical. Sweet lady, but we have our "What was she thinking?" moments. Maybe I'll post some photos someday.
I hope the former owners of our current abode don't come by. We do our best to keep up the place.
The GenX former owners of our home drive by multiple times a day since we're on the only route they have to get to and from work/shopping. Lovely couple, we've actually visited them in their new home a couple of times but I'm pretty sure they're not in love with all the exterior changes we've made to the place. The 1st thing we did was cut down a fig tree they had planted in the front yard; they had included instructions for its care in a note they left in the house.
That's ok, we don't need their approval.
I had a very good friend who sold the family house after living in it for about 20 years. She would go out of her way to drive by it every few weeks to see what was happening to it and it always made her upset. Her favorite trees were being removed, house painted a weird color and so on. I told her she needed to stop going by there. It was no longer her house and she shouldn't care anymore but she was emotionally attached.
I had a very good friend who sold the family house after living in it for about 20 years. She would go out of her way to drive by it every few weeks to see what was happening to it and it always made her upset. Her favorite trees were being removed, house painted a weird color and so on. I told her she needed to stop going by there. It was no longer her house and she shouldn't care anymore but she was emotionally attached.
Oh yes, I think it's easy to get emotionally attached if you planted things and you took care of it. "My" Dogwood tree, "my" wildflower garden.
I sympathise a little with my old neighbors who have a ponderous Winnebago Gigantis shading there kitchen window now. The new owners also put black shutters on the windows (brick house) and that is a little depressing looking...but it is their house. I like that they have kids. The house needed a family.
The new owners rent the house out. I was not happy to see my cute little 1940 bungalow become a rental. And the yard is not well maintained. Otherwise I don't know what they have done to it as have never been inside it since I sold the house.
I don't have great sentimental attachment to the places I used to live, but I occasionally drive by the last one where DH and I lived, and check out the others on the Web.
Last place- no exterior changes but they've put plastic flowers in the front flower bed along with the real ones.
Place I lived in before I left NJ: was painted baby blue, now it's tan. Probably an improvement. Their decisions- they were nice people and I made a killing in that house.
Previous place where I lived with the Ex: wife of the couple who bought it, a Martha Stewart wannabe, had great plans, but they got scaled back due to costs. It did need updates and upgrades; it's a HCOL area, my Ex was unemployed the last 5 years of the marriage and it was all I could do to keep the bills paid and repair things even though I had a good job. When DH and I were downsizing in 2015 I was able to access the sales history on MLS and they ended up selling it at a loss. Sad. Current owners did a TON of work. The family room had sliding glass doors that used to lead out to steep cement steps down to a patio- they brought in fill dirt and now the doors lead out to a level patio, then steps going down to the yard- huge improvement. I recognize some rooms- they still have the same wallpaper in the laundry room!- and others, such as the kitchen, have been totally reworked. The place is beautiful and is worth $800-$900K. I couldn't touch it now.
It's fun to have Realtor.com and other sites so I can revisit these places!
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