Some friends of ours own a lovely home in one of Richmond’s historic districts. It’s well over a century old, and a great example of Victorian architecture, with gingerbread woodwork around the eaves and a large, inviting front porch. They love it and plan to live there forever.
Over the years, they’ve made significant upgrades. They installed a new HVAC system and smart thermostats. Their appliances are now top-of-the-line energy efficient models. They installed a solar array on their roof that connects to a whole-house battery. Being in one of the oldest homes in an older neighborhood with aging infrastructure, not only does the solar system significantly lower their monthly energy bills, when the power goes out the don’t even notice. They get an alert on their phone that the home has switched to battery power, which will then run the entire home for around 18 hours without recharging.
The tradeoff is that there’s only so much they can do when it comes to upgrading or remodeling. The bathrooms are cramped and closet space is at a premium. Whenever anything goes haywire, the repair becomes an exercise in archeological exploration as they peel back what was built before the invention of airplanes, air conditioning, and zippers.
When searching for a home, location is often a deciding factor. While it can be difficult to find an available lot or opportunity for a tear-down in the neighborhood that has the character and amenities you desire can be done, there may be restrictions on the style of home you’re able to build.
The bigger question is what you want out of the home. That gingerbread Victorian may appeal to your taste, but people in the Victorian era lived differently than we do today.
With a new, custom home, the floorplan isn’t dependent on the architecture of 1890. You get to lay it out the way you want it.
You don’t have to get creative with closet space. You get to design what you want.
When you move in, it will already have appliances using the latest technology, and the plumbing and electrical systems that meet the standards of the 21st Century.
When you buy an older home, it’s very much “buyer beware.”
When you build a custom home, you know exactly what you’re getting, because you designed it.