New Homes vs Old Homes

This post deals with the location,region specific issues and how they relate to the structure (bones of the house) of a new home vs an old home.

You may have construction issues with a 1920 house as it relates to earthquakes, Coastal issues, etc... if it is located in an earthquake prone area and/or close to the coast. What we know today doesn't even compare with what we knew then. We are far more advanced today and our means and methods for construction for homes in earthquake prone locations is immensely different.

Now you could make the case that if a home is standing today, built in 1920, than you would have to believe that it survived some major earthquakes and therefore assume that is is structurally sound. But this may not always be the case. I cant think of one home inspector who literally X-rays the walls and does stress tests on the existing structural components to determine if the wear and tear from the previous earthquakes damaged the structure. To me this is a huge difference between old homes and new homes. The next earthquake could be the last the house ever sees.

Locating a house near the coast has a whole different set of issues that deal with wind erosion, chemical reactions with the salt from the sea water, corrosion and so on.

Of course on the flip side is Hurricanes. I know for a fact, being that i am from South Florida, that a home built in the 1920's,30's, and so on are not even close to being designed for todays hurricane code, which i believe requires the building to withstand 146 MPH winds. Sure they may have been retrofitted for protection, however a band aid only last for so long.

Sure some old houses are amazing, but personally, i believe that most new homes have less structural issues than the old ones and if the architect and contractor knew what they were doing, it would be a much safer place to live.

Please let me know how everyone feels about these issues as it relates to selling and buying new and old homes. Most of my clients love it when i bring up these types of issues as they never look past the basics, condition of electrical, plumbing, and mechanical systems.

I have found with clients of agents on our real estate team here in Minnesota, they really seem to come to the transaction with a preference of the year built they are looking for.

Obviously if someone is looking for a mls listing in Minneapolis, those are much older homes in general than homes on the outer ring suburbs. So I guess it does depend.

I enjoyed reading your info here and in my opinion, it is on a case by case basis with each client.

I always tell my clients there is nothing fundamentally wrong with buying an older home, but that you should do more due diligence. An older home means more time for termites to have done damage, more time foe settling issues. If everything is updated, plumbing and wiring, and the foundation is sound. Old homes can be very beautiful.

In my opinion, there is nothing wrong with an older home if it has been properly maintained & updated. However, as zcoplan says more due diligence is required. As always, an inspection is highly suggested, just as it is suggested with a newer home.

I have seen newer homes that are falling apart after 5-10 years and I have seen homes 50-100 years old that are in great shape.