Expert: Richard Taylor, AIA - 1/22/2010

Question
We are planning to purchase house in Florida, since price is a lot lower than Bay Area, California.  Questions is what do you think about old Spanish Style House (80 years old)?  I do not know exactly Spanish Style House is made out of, but looks a lot durable than newer contemporary houses. We saw one Spanish house (80 years old) in Titusville Florida.  It looks a lot durable than newer build contemporary houses.  What type of style house is best build in state of Florida?  Thanks
Toichi

Answer
Good morning Toichi, thanks for your question!

The fact that any house has survived 80 years in good shape should tell you something!  I doubt many homes built these days will have as long a life as that.

And that's because as you suspect, many older homes are built of more durable materials than newer homes.  The one you're considering in Titusville is likely a masonry home - good, solid construction built to last.  Not so with many newer wood-framed homes, especially the mass-produced ones.

But keep in mind that older homes come with drawbacks, too.  Newer homes are built to more stringent building codes - which means a safer electrical system and better plumbing among other things.  Older homes have less energy-efficient windows and little insulation (if any).  They may also have worn-out roofing, foundation problems, hidden leaks...

Before you become an "old house" person (like me!) you need to carefully and seriously consider what you may be getting into.  While older homes are more often than not more architecturally interesting, they also often require a great deal more maintenance.  And that can be expensive.

But - at least in my case - that's part of the price you pay to live in a home of character, since it's almost impossible to find "character" in new homes today.

Florida's east coast has a long history of great Spanish-inspired architecture; the house you're looking at may have an interesting pedigree...something worth checking into a bit!

Bottom line - it's been there 80 years, it's likely to last 80 more.  But you'll have to care for it to keep it that way.  If you're up to that challenge, go ahead - and enjoy the adventure!

Hope this helps,

Richard Taylor, AIA
www.rtastudio.com
www.rtastudio.blogspot.com
www.rtaplans.com