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Yeah, I actually never even noticed the house. I originally posted about the landscaping, with the same exact thought as you. You should see it in person.
Status:
"Let this year be over..."
(set 29 days ago)
Location: Where my bills arrive
19,259 posts, read 17,129,598 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by twingles
Yeah, I actually never even noticed the house. I originally posted about the landscaping, with the same exact thought as you. You should see it in person.
The funny part is if the decor was located down south there would all kinds of posts calling it trailor trash etc....
Of course to be true trailer trash a couch/chair or non-working appliance must be part of the arrangement...
This is strictly personal observation - I have no numbers to back myself up. It seems that McMansions did the opposite of raising property values during the recent real estate fiasco. These houses languished on the market for years, dropping their prices as they followed the market down only to end in a short sale. Abandoned homes don't do a lot for the neighborhood property values.
And so many of these homes were built cheaply, using substitute matierals, dated finishings, etc., that they are deteriorating quickly and require more maintenance to even look passable than their more solidly built neighbors.
Recently in our neighborhood the letter went out to all the adjoining properties requesting their waiver on a homeowner who wanted to built past the legal set-back. I think it is required that the building be 8 feet from the property line. Well, one of the neighbors said "no way!" He felt, and I don't really blame him, that a hulking house right up to the line would affect his resale and quality of life in his back yard. So the waiver seeker had to go back to his contractor or architect and start the process over.
I don't know all the rules, but I do wonder how these homeowners with the massive houses get the town's permission. Are the towns that eager for additional tax revenue? Isn't there a formula that calculates the square footage of a home in relation to the acreage? Just from a taste/visual/design standpoint, doesn't anyone tell the renovators that a mansion looks ridiculous on a postage-sized property?
I don't consider that a McMansion - even though it's bigger than its neighbors, it fits in. I still think it has little charm and I think that is common even when the houses are re-done nicely. People skimp on finishes like shutters and landscaping....it needs something in front of the bottom of that porch, something ON the porch. That house just looks blah to me. But it's fine with its neighbors.
Quote:
Originally Posted by rh71
Construction has certainly changed over the years. Materials are different, for better (efficiency) and for worse (cheaper for cost to purchaser). Can you really build a 2500sqft home for a reasonable cost these days especially given inflation / labor costs which have also risen? Doubtful. It would be no surprise bigger homes may have corners cut in some areas (particleboard vs. CDX plywood, hollow doors, lesser R-value insulation, less-efficient utilities, etc.) to result in a lower price. Who's going to spend $1mil in an area full of $300-400k homes that are 60 years old? The contractors have to keep this in mind because they need their return on investment.
That brings us to the issue of seeing a newly-built home on a block where others are originals. I don't know - I just feel like whenever anyone sees a built-up neighbor's home, they instantly feel slighted. Are there any people who are actually happy for them (as long as it wasn't overly gaudy-looking)? Ask yourself if you would be. I mean, people throw around the term "mcmansion" like all new 2-stories are pretentious. They just put up this one (attached below) in the area. Not overly done, looks pretty good... is this considered a mcmansion? Because there are plenty of these around - much more than overly-built gaudy ones (we've looked around when we were deciding on style). I don't see how someone would be upset at this and even think it would lower their own property value in the long run.
Status:
"Let this year be over..."
(set 29 days ago)
Location: Where my bills arrive
19,259 posts, read 17,129,598 times
Reputation: 15570
I agree with Twinkles, although different from the surrounding homes it has good setback from the property lines and finishes that match existing homes. One downside to many older neighborhoods is the builder only made one style of homes so any deviation stands out. At least now builders have a mix of sizes/styles so there is more variety in the neighborhood.
Status:
" Charleston South Carolina"
(set 15 days ago)
Location: home...finally, home .
8,818 posts, read 21,295,327 times
Reputation: 20112
Please do not post photos of people's homes that do not appear on a MLS or other listing on this website. There are legal issues for City-data with this type of posting. You can imagine how you would feel if your home (complete with aerial photos or a street shot showing your car ) were posted on-line & people felt free to criticize your taste in architecture and housing.
Thanks for your help and understanding .
__________________ ******************
People may not recall what you said to them, but they will always remember how you made them feel .
Last edited by nancy thereader; 04-14-2013 at 05:41 AM..
Location: Prince Georges County, MD (formerly Long Island, NY)
1,558 posts, read 2,726,536 times
Reputation: 1652
Quote:
Originally Posted by nancy thereader
Please do not post photos of people's homes that do not appear on a MLS or other listing on this website. There are legal issues for City-data with this type of posting. You can imagine how you would feel if your home (complete with aerial photos or a street shot showing your car ) were posted on-line & people felt free to criticize your taste in architecture and housing.
Thanks for your understanding and help.
So sorry! How do I delete my post?
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