"kelly" wrote in message ...
Hi,
I'm planning to a house in the price range of 200K to 280K.
Originally, I'm going to buy this 5 yr old semi-detached house that
includes appliances, ceramic and hardwood flooring, 3 bdrms, around 1750
square feet, 24 x 85 lot. Then I saw this 19yr old house for the same
price, around the same neigborhood that is 68x100 lot, 4 bedrooms,
approx 2700 square feet house, finished basement,
NO hardwood, NO ceramic, NO appliances, all brick
frontage house, no fence, has AC. I don't read the house being reroofed
or re-windowed over all those years.

19 year old house is not bad, is it? I just have to replace the
roof, windows maybe, and some other stuffs I can't think of. It's the
same price as this tiny semi-detached.

For the moment, put aside the "niceties" such as ceramic, hardwood, etc.
Which is the better house to live in as far as location, house layout, room
size, lot size and appliances.

What will you get in a 19 year old house? I'm going to use mine as an
example as it was built in 1978 and just a little older.

It has very good insulation as it was built shortly after the "energy
crisis" of the '70s. At 22 years, I put on a new roof. The old one was not
leaking, but it was getting close to time so I did it. My windows are very
good. I have no thoughts of replacing them ever in my life if they stay the
same. I did replace a glass slider that was crap from the builder.

I like good appliances. This house came with a DW and electric range. They
were still functioning when I tossed them as they were not the quality I
desired. How about the model you are looking at?

There have not been any serious plumbing issues. Ii replaced one toilet in
that time and the faucet in the kitchen. All others are still in place and
functioning. There are no structural or electrical issues either. I expect
the house will last many more decades

There was no hardwood flooring, but we've since put in new carpeting in some
rooms, put in a new kitchen floor and in my family room I put engineered
hardwood. Everything I added was what I wanted, not the previous owner.
So, what I'm getting at is tat you can, over time, add the goodies you wand
and the styles you like. What is important is that the house be otherwise
functional for you so you can decorate later. It may be the better buy in
the long run.

Most houses last 100 years, some are 200+ years old and are still standing,
but have been modernized. At 19 years, it should still be very sound and a
good buy if you like the basics of it. At 30 or more years, you may be in
for some extra work, at 40 or 50 years, you can count on needing some work.