Recently we did a blog about historic properties and talked about the pros and cons of purchasing one. There are a lot of perks to owning a century-old (or even older!) home; some financial, some aesthetic – but also some pertinent logistics to consider and make sure you’re ready to tackle. If you plan carefully, living in a historic home can be a truly magical experience. It’s not for everyone, though, and ultimately it comes down to personal preference: What moves you and where your dreams take you.
We thought it would be fun to ask our agents for their take on the subject. Out of anyone besides a contractor who specializes in historic home building, Realtors are the ones who know the challenges as well as the benefits of purchasing one – after all, it’s their job to understand the ins and outs of what’s involved so they can advise their clients thoroughly.
So we were curious to find out what our agents and staff would want if they were the client. You might be surprised at the answers!
A historic property or a new build? Which would you personally choose and why?
“I wouldn’t mind an older bungalow on the beach; however, the newer homes have much larger kitchens and open floor plans, which are very nice, and I like those too. Can I have both?”
– Dawn Mahler, REALTOR®
“I’m game for either. If it’s historic, though, it would have to have new infrastructure for me to feel comfortable.”
– Beckie Cantrell, REALTOR®
“I’d want a new build to avoid some of the expenses that come with historic properties – and also so I can customize it to my own style and create what I want.”
– Noris Roche, REALTOR®
“A new custom built home on lots of acreage, if I’m fortunate enough to own property again. By now, I’ve seen what I like and what would work best for me and my tastes.”
– Cynthia Mikell, REALTOR®
“Historic, definitely. They have such wonderful architectural design details and character!”
– Liz Gray, REALTOR®
“Oh, tough one. I love historic homes because they’re so unique and were almost all custom-built houses. Each one has its own distinct character, and each one has a history or even multiple histories of families who lived there, and I really like that. The only sticking point for me is the kitchen; it has to be large and spacious. Closets are also something of an issue; they didn’t have big walk-ins back in the day, so you’d have to get creative. But that’s part of the fun.”
– Angela Durrell, Copywriter
“I would choose a historic house over a new build. I grew up in historic houses, and I think they have more charm and character.”
– Roxanne Free, REALTOR®
“I would always choose a historic property, because it can be updated to a point so you get the best of both worlds. If it was made well, there’s a certain amount of character that I’m missing in new builds. A lot of these historic properties offer a meticulous attention to detail that was standard back in the day.”
– Anna Duhame, Graphic Designer
Do you have a question you’d like us to Ask the Agents? Email us at Marketing@ShowcaseOcala.com and let us know! Keep an eye out for the next installment of ATA, and if your curiosity is piqued, have a look at our Ocala and Gainesville agent pages and follow us on Facebook for regular updates about what we’re all up to.
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