| This man speaks the truth, downvoters. Anyone who has ever done any significant renovations on an old house knows the problems with aging housing stock. I would go even further and say 1950s is still a pain in the neck. It's really nice to work on a house built after 1985, for the simple fact you can sand door and window trim down to a nice smooth finish without having to worry about unleashing the lead kraken. Next time I buy an old house I'm going to do a full gut renovation. Take it down to the frame and build anew. It's the only way to go in my opinion. Drywall is very easy to repair. Old walls covered in decrepit wallpaper with who knows what underneath, not so much. It is difficult to get insurance for a house with knob and tube wiring, and this is just the start. Anything built in the 50's has the potential to contain asbestos as well. In regards to density, I have found that .15-.25 acre single family lots with some three story apartment complexes sprinkled in make a very nice compromise that gives most of the benefits of suburbia while allowing for a nice walkable to bikeable town. |