[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
>In a message dated 7/2/02 9:04:35 PM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
>
>I'm talking about the INTERIOR appearance, James. If the interior woodwork
>is not painted white, the white windows clash. Many new homebuyers are
>interested in stripping some or all of their interior woodwork, and the white
>vinyl looks terrible with the natural wood. Even if they want to paint their
>woodwork in a nice color, but not white, the white vinyl can look bad - it
>becomes a contrasting and clashing "frame" around the glass. The only way to
>mask it is to use curtains to cover up the window, but that makes the room
>dark.
>
It _can_ look bad, but it can also look nice. Sometimes people like the
contrast. I like the way my white windows contrast with the green
exterior paint (which I will finish, neighbors).
>Anyway, the point is that many buyers buy historic houses because they
>appreciate the houses' original details. The higher the prices, the more
>there seems to be buyer appreciation of original details. So, removing ANY
>original details - windows, wood trim, fireplaces, tiles, leaded glass -
>tends to decrease the value rather than increasing it. I would urge all
>homebuyers to live in their houses for a while before making major changes,
>so that they are certain that their ideas make sense before they have spent
>money and made permanent alterations.
>
It depends on the changes. My front 2nd floor windows were
aluminum-frame relics that screeched when opened and leaked heat like
crazy. Took me three years before I had the spare cash to replace'em,
but I did. And I'd considered wood-clad windows as well-- but the prices
were just too high for me to afford. The vinyl windows were $250 apiece,
but the wood-clad ones I could find were priced between $700-800 dollars
apiece. For three windows, that's quite a price difference.
Now, one could argue that the wood-clad windows are the better buy in
the long run, because they're more durable. That's a bit like telling
someone that they _ought_ to buy a Mercedes rather than a Plymouth Geo
because of the finer engineering and heavy-duty construction. Sure, it
may be _true_, but it's a very misleading argument. Not everyone has
such luxuries, and homeowners have to make certain decisions that fit
their own situation.
----
You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the
list named "UnivCity." To unsubscribe or for archive information, see
<http://www.purple.com/list.html>.
