Beyond Furious

[chyna]

We really need a Gripes section in here. :o

Remember in our posts about houses we'd like to live in and some of the neighborhood dream homes we'd like to take on? Well mine was torn down. Yes torn down!!!!! :mad: My dh told me that there was a house on the way to our ds' school that they tore completely down in 4days and he was in awe that they could do it that fast. But he couldn't remember what house it was or explain it very well so I checked it out last night.

I may just join a witches coven just so I can cast a curse on the owners. I pray that the new house shows them the same amount of respect they showed the old house. :mad: My aunt reports that my great-grandmother was a gypsy...... Now I wish I actually had contact on her so I could do a good ol' gypsy curse on them. Was going to go with something violent like a rusty nail in the foot resulting in tetunus or a 2x4 smacking them up along the head but decided I'd go more insidious.

I'm so p********d!!!!!!! My town just turned 100 last year and we really don't have many old houses in town let alone one like it. Why do people buy old houses and not realize there is more than just moving in and maybe painting the walls. They take loads of time and work and well love. Don't even think I can drive by there again especially after the build some plastic box.:mad:

[Heather]

Chyna doesn't your town have Heritage Status on the old buildings? Doesn't matter anyways now....

[RoseMary]

It seems like such a waste when they tear down old houses:(! It makes me mad:mad:, too. I just try to tell myself that, possibly, the house was beyond saving--that there were things wrong with it that weren't obvious, etc. Still, I know that you will miss that old house!

I don't know about the laws where Chyna lives, but in the town I live closest to, you can buy and tear down most any house you wanted to. I think the downtown itself might be on the historic register, but houses are only on them if someone applies for the register.

[annielinz]

I totally understand your feelings. In the neighborhood I grew up in, people are buying and totally turning these charming little homes into "McMansions". They look so out of place and the charm of the neighborhood is being lost.

[yarborough house]

Living in a national and local historic registered district there are both sides really. I personnally would not tear down a house- if I was considering buying it I would make sure I could fund the renovation. If not then move on.
But that being said - it costs so much money to do work that meets historical guidelines believe me. At the previous house which was a french eclectic - 1926 it had 3 sets of french doors across the front. Well somewhere along the line some fool put new doors on and put interior doors on the exterior of the house- so when they started to rot or not hold out cold air he then put up full window storm windows on the front of them. When we bought it that was one of the first things we addressed. We were going to get wood doors(as that is the only ones we are allowed to use) Pella at that with the look of divided lights. But no, our lovely HPC(historic preservation commission) said they had to be true divided light glass. So, we had to have the dang things custom made to the tune of about $11,000 for the 3 sets and a front door.

It is pretty spendy - and that is where sometimes - not that it is right - but sometimes it is just more economical to tear down and start over then to go back and try to make it all up to code while maintaining the historical integrity.

Also, on the rules and protections- well you don't have any protections or rules if it just a nationally registered area..it has to be locally registered also - that is where the rules and guidelines kick in. The city is in charge of enforching those. The only exception to that is if the home or building is listed as a national landmark - whew then you have tons of rules..even the inside.

I deal with this everyday. Wanting to do things but then doing the money workup and realizing that it costs us at least 3 times more to do upgrades on our houses than others because most of it ends up being custom work.

But if you LOVE historical homes like i do - then like I said - you buy it knowing it will cost more and you are willing to forgo other things to do the house right.

[rubyslippers]

When my husband and I were living in a VERY small town, I used to pass a beautiful old barn on the way to work. I saw the fog around it as I was driving in to teach. Then, some days I saw snow flurries. It was just a beautiful scene. Well, the farm was sold to the highest bidder and it is now McMansion wonderland.

I was driving down a road the other day that always had this quirky house. It was sort of off a MAJOR road, but I always loved the little place. Anyway, it looks like they are widening (sp?) the road. The new "pavement" goes ALL the way to the front steps. Any bets on how long that little place is going to last?

I don't mind new construction, honestly. I may even opt for it the next time around. HOWEVER, what makes me sad is that most new construction (due to money, speed, mass-production, whatever) does not have the charm and the character I would like to see in a home. It makes me sad.

I'm sorry Chyna ... this is just one of the reasons we all protect and love our homes the way we do.

Bye,

Jenny

[Gigi]

I'd be heart broken to see this happen... and love when I see a little street in need of help starting to turn over and blossom...

[chyna]

My fury apparently was unfounded, my dh went and checked in the area and I was off by a block in a different direction. :o But this does bring up an important issue in this town. We don't really have a historic area set aside as such. There is a historic group but I'm not sure of what they do besides meet at the Owl.

Now for the torn down house, neither of us can remember what the house looked like. How sad is that?!

[RoseMary]

Tanya, I'm really glad your dream house is still standing, but your post gave me a good laugh:p~sounds just like something I would do:D. And now there's the poor old house that nobody remembers:(.

[chyna]

I'm still in fear for this cute little Victorian cottage just a couple blocks from my house. I talked to the owners granddaughter a few weeks ago (I was hoping to get the picket fence from them) and she mentioned that they may tear the house down and put a modular in there. I did my best to talk her out of it, in a sneaky way. Told her that it is an odd size lot and don't think there is enough room to put anything really on it. Problem with the house is that the foundation is BAD so it is one of those situations where it is damned if you do and damned if you don't. Me personally I hope they sell the house to be hauled off and not just tear it down. I can honestly say there is no other house like it in town. It is just so charming! I'm even thinking of a paint scheme for the fish scale at the roof peak. :o

The interior looked pretty good from the back door and I could see one of those corner cabinets. Would be an awesome guest house or a single person house. Yes it is that small. ;)

[LindaLK]

Good Afternoon Everyone, :)


Chyna, I feel your pain. I also had to laugh at what you would do if you were a gypsy. Too funny.
If you figure out how to work that curse, please let me know. I could use a good curse right about now. ;)


We have had some lovely old homes torn down here. What really P*sses me off is, they tear these houses down for condos, parking lots, or McMansions. I know they are costly to renovate and or move, but if all of these old houses are torn down, what will be left historically?


Yarborough is right. We have a town not far from us. Litchfield. The owners of old homes have to get permission from the historical society, or whom ever is in charge, just to paint their homes. One lady was told to take down her window boxes with flowers because, she didn`t have permission to put them on the house, and they were not used in that time period. I prefer a house that I can make a home, not one I have to pay for, then be told what I can or can not do to it.


Now on the other hand. I can see where these rules come in to play. I had seen an old victorian farm house that had been renovated with sky lights, a big round window in the front, and other modern add ons. One side of the house looked like an A~Frame was added on for an extra room. Uuugggly!



Hugs,
Linda :)