Quite the swing of style and price ranges I had today in the viewings of two properties. They are almost completely different yet they both have something in common. The first property I showed today was my new listing at 760 Briarstone Drive. This home’s quality of construction is by far one of the best I have seen. The buyer who is very familiar with construction was keen on the detail as well as the soundness of the structure. He was absolutely amazed by the views of Briarstone Lake that the home affords. I told him I could loose track of time just watching the ever-changing views of the lake. Just as I was looking out the window I spotted a pair of Cardinals smooching in a nearby tree. So cute!
Because of the soundness of this home, it will likely out last many of the homes built today.
Later this afternoon I had an opportunity to view a 145 year old building. I was in near dis-belief by the way the building was constructed so long ago. The stone walls are nearly 30 inches thick and the massive timbers supporting the floors showed nearly no signs of wear or warp. The ¾ inch thick maple floors have additional ¾ inch thick sub-flooring. I can only imagine how long it took to construct considering it having been built long before electricity and power tools. I pointed out the lack of knots in the timbers as well as the flooring. The lumber used back in those days was all old growth lumber which has a strength far greater than the lumber of today.
I think both of these properties were built by people who were keen on quality as well as building something to last. If any of you have an opportunity to visit some of the old buildings in Europe, you will see structures that are hundreds of years old and are still safe, sound, and secure. With that said, whenever you’re out looking at homes and buildings regardless of the age, pay special attention to the quality of construction because real quality is timeless.
