Age is only one way to tell if it’s an Antique home. These homes are typically rectangular in shape and include a large central chimney with one or more fireplaces. Outside there are narrow clapboards for the siding material and a simple trim around doors and windows. Sometimes there are a few small windows (called “lights”) around the main doorway.
The other windows typically have numerous small panes, most often 4×4, 6×6 or 12×12. Practical Yankees usually split them horizontally with the bottom opening to add ventilation in the nice weather. True antiques were fitted with exterior trim whose purpose was to secure the home against Native American raids. Those might include solid secure shutters, solid pine front doors, or large hand-forged hinges and handles.
Over the years, as the family of the homeowner grew, they were fitted with wings, walls and lean-to’s and barns to house their growing family needs. This phenomenon often lead to miss-matched floor heights, weird “railroad-style” hallways and doors/windows to nowhere that were no longer needed as the family blossomed.
Here’s an example of an Antique style house floor plan layout that has been added onto over the years:
Many of these wonderful homes have restored hand-hewn beams with exposed pegs, very wide pine board (the King’s Pine) floors, soapstone sinks, and hand-carved trim or trim produced with water saws. Antique lovers find these details to be absolutely charming and are very fond of them.
These homes appeal to a select group of buyers. Their on-market times are usually longer than many other home styles. Their rate of appreciation is typically less than that of most other homes. This is partially because they are located near the center of towns (very close to main roads – often on double-yellow line streets) and their location on the lot is usually very close to the road.
Here’s another floor plan of a really old one, you can see it’s only a single room deep to start and grew from there over a number of years:
In closing, antique home lovers are a special breed and when they purchase their home have been known to live there for a very long while.
If you like this you’ll like Mike Hunter, the House Hunter as your Realtor even better. He knows the Sudbury market and has represented many happy Sudbury households to buy or sell for years. Please feel free to forward his profile to others you feel would benefit from his services.
Call Mike 978-580-1069 today.
For a full list of architectural styles click here.
People also ask about other House Styles of New England click here
Mike Hunter … expert Metrowest Boston real estate advice and simple results-driven transactions
