Im gonna miss the old place..

[jharkin]

I feel like its been forever since I've posted, but I wanted to pop in and let all the wonderful folks here know first.

As we have expected for a few years now, the time has come for us to move on from our wonderful old house

Its a hard thing to part with this place, but our growing family just doesn't fit any more. We love the area and plan to stay local, but unfortunately larger antiques in good shape/location at sane prices dont come up often so the outlook of getting into another one this go around is not great.

We are working with a well referred local agent - but I also want to ask the crowd here - any special tricks you have used to find a good antique buyer? Somebody who will keep caring for the home and not remuddle it? We will probably drive by it from time to time and it would break our hearts to see it abused.

Has anyone had luck with sites like Circa Old Houses?

Looking for all input... or if you are interested in an 18th Century Cape in "reasonable" commute distance to Boston dont hesitate to reach out in pm.

I'll stay in touch and THANK YOU THANK YOU to everyone on here that has offered encouragement, friendship, advice and help over the years... Especially Jade Mortimer (my windows never looked so good ), DonM, Phil, Mick, Wacky, Gothic, Abuela, Danny, Texas Ranger, Warren, and too many other folks to recount...

[Gothichome]

Jeremy, the time will come to all of us to sell, and I will bet every one of will have the same concerns for our old homes. I’m not really sure there’s much you can do to assure your old home will not be mucked about with, just hope for the best. On the upside if it’s marketed as a restored home two hundred years old you might find a buyer looking for just that very thing with the same intent on preservation as you.
If not just send them over to the District, we’ll set them on the strait and marrow road to old home enlightenment.
And leave lots of literature on the counter during the viewings on the benefits of original restored windows.

[GinaC]

Is there any way at all that you could get your home on the National Register of Historic Places?

[Manalto]

Best of luck, Jeremy. Your house is a stunner with that (magnolia?) tree in bloom.

[heartwood]

Jeremy, don't tell me you had another set of twins!!!

I have enjoyed reading your posts as you passionately cared for your lovely home...
I so enjoy sharing my window restoration knowledge with folks who want to
take on that work themselves...thanks for letting me be a part of your process...

you may find this real estate newspaper helpful when you put your house up for
sale... https://www.antiquehomesmagazine.com/#

wishing you and your family the very best...
....jade

[jharkin]

Hahahahaha.... No additional twin sets. But would you believe that they are 8 years old now? We are at the point where the 4 of us sharing one bathroom gets "interesting" a little too often.

Thanks for the encouragement... I think our biggest issue is going is just going to be attracting lots of buyer interest. We are at a price point where lots of young families trying to buy their first home in town look (good) but I fear being an antique is a turnoff for these young kids... who all want turnkey, modern, brand new and transit access to the city.

I dont think the house would ever qualify for the national register... its old but its not particularly historic/significant.

[nhguy]

I grew up in Ashland just a town away from you in an 1100 sqft ranch. The four of us plus an 85 lb collie lived there sharing one bathroom. Eventually, my cousin moved into the third bedroom after college. Today, I know everyone needs lots of space, but I guess being a historian your house would have once had a dozen or move living there. I hope you find what you need for a home and your current home finds a new owner with the passion for preservation you have shown. All the best.

[heartwood]

nhguy....I was thinking similarly...I grew up in a ranch--4 kids, two adults--and we all shared one bathroom...sure, there were backups every once in a while but we managed...in my last house I had two full bathrooms and it was nice when I had guests but, other than that, it was just one more room to clean!

[GinaC]

Hey folks, don't bathroom shame!

It also matters where the bathroom is, and how old you are. My little house is a 1.5 storey, and the bedrooms are upstairs. The bathroom is downstairs. In the 1950's somebody put a toilet in an upstairs closet -- probably as the original owners got older. They passed in 1998.

That 1954 toilet finally gave out on the night of my closing. Let me tell you, the weekend I had to spend running up and down the stairs in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom was no fun.

[phil]

I ended up with a bathroom in one f the bedroom closets. I assume the people just got older and wanted one nearby. It was very weirdly situated.

You've done what you can to preserve it. rather than it looking like lot with a shabby house it's a lot with a very quaint little home. My guess is that likely has already saved it from the practicality of the wrecking ball for investors. You don't have control over who offers the best price and most won't take less to see it go to the person they like unless they are on a budget to support that sort of thing. maybe doing an album or before and after might support the restoration you've done and help as a sales feature?

I think others here would agree that what you own isn't important to the forum, an interest in old houses is all you need to keep posting in the Historic District and if you enjoy restoration you may find other interests for example helping restore local community buildings.