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As a first-time home buyer or someone looking for better property, you’re also considering older homes. Many have traditional charm, bigger yards, full-grown trees, and well-established neighborhoods. They may also save you money over newer Brandywine Homes. That is, if you’re willing to deal with time and expense of common old house problems.

No Insulation
Go back 50 years or so and houses may not have any insulation. Most builders believed that four inches of dead air inside the cavities of the framing provided enough protection from heat or cold. Any discomfort could easily be mitigated by a good furnace or air-conditioner, powered by cheap and abundant energy. Think about the cost and effort of adding insulation to an older property. You won’t face that issue in our new developments because all their structures are weather-proofed to the latest residential standards.

Energy Wasting Appliances
The older appliances in an old home use up more energy than current models for two reasons. They were built with technology that was less energy efficient and they’re worn out. A 20-year-old fridge or a dish washer can use twice as much energy used by current models. You’ll either pay extra for the electricity needed to power these dinosaurs or you can buy newer appliances. Either option requires a cash outlay. Our new homes feature the latest and most energy efficient appliances.

Inadequate Wiring
Like any modern household, you and your family own TVs, a computer or two, an internet router, a cable box and DVR, several smart phones, a video game console, a microwave oven, and several other electrical devices. The average home today uses about 80 electric devices. When you look at an older home, count the number of outlets in each room to see where you can plug everything in. You’re most likely going to need power strips and extension cords to accommodate all your technology.

Except if you plug in too many devices that demand power, the home’s older wiring system may not be able to cope. This produces blown fuses, dim lights, tripped circuit breakers, and appliances that don’t perform efficiently. Upgrading the wiring can be inconvenient and expensive because it involves digging through walls. Contrast this with our houses, which are built with the power needs of a modern family in mind. You’ll get plenty of outlets and enough wiring to handle all your technology.

Toxic Substances
That cottage cheese ceiling in the retro house you adore is easy enough to scrape off. But not if it contains asbestos. The Victorian that you have your eye on boasts trim with original paint that is full of lead. Even the kitchen cabinets that you’re going to keep in the 1970s ranch house for sale can emanate formaldehyde.

Many older homes contain toxic substances. Builders relied on materials that were cost-effective and efficient thought at the time to be safe. Some of these materials, like asbestos, are dangerous enough that they require removal by trained professionals following strict hazardous waste mandates. Modern structures avoid these potential dangers by being built with materials that pose no health threat.

Once you start accounting for the costs to fix older home problems that at best, are inconvenient, and at worst, can make you sick, that used house may not seem such a desirable bargain any more. Wouldn’t you rather live in a place that’s guaranteed to avoid these issues?

Are you looking for a new home in Orange County, Long Beach or the Los Angeles metro area? Brandywine Homes is opening six new communities this year offering a combined 265 single-family homes and townhomes. Click here for more information.