Dial Herco

Archive for November, 2009

You’re in better shape, of course, if style doesn’t matter to you, since that opens you up to all the possibilities. But if you know you can’t stand Victorian architecture, then clearly you’d be wasting your time by looking at Victorians. If a redbrick row house is your dream, and if the possibifity of losing a few weeks to a futile quest doesn’t intimidate you, then go ahead and tell the broker, “Redbrick row houses only, please.” It doesn’t hurt to take a shot at finding the kind of house you really want, but you should probably give yourself a certain time limit and then broaden the search. Compromise may turn out to be essential. In any event, an awareness of styles is the beginning of an awareness of homes as fabricated objects in natural settings, something you’ll need when you get closer to making an offer. So, yes, pause at the outset, even if you might not otherwise have been so inclined, and ask yourself what styles you like in houses. To refresh your memory, I’ve included an appendix of drawings of the most important and common house styles in the United States.