These homes are all in the same basic price range (around $300,000) in different parts of the country. Take a look and then tell us–which one would you most like to buy?
House #1: Historic Victorian Mansion in Weedsport, New York
The listing says:
5 BR, 2.5 BA, on nearly an acre. This Victorian Mansion, built in 1877 by O.W. Burritt, an inventor and leader in the Weedsport community, retains its old world character and original splendor. Century-old wallpaper, 10-foot high ceilings, pressed cork wainscoting and sliding pocket doors. A Porte Cochere sits on the west side of the residence next to the solarium and screened porch. Listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
I’m not sure whether the dolls come with the house or not, however:
#2: Log Cabin in Camp Dennison, Ohio
3 BR, 2 BA. One of a kind built log home, 2 story great room, exposed beams, stone fireplace, updated kitchen w/hickory cabinets & corian counters, 1/2 acre of privacy, backs up to greenbelt, sits on bike trail.
#3: Italianate Fixer in Galveston, Texas
5 BR, 1 BA, 3-story. Italianate style 1874 J. Mayrant Smith home. Possible B&B. Restored exterior, interior is a diamond in the rough! Woodwork and windows are all original!! Perfect restoration project.
#4: Yellow Cottage in West Palm Beach, Florida
The listing says:This charming Key West style 2 bedroom, 1 bath house in the historic Grandview Heights neighborhood features an updated kitchen, updated plumbing and electric throughout, hardwood floors, front and back porches with double French doors, attic storage and a detached garage. Minutes to the beach and golf.
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P.S. If you think shopping for houses is fun, then check this out, too: Vote for Your Favorite House Style.
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I bet those dolls come alive at night. Holy moly those are some creepy digs. Gonna have to go with Key West. Tiny, but I’m in the Northeast, I could use a sunny getaway.
Tough choice between the Italianate in Galveston and Key West. Went with Key West because it did not require tons of my cash and time. And I don’t need much room – we’ll be at the beach or on the boat, most of the time, anyway.
-Trish
Trish@TheOldPostRoad´s last blog ..Colorful Fun Family Room
I chose #1 because I personally like victorian style houses. Not too big on the dolls…a little freaky to me. But the house has loads of character.
If the Italinate were in better condition, I’d choose that one, but it requires too much work! The cottage in FL is cute, but way too small. I went with the Victorian. The dolls would be the first to go. Creepy!
I can’t beleive you made me choose between a Historic Mansion and a Italiante Fixer. Talk about inner turmoil. I ulimatly chose the one that would not require the rest of my life to fix. Although……the Italianate need my help. Decisions, decisions…
Derek´s last blog ..Peppard Cottage revisited.
Italianate for me – hands down. Stunning.
I almost expect the doll scene in photo #2 to fade to black and Rod Serling step into the frame. It’s all a bit too Twilight Zone.
LaurelStreet´s last blog ..The Black Apartment (really, really black!)
I also had a tough choice between the new york mansion and the florida cottage – for this phase in life, the biggy won out – however, if I had gotten this question 20 years from now, I may have a different answer! Fun post!!
Just something about the Italianate that I love. The exterior design is wonderful!
If money were no object, I’d take the Italianate in a heartbeat. I’d love to see it it fully restored (with additional bathrooms added somewhere). But I voted for the yellow cottage because it’s already done & it’s in a much warmer place than the current teen temps we’re having here in Indy.
I love that cute cottage, and what a great location! I know the other homes are bigger, but they are also older which typically means a lot more work. And those dolls are just creepy…
Danielle
Danielle @ Transforming Home´s last blog ..Making some progress…
The noise you can hear across the Atlantic is me sobbing at how cheap housing is in the US! They are gorgeous and huge! (with the exception of the cute little yellow cottage, but hey it’s in Key West – what a location!). For me it would have to be the Italianate Fixer it’s utterly beautiful. Nice selection….now where’s that Green Card??
Liz@VioletPosy´s last blog ..Silent Night
I picked the Victorian mansion, but only if I was allowed to make a couple tweaks. It’s listed as a historical home, if they wouldn’t let me, then I’d probably go for the Italianate.
Christine´s last blog ..Love.
If I had an additional 300 grand to pay for restoration (because I so don’t want to do it myself), I’d choose the Italianate in Galveston. So pretty.The idea of a quiet, completely different from California, ready-to-occupy getaway really appeals to me though so I’ll take the log cabin in Ohio. The haunted house full of dolls (no matter the location) was never an option, btw!
Tracy´s last blog ..Feeling Kinda Grinch-y
I almost went for the Victorian, but then I saw that it had “century-old wallpaper” and I said, “I don’t think so.” And then…I saw the dolls and I said, “No way!”
Deidra´s last blog ..12 Days::Remember The Story
I had a hard time choosing between the gorgeous log house and the Florida cottage! I grew up living in a log house, and I also grew up spending Winters in Florida and always dreamed of living in a cute little home minutes to the beach! I decided to go with the log house though, as I’ve always been a country girl!
Reyna´s last blog ..Gorgeous DIY Necklace
The Italianate Fixer by a landslide!!! I would love to renovate that beauty!
Sarah @ Dream In Domestic´s last blog ..Favorite Christmas Traditions
I would have to go with the Florida house… sun, beach and golf!
Vicki´s last blog ..What are you asking Santa for?
Oh, definitely the log cabin! Those high-beam celings are to die for! I wish I could get that look in my house! I’m trying! I like spacious cozy, and I get that feel from this. Thanks for posting!!
I meant “ceilings”!!
Oh, the Italianate! I adore this style, it could be a beauty with A TON OF WORK & MONEY!! After living in SF I fell in love with this style. I onced toured an Italianate up the street from me in SF, on the market for 2.3m I think, and I can’t get that house out of my mind.
But then, I could really enjoy the cottage, another favorite style, and wouldn’t it be the best place to go to relax with family and friends!
Janell
Janell Beals´s last blog ..An Impromptu Giveaway! A Stella & Dot Necklace For The Holidays!
Oh Julia, this is just to hard for me! All of these are great options and so different from one another. Love the historic Victorian and the log cabin, the potential of the Italianate and the charm of the cottage. But, given the location, I would go with the Key West home. Love the Keys, love that cottage!
Wouldn’t you know I would choose the one that needed work! My mom always said that my dad and I bring home sad, fixer upper houses like most people bring home stray dogs! I can’t stand letting all that potential go to waste! I almost went for the cottage in Key West, though but I am a glutton for punishment and love every minute of it!
Yikes, those dolls are scary!
I’m not feeling any of these homes.
Jenny´s last blog ..The Christmas Sweater
I chose the cottage because I would give it to my mother. However, I think that secondly I’d like the house in Galveston because it would be fun to renovate!
MissCaron´s last blog ..Five Fresh Gold Chains
I voted for the cabin, although I would prefer at least an acre…but the yellow cottage was a very close second!
Sher Miller´s last blog ..Christmas at Our Home: The Unabridged Edition
The Italianate Fixer upper without a doubt!
Jamie´s last blog ..Inexpensive, recycled, and handmade tree!
Yeah. That doll room is a little creepy. {just a little}. Could be a scene from an over-the-top Chucky movie. Love that last house.
I a beach person and I dream of living on Florida Gulf Coast one day. So, I had to pick the Yellow Cottage. It was a hard decision to make.
Blakely´s last blog ..Debbie Macomber’s Mrs. Miracle
This was fun and a great idea!
Happy holidays, Julia!
I was torn between the Victorian and the fixer-up in TX, I decided on the fixer-up because:
a) I would love to live somewhere that is warm year round (well..warmer than cold St. Louis) and
b)we are just about ready fixing up our own home..why not torture myself with another fixer-upper!
Kris´s last blog ..Win a handmade ornament from yours truly!
I had to go with the log cabin. It was a toss up between that and the Key West Bungalow, but there were no pictures of the interior of the bungalow. I just couldn’t get a read on the interior or floorplan at all. And I just liked the log cabin overall.
Are we selling houses here now? For 300k, you could have my teeny, 1-bedroom OC condo, too. : )
the BLAH BLAH BLAHger´s last blog ..Oh Tannenbaum
I gotta go cottage, I am from Houston and lemme tell ya, Galveston basically doesn’t exist anymore after Hurricane Ike! It’s amazing to see how different $300,000 is depending on where you live!
Bailey´s last blog ..Sooo…
Wow – can I just say that you can get a lot for your money in some of these places! Where I live in Portland, OR – $300,000 will get you a fraction of these homes. Wow.
Jocelyn Stott´s last blog ..Homemade Gift Tags
All four of the houses appeal to me, but I’d have to go with the house in West Palm Beach – my mom grew up in Stuart – right near there – and I love that area! What a fun post!
christy´s last blog ..Before and After
How fun I picked the 4th one and so did most everyone else !!!! lol Key West is one of our fave places to visit….always such a good time !!!
Merry Christmas Julia,
Kathy
I had to go with the fixer upper. That would be my dream come true. It looks like it has good bones, the outside is in great shape, oh my. I do like the Victorian too. mmmm I love OLD houses. They have so much more… character.
Annie´s last blog ..What a Joy!
I actually like the fixer-upper, but I was sold on the Victorian once I saw the woodwork and the fireplace!
All the best,
Eileen
Eileen´s last blog ..Christmas Treasures
I was so surprised that the votes favored West Palm Beach – I thought folk would go for the larger, more impressive properties. I voted for that one too, although only having one bathroom does worry me a bit! I guess I’d have to keep it as my own private retreat and not share with anyone else.
Struggler´s last blog ..Yule Britannia
I love my Victorian houses (sans dolls!) but the cold weather has me lusting after a tiny piece of sunshine in Key West!
Right now I’d go for anything in Florida. It’s COLD in Michigan!
Emily S.´s last blog ..Two Ruffly Wreaths
The cute yellow cottage would be my choice without a doubt. The dolls creep me out too… that Victorian looks haunted! The cabin is way too rustic for my taste. The Italianate would be nice, but lots of work.
Jackie@Ellie Mae’s Cottage´s last blog ..A Little Bit of Christmas Everywhere
Yellow Cottage fo’ sho’! I’d love to be minutes from the beach! Ummm… those dolls are super creepy.
micah´s last blog ..Closet Confessions: Part Two
I love the Italianate Fixer!! I’d be happy to get my hands on that one, but I’d have to buy the one in West Palm Beach because all my family lives there!!!
Christine´s last blog ..First Interview
I had a tough time choosing between the victorian and log cabin. I loved the openess of the cabin and the character of the victorian.
I thought the yellow cottage was too small and the Italianate would have taken too much work and money to fix up.
All in all I chose the victorian. I don’t like the dolls, but I could sell or get rid of them pretty easily.
Those dolls would be my girls’ dream come true. They freak me out a little bit, quite honestly. I could put my girls in that room and they might never want to come out. Think of all I could get done!!!
Amanda @ Serenity Now´s last blog .."New York, New York, It’s a Hell of a Town…"
LOVE the Italianate house, but lots of $$$$ needed to fix it up.
I chose the Victorian, cause it’s beautiful, but the first thing I’d do is get those dolls outta there!
Ellie´s last blog ..almost christmas!
I love the log cabin. The fact that it’s the greenbelt and a bike trail is an added bonus!!
Kelly
DesignTies´s last blog ..What I don’t want for Christmas
We’re just about to wrap up a major remodeling project on our 100 year old farmhouse. As for anything needing restoration, been there – done that. I need a vacation and the Florida cottage looks so inviting and cozy. The best part – it’s already updated. Yes!
The Italianate home is exceedingly beautiful. .. too bad it’s in TX. But, regardless of its location, it is spectacularly beautiful!
Scott Fazzini´s last blog ..Oak Hill, or the story of a boy
I am pretty sure those dolls are going to come alive and kill someone in their sleep so I would have to opt for one of the other two. They freak me out.
Jessica at Lavender & Lilies´s last blog ..I Won!
Executive summary: I vote for #4. Here’s why:
#1. Weedsport, NY. I spent 15 years living in NYC and never ever even remotely distantly heard of Weedsport. I realize NY is a big state, with NYC tucked in a teeny-tiny corner and hated by many — justifiably — but I can’t feel anything good or bad about this seemingly attractive house without a little geography lesson! Can you earn a living? Can you find a handyman? A place to buy fresh fruit and veggies? A place to buy a quart of milk at 11 o’clock at night?
#2. Dennison Ohio. I just don’t care for that style, no matter how well executed, so must recuse myself.
#3. Italianate in Galveston. Older wood houses on the coast in Texas — even well built ones — suffer from terrible moisture distress. Even houses in River Oaks in Houston, one of the city’s poshest neighborhoods, are constantly bedeviled by moisture-related problems. And we haven’t even discussed hurricanes and tropical storms. Fuggedaboutit.
#4 Teeny tiny in West Palm Beach. Yes! I’m sure it has moisture problems, palmetto bugs (polite term for massive tropical outdoor cockroaches who find their way indoors) and tiny bathrooms, but it is attractive, old-school Florida in style, and a manageable size.
OldHouses.com!!!! One of my favorite sites…not surprisingly, since I’m here
No cottage in West Palm for me! I’m already near Tampa & as long as I can stay relatively warm, I can do without Florida. The Victorian is beautiful, but I wouldn’t want to be stuck in the middle of nowhere in NY (see warm). The log cabin is totally not my style…so, that leaves the Italianate in Houston. I just need a few more hundred thousand to make it ship-shape.
The Victorian in New York is the best house, for sure. But who wants to live in a town called Weedsport?
No brainer for me. Yellow Cottage in West Palm Beach!
Maya @ Completely Coastal´s last blog ..Blue Christmas
I voted for the fixer upper. Since we’re dreaming big here….It is just what I’ve imagined would be BEAUTIFUL! Hardwood floors, big tall windows open to the gulf breezes, fresh coffee and baking bread, tall shade trees, fully pillows and fresh clean sheets. Where do I sign up???
Rachel´s last blog ..Uncle Peter’s Visit
If money is no object, then I got for the fixer upper in Texas. It’s close to my home state of Okla. and I love the outside of it as for the inside you can do whatever you want if you have no money issues, which, sigh, I do so yeah non of them in reality.
Brandy´s last blog ..Mr. Smarty McCat
I LOVE the victorian. I’m a sucker for all those ornate details. As long as the house doesn’t come with all the creepy dolls…
That room with the dolls “walking” around creeps me out a bit.
Stopped dead in my tracks with those dolls. FREAKY. Can’t move past it. {gulp}
That was a tricky one! I voted for the key west cottage because it would probably make a great vacation home! I liked the log cabin but only if it was by ski resorts! I can appreciate old homes, but in no way shape or form would want to tackle the problems that go with them!
As a side note I also much comment on those dolls?? Who does that?? lol
Jen @ After The Alter´s last blog ..Last Minute Hostess
what a fun post! I LOVE the Galveston house and that doll room is going to give me nightmares tonight.
Wow, I can’t believe that all those great houses are around the $300,000 mark! Where I live, in Canada’s British Columbia, that will get you a 2-3 bedroom condo! Wouldn’t I love to find a 5 bedroom Victorian mansion for that price (minus the dolls, natch)!
Lori-Anne´s last blog ..Old Hand
Love #3!! The inside reminds me of Grey Gardens though.. With lots of potential!!!
And what’s up with the dolls in #1?? Completely freaky!
Dagny @ Beautiful Living´s last blog ..Christmas at Beautiful Living and a table makeover / Jul hos Beautiful Living
Guess which one I picked Julia
rue
rue´s last blog ..If you were my neighbor….
I can’t decide between #1 and #3. I voted for #3. I feel like I should pick #1 but there’s something about run-down old houses that calls to me.
Jessica´s last blog ..For your enjoyment
All I can say is that those dolls FREEK ME OUT!!! Kinda scared me off
Mikael´s last blog ..Testing Paint Colors from your Computer
I would choose #3, the fixer and add a few bathrooms. I can’t believe that this 3-story house only has 1 bathroom! This property has the potential to be a good income property after an extensive renovation.
I’d go with the Victorian but my hubby would pick the cabin.
Actually, none of them. They are all creepy looking.