The more expensive house: Vinyl or Brick?

by YoursChelbie 19 Replies latest jw friends

  • JWdaughter
    JWdaughter

    Nothing to do with the siding. Has to do with the region/neighborhood. Years ago I was working for a woman who sold a big old house in NJ for 250K and bought a much nicer, newer larger one in a nicer neighborhood in a gorgeous suburb of Dallas for under 150K. And it had a garage door opener too! (ok, I really liked that-her old garage door was a nightmare us to use)

  • praiseband
    praiseband

    In the Washington state Puget Sound area, the minimum price for either of these houses would be about $350,000. Garage with the vinyl siding and what appears to be a larger lot would be a plus. The newer look of the brick would be a plus. Just depends partly on taste of the buyer.

  • sammielee24
    sammielee24

    Bear in mind as well that there are many houses that are only 'faced' with brick, but have siding on all other sides of the house. Thus the appearance of brick at street level...sammieswife.

  • gaiagirl
    gaiagirl

    Any real estate agent will tell you that the single most important factor which determines the value of any home is location, because when you buy a home, you are also buying a set of neighbors, as well as a location from which you will likely drive to work. A mansion will not bring a good price if it is next to a trailer park. A run down house in an upscale neighborhood WILL bring much more than if it is located elsewhere. IF all other factors (location, floor plan, square footage, etc) were equal, a brick home would be much more valuable than one with vinyl siding, simply because brick cost more to buy, and takes much more labor to build. It is widely perceived as being more durable, and I've lived in brick apartment buildings which were more than 100 years old. Vinyl is a tough covering most often used over wood siding to eliminate the maintainence chore of painting the wood every few years. The wood underneath can still rot, or be attacked by insects. But, as you have observed, a vinyl covered house CAN be worth more, if the design and location is significantly different.

  • avidbiblereader
    avidbiblereader

    YoursChelbie, I am a realtor and brick will always cost more to build because of the cost of the brick and labor. Brick is considered an UPGRADE by everyones standard in the business and no builder is going to give you an amount of brick, even if it is just a front without up charging you for it.

    I am not in the development that you are pulling these prices from but there could be a variety of reasons for the price difference. The three most important things in selling real estate that affects the cost is

    Location, Location, Location

    Where is the one home in relation to the other, how motivated are the sellers, even builders right not are coming back to reality and are not trying to make 100k profit on the land and are trying to unload their land to save on interest, keep their workers or subs working, How many upgrades are on the inside, such as hardwood, ceramic tile, bathrooms upgrades, countertops, lighting package, drywall compared to plastered walls. carpet allowance, deck, any of these could have an impact on the total price. Does it have public water and sewer or on a well and septic?

    There could be reasons but there is no one in my business who is giving brick at the same price yet a lower one. Is the house a resale or new? I would be glad to know anymore details on it and it could shed some other light, Thanks and wish you the best

    abr

  • YoursChelbie
    YoursChelbie
    IF all other factors ...were equal, a brick home would be much more valuable than one with vinyl siding, simply because brick cost more to buy, and takes much more labor to build. It is widely perceived as being more durable, and I've lived in brick apartment buildings which were more than 100 years old.

    That's what I always thought.

    When having to choose between equal circumstances, with the exterior being the only difference, I think brick makes more sense if someone wants to settle in a home for a really long time.

    I would also feel safer simply because I've seen wind gusts greater than 50 miles an hour make frame houses with vinyl exterior shake, rattle and roll.

    YC

  • betterdaze
    betterdaze

    Insurance premiums figure in, too. A *real* brick masonry home, one actually constructed of tied-in bricks mortared together is structurally sounder in a fire or hurricane. It's also pest-resistant.

    Extremely low maintenance and energy efficient, too, which figures into the the life of the investment. More labor and materials $$$ up front, but a quality brick-built home retains its value.

    Not so with the PVC clad houses: Basically "wood" products covered in plastic. Today, *decorative* brickface is sprayed on or applied like a stucco over wire mesh. Appears authentic and adds an air of wealth, but adds nothing to stability or fireproofing.

    Most of the "brick" houses going up today only have bricks in the chimneys. The rest is simply a veneer. The *perception* of durability, safety and low upkeep remains, but we'll see how all these plastic and "brick" McMansions will stand the test of time (ask your insurance agent).

    ~Sue

  • hillbilly
    hillbilly

    Mostly the market. Brick is still a big seller in the South (and Texas is about as far south as west). Up north brickwork still requires pointing and repairs after a few years...down south the frost isnt an issue and brick holds up well.

    Basements are regional, too. In the midwest they are well rooted in the housebuyers mentality... you just don't see many basements in the south.

    Housing costs are all over the map in the US, based on region. A $100K house in Iowa may be near $750k in, say, SanDeigo. Even in the same state cost will varie... it's all about "value" and now days that means "can I get a job nearby" as much as any other factor.

    ~Hill

  • Princess
    Princess
    In the Washington state Puget Sound area, the minimum price for either of these houses would be about $350,000. Garage with the vinyl siding and what appears to be a larger lot would be a plus. The newer look of the brick would be a plus. Just depends partly on taste of the buyer.

    I live in the Puget Sound area (Edmonds) and the minimum price for a house period is $350,000. An older ranch on an average lot will run you $350,000 + . Eithere of those houses would be well over $500K around here. You can only compare them if they are in the same neighborhood. I love the brick.

  • misanthropic
    misanthropic

    Those are both very nice houses for such low cost, real estate prices where I live have gone insane doubling and even tripling in some areas in the past 3 to 5 years. You couldn't get anything decent under 300K.

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