This old house

Actually our house was built in 1984. It was extensively remodeled in 2011,  we redecorated in 2015 and have added some new appliances and repainted the outside of it since then too. By British standards I think it would be considered rather modern, if not exactly brand new.

By Hermosa Beach standards it's ancient. Around here the only new houses are the ones that were just built, and have never been occupied, smelling of fresh paint and with the odd smudge of builder's dust still visible on the front path.

We learned this when we looked at a 1980s house and a new build on the same day. The 1980s house was in pretty good nick, had been expensively (if badly) decorated, was significantly bigger and on a much much nicer street. The new build around the corner was still priced higher.

I don't get it. I understand the appeal of 'turnkey' versus a tear down. And I can see how homes that were decorated in the ‘60s and have popcorn ceilings and 2 prong electrical sockets would need a lot of work to update. But how is a 30 year old house, conforming to all the current building code requirements, with fully functioning 8-year-old bathrooms and a kitchen, a garage with a door opener (imagine that, Brits!), paint finishes that are only a few years old, not turnkey?

When people here say they want new house, they mean a brand spanking new house. I would guess that almost every home over 20 years old that is bought here gets knocked down, or at least taken back to the studs, and substantially rebuilt. Apparently in Japan living in a  secondhand home is considered radical - or louche. Honestly, real estate in the South Bay isn't so different.

 This is a double edged sword for us. No need to pay a premium for some cookie cutter 'coastal contemporary'. We’re happy to buy an older home with a bit of character, and update it to suit our tastes and needs. But when it comes to selling our ancient chattel, we will need to find a buyer who feels the same way.