OP: I would tell my husband I don’t want the property if we are doing XX to it. Otherwise, I do want it. (assuming you do want it?) Then it’s up to him. My husband and I have had these discussions. A decade ago I told him I would agree to a “mansion” that had had a fairly recent and well done restoration, but which seemed to me too large and overwhelming for comfortable upkeep at this point in our lives, if he would commit to just letting it decay around us. We sat on on one of four magnificent staircases and imagined what my plan looked like in five years, ten years, etc. We passed on that place. To put this in perspective, the house we did buy had been abandoned 40 years, and had never had plumbing or electricity and was exactly as it had been originally built, no changes whatsoever to the original design and fabric. It needed everything, including a very small addition to hold kitchen, bathrooms, and closets, because no way I was messing up my pristine period find, but it was just a fraction of the square footage of the famous architect, historic mansion. It was possible to reach a stopping point in our labors. I have to repair things, but don’t have workmen on site year round, year after year.
I can’t tell if you are talking about an antique house, an architect desgined contemporary gem, or a spectacular piece of property. It seems to me lots of times home shoppers are attracted to something outside the norm, and buy it and then, sometimes unintentionally, renovate the property out of what originally appealed to them. But maybe you are talking about cutting down ancient trees to improve a water view? Again, what is it about the property that appeals?
We have restored (not renovated!) a 1774 house, an 1810 house, and a 1870 house. This is a lifestyle choice. Rational people do not do this. imho. They buy someone else’s restoration/renovation. I used to be very sentimental and romantic about saving these houses. I am over that. I do it for me because this is how I want to live. However, if you remove original features, please store them in an outbuilding just in case the next homeowner wants to put them back. A wall had been removed in our 1774 house, but the owner had stored the door and all the molding/woodwork in the barn. It was wonderful to us to have the opportunity to put the original back where it “belonged” I imagine the current owners have removed a bunch of walls to put in what my architect friend calls a trophy kitchen. That’s fine with me. It’s their house now. Old house friends recently asked us if we are endowing our present property somehow for preservation purposes. I have restored several farm outbuildings as well as the main house. I just laughed. I’ve told the kids to keep it or let it go, but gave them the name of the local realtor they should use.
Sometimes we still talk about that mansion:) And my husband keeps updating me on price drops on another place by the same architect languishing on the market. It has retained all the original woodwork. I refuse to go see it. At least so far. We are collectors. I am really trying to avoid collecting houses. It just isn’t sensible. imho.
adding: Most of this post belonged in the “get it off your chest thread” lol.
