Old houses

[stevewool]

Those who live out in the Philippines have you notice how many new houses are everywhere  anbd then there are a few of the older houses , these are the ones built with shutters and look a little like a Spanish style i am told,

Well do any of you live in this style house or do you know anyone, one some of our trips i have seen them around and they do look very nice , a little run down looking from the outside but they have this look about them,

Could this be a project for our future or are they to much and to much cash to put into too, any idea s boys

[Dave Hounddriver]

23 minutes ago, stevewool said:

Well do any of you live in this style house or do you know anyone, one some of our trips i have seen them around and they do look very nice , a little run down looking from the outside but they have this look about them,

I have seen houses like that which cannot be torn down because the have been designated as historical buildings.  They may eventually get renovated at great cost (couple like that on the street in front of the boulevard here).  I have seen others that rot to bits waiting to get that needed renovation.  Then there are some that are just cheaply built and so they rot quickly (much wood used in the construction and many termites feasting).

So yes, I have seen some great looking old style houses but none I would put money into or live in. Here's hoping you have better luck if that is a passion of yours.

[stevewool]

53 minutes ago, Dave Hounddriver said:

I have seen houses like that which cannot be torn down because the have been designated as historical buildings.  They may eventually get renovated at great cost (couple like that on the street in front of the boulevard here).  I have seen others that rot to bits waiting to get that needed renovation.  Then there are some that are just cheaply built and so they rot quickly (much wood used in the construction and many termites feasting).

So yes, I have seen some great looking old style houses but none I would put money into or live in. Here's hoping you have better luck if that is a passion of yours.

Nothing set in stone yet Dave , its just something that you think that looks nice , i wonder how much,

Onwards and upwards they say , to the next great thought

[Queenie O.]

Stevewool, do you mean those antique, beautiful and quaint looking houses mostly made of wood? Many of those are considered ancestral homes and most are passed down to family members, so might not even be available for sale. Those kinds were built when wood was more plentiful and cheap. I would think it would be expensive to renovate a house like that, even looking for salvage wood and fixtures that might be available. Many houses like that look nice but structurally might be on their last legs.

Maybe you're not referring to this type of house though.

[robert k]

3 hours ago, stevewool said:

Those who live out in the Philippines have you notice how many new houses are everywhere  anbd then there are a few of the older houses , these are the ones built with shutters and look a little like a Spanish style i am told,

Well do any of you live in this style house or do you know anyone, one some of our trips i have seen them around and they do look very nice , a little run down looking from the outside but they have this look about them,

Could this be a project for our future or are they to much and to much cash to put into too, any idea s boys

I believe I saw some pictures of more than a few from Vigan. If you just like shutters I'm sure you can contrive some.

[stevewool]

1 hour ago, Queenie O. said:

Stevewool, do you mean those antique, beautiful and quaint looking houses mostly made of wood? Many of those are considered ancestral homes and most are passed down to family members, so might not even be available for sale. Those kinds were built when wood was more plentiful and cheap. I would think it would be expensive to renovate a house like that, even looking for salvage wood and fixtures that might be available. Many houses like that look nice but structurally might be on their last legs.

Maybe you're not referring to this type of house though.

Thats the sort , when on our last visit to Panglao there was a few around the island , and i do know there are loads in very large towns,

If you had the time and cash and could find one too, well i am sure they would look better then a concrete slab

[Queenie O.]

15 minutes ago, stevewool said:

 

1 hour ago, Queenie O. said:

Stevewool, do you mean those antique, beautiful and quaint looking houses mostly made of wood? Many of those are considered ancestral homes and most are passed down to family members, so might not even be available for sale. Those kinds were built when wood was more plentiful and cheap. I would think it would be expensive to renovate a house like that, even looking for salvage wood and fixtures that might be available. Many houses like that look nice but structurally might be on their last legs.

Maybe you're not referring to this type of house though.

Thats the sort , when on our last visit to Panglao there was a few around the island , and i do know there are loads in very large towns,

If you had the time and cash and could find one too, well i am sure they would look better then a concrete slab

 

Stevewool I agree.  For fun you might want to look at images of the Yap Sandiego Ancestral house that is located in the Parian District of Cebu City. It's a wonderful example of an ancestral home that a relative has been able to restore to it's former glory with a lot of cool artifacts. If you're ever in Cebu, it would really be worth seeing I think.

Fixing up a house like that really would be a labor of love.

[Steve GCC]

Had a couple of days in Vigan and if you like old houses and architecture its a must visit.  By far the most hostoric place I have visited in the PI.

[earthdome]

On 12/20/2016 at 0:03 AM, Steve GCC said:

Had a couple of days in Vigan and if you like old houses and architecture its a must visit.  By far the most hostoric place I have visited in the PI.

I concur. Vigan is one place in the Philippines where most of the old Spanish homes and buildings have survived all the war, typhoons and earthquakes.

[scott h]

The best place I have seen to see old buildings (besides Vigan) is a place called "casa de pilipinas" located in Bataan. A very rich architect hit on the idea of building preservation. He bought, tore down and moved these buildings to their current location. Old Spanish stone buildings, buildings like u see in vigan, the plantation mansions and even elevated fishing village types, even stone buildings as seen in Batanes. Those he could not find, he recreated from plans. This place is a resort, and the main hotel is in a building that looks like the shopping area of Vigan. The rooms inside remind me of those I stayed in at a very old Mexican Estansia that had been converted into a resort in Mexico. For a Plantation owner experience there are suites in some of the old plantation houses.

For me is was a fascinating mini vacation, guided tours which explain what buildings were used for what and by whom, inside a lot of the buildings the rooms were converted into a museum with a lot of time appropriate furnishings. In  short a person can see all the types of architecture used in the Philippines in one place. I recommend it to everyone who comes to visit us.

As an additional historical benefit, the beach of the resort was also the assembly area where the Japanese gathered up all the American and Filipino soldiers captured and was the start point of the Bataan Death March.

As for the idea of buying and rehabilitating an old house? We have a lot of those older houses in my area. (50 years ago the rich lived in Paranaque and had businesses in Manila and cavite) Some are ancesteral homes, lived in and cared for by very well off families (and will never be sold). Others sit idle, unoccupied and are falling apart due to family squabbles do to inheritance disputes. Still others the rich kids immigrated and also sit idle and are ruins. I also think it would be a great project to bring one of these back to life, but beside the fact of trying to find one with a clean title that can be bought (in my limited experience families rarely sell property) very, very deep pockets to bring one of these old ladies back to life.

I keep buying lotto tickets just in case