So much depends where the house is and whether it was closed up carefully. All across the country, banks and city governments are finding that, in general, an empty house has a surprisingly short life.
With no one to caulk windows, clean gutters, trim bushes, run the water, flush toilets and turn on the heat, moisture -- death to houses -- seeps in. In just one winter, mold, rot and even foundation cracks appear. Condensation in a cold house turns building materials soggy and weak. Wind rubs tree limbs against siding. The limbs trap moisture and make a gangway for critters that feast on wood, insulation or wiring. When water is shut off without first blowing air through the pipes, freeze-damaged, cracked pipes will leak when the water is turned on again.
New homes, in some ways, can fall apart faster because they use manufactured wood products vulnerable to swelling and mold. A wooden building won't last long if windows and doors are broken by vandals, letting wind, rain, animals and people in. Termites and wood rot take over quickly. Wind blowing through a home can buckle walls and roofs. The Old North Salisbury Association is encouraging the city to act quickly to pressure owners to repair our abandoned houses. To allow an empty house to just sit, uncared for, is demolition by neglect. It takes years for a community to recover derelict properties when the property owner could solve this in a much shorter time span.
Old North Salisbury has beautiful, historic, LIVABLE and AFFORDABLE houses. You will seldom see such an array of well kept, historic homes in the price range you find here. The residents of Old North Salisbury feel very fortunate to be able to own and protect these houses and are committed to the preservation of the homes in the community.
Many areas with lower housing costs experience slower appreciation than higher-cost cities. Typically, the smaller the town, the fewer the opportunities for shopping, dining and indoor recreation, although the outdoor recreation possibilities may be far greater. Not so in Salisbury NC! Salisbury has wonderful dining and shopping areas – culture: a symphony, 2 theater guilds, movie theatres and more . . . AND our beautiful parks for outdoor recreation!
If you know of a property owner who is allowing a home to be demolished by neglect, encourage them to repair or even SELL the home. There are many people who would cherish the opportunity to purchase a “fixer-upper” at the right price. And with the many historic features found in so many of the North Main St. area homes, they will not find such value in many other areas.
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