I'm a realist. I can fix bland walls with paint and art but I can't magically make my apartment have central air or easily get rid of the rats and bugs. So I choose practicality. Pests aren't just nuisances. They can wreak havoc on your belongings, and what's the point of having pretty things in a pretty home if Ben is chewing on your baseboards at night?

Living in a house/apartment that isn't energy efficient ends up costing you more money in the long run. In the case of the Austin house, no central air bothers me less than no insulation. I'd also be concerned about how the changes in weather and humidity would effect artwork in a home. A pest problem like rats/mice is also a huge hazard not only in terms of health, but they can chew through cords and cause a fire. For me, I'd fix a pest problem and/or address efficiency issues before I'd fuss with paint color or put in some clever installation piece.

Rodants, vermine, roaches, no.

My first apartment was certainly for looks and location - great old brick building in a bustling area of St. Paul. Just over 700 square feet with a HUGE kitchen and an archway into the living room. But with that came a gap in my window that kept my bedroom as low as 48 degrees during one of the coldest winters we've had in recent memory, and a fuse box in the basement I had to change myself when I ran two space heaters off of the same circuit.
My second was again for looks - something we *really* paid for that winter, because the drafty windows made our heat bill skyrocket.
My current place has modern conveniences (hello, dishwasher!), a great location and low rent, but we're paying for it with noisy neighbors, no cross-breeze, and no working vents in the kitchen or bathroom.

I think what it comes down to is how much you're able to and want to fix on your own. I'd love to find a gorgeous 100-year-old home with wood floors and built-ins that just needs some new windows and insulation to bring it into this century. I'm a DIY kind of girl, and I'm from a family that constantly wants to be updating their homes. And I can't wait until it's my turn.

@bodicegoddess - I agree it's about knowing what you're able to do and want to do.

I almost moved into this amazing 1930s deco building that had beautiful hardwood floors and the most adorable kitchen. But it wasn't meant to be because I would have had to walk 2 miles to the nearest subway station and there was no secure parking. Those were two inconveniences amongst a list of wonderful attributes but those two problems were way too big to ignore.

I mean, I would have loved that apartment, but I wouldn't have loved it so much when I would have had to walk to the subway stop in the rain or snow, or if my car was broken into (not that it was that kind of neighborhood, but it happens everywhere).

If the house is *efficient* but lacks a few comforts, I'd buy it over the modern but plain one and plan to upgrade over time. If it's inefficient or badly damaged, I'd take the modern and try to add my own charm.

Furniture (especially the sitting kind)? Comfort, hands down. If I can make it look good, that's nice, but if I'm going to be trying to USE this thing it needs to give me pleasure.

I live in Austin and there are some pests you'll never escape--roaches, lizards, ants no matter how much you spray. But things like insulation are an absolute must. The energy costs to heat and cool your house without it are enormous. Insulation in Texas isn't even so much about comfort as it is about fiscal and environmental responsibility.

After years of living in charming old rentals with hardwood floors, lots of natural light, and horrible heating and no a/c or dishwasher, we finally bought a boring 70s split level in suburbia with bland wall to wall carpet and brand new heating and cooling. However for us it was mainly a question of cost - the charming old houses were just plain out of our price range. I do miss the charm and aspire to someday have both charm *and* comfort when we can afford it, but I have to say I'm getting spoiled by my dishwasher and a/c (esp as the Ohio summer humidity is already starting.) Not to mention ample parking and a gigantic backyard, something unheard of in our old neighborhood. And we have made the house work with brightly painted walls, good furniture choices (easy to do comfort and charm there, imo), and lots of tips from apt therapy. :)

Ahhhh...The joys of southern living. Roaches are a nasty reality. You CAN get rid of them, but refusing to buy a house that has them will seriously limit your buying pool. And by "seriously" I mean by at least half. Your better bet is to just hire an exterminator that preferably uses environmentally conscious pesticides after you've bought the home. Carpenter ants and termites would still remain a deal breaker, though.

We currently live in an apartment with absolutely no insulation. We didn't know this when moving in and would have considered other options if we had. Air conditioning isn't really a must but when you sit in the 100+F weather for three months a year you REALLY want it. Texas is a very tough state weather wise so insulation and air conditioning can almost both be considered necessities, though our great-grandmothers may argue otherwise.

in NYC, you don't really have a choice between non-rat/ roach buildings...even if you think you do. I live in a pre-war converted townhouse next door to one of the swankiest co-ops in the city (on the UWS) and trust me...our bugs are their bugs, and rats roam freely in the night between the two. If you live higher up it mitigates what you actually SEE of them...but trust me, they are there.
To answer the question at hand: I've always preferred the charm factor. That said, you can't really find a charming pre-war & an all-mod-cons apartment of equal square footage AND equal price range in Manhattan. What I do get for the same price as a more spiffy place is charm, more square footage, and large, amazing outdoor space.

Form follows function. If it's not functional, I don't care how pretty it is.

Why not have both comfort AND looks? I subscribe to the adage of having nothing in my home that isn't both beautiful and practical.

I do have to say that now that I live in a motorhome there would no going back to a fixed house because I get so much luxury at such little price. I'll really rather not live without central heat, AC, a dishwasher, and a huge shower again. You can add architectural charm to an RV, too. Mine now looks like a little cottage on wheels.

I'd go for option three: both. That said, gun to my head, I'd go with character... but I don't consider pest control to be a mere "modern convenience." I'm happily living in Chicago in a large, 1000 s.f. one bedroom with all the character in the world (hardwood floors, mosaic tiles in the sunroom, butler's pantry, fireplace, French doors between the living and dining rooms) without central air or a dishwasher, but also without bugs or rodents (ew!).

I aim first to support health by good air quality, structural integrity, pest control, safety, comfortable beds, sanitation...Preventive, practical, affordable basics matter most to me since I have a house and severe allergies. I want looks and charm for my home, but don't need them in order to be well. That's a key distinction between interior design and interior decor for me.

I go for comfort. It's probably my location (the mid-Atlantic spends at least a few weeks each year in temperatures that are actually dangerous, both cold AND heat), but I can't even imagine living without heat and AC.

My current place was built in 1960, and at its bones it's a profoundly unstylish split-level. But I don't care, because it has the space we need (husband and I both work from home), a great location, and it was so much more affordable than the much-coveted bungalows and cape cods in the area.

I am a character person, all the way. Our current house was built in the 1920's. It's lacking central air (however, I consider the radiant heat a plus, even though it's not the most efficient), and the main bathroom is tiny with original tile and grimy grout.

Of course, we do have: plaster walls, arched doorways, cove ceilings, picture rails, original glass doorknobs, narrow plank oak floors throughout the entire house, an enclosed sleeping porch, tons of windows (again, original and not efficient, but so beautiful) and plenty of space for our growing family.

Yes, we do get occasional mice and there are gobs of spiders in our creepy unfinished basement (along with, oddly, a pool table), but the day after we moved in we discovered what appears to be a ceramic conquistador head mounted on the top of a tree in the backyard.

I wouldn't trade it for all the clean grout and level floors in the world.

@alahoop - Kudos to you. I could never willingly move into a place where I knew there were a ton of spiders. I hate spiders more than any other creature.

Pi, I am really creeped out by the spiders, but I don't go down in the basement often, so I mostly ignore them. I am not sure I have ever been in an old house that didn't have them. I am not fond of the mice either, although they are tiny and rather cute when our cats catch them. I don't think I could deal with rats though. And I could definitely not live down south where they have really big bugs. The mere thought of a cockroach gives me the shivers.

The entire point of decorating is to make your home enjoyable, comfortable, and welcoming -- right?

No matter how cute it looked (and it wouldn't for long), no home with rats, mice, termites, roach problems, lack of insulation, etc., would be enjoyable, comfortable, or welcoming. No. I can live without a dishwasher, and with a washer/dryer in the basement, but infestations and total uninhabitability are out of the question.

Mice and roaches are NOT an option. They go, or I go.

Some places you just don't have much of a choice on who are what your neighbors are. I wish I had the luxury of deciding on a pest free place. The air-co on the other hand, I live in a building that the air-conditioning is a window unit, but I took ours out since it blocks soooo much light. Some people just don't stop by when its super hot out. So what? I live in a light filled, bug filled place.

My husband and I lived in a series of beautiful turn-of-the-century mansions that had been subdivided into apartments. While our friends were always impressed with the architectural elegance, we finally became overwhelmed with the discomfort after a series of infestations - wolf spiders, roaches, mice...

We moved a couple of months ago into a small, simple 1950s Cape Cod with a dishwasher, washer-dryer, central AC and heat, level floors, working windows, free of vermin - the list goes on.

It's not "new" but it's also not decrepit. Best of both worlds!

@smh909 - WOLF SPIDERS? Hell no.

I have to say...and I'm sorry to harp on this...that I can only hope AT Readers don't represent the whole population. What is wrong with live and let live? Why is there so much emphatic judgement?

Both have their charms. I love old houses, my boyfriend needed something new and "clean" and we bought a house built in 2006.

Guess what? We've had nothing but problems due to shoddy workmanship that I have NEVER experienced in all my older places.

It's nice that it actually looks clean when I clean it instead of a little broken down, but I do miss the character. But I've had a mouse, and it's really no big deal. Ditto a spider here or there.

What really creeps me out is all the germ talk. "Oh NO...disease! Germs!" as if human beings haven't had spiders or mice to deal with for centuries. This is NYC...the Waldorf Astoria had bedbugs! No one DIED, people. No one gets SICK from a couple of black ants who take a shine to your ripe bananas!

Are we so brainwashed by hand sanitizing commercials that we've forgotten what's really important...to be happy in YOUR life, YOUR way?

I once in lived in a charming three flat and saw a mouse or two but it never bothered me. In fact, one night while working at my computer one of the little critters peeked out at me from behind my monitor and I breathlessly waited for it to start speaking ala a Disney film it was that cute. What wasn't cute was the two inches of feces and pee I discovered in the bottom of a large wicker basket containing my dog's toys...they had made their nest there. Also, one night I heard a scuffle and went out to find one was foraging in the bottom of my parrots cage. Parrot was unimpressed but I freaked. I set no-kill traps and released a few of them but never could get over the fact they had basically, and quite brazenly, taken over my apartment. I finally had to leave as I could not have exterminators because of the birds and hated the idea of it anyway.

I've never lived in a home that was built after 1940. This hasn't been a conscious effort, but I guess I've always tended toward older craftmanship and aesthetics that tend to not be found in newer homes in my area. That being said, I'm so fed up with the hot summers, frigid winters, and constant pest control issues that I'm currently hunting for a new rental that is more modern and efficient. I had an ah-ha moment during this especially cold winter and the $$ I was spending to keep the house "cool" rather than unliveable.

comfort wins every time. Having grown up in a 100 year old house that bats would get into regularly and lived in a decripit rooming house where friends refused to use the bathroom , I am fine living in the most dull building in town if it has proper heat, ac, plumbing and no uninvited animal guests

@Chenell, have you ever lived somewhere with an infestation? Been unable to open a kitchen drawer without seeing dozens of roaches scurrying? Woken up bleeding and itching thanks to bedbugs? Tried to get rat poop off your terribly chic rugs, or a mouse nest out of your charming couch?

That's not "character."

@Chenell, no one's saying that they've never encountered little things like nature, but the fact of the matter is that older homes tend to have the nooks and crannies that are more conducive to being highways for nature, and they cause a lot of problems.

And actually, bedbugs at the Waldorf was a big deal considering how fast bedbugs can spread. And because there's pretty much no way of getting rid of them without burning all your stuff, yes, it's a VERY BIG DEAL. Just because people didn't die doesn't mean they didn't lose or couldn't have lost a lot of their possessions.

I grew up in an affluent suburb of LA- 75% of the homes were built before the 1950s so growing up without central a/c and or a dishwasher was the norm. Drafty CA bungalows or huge craftsman, spanish colonial etc is the norm and if you got field mice. you got a cat. cold? get another blanket or put some socks on. So its just one of those things. Perhaps its just I dont know any better as well and never had to deal with a bug problem.

Id personally have the character of a house with good bones then say live in a track house.

After living most of my life in the South with central a/c, heat, dishwasher, garbage disposal and washer/dryer I miss them dearly. My vintage 1920's apartment in So Cal is cute, 2 blocks from the ocean with an oceanview and it has its original hardwood floors and tile. Unfortunately it doesn't have any modern conveniences. It's drafty, hot in the summer, cold in the winter, lacks insulation and I can hear my neighbors as if they're in my apartment. I'm ready to move back to a cookie cutter apartment complex just to have modern conveniences and sound-proofing again.

I did love the house tour though. Very Austin and it made me happy to see it. It was full of personality and it didn't look like a home decor catalog or magazine.

I live in Austin. I've also lived in San Marcos and several other cities in Texas. I prefer older homes (pre 1960). They were built completely differently than houses are built now. Homes built in the days before airconditioning was a standard feature were designed to breathe. You used an attic fan to keep your home cool during the summer and fireplaces and gas heaters to warm your home in the winter. I've lived in older places and newer places, and I much prefer the older places I've lived. I love the character and the quirkiness of older homes. I haven't gone without AC or heating, but I have gone without CENTRAL air and heat. AC units and oil heaters always worked just fine in the places I lived and were much easier on my pocketbook.

I choose furniture based on comfort and functionality, but it has to be built well. As long as it's something that I can repaint, restain, recover, etc., and has good lines, I don't much care what it looks like to begin with.

While we lived in Austin, we had friends who bought a house, began to do demo and discovered that the mother of all cockroach colonies was in the walls (jumping out as you removed the drywall--still gives me nightmares after 25 years). We helped with that demo and I can say that major bug or rodent infestations are a no-go for us. Apart from the eat and humidity, I simply couldn't deal with the various infestations.

Yes, beautiful and functional as much as possible! The two are not mutually exclusive, except for well, couches.

I chose to move back to Maui (where I grew up) and live in a more country type of area after living in urban Honolulu for 20+ years.

With that move, came more critters, but I also have much more of a yard now. Its worth it but I do everything in my power to keep the critters out of the house, I wouldn't just accept it for the reasons already discussed here.

In regards to furniture, depends on the space, I went for big puffy leather ubercomfortable couch previously but it worked in the spaces I was in (either up against the wall or in the middle of a large room). Now, I've got a small space with kitchen/living together and the couch needs to float in the middle of the room in front of a kitchen island. Big & puffy just looked ridiculous. I needed something more modern looking and low. With more sleek (but also a cheaper couch) also came less comfort. But its ok, keeps me from vegging out in front of the boob tube, I get so much sleep now cause I go to bed much earlier.

I live in an apartment building that was once a hotel. The building is now not just an apartment, but leased office space, and a bank on the main floor. I'm TERRIFIED of mice and rats. Even if I see one on TV I'm shaking for hours (a result of a really bad dream). If I see one, I'm gone. The beauty is that we have a really good land lady and a really good maintenance team. One thing that would be a deal breaker are noisy or rude neighbors. Sometimes I forget I have neighbors until I hear them in the shower!!

On the other hand, my parents would hate how confined it is being in an enclosed building and all. However I feel safe and secure!!

It really depends on the situation. A lot of older homes here in the Minneapolis area have updates to insulation, furnaces, and in some cases a/c. Having a good furnace is definitely a must since our temperatures can get well below 0 degrees. Since that is something that is always present, there are always windows and structural elements that play a part. But we don't really have major pest problems, so that isn't a huge worry.

In the case of the structure of my home, I just need the basics: heat for the winter, and I can go back to not having a/c. Even with drafty windows, there are things you can do: draft guards, energy efficient curtains and blinds, and even using the window ledges as shelving. I cover our windows in palette wrap in winter to eliminate some of the drafts on the two windows that hadn't been replaced.

For my furniture and extras: I'm all for comfort. But comfort and style don't have to be mutually exclusive! My couch is hideous, but the slipcover isn't bad, and I'm going to reupholster it when I have the fabric. The good points of my couch: it is super comfortable, the perfect size, and has an extremely nice sofa-bed mattress.

I'm definitely with bodicegoddess in the DIY department (it helps that she's my sister): If I could find something that just needs some updates, I'd be happy. What I need is constantly evolving, so I'm excited to get started!

Obviously it needs to be a mix of both. I used to live in a nearly 100-year-old apartment in the Midwest that was about 1,000 square feet. I moved in during the month of July, and that first AC bill blew me away. $200. That apartment was gorgeous...so much personality. Then there were the mice. Glad I had cats! Oh, and it was in a bad neighborhood (which unfortunately, many cool old neighborhoods are located in).

I moved from that apartment into a bland, suburban one, and I can't say I was super disappointed. My new place was decidedly boring, but it had modern fixtures, was cheaper to heat/cool and was in a good neighborhood. So, I hung pictures, got some cool fixtures, etc. and tried to personalize it.

I love the architectural look of many older homes, and probably wouldn't mind renting another one (especially since I live in a much more temperate climate now), but I'd think twice before buying one.

Oh, I forgot to mention the pipes in that old place! And the bad wiring (made getting Internet and Cable a huge pain)... Oh, and there was 1 closet for the entire place! Gotta say I love my walk-in closet now!

Just an FYI, it is possible to live without AC/insulation in some parts of the country (like coastal California), but really, really difficult in most temperate climates. We live in CA and don't have AC, but I would've gone crazy (and some people literally die for lack of it) in the Midwest where I grew up.

Making a comparison between living in a drafty house in LA or San Francisco is a world away from trying to do so in many parts of the country (like Austin).

I have lived with no a/c and a heater that only worked in one room...but the house was a mile from the beach. Anywhere else would have been too hot and stuffy.

I've never lived in a building pre-dating WWII - there simply aren't that many of them in much of Southern California. I like the look of older homes and don't mind not having a dishwasher, but I have to draw the line at no insulation and ANY vermin.

Wild rodents can carry hantavirus and other diseases that can kill people. Once established, wild rodents are very destructive both to a home's shell and its contents. Rat and mouse urine and roaches are highly allergenic, and may contribute to the national rise of juvenile asthma, which can be fatal.

The first roaches to get indoors start out contaminating people and pet food and, unless killed quickly, multiply into an infestation. They then spread out and resort to eating cosmetics, soap, and common household materials such as leather, paper, vegetable dye, cloth, some plastics, and glue, including books and art work. What they chew and soil often is irreparable and must be discarded.

Bedbugs can cause secondary infections and disfiguring permanent scars. That's certainly a big deal for any one to whom they happen. Those are some reasons I put practical health basics such as pest control first, whether categorized under comfort or looks.

This is a great discussion.

I have had mice/rats (not sure which) and bugs. They both got better when I got cleaner in the kitchen. I can't leave food out for them to munch on. Items like flour or crackers also need to be in impervious containers instead of paper boxes.

Another thing that fixed it was ....................... I got a dog. I have a cute little Jack Russel terrier. I got him because he is cute. I know it sounds cruel, but it is just nature. And I don't see any more mice.

I meant Jack Russell terrier.

The small terrier breeds have a strong prey drive for rodents because they were developed as pest control. They should be kept on a broad spectrum parasiticide such as Interceptor to control parasites gotten when they kill infected rodents. Intestinal parasites can kill dogs, especially pups, so learn what shed tapeworm segments look like, and check for them around your dog's anus. Talk to your vet regardless of your dog's breed since there are vectors besides prey for dogs to be infected. Most dogs should kept be on something like Interceptor as defense from heartworm, which also kills dogs.

late to the game here. I have a 110 year old house. We do have central ac and new heat. The ac was a deal breaker for my hubby. The family across the street has no ac but they are ok in the midwest. Our old homes are designed for cross ventalation and have sleeping pourches. Now rats and bugs could be a deal breaker for me. We had a mouse once and I went to war. That being said, around here many new construstion subdivisions have huge mouse/bug issues because they were put up in old corn field and have displaced the homes of all the field animals. I have friends in a new home who had so many mice they got into her car and ate the straps on her kid's car seat. So I think there can be issues in any type of house. I love my old house and tend to go for old house charm over new construction but some days I am ready to give it all up for a huge bathroom.

I know little about other regions, but here the indoor-outdoor look is best kept a pretty illusion. The area was swamp relatively recently, as insects, amphibians, and reptiles remind me when I get careless about boundary maintenance. Snakes, lizards, and frogs are welcome, but only outdoors in the garden. They mummify after getting indoors unless I can eject them quickly. I don't use bug spray since safer tactics like weatherstripping and once-a-month pills for my dogs to prevent heartworm from mosquitoes keep our home comfortable.

My husband I and bought an older home last year (the french door style windows wooed me.) No central air at all, but I have to say, the radiant heat is so, so, so superior to the forced air in our previous, newer home. It's consistant, and because the air isn't moving, it feels warmer in spite of setting the thermostat 5° lower than we did with forced air. Sure, we have a few rough days in the summer, but there are plenty of air conditioning solutions to be had.

Renting, that's a tougher one, I went for charm, but when you're less free to make changes it makes it a rougher choice.

I grew up in a house over 150 yrs old...so I know how to deal with box fans in the summer and kerosene heaters in the winter. I love an old house with character even if it lacks modern convenience.
... Although I was beyond thrilled when I moved into my first apartment and had a dishwasher! :)