Have you been shopping for summer clothes recently?  It seems crop tops and wide legged pants are in style.  That is the exact opposite of anything that would look flattering on my pear shaped figure.  I’m all about long tops and skinny legs! 

And what about homes?   Is it the style to buy what is most traditional in an area or instead what really suits your lifestyle?  

On Cape Cod possibly the most famous style of home is well….the Cape Cod.   It is usually two stories high with a center staircase, a bath at the top of the stairs and two large bedrooms.  Those upstairs bedrooms may have “doghouse” dormers or a full dormer across the back.   There may be one or two bedrooms on the first floor as well.

But on the Cape you will also find antique homes, saltbox homes, cottages, bungalows, raised ranch homes and even a few mid century moderns and many combinations of these.  Our team is currently selling a 1940s bungalow with a later mid-century modern addition.  Some buyers are loving it! And others, not so much.

When you’re shopping for a Cape house, you obviously want to buy a house that suits you but you also have to consider resale consequences. A more unique design is apt to take a little longer to sell. So what’s a better strategy: Playing it safe with a broadly appealing design, or go where the spirit moves you, regardless of style? The answer is….it depends.  What layout suits your family, what style appeals to you, how attractive is the location and setting and how long do you plan to live in that house?

If it’s me, being comfortable and happy in my home is top priority. When it’s time to sell, if it takes a little longer than a more cookie-cutter design, to me it will be worth the wait.

Mary Ann Politi retired from a long and successful career in education in 2014, became a Grammy in 2015 and started her real estate career in 2017.