For some homebuyers, older homes conjure nightmares of pricey problems like bad plumbing, leaky roofs, creaking floors, and cracked foundations. For others, they have the warmth and history that newer homes simply can’t replicate. Even if you’d never buy one, homes that have proudly survived the decades are just plain fun to explore. Here, we’ve rounded up some charmers across regions and budgets — including some dating back to the 18th century — so you can satisfy that turret-shaped hole in your heart.
Prices and availability are subject to change.
Grande Dame Victorian
Port Townsend, Washington
$1.5 million
It doesn’t come cheap, but this rambling 11-bedroom home is a baby pink show-stopper. Built in 1889, it has a turret with a fresco-painted ceiling where you can catch glimpses of the nearby bay.
Related: Beautiful Victorian Houses for Sale Across America
Grand Dame Victorian: A Peek Inside
The home’s centerpiece is a gleaming spiral staircase. There are intricate painted ceilings and carved woodwork throughout, not to mention period fixtures and fir flooring.
Midwestern Craftsman
Des Moines, Iowa
$589,000
This three-bedroom Craftsman built in 1912 just screams “cozy” and “family-friendly.” Plus, it’s on a lovely tree-lined street. You could spend lots of lazy days on the enclosed porch or large back deck, enjoying a book and a breeze.
Related: Cozy Craftsmans for Sale to Warm You Up This Winter
Midwestern Craftsman: A Peek Inside
This home has all the gleaming wood trim and built-ins you would expect, but a renovation has freshened up everything, including the all-important kitchen and bathrooms. A double-sided fireplace is the heart of the home.
Spanish-Style Stunner
Phoenix
$2.5 million
This striking four-bedroom home in a historic district dates to 1928. Outside, you’ll find a graceful balcony and lush yard with tall palms, not to mention an outdoor fireplace and a resort-worthy pool and spa.
Trending on Cheapism
Spanish-Style Stunner: A Peek Inside
Renovated but still charming, this home has gleaming wood trim and an updated kitchen with high-end appliances galore. Wood beams add warmth, and folding glass doors help open the breakfast room and kitchen onto the patio and pool.
Dutch Colonial Charm
Park Ridge, Illinois
$549,900
Unpretentious but immaculate, this three-bedroom Dutch colonial built in 1925 is on a shady, winding street. There’s a large back deck, and the large trees afford plenty of privacy.
Dutch Colonial Charm: A Peek Inside
Wood floors, crown molding, and a fireplace leave plenty of warmth, but an updated kitchen and family room add modern practicality. There’s even a butler pantry with a wine chiller.
For more fun real-estate articles like this, please sign up for our free newsletters.
Sign up for our newsletter
Sprawling Stone Farmhouse
Doylestown, Pennsylvania
$1.4 million
The phrase “stone farmhouse” doesn’t do this nine-bedroom property north of Philadelphia justice. Set on 3 acres, it was built in 1850 and includes a pool, detached garage with an exercise room, a bank barn, and a three-bedroom guest house.
Related: Absolutely Massive Homes Listed for Less Than $100,000
Sprawling Stone Farmhouse: A Peek Inside
Four fireplaces, wood beams, and exposed stone walls are a testament to this home’s longevity, and the painted walls in the formal dining room are textbook early Americana.
Mississippi Mansion
Hattiesburg, Mississippi
$550,000
If you’ve always longed for a porch worthy of a rocking chair and a tall glass of sweet tea, this five-bedroom mansion with its striking red roof can more than play the part.
Mississippi Mansion: A Peek Inside
Built in 1903, this house includes several crystal chandeliers and gleaming woodwork, including nine impressive gas fireplaces and a sweeping staircase.
Small-Town Stunner
Carlisle, Ohio
$499,900
Ever dreamed of owning one of the largest homes on the most prominent street in town? That’s exactly what you get with this striking four-bedroom Victorian home, built in the 1890s. From the turrets to the gingerbread trim to the iron fence, it’s the stuff of postcards.
Related: The Most Beautiful Main Streets in America
Small-Town Stunner: A Peek Inside
Highlights include a large yard with a fire pit, hand-scraped hardwood floors, 10-foot ceilings with crown molding, and a custom kitchen with a tin ceiling, Edison lights, and exposed brick.
Lone-Star Storybook
Amarillo, Texas $520,000
With its dramatic roofline, arched windows, and brick walkway, this dreamy mint four-bedroom cottage built in 1931 has a definite storybook feel.
Lone-Star Storybook: A Peek Inside
If you can get past the exterior, you’ll find tons of charm inside. There are four fireplaces, three large living areas, an updated kitchen, and a formal dining room with a crystal chandelier. The master suite has vaulted ceilings and skylights.
Mid-Atlantic Masterpiece
Middletown, Delaware
$469,000
You’ll find this elegant six-bedroom Italianate a little over an hour south of Philadelphia. Built in 1884, it’s on the National Register of Historic Places and has an inviting brick courtyard in the back plus the roomy front porch.
Mid-Atlantic Masterpiece: A Peek Inside
Though it still has many period features like a mansard roof, oak fretwork, stained glass, and plaster medallions, this home has been updated where it counts. The kitchen was updated in 2019 with granite and stainless steel, and there is a recent family-room addition.
Blue in the Big Easy
New Orleans
$1.6 million
This brilliant blue stunner, a five-bedroom Greek Revival from the 1850s, is out of reach for many people, but it certainly makes for lovely eye candy. It has a charming private courtyard and is just steps from a little neighborhood you may have heard of: the French Quarter.
Related: The Oldest Building in Major Cities Across America
Blue in the Big Easy: A Peek Inside
A stunning fireplace, columns, and statement chandeliers anchor the living and dining rooms, and the kitchen and bathrooms have been updated. There’s even original artwork throughout the space.
Buffalo Beauty
Buffalo, New York
$779,000
“Stately” might be the most fitting adjective for this classic four-bedroom on a well-manicured street in Buffalo. It’s also close to historic Delaware Park, home to the Buffalo Zoo, Shakespeare performances, and plenty of scenic spots for a stroll.
Buffalo Beauty: A Peek Inside
Built-ins, French doors, and hardwood floors grace the understated but elegant interior. There’s a modern kitchen, a lovely formal dining room, third-floor bonus space, and even an in-ground pool out back.
Motor City Tudor
Detroit
$400,000
Tudor lovers will find plenty of options in Detroit, where the city’s plentiful stock of historic homes is slowly being rehabbed. This stately four-bedroom in the Sherwood Forest neighborhood has curb appeal in spades, plus a large back deck and a shady yard.
Motor City Tudor: A Peek Inside
Built in 1928, the home retains its elegant arches and ceilings, but the kitchen has been updated and has a cozy breakfast nook. The master bedroom is spacious and has its own fireplace and ensuite bathroom.
Postcard Perfect
Guilford, Vermont
$779,000
Does it get any more bucolic than this yellow four-bedroom farmhouse near a steepled church and covered bridge? Built around 1830, the house has a long, charming porch and 300 feet of private river frontage. It’s even surrounded by conservation land.
Related: Historic Farmhouses for Sale Across America
Postcard Perfect: A Peek Inside
This home’s standout features include a dining room with crystal chandeliers, a modern kitchen with stainless-steel appliances and a large island, and a cozy sitting room with a fireplace and exposed brick.
Connecticut Classic
Norwalk, Connecticut
$899,000
Historic homes don’t come cheap in Connecticut, but they sure are lovely to look at. This classic four-bedroom colonial dates to 1789. Its backyard slopes down to a river and boasts gardens, terraces, and an inviting fire pit.
Related: The Most Expensive Celebrity Homes of All Time
Connecticut Classic: A Peek Inside
Renovated but still charming, the house is light and bright with a stunning kitchen, light-filled sun porch, and original wide-plank wood flooring. The master bedroom boasts a bathroom with a massive shower and radiant heated flooring.
A Lot of House in the South
Eufaula, Alabama
$659,000
If you’ve ever fancied owning a big, rambling Victorian, this five-bedroom in small-town Alabama built in 1880 is a dream come true. It has a stunner of a porch and a spacious yard with mature trees.
Related: The Best Places in America to Travel Back in Time
A Lot of House in the South: A Peek Inside
The home itself is full of pristine woodwork, elaborate wallpaper, a sweeping staircase, and grand chandeliers. There are seven fireplaces, a library, an updated kitchen, and a butler’s pantry.
Revolutionary-Era Cabin
Hot Springs, Virginia $749,000
Travel back in time — way back — with this three-bedroom cabin dating to 1780. Set on 30 acres bordering a nature conservancy and a national forest, this one is for outdoorsy types who still need their creature comforts.
Revolutionary-Era Cabin: A Peek Inside
A modern renovation has kept the home’s original foundation, hand-hewn logs, ceiling beams, and chimney while adding an airy family room, an outdoor shower, and more.
Related: 30 Vintage Photos of Patriotic Places Across America
A Religious Experience
Red Wing, Minnesota
$599,000
Looking for something a little different? This Lutheran church built in the 1880s has been converted into a show-stopping three-bedroom, but the arches and 22-foot ceilings mean it still has a regal feel.
Related: 20 Amazing Church Makeovers
A Religious Experience: A Peek Inside
The main level is almost completely open, with a lofted bedroom the kids will probably fight over. Downstairs, there’s another massive living area perfect for a rec space that has its own kitchen and bar.
Perfect Symmetry
Oakland, California
$1.8 million
West Coast home prices are no joke, but neither is this pleasingly symmetrical four-bedroom Georgian, built in 1921. Outside, there’s a lovely view from the balcony and backyard, and everything has been professionally landscaped.
Perfect Symmetry: A Peek Inside
This California dream house has been renovated to the extreme with light and bright rooms, a state-of-the-art kitchen, and warm wood floors. The master suite has a gleaming bathroom you may never want to leave, complete with a clawfoot tub and a glass shower enclosure.
Maine Attraction
Isle Au Haut
$2 million
The beach experience in Maine is more rocks and pines than sand and palms, but you’ll be in once you lay eyes on this postcard-perfect light keeper’s home, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. There’s a two-bedroom guesthouse, and don’t worry about the lighthouse — it’s automated and maintained by the town.
Maine Attraction: A Peek Inside
This four-bedroom has all the charm you’d expect from a turn-of-the-century home, from warm wood floors to a dining room with a kerosene chandelier and lighthouse views. The large kitchen has two gas ranges and granite countertops.
Related: Beautiful Beach Homes for Sale
Tennessee Head-Turner
Cleveland, Tennessee
$998,000
This elegant six-bedroom home, built in 1930, is a lovely fusion of old and new. An expansive back patio with a fountain has a storybook feel, and there’s plenty of room for your wheels in the detached three-car garage that even has its own apartment.
Tennessee Head-Turner: A Peek Inside
The formal dining room is big enough for years of Thanksgivings to come, and the modern eat-in kitchen with a butler’s pantry offers more than enough space for all the prep work — and it even has its own cozy fireplace.
