Architectural Integrity

Today most buyers/owners are looking for architectural integrity, not a mish-mash of styles all in one house.  We have many bungalow style homes in both the Old Northeast and Kenwood neighborhoods of Saint Petersburg.  My son and daughter-in-law lovingly restored a 1910 bungalow, The House That Jack Built. One of the characteristics of the bungalow style is an open front porch. Over the years, their porch had been enclosed by screens and jalousie windows (a series of glass louvers, about 6" high, that open out with a crank). They enjoyed this, as it provided privacy from the street, and was a place they could keep their cats during the day.  When we put their home on the market, I suggested they remove the louvers and screens and open the porch back up.  They resisted this for months, saying it was how they liked it - while I kept telling them that as long as they wanted it to be their house, that was great - but if they wanted to sell it, they had to appeal to the buyer's taste.  Finally the appeal of California was so great, that they reluctantly followed my advice.  The first afternoon of their project, with the windows half removed, someone drove by, saw it, made an offer, and their house was sold.