As a follow-up to our previous article, we’re going to look at some more weird and odd things that make Northwest Arkansas a unique place to live in. From the lack of basements to high-rising roofs, Northwest Arkansas has no shortage of oddities.
Homes in Northwest Arkansas can be a bit odd. Often, newcomers to the area are surprised by some of the things they see. For example, many homes have aesthetic fireplaces, but they’re rarely used. The lack of gutters and carports is also common in Northwest Arkansas. Fences are another oddity.
My name is Phillip shepherd. I’m a local real estate agent working out of Northwest Arkansas. In this article, we’ll discuss some of the differences between homes in Northwest Arkansas and homes in other states in the US.
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Why So Many Fireplaces?
The first thing we need to talk about is the fact that there are so many fireplaces in Northwest Arkansas. Why are there so many fireplaces here? After all, the climate isn’t so cold here that it warrants a fireplace. Now I can understand if this was in Chicago, New York, or Wisconsin, where it can get freezing cold without proper heating. But I don’t know why homes in Northwest Arkansas have fireplaces.
The thing with the fireplaces is that they’re not typical wooden fireplaces. You can’t actually burn wood in them. They’re just gas-log fireplaces. When you come to NWA, you’ll quickly realize that people like to adorn their homes with fireplaces—not for heating purposes, but rather for the sake of ambiance and aesthetics.
If you’re looking at a home that’s in the upper price range, fireplaces are a standard feature. They are a part of the ambiance of the house itself.
Homes can be interestingly odd here in Northwest Arkansas! Check them out in our blog ‘Homes In Northwest Arkansas – Part 1‘
Lack of Gutters
Another interesting difference between homes in Northwest Arkansas and the states is the overall lack of gutters in older homes. It’s not as common anymore, but often (when visiting NWA), you might come across a house with no gutters.
When I first made this discovery, it kind of freaked me out. Houses in Northwest Arkansas don’t have any gutters—it’s a disaster waiting to happen. The water could potentially leak into the actual foundation, which is linked to the basement. That’s when I realized that houses in Northwest Arkansas don’t have any basements. So, in theory, there should be no problem with a lack of gutters.
However, 80%-90% of the homes in NWA do have gutters. It’s actually the older style homes you need to worry about. Houses built in the 70s, 80s, or possibly even the 90s were made without any gutters, and they’ve been doing fine without them. So, don’t be surprised if there’s a home you’re looking at that potentially might not have a gutter. Obviously, you can always install gutters later on on the property.
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It doesn’t matter if you’re a foodie, a sports person, a sightseer, or want to spend quality time with your kids; I have something for you. Check out the link below to learn more:
https://www.allthingsnwa.com/3-day-itinerary-northwest-arkansas
Car Ports
Another interesting thing in Northwest Arkansas is the fact that carports are completely normal; actually, they are quite prevalent around here. Obviously, I didn’t end up with a carport myself. Still, it’s a common theme in certain areas in specific price ranges. Generally speaking, carports are frowned upon in other states, but not here.
After living here for a few months, I quickly realized why carports are accepted here; It does not rain a whole lot here in Northwest Arkansas. The weather is mostly clear with blue skies all year round, so it doesn’t make sense to pay extra for a garage. Now, if you were living in a colder state like Illinois, you would never use a carport because it’s freezing outside for most of the winter.
In that situation, you’d obviously want a garage, but down here in Arkansas, it doesn’t get that cold in the wintertime. The weather isn’t severe, and it rarely rains or receives thunderstorms. So it kind of makes sense to have a cheap carport rather than an expensive garage. However, it’s definitely nice to have a garage.
If you decide to come down here to Northwest Arkansas and you’re looking for a house within a specific price range, or there’s maybe an older style home you’re after, just know that if it has a carport, it’s a very common thing and it’s nothing to be surprised about. You can always add a garage later on down the line.
People are retiring to Northwest Arkansas! Wanna know Why?: Read here
More Land Space
As someone who originally hailed from Illinois, there’s not that much living space in Illinois because things have been built out for many, many years. However, the interesting thing with Northwest Arkansas is that many homes have a lot of good open living space. If you ever decide to move here, just know that your yard will be pretty big.
Now there are definitely subdivisions that cram it all together, but it’s not surprising to find a subdivision where you’ll have a decent-sized yard. Whether you want to add a pool or a trampoline, or maybe a pool and a trampoline, or perhaps a pool and a trampoline and a swing set all in one. That’s a good idea. Write that down.
Of course, there are a lot of different sized lands out here, whether you want a couple of acres or whether you want a quarter of an acre or smaller (that’s obviously an option as well). But a lot of times, builders keep it around a quarter of an acre.
It may be a little bit less for larger subdivisions, but there are many places with bigger lots where you can have the kids and dogs go crazy. So don’t be surprised when you come down here and find a lot more land than you were expecting.
Fences
Everyone, almost everyone, in Northwest Arkansas has a fence. Now, this is an interesting thing for someone coming from Illinois because there are a lot of fences there as well, but not everyone in Illinois has a fence. It’s more like a 50/50 split, maybe a little bit less, but coming to Arkansas, everybody has a fence, and it’s always a wooden fence standing at six feet tall.
Now, there are benefits to adding fences since everybody has a lot of open living space (like we mentioned earlier). Fences make it much easier to know where your property line is. The fence confines you within a specific boundary, so to speak. And it’s a common thing because everyone has fences, and usually, the builders put up fences when they build homes. So it’s pretty helpful for homeowners moving into a new home—you know exactly what you own.
The Secret’s out! Find out the Real Reasons Why people are retiring to Northwest Arkansas
Final Thoughts
Homes in Northwest Arkansas can be odd. They often have aesthetic fireplaces, lack of gutters, carports, fences, and more land space. However, these features can be appealing to some homebuyers. If you are looking for a unique home in a beautiful setting, Northwest Arkansas may be the place for you.