Forgot to add...period homes come with skirting boards and wood door/window frames...features some add to new homes.
Also...on a serious note. I found high ceilings(4m???) a damn side non comfort. Have you ever tried changing a light globe? And...what's with every down pipe(other than under cover) connected to a soak well? Something to backfill water into the eves when the well can't cope. Older places just let it 'run free.' The eve less Tuscany look is so passé in our climate, esp when combined with large spans of glass. The eve less flank also dirties windows faster and you can not afford to leave one opening when it rains or the weather is intermittent. Eveless flanks can also backfill into your ceilings more easily.
Just some 'comforts' to consider in new homes...NOT.
