Kathy and Frank Luek pose for a photo at their home in Harmony. The couple takes pride in the fact their cabin was constructed by a member of the original Harmonists, the group that founded Harmony.

HARMONY — While many home buyers are looking for a property that is perfectly designed for the modern era, some prefer to put in a little extra elbow grease to make their investment shine.

Kathy and Frank Luek have made their home the last 35 years in a log cabin constructed over 200 years ago, and Kathy Luek said it has been worth all the work. The couple takes pride in the fact their cabin was constructed by a member of the original Harmonists, the group that founded Harmony.

“They're not like a cookie cutter housing plan,” she said. “It is different. It is unique — there are problems too, but it's definitely worth it, and it really gives you a sense of the community.”

Kathy Luek said the home was likely built sometime between 1804 and 1806, and that the structure located near the center of the borough is a testament to Harmony's historic roots, similar to many buildings in the area.

“Harmony has so many styles for historic buildings, and so many people who appreciate them and have been keeping them up,” Luek said.

Any changes to historic buildings like the one owned by the Lueks has to be approved, which can be a deterrent to some home buyers. Everything from painting and window upgrades to roof work might need to be considered by a council before it can be changed, which is often not the case for other area homes. But Luek said these rules and regulations keep the culture of the community alive.

“It's important to keep the beauty and the outstanding, different styles of homes,” she said, “to keep the diversity of architecture and keep them maintained well.”

Luek, who is a Historic Harmony administrator, said that owning, restoring and preserving homes like hers is “very important in historic aspects and architecture.”

“It's just so basic to me, I can't even think of why you wouldn't want to keep these homes maintained,” she said.

However, Luek pointed out there are a few unmistakable drawbacks to owning an older home.“For one, they are smaller than today's regular homes,” she said. “There's not as much storage space.”Luek said her house only had a half-basement when they purchased it, and her husband had to dig out the other half and redo the whole foundation before setting the house back on it.Despite the seemingly endless work of keeping up with the needs of an older house — everything from windows and the roof to plumbing and foundation work — Luek said they've been happy in their home.“We've had lots of fun,” she added.In Harmony, the old homes are mostly restored, Kathy Luek said.“All you have to do is work on your maintenance skills,” she commented. “You have to be a jack of all trades.”Older homes require more care than some of the newer models. Aside from needing approval before making changes to a home, these buildings often need updates to make living in them more comfortable.Carpentry, dry wall, plumbing, painting and other regular maintenance skills are a must for being an attentive owner of an old home, Luek said.“There's lots of places that you can find information on how to patch a hole, or say you have a leak, how to fix that,” she said. “Or, you can go to local community colleges.”Luek said learning such skills as woodworking or furniture refinishing in classes can be beneficial.“You are the caretaker of this building for so many years,” she said, “and then it goes on to somebody else, and they take care of it and maintain it.”The cycle of living in and restoring old homes can seem like a daunting one to people without much knowledge on the subject, but Luek insists that it's vital to keeping history alive.Longtime real estate agent Ed Shields said there are many buyers interested in purchasing older homes. He said this is especially true for people who — like the Lueks — are handy and up for the challenge of updating or restoring an older house.“The properties that are most wanted are the old farmhouse to remodel or an old farmhouse that has been remodeled,” Shields said, adding that the home's condition and cost are often important factors that potential buyers consider.

Kathy and Frank Luek of Harmony pose for a photo at their home, which was built in the early 1800s.