As you may or may not have noticed, depending on how many coffee table books you own, architectural styles tend to vary widely between cities. History, ethnicity, land usage, climate, geography, and available building materials all play their part in distinguishing Toronto Annex real estate from downtown Quebec City. While the popularized coffee table examples are usually major public buildings like churches, courts, hotels, or office buildings, a city's architectural heritage will have an impact on residential home styles as well.

To help you see how your old Scarborough residential properties differ from what's on offer in your future home, Quebec City, we've compiled this article on Quebec City architecture and its impact on residential home styles.

Quebec City's biggest difference from anywhere else in North America is that the city is very old. Founded in 1608, Quebecers have had over 300 years to develop and hone their building skills to suit their environment, which means that you can find examples of Quebec City architecture that are three centuries old. That's something your neighborhood would definitely not be able to offer if you were to buy Brampton homes for sale. In fact, the city's history and architecture are the some of the biggest draws for visitors.

Culturally, Quebec City's roots stem from French colonists rather than British ones, which is another major difference between the city and Oakville condos, and indeed the rest of North America. The fort they built when they arrived still remains as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The settlers were also predominately Catholic, so the most startling and opulent architecture can be found in Catholic churches like the neo-classically styled Notre Dame de Quebec Cathedral.

What do these 17th century French roots mean for the city's residential architecture? It means that the homes built in Quebec City are often copies of similar buildings or similar styles as those found in France, especially Normandy and the other more northerly provinces because of Canada's colder climate. The earliest buildings in this Colonial style are known for their squared metal roofs. They are most often found downtown and were once large single homes that have since been converted to apartments or condos. Other styles you may find include Baroque, Neoclassical, and Gothic. Stone and brick were popular building materials, and were often used to form what we could now call town houses.

The home styles of Quebec City aren't entirely historical, of course. Though many newer houses and condos are built in imitation of historical styles to preserve the city's heritage, there are still plenty of plain modern apartment buildings and single family homes reminiscent of Georgetown, Ontario homes for sale. In other words: aluminum siding, bay windows, garages, backyard decks, neutral colors, and homogenous design.