Well, OK, but it seems that even in 1795 they had that condescending "attitude" towards the beautiful old house. I can't image it was in such disrepair back then. Though, I realize they were giving it to Barnabas for his wedding present. Or, were they initially? I know Naomi gave it to Barnabas when he was going to marry Angelique because his father kicked him out of Collinwood. Was she going to give it to him anyway? Were they just going to let it sit empty? Very wierd. Why they needed two huge mansions is strange. Especially since neither Joshua or Naomi seemed like the spend-thrift type.
Present day family: Elizabeth had petitioned the county to have her property taxes reduced on the grounds that most of Collinwood was shut up and disused. She had cash flow problems and her real estate was all mortgaged to the hilt. The house and business were considered to be ripe for the taking by Burke.
We're not talking a 3-bedroom house. We're talking a colonial era mansion which would need to be wired in its entirety. They would need to install central heating. They would need to install plumbing. They would need to install a new kitchen and at least a new bathroom. All those windows that were broken? Most likely not the standard sizes that you could just go down to Home Depot (not that they had Home Depot in the 1960s) to reorder. We are talking lath and plaster construction, much of which would probably need to be fixed or redone. You're talking a monster of a roof. The outside? Does that need work? Most likely. You're also looking at landscaping and gardening and no doubts quite a few outbuildings. You're talking 100 years of total neglect. To keep it remotely in historical character? How would they keep up with the utilities? Who is going to live in it? Elizabeth spends 18 years as a recluse so it's not like she's thinking restore it and turn it into a museum. The present-day Collinses didn't have that kind of dough.
1790s family: They're a nouveau riche family that's moving on up. It costs money to tear these things down. Maybe they were envisioning using it as a dower house for Naomi. Or a place for Jeremiah and Millicent. Maybe they were planning on tearing it down eventually. It's supposed to be a half a mile from Collinwood so it's not quite like it's smack dab next door.
In some ways the "restoration" fit with the original character concept. Creepy guy fixes up the one main room so that it's not falling down and then the shrine to his Josette while the rest of the house looks like a mess. Very stalker-esque.
And lastly, there are people who don't care for antiques or old houses. It boggles my mind, but that's me. Roger was always pushing Liz to sell the house so they could move someplace new. Faux Burke professed his dislike of the house from the "Past" and had a preference for something more modern. That kind of attitude is nothing new. Mansfield Park takes place in the early 1800s and there are characters who want to modernize one of the estates...