I am surprised to see how people lived in their houses when original owners pass on and the houses put up for sale.
A cape with one small bedroom on the first floor, two bedrooms upstairs to the right and left of the stairs. But there was no electricity on the second floor ... Multiple extension cords running up and down the stairs on each side near the wall. And no heat up there. Electric space heaters and electric blankets. Wires and extension cords running everywhere, even taped to the walls. Exposed wires on the first floor with a piece of cardboard painted white to match the wall to hide the wires. Basement had one electric light with pull chain in the ceiling but I saw no electric outlets down there. I keep thinking there must have been but maybe that's not how houses were built.
Another small house with bedrooms upstairs. Two bedrooms and one bathroom with claw foot tub and toilet, no sink! Looks like there used to be a sink there long ago ... parents and seven kids. And we are talking very small bedrooms. Downstairs a kitchen, a dining room and a small living room. And an illegal toilet. Sounds funny, but it was never permitted. I opened the door off the kitchen to go outside and found a surprise. What had been like a small mudroom off the kitchen housed a toilet with no seat but a package of toilet paper beside it ... again, no sink ... I guess upstairs they washed their hands in the tub and downstairs at the kitchen sink.
I understand being frugal and making do ... we did in my family growing up. But to have no bathroom sinks. Estimates to bring those houses up to code are enormous..
seashanty said:
I understand being frugal and making do ... we did in my family growing up. But to have no bathroom sinks. Estimates to bring those houses up to code are enormous.
Property becomes more valuable as time passes by and as a people we expect so many more comforts today, but unfortunately the income and abilities of the families in a home don't always progress with the times or the increased value of the property.
I grew up in town, we had indoor plumbing, but the heat upstairs was a little unvented gas heater in the bathroom and a hot water bottle to put under the covers to keep my feet warm, coal stove in the kitchen where we spent most of our time, gas heater in the living room might get turned on in the evening. Maxine grew up in the country, after we were married at her grandparents, grandpa had a fireplace in his room, there was a cold water tap on the back porch, cold water at a sink in the kitchen, no fridge, just a pie safe, outhouse across the chicken yard, so many changes.
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