How old is your house?

Lancealot · Jan 19, 2010

dnjan said:
... and one wonders if the three-prong outlets are really grounded, or just a replacement outlet put in when one of the originals failed.

I have some of those ungrounded "grounded" outlets in my current house.

I have some those in my house. The only ones I know for sure are grounded are the ones for the computers, entertainment center and fridge. Because I ran all of them myself since there was a question.

I have plans to do a whole house rewire but finding the time is difficult. I spent several years has a commercial electrician so I can do the labor but has I said the time is the big factor.

John in Covina · Jan 19, 2010

For my home I'd like to get the place rewired and add modular phone plugs for each room. I'd also like to get the wall heaters out and have a central (gas) heat and Airconditioning put in.

However, next on the list is exterior paint!

Lancealot · Jan 19, 2010

John in Covina said:
For my home I'd like to get the place rewired and add modular phone plugs for each room. I'd also like to get the wall heaters out and have a central (gas) heat and Airconditioning put in.

However, next on the list is exterior paint!

I had almost forgot about that, I did have to change out the phone jacks to modular. I was lucky that my grandmother had a new gas furnace and central air installed about 10 years ago.

amynbebes · Jan 20, 2010

My house was built in 1959 and the house I grew up in, which my parents still live in, was built in 1917.

grundie · Jan 24, 2010

A 4 year old penthouse. We got it cheap due to the landlord 'playing away from home' and his wife offering it a ridiculously low price to annoy him.

We're on the top, i.e. the 12th floor, which is a super mega tall structure by Irish standards.

No matter what I do I will never make this place look vintage, too much glass and modern fancyness. A pity. We do get to see some amazing sunrises over Dublin bay though.

Burton · Jan 24, 2010

My Texas house was built in 1868. When I first saw the higher ceilings and beautiful old wooden floor boards I knew it would be a great place to house my tribal arts collection. It is but humidity/temperature control is a bit of a challenge.

Corky · Jan 25, 2010

Our place was built in 1927...

Our place was built in 1927, which is considered almost ancient by Los Angeles standards.

We also own the house next door, which is around the same age.

Our house might be unique in that it supposedly has a treasure buried somewhere on the property.

The story (which we have heard from several sources) goes like this: a woman who lived here in the 1960's was very popular and one of her boyfriends was a pilot.

One day he came by when she wasn't home and wanted to drop off something valuable. He didn't want to leave it around, so he buried it somewhere on the property. But then the pilot gets arrested and goes to jail and proceeds to kick the bucket inside before he gets around to telling anybody exactly WHAT the treasure was or WHERE it was buried.

So the woman eventually moves out, but not too far. For dozens of years she lives up the street with large numbers of cats.

Once, I got a metal detector and went over the yard. You have no idea how many metallic objects (pipes, irrigation systems, nails, bottle caps, sewer lines, etc.) lie concealed just beneath the surface.

Maybe someday, after we have sold the place and it's being bulldozed for an apartment complex, I just know the bulldozer blade will turn up a footlocker full of Krugerrands.

Oh and I forgot to add: we have the rights to drill for oil under our property, just in case anybody wants to invest some money into what could be a bonanza.

Haversack · Jan 28, 2010

Our house turns 100 this year. We'll probably throw it a party. Its been a little peripatetic though. It was moved from its original site in 1949 to make way for the freeway.

Haversack

swinggal · Jan 28, 2010

amynbebes said:
My house was built in 1959 and the house I grew up in, which my parents still live in, was built in 1917.

Add wooden floorboards. You would be amazed at what a difference it makes to a new apartment or house. One of my friend has modern house with floorboards and all her framed pics are 1930s posters and she has vintage furniture. Looks stunning and gives the place a warmth.

swinggal · Jan 28, 2010

Corky said:
Our place was built in 1927, which is considered almost ancient by Los Angeles standards.

We also own the house next door, which is around the same age.

Our house might be unique in that it supposedly has a treasure buried somewhere on the property.

The story (which we have heard from several sources) goes like this: a woman who lived here in the 1960's was very popular and one of her boyfriends was a pilot.

One day he came by when she wasn't home and wanted to drop off something valuable. He didn't want to leave it around, so he buried it somewhere on the property. But then the pilot gets arrested and goes to jail and proceeds to kick the bucket inside before he gets around to telling anybody exactly WHAT the treasure was or WHERE it was buried.

So the woman eventually moves out, but not too far. For dozens of years she lives up the street with large numbers of cats.

Once, I got a metal detector and went over the yard. You have no idea how many metallic objects (pipes, irrigation systems, nails, bottle caps, sewer lines, etc.) lie concealed just beneath the surface.

Maybe someday, after we have sold the place and it's being bulldozed for an apartment complex, I just know the bulldozer blade will turn up a footlocker full of Krugerrands.

Oh and I forgot to add: we have the rights to drill for oil under our property, just in case anybody wants to invest some money into what could be a bonanza.

Wow. In regard to the treasure, don't give up!! You should see if you can hire one of those scanners that can detect large objects under the ground with sonar. Ground penetrating radar or something like that. You'd think if he wanted to do it n a hurry, he'd just hide it under the house or something...hmmm...how exciting!! I think I'b be looking forever!

tonypaj · Jan 31, 2010

A bit over 200 years. The road next to it used to apparently be there in the Roman times. So the house is pretty new, still.

Dixie_Amazon · Jul 2, 2012

We both came into the world in 1960.

Stanley Doble · Jul 2, 2012

It's a solid brick, 1 1/2 story farmhouse built in the 1860s. Rather small rooms, badly laid out, with low ceilings upstairs. No closets, small windows. Poorly built in many ways. I'm surprised it is still standing.

Not all old houses are gems, and they invented building codes for a reason. It is easy to overlook this as most of the real bad houses were torn down, or fell down years ago. Most of the ones that are still left, are the showpieces of their time.

V.C. Brunswick · Jul 2, 2012

Let see... the houses where I lived were built in 1940, 1949 and 1971 and the houses of both sets of grandparents were built in 1925 and 1933.

Miss Golightly · Jul 2, 2012

1949 - a very well built and spacious house with 100 foot garden - not too many period features but we've kept what we can. We've added a new kitchen and new bathroom to the house which work well with the original house.

ButteMT61 · Jul 2, 2012

1906. Huge lot, great neighbors, and a historically-aware community.
We just built a chicken coop and have a lot of veggies/fruits growing too.

LizzieMaine · Jul 2, 2012

My house successfully passed its 100th last year and is good for another century or until the whole neighborhood is bulldozed to make way for another Rite Aid or something equally ridiculous. My mother's house is an example of postwar construction, built in 1949 from scrap billboards, flakeboard, and other such materials. My grandparents' house dated to 1920, and has unfortunately been "updated" in a particularly hideous manner by the people who bought it after they died. When I win the lottery I intend to buy it back and de-novate it back to the way it's supposed to be.

AtomicEraTom · Jul 2, 2012

The building next to me says "1908" on the cornice, so I would venture to guess my place went up right around the same time, as most of the buildings downtown appear to have went up right around the same time.

Argee · Jul 2, 2012

We're in a 1922 Craftsman style double shotgun. It's been (mostly) converted into a single. We're about to start a round of renovations to finish/fix what the last owners started.

ThesFlishThngs · Jul 2, 2012

95. I hope we can get her nicely spruced up for her 100th birthday party.

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