Both involve my ex-husband. Yes I went from my dad's house into marriage. What was I thinking? LOL
Our first apartment was a 1 BR, 1 BA for $120 a month. Including heat and water. But that first winter (1975-76, brrrr in the Midwest that year) was a shock. The 2 family apt. building had old casement, single pane windows. I swear our living room didn't go above 55 on very cold nights!
We bought our first house in 1977, with a VHA loan, no down payment. I think it was in the low $200's per month. A very nice, 50+ yr old but small 2 BR, 1 BA bungalow. Hardwood flooring underneath carpeting, clawfoot bathtub, beautiful windows and woodwork, deep or tall baseboards, etc. Tons of windows. My houseplants numbered about 35, and I had 7 windows facing south. Now I own 3 houseplants....he he Anyway, we lived there about 7 years before splitting up.
I'm into watching decorating shows such as Home Time, This Old House, any HGTV show and reading redo magazines, etc. And house plan books. My dad was a carpenter and my oldest brother a draftsman, by trade (switched careers early on though). I grew up seeing blueprints spread on the kitchen table a lot. Hence, my interests.
Long story short, I recently discovered my little bungalow was actually a Sears home, an Arts & Craft blueprint/kit house. I wish I had known so I could have checked for evidence in the attic (numbered lumber). Here's a plan for it. We didn't have a second floor, only the first. Always wondered what it would have looked like had the second floor been added!
http://www.arts-crafts.com/archive/sears/page75.html