the reason they aren't around anymore is that the shutters make the walls under the windows uninsulated. in older homes in-wall insulation wasn't a big thing, they would never meet modern heating efficiency standards, you would literally have parts of exterior walls without any insulation.
In my childhood neighbourhood, most of the homes had a little “milk door” by the back door. A little door with a latch that the milkman could leave your items in. Inside the house was another little door you would open to get the items without having to go outside. I had been told these were built in homes in colder climates to keep your milk and cream from freezing? The sweet lady next door used to tell me to open the door whenever I walked by their home and she would leave me little treats like home made cookies, a chocolate, a candy, etc…. The majority of them have been boarded up or removed now.
@@ms.t7614 We called them milk chutes. We had one in our house growing up, got locked out of the house once and sent one of the smaller neighborhood kids through it to unlock one of the doors to get back in the house.😂
Those are definitely good ones to mention. I do have those and some more in the Mysterious Home Features video. There is a link at the end of this video if you are interested. Thank you for watching!
Laundry chutes are another, so you didn't have to carry laundry downstairs, especially when the laundry is in a basement. Garbage chutes were similar, but I think mostly in apartment buildings. The problem with both is something getting stuck between floors, and people adding to the problem because the can't see the clog until it piles up to their floor. Garbage clogs are especially odiferous, but clearing laundry clogs risks tearing the laundry items.
Laundry chutes! An old friend just sold her house in San Francisco that had a 3 story one. They don't make them any more because they're a fire hazard, but they make taking laundry to the basement very convenient
My grandfather slept on the sleeping porch all summer even after they got AC, he said I have been sleeping out here for 78 years so I ain’t stopping now
Speaking of speaking tubes, we had intercoms in our house when we were kids that also were used for radio listening …those sure were the good old days!
My father-in-law installed a whole house fan, and I’m grateful for it every summer. I open the door to the basement, turn on the fan, and it draws all that cool air from the basement through the entire house. It really cuts down the number of days we need to rely on AC.
Yes they do work! My father installed one in Miami and it helped - although Miami stayed muggy all Summer so it was somewhat limited. Later though, living in a two-story house in CA, I installed one upstairs in the hallway facing upwards - and it worked great because CA cools down faster at dusk and has lower humidity. Cooled house for almost no cost!
get the fan so you can reverse it and push the hot air down lower in winter to reduce heating costs as well. the summer fan winter heat switch often found on 1970s, 1980s houses provided this.
They were a great idea before crime became so bad. Maybe okay if you live in a very low crime area. When I was a kid in the 50s/60s we could sleep with all the windows open. Put one window fan in the house blowing the air out of the window and it created a breeze all through the house.
@@Dadsezso Exactly! I live in a pretty safe area but someone climbed on my terrace just the other night. Thankfully we had all the windows shut. Such a shame what the world has turned into.
@@mb6019 Agreed. I lived in Japan for 3 years. Safest place I've ever been. You could sleep with windows open. I would never have to lock my car. Once I was parked at the curb in the city and forgot my wallet that was lying on the passenger seat. Did some shopping, went to pay, and realized my wallet was in the car. Went back to get it and it was still there in the unlocked car. Too bad the US isn't like that.
@@mb6019 my great aunt's house had a sleeping porch. She used to watch my sister and I when we were very young. It was in a town that is now considered one of the most crime ridden in the Midwest. But in those days, it was a great family town and both sides of my family were raised there.
Newer homes are rather hideous, and age poorly. Craftsman homes were meant to last several lifetimes, as were Victorians and Colonials. Update the heating and air, and you have a home that isn’t going to go out of style, and will continue to be efficient.
You said it! I used to judge new construction and it's and endless sea of grey houses, grey tile, grey walls, grey carpet and they all look exactly the same. BARF!!! I was so depressed by the end of a day of judging.
I work in the construction industry, and help build these newer homes. They may have a lot of square footage, but they are ugly. No soul no character. Nothing beats those old homes. They were built to last for generations. These new houses are built to increase profits.
The reason many people have a bias for older homes is that the ones that remain are well constructed, but bear in mind that at the time of their construction, building codes were much less stringent In practice, this means that most of the duds have already been replaced Which is why an older home might be desirable today. As far as the repetitiveness and an inspiring design go, this is simple economics. Most new homes are built as part of a planned development rather than a single individual building something to suit their personal needs. This means standardization.
@@M167A1the simple economics is greed. I work on homes that range from $300,000 - $3 million. So many of the products that are used are cheap imports, or not "real". Most people don't use real hardwood floors. A lot of the "wood" for shelves/cabinets or "stone" for the mantle is some sort of composite or veneer. Usually it's the homes that are over $1 million that have better quality products. And that is a sad commentary on our society and economy.
My grandparents had a sleeping porch, my great grandmother had a Butler's pantry! Both were very handy. Both houses are still standing and in use today.☺️
Picture rails, most people who have always lived in modern homes don't know what they are. They are usually located about a foot down from the ceiling. No nails just picture rail hooks and ribbons or rope. I love mine. Another one is plate rails, found in dining rooms.
Picture rails are something that they should still include in all home builds. Those were essential in the plaster walls. Thank you for watching delnita2064!
My old house had picture frame rail/moldings---didn't use them that way. Stripped the paint and refinished them. They looked great. Also, some rooms had chair rail/moldings---more surprised that these aren't still used more. Too many different height chairs I guess.
The butlers pantry is my favorite feature in older homes. A kitchen becomes a much smaller and more efficient work space when you have separate storage for items you don't actually use while cooking.
A friend I had in school lived in a house with a dumb waiter. That was cool. One of ours had built a pretty good sized laundry chute in the bathroom and several cubbies, cabinets, and shelves built into it.
I actually lived in a house with a pull down ironing board. I thought it would be cute to make it a sort of breakfast bar/table area. Grandma had the "summer kitchen" but we called it the well house. And weren't the sleeping porches used for tuberculosis way back in the day? Awesome upload !!!❤
One feature some older homes had was a button on the floor in the dining room connected to a buzzer or bell in the kitchen to let the household help know it was time to come in and serve another course or clear the table.
Rhett, I enjoyed this video about home features that have disappeared. I grew up in a house that was built in 1906 and we had radiators for our heating. If we were out of the house and came in from a cold day and turned on the heat we would have to wait for the radiators to heat up the house and it seemed like we would wait for hours, period! Have a fantastic weekend. Take care 🐎
I can remember a lot of those features in my aunt’s old 1800’s house when I was a kid. There was also a narrow staircase in the kitchen that only went up to the maids quarters. Hi Jodie! 👋😁🇦🇺
I like the old windows that had a hand-crank for opening them, where they then opened up the same way old windows shutters used to. I'd love to have an old house that still has them.
Casement windows. My current house actually had them in the kitchen when we moved in despite being a modern house built in the 1990's. I liked them but the problem was they don't seal as well as a conventional window and moisture got in the framework and rotted the wood out. One day I opened one of them and it fell off 😂. I replaced it with a conventional up and down sliding window mainly because of the cost. A new casement window was almost 2 grand at the time where a regular window was $400.
I can still remember the sound and the curtains pulling in from the air when it switched on. Trying to remember where the switch was for it though. Can't picture it.
We had one that could pull bugs through the screens and slam doors. Before turning on the fan, all doors inside needed a good, heavy duty door stop to prevent this.
I've seen many homes with screened in porches. I think they're nice, never thought of sleeping out there but I can see how it would make sense back then to do so.
It's making a slight comeback but nowhere near what it used to be. The other difference is that they don't open at all and they should. Thank you for watching!
My sister in law's two story craftsman had transom windows over several of the room doors. Her home had 12 foot (3.65 meter) ceilings. Our ceilings are nine feet and that leaves no room for transom windows.
@@user-mv9tt4st9k The house we live in was built 3 years ago. It has 12 foot ceilings with transom windows over all the interior doors, but none of them open.
I think the witch's stairs are kinda cool. I've never seen them before. And as someone who works at a dry cleaners, I can attest that people just don't iron at home like they used to. We get a lot of customers that bring in items just to get them pressed.
We had a whole house fan, we called it the "central fan" growing up. I don't know how old the house was but my grandfather and my great uncle built it probably in the 50s-60s. That fan was the best thing EVER! I miss it so much, and I don't know anyone who ever had one. It would pull a breeze through our whole house, and it was great in the spring to let some fresh air in after a long cooped up winter. I would put one in a new home in a heartbeat.
I always thought those intercoms were cool and I loved playing with those. They definitely an old feature of the past. Thank you for watching and sharing what you grew up in!
Our modest vernacular style home was built in 1913. We are the seventh owners, and fifth family to live in it. It has been built out toward the back and has had many modifications, including the enclosing of what was either a patio or sleeping porch. When the former owner told us that a pass through from the kitchen to dining room had been enclosed for a "modern" (late 1950s) kitchen cabinet update, I was stunned. It is fun to go around and try to work out what our home might have looked like, and I am convinced that the original kitchen cabinetry had been installed in various locations (e.g., drawers in the enlarged pantry, which was likely once a semi-enclosed back porch). 😂
Sounds like you have a nice home! It would be neat to have old photos to be able to compare the differences in some of the changes that have been done. Thank you for watching and telling us about your home.
I always wanted that central vacuum thing, and an intercom system. The other thing I want, and I know it's not a big deal now, but since age five I've always wanted music throughout the house! Can't live without music! Thank you, Rhetty! I always look forward to your videos! Hope things are going good for you!
We used to have a neighbor that had one. I did some house cleaning for them for a short time. I didn't like it. I thought the long hose was cumbersome, especially in a 2 story house.
I do like those speakers that they are installing in the newer homes. You can hear it throughout or just in one room. You can hook just about anything up to them. Thank you for watching Jen0714!
Rhetty you just answered a question i have been wondering about for 40 years...that cabinet in my kitchen...now i know..lol...used to be an old time fridge..thanks
Awnings were and still are a protection from the sun and prevent heat buildup in the house. Homes used to have telephone niches in the wall. Phones were used for business and brief communication, not long conversations, so even a niches in the hall with no seating were made.
An old house feature not covered in the video that I believe would still be very useful are built in dressers and wardrobes. My grandparents house had them in the attic bedroom, and also the house my friends and I rented in college had one in the hallway. Great space savers and also saves you from having to buy an expensive piece of furniture!
One of my aunts used to have this beautiful old house in San Jose, CA that had a very sharp turning staircase in it. She saw an article in the paper about earlier years of the place, but didn't believe it was their house because it didn't have the coffin corner niche in it anymore! But my cousin went up the stairs and pointed out that there did used to be one there that had been sealed up! That stairway had very dangerous curves at the top where some of the steps are only about two inches wide to make the curve! I just about fell down them once! My dad told me those kinds of stairways can no longer be built in properties in California by code anymore, but could still exist in older places until they officially renovate them! One thing you show in a couple of the pictures are cupolas on houses! They can still be made these days, but are usually just for aesthetics!
That's interesting to hear about your aunts home and how they can't build those stairs like that anymore. It's too bad someone sealed up those coffin corners. I'm curious if the home is still standing? I sure hope so. Thank you for watching and sharing a little more with us jons.6216!
I need the shutters- i work overnights, and those would block the light nicely 😅 also, the attic fans work wonderfully. I lived in a house for a while that had one, and it was always extremely tolerable, if not completely comfortable, in the house during the summer. I'd still be a ~little~ warm, but not sweating excessively
The "summer kitchen" originally started as a prevention to house fires. It was easier to replace the building than house. And also unfortunately the slaves were not to be seen lots of time.
I love Victorian homes. Interesting video as always! Never heard of Witches stairs. You would definately need to be on your toes day or night for these. Im one of those that fights the drowsies until well into a stuper before heading upstairs. I liked the practicality of the the sash shutter. Having them on the interior rather than exterior. My first apartment, when I was still in Michigan. Currently living in Los Angeles. Where I had a speaking tube and hide away ironing board located in the kitchen next to eachother. The beginning of the tube was near the mail boxes. Love the channel, please keep the vidoes coming.
Thank you for watching and there will definitely be more on the way! I would hate to fall down those witches stairs. Those sash shutters are pretty cool and I would love to have them in my home.
You're welcome and thank you for watching Anita! I used to love using clothes lines and you're right about those not being around anymore. At least not in new homes.
Our brick ranch has a pocket door going down the basement stairs, a metal mail door built into the house for mail and you don’t have to go outside, a cutout in the wall between the kitchen and living room that was used for a landline phone and phone book, a laundry chute, and built in shelves in the kitchen, living room and one bedroom. The house is solidly built and I wouldn’t trade it for a blah gray modern home. Too boring. I love my 1950’s house.
My home has a summer kitchen, transom windows, a coal chute, radiators, built-out closets, original floor-mount tub taps, a sleeping porch, and a door between two bedrooms. It had a janky central vac when we bought it.
No mention of Dumbwaiters! Little elevators to put things like a hot meal to send upstairs from the Kitchen. Or root cellars to store food for the Winter.
Newer homes are awful. There's no charm. I absolutely detest the open floorplan that is common in new builds. I'd MUCH rather purchase an old home and upgrade the plumbing and electric for the same price as a NEW house. Actually, cheaper and my old house in Ventura still had it's "California Cooler", pop out ironing board, lazy butler and service porch! We loved it, but couldn't afford to buy it. I hope whomever did, kept these charming features! Thank you for another wonderful video. You're channel is always good for my soul! 😊
Thank you for watching Sandee and I'm glad you enjoyed this video. I am always amazed at the people that move in old homes and then open them up. They get rid of some of the unique character and charm.
We had a milk chute in the 50's era home I grew up in. It was a small passthru from the outside to the inside where a milk home delivery driver could drop off bottles that you could grab without having to go outside. I don't recall us ever using it for that purpose.
The floor passage in the kitchen or side room that allows access to the underhouse cold storage used back in the 1800s and early 1900s... My 1907 house had one many years ago,and one literally lifted a section upwards on hinges,walked down the stairs to under the house into a bricked up room that stays cool year round,even when it's 100f + outside,the in ground room stays below 70,or 60f... Attic storage areas with hanging rods,a staircase access,and dirty windows allowing murky views outside.. Ceiling fans on the fully screened sleeping porch... Real brick fireplaces with built in clean out grates,and outdoor chimney access doors to clean out the ashes dumped below the fireplace... The 100+ yr old kitchen sink with a still working hand pump for when the local water isn't drinkable or working.. Houses were built with much thicker,and heavier grained wood back then and withstand even the strongest of storms for hundreds of years,unlike the modern vinyl siding over fir framed stick houses today...
Thank you for watching and sharing some more features. Sounds like you really had a cool house Wil_Liam1! They definitely used to make houses pretty solid and much better. It all seems like cheaper materials now.
There were features like these in my grandparents' house, in my 1st apartment and in the 2nd house I bought in the town my daughter and I lived in while she was going to school, 2nd grade through 2nd year of college. I'm retired now and just bought a house in a beautiful, historic town in my area. The house was built in 1920 and has many of the features of all the other places I've lived in this one house! When I saw it, I knew I was home!!
My parents' old had an attic fan just like the one you showed. The house was built in the 1960s so no central AC. Until the early 90's where my mom insisted to my dad that we needed central AC! One thing I'll tell you is that the attic fan never seemed to cool the house down! Abd it was VERY noisy!
This is really interesting because here in Oklahoma where I live I've had kinfolk who had features like this in their homes as well as relatives that lived in Texas also but this was back in the 70's and 80's in the older houses but thanks for the memories of the past especially here in Oklahoma and over in Texas Thank You. 🇺🇲🏡🏘🏠🏡🇺🇲
In floor gas furnaces is another item not seen anymore. My grandmother had one, and when we would spend the night it was like a game to not step on it with our bare feet when it was running.
You're right about that feature Chris. I used to love those. They felt great standing over them in the dead of winter. Thanks for watching and mentioning that one.
I have a whole house fan. Sometimes I'll use it at night when the temperature drops significantly and the house is still very warm. It's not that effective compared with AC and takes a few hours to really cool the home. It does bring fresh air in though. You need to have the windows open during operation.
My house has 2 metal spinners(?) on the roof & a vent on the side of the roof. We cover them during the winter to keep the heat in. I don't see them around anymore. A gas heater in the bathroom wall. I still miss ours. 😢 I don't know if this counts but we had an old medicine cabinet with a slit at the bottom for razors. It was heavy! 😄
Those old medicine cabinets are pretty interesting. There may be a catch in the back but most of them did hit the ground below or in the bottom of the wall. Those turbine vents are still being sold but I really don't see anyone using them anymore. Thank you for watching and sharing a little more of what you have and have.
I owned a home in the SF Bay with a whole house fan. It's not uncommon for the East bay to get hot in the day and cool at night - turning on that whole house fan and opening windows would cool the home down in 5-10 minutes. Best feature that house had.
I moved to California and bought my first house. I installed a whole house fan. It helped cool the house, and reduced how much I had to run the air conditioning. They are nice features.
I haven't seen beds that fold into the wall in quite some time. Maybe they're still out there and I haven't seen them, but they used to be common when I was growing up
As we go to smaller apartments and homes, they(Murphy Beds are starting to make a comeback. The ones that come from the ceiling(Sorlien Beds) are also starting to come back into homes. Thank you for watching!
Lol I always think of The Happiness Hotel from The Muppet Movie where everyone's sitting on the bed & it suddenly springs back into the wall! Everyone's legs are sticking out & The lightbulb breaks! 😂
I myself was born in 1954, but have always considered myself as an "Old Soul." I loved everything Victorian since I was a child. Other features you failed to mention worth bringing back is kitchen call boxes or announciaters (I believe) and dumb waiters which were very useful. Also liked transit windows above the doors.
Great video as usual, I can't count the times I've wished my house had a central vacuum system. What a great idea that should be the rule and not the exception. Whole house, or attic fans, are another thing that should still be common. I had one in a house I rented years ago and you could partially open your windows on a hot day, turn on the attic fan and it would pull air through your house like you were standing in front of a normal fan. It was great for keeping you cool in the summer without running your AC and racking up big electricity bills.
Coal holes, milk doors, knob and tube wire mounts in the attic and I'm not sure if it counts but having a Den and living room separately where the family would relax in the den but the living room was generally for guests and the furniture had plastic over it unless you knew guests were coming, it was strictly used for guests.
Transoms. The rectangular window above doors inside and outside a house. They were closed by a lock and had a chain to hold them in place when cracked open. The house my mother grew up in was built in 1900 and she was the third generation to live there. When my grandfather did remodeling in the 70s he removed them and covered them up. Thanks for the video, enjoyed it. 🌞🏘️
You're welcome and thank you for watching Laura! It's great to hear your experience with the Transoms. Those really were great features to have. When you see them now they don't open.
I never heard of those witch's stairs or the Victorian sash shutters. Both seem really cool ideas. The oldest house we ever lived in was from 1949. From 1985 to 2023 we lived in a house built 1982. Well my parents added a small ranch house to the side of that house in 1988 (for my grandparents), and when they did, they had a central vacuum system and hide away ironing board installed during construction. I had never seen either feature before. I determined that the central vac system was more of a pain in the neck than it was worth. I found it much easier to use an upright vacuum, and take that from room to room, than to drag that ridiculous hose around the house, and knock things over in the process. Then it would have to be stowed in the bottom of the hall closet all over again when I was done. No thanks. I had enough after only using it a few times.
It really is amazing but when I have seen people with those central vacs they used upright vacuums instead for various reasons. Some said they didn't work as good as an upright and others said they were broken. A couple said it was more of a hassle. Thank you for watching and sharing some about the homes you lived in.
Thanks For The Great Content every Saturday!👍🏻🇺🇲
You're welcome and thank you for watching every Saturday! I'm glad to hear you are enjoying the content!
I'd take an older home over a new one any day..
They have such character and are built with real wood and made to last.
They were definitely nice homes. Thank you for watching laurab1089!
They should have kept the shutters, I don't know why they'd get rid of such a neat and efficient feature.
I agree Jessica! I hope someone brings those back. Thank you for watching!
Milk boxes outside the back door...
I suspect it's because they need thicker walls and more space between window tops and ceilings.
the reason they aren't around anymore is that the shutters make the walls under the windows uninsulated. in older homes in-wall insulation wasn't a big thing, they would never meet modern heating efficiency standards, you would literally have parts of exterior walls without any insulation.
In my childhood neighbourhood, most of the homes had a little “milk door” by the back door. A little door with a latch that the milkman could leave your items in. Inside the house was another little door you would open to get the items without having to go outside. I had been told these were built in homes in colder climates to keep your milk and cream from freezing? The sweet lady next door used to tell me to open the door whenever I walked by their home and she would leave me little treats like home made cookies, a chocolate, a candy, etc…. The majority of them have been boarded up or removed now.
Those milk doors are pretty neat and I really think they could be modified for package delivery now. Thank you for watching ms.t7614!
@@ms.t7614 We called them milk chutes. We had one in our house growing up, got locked out of the house once and sent one of the smaller neighborhood kids through it to unlock one of the doors to get back in the house.😂
Great video. The two things that first come to mind that you didn't mention are the older houses with pocket doors, and of course dumb waiters.
Those are definitely good ones to mention. I do have those and some more in the Mysterious Home Features video. There is a link at the end of this video if you are interested. Thank you for watching!
Laundry chutes are another, so you didn't have to carry laundry downstairs, especially when the laundry is in a basement. Garbage chutes were similar, but I think mostly in apartment buildings. The problem with both is something getting stuck between floors, and people adding to the problem because the can't see the clog until it piles up to their floor. Garbage clogs are especially odiferous, but clearing laundry clogs risks tearing the laundry items.
Laundry chutes! An old friend just sold her house in San Francisco that had a 3 story one. They don't make them any more because they're a fire hazard, but they make taking laundry to the basement very convenient
My grandfather slept on the sleeping porch all summer even after they got AC, he said I have been sleeping out here for 78 years so I ain’t stopping now
I can completely understand him saying that. Thank you for watching and sharing a memory with us!
Those stairs in the beginning of the video.... Imagine you are coming home drunk and just need to go to bed - upstairs.
Good luck 😂
Yeah, there is no chance that is happening and if you do you will need some stitches. Thank you for watching Thauma!
Imagine if they moved like an old stairmaster when you stepped on them....even more challenging!
That would be weird Roger!
The drunk would need to sleep on the couch next to the witch.
Speaking of speaking tubes, we had intercoms in our house when we were kids that also were used for radio listening …those sure were the good old days!
My parents still have their radio/intercom boxes in their house! I don’t think they work anymore, but they’re still there!
I loved playing with those intercom systems. They seemed so futuristic to me as a kid. Thank you for watching Paul!
@@paul8926 Me too! We thought we were supposed high tech 🤣
My father-in-law installed a whole house fan, and I’m grateful for it every summer. I open the door to the basement, turn on the fan, and it draws all that cool air from the basement through the entire house. It really cuts down the number of days we need to rely on AC.
Yes they do work! My father installed one in Miami and it helped - although Miami stayed muggy all Summer so it was somewhat limited.
Later though, living in a two-story house in CA, I installed one upstairs in the hallway facing upwards - and it worked great because CA cools down faster at dusk and has lower humidity. Cooled house for almost no cost!
get the fan so you can reverse it and push the hot air down lower in winter to reduce heating costs as well.
the summer fan winter heat switch often found on 1970s, 1980s houses provided this.
We had a whole house fan. They work great!
i love that sleep porch would love to have one of them in my home now
They really are a great addition to have. Thank you for watching Mike!
I'll take an older home anytime!! Those stairs are definitely different. I had actually never heard of some of these. Enjoyed this my friend 😊
Thank you for watching leesashriber5097 and I'm happy to hear you enjoyed this one!
I love the idea of a sleeping porch!
They really are a great idea! Thank you for watching mb6019!
They were a great idea before crime became so bad. Maybe okay if you live in a very low crime area. When I was a kid in the 50s/60s we could sleep with all the windows open. Put one window fan in the house blowing the air out of the window and it created a breeze all through the house.
@@Dadsezso Exactly! I live in a pretty safe area but someone climbed on my terrace just the other night. Thankfully we had all the windows shut. Such a shame what the world has turned into.
@@mb6019 Agreed. I lived in Japan for 3 years. Safest place I've ever been. You could sleep with windows open. I would never have to lock my car. Once I was parked at the curb in the city and forgot my wallet that was lying on the passenger seat. Did some shopping, went to pay, and realized my wallet was in the car. Went back to get it and it was still there in the unlocked car. Too bad the US isn't like that.
@@mb6019 my great aunt's house had a sleeping porch. She used to watch my sister and I when we were very young. It was in a town that is now considered one of the most crime ridden in the Midwest. But in those days, it was a great family town and both sides of my family were raised there.
Newer homes are rather hideous, and age poorly. Craftsman homes were meant to last several lifetimes, as were Victorians and Colonials. Update the heating and air, and you have a home that isn’t going to go out of style, and will continue to be efficient.
You said it! I used to judge new construction and it's and endless sea of grey houses, grey tile, grey walls, grey carpet and they all look exactly the same. BARF!!! I was so depressed by the end of a day of judging.
@@aariley2 they have been judged…and found wanting 😁
I work in the construction industry, and help build these newer homes. They may have a lot of square footage, but they are ugly. No soul no character. Nothing beats those old homes. They were built to last for generations. These new houses are built to increase profits.
The reason many people have a bias for older homes is that the ones that remain are well constructed, but bear in mind that at the time of their construction, building codes were much less stringent In practice, this means that most of the duds have already been replaced Which is why an older home might be desirable today.
As far as the repetitiveness and an inspiring design go, this is simple economics. Most new homes are built as part of a planned development rather than a single individual building something to suit their personal needs. This means standardization.
@@M167A1the simple economics is greed. I work on homes that range from $300,000 - $3 million. So many of the products that are used are cheap imports, or not "real". Most people don't use real hardwood floors. A lot of the "wood" for shelves/cabinets or "stone" for the mantle is some sort of composite or veneer.
Usually it's the homes that are over $1 million that have better quality products. And that is a sad commentary on our society and economy.
Man, those witches stairs are crazy looking!
Yes they are. Thank you for watching Scooby!
My wife and I bought our first home in 2021. It has an attic fan. It works so well.
Thank you for watching and sharing what you have darnellleake405!
My grandparents had a sleeping porch, my great grandmother had a Butler's pantry! Both were very handy.
Both houses are still standing and in use today.☺️
That's great to hear they are still standing. Thank you for watching and telling us about them.
Picture rails, most people who have always lived in modern homes don't know what they are. They are usually located about a foot down from the ceiling. No nails just picture rail hooks and ribbons or rope. I love mine.
Another one is plate rails, found in dining rooms.
Picture rails are something that they should still include in all home builds. Those were essential in the plaster walls. Thank you for watching delnita2064!
My old house had picture frame rail/moldings---didn't use them that way. Stripped the paint and refinished them. They looked great. Also, some rooms had chair rail/moldings---more surprised that these aren't still used more. Too many different height chairs I guess.
The butlers pantry is my favorite feature in older homes. A kitchen becomes a much smaller and more efficient work space when you have separate storage for items you don't actually use while cooking.
Thank you for watching and sharing your favorite feature!
A friend I had in school lived in a house with a dumb waiter. That was cool.
One of ours had built a pretty good sized laundry chute in the bathroom and several cubbies, cabinets, and shelves built into it.
I've always loved both of those features. Thank you for watching and sharing what you had.
If I was planning to build a house, quite a few of these would be implemented.
That would be really cool! Thank you for watching needfoolthings!
I actually lived in a house with a pull down ironing board. I thought it would be cute to make it a sort of breakfast bar/table area. Grandma had the "summer kitchen" but we called it the well house. And weren't the sleeping porches used for tuberculosis way back in the day? Awesome upload !!!❤
Oh, that is a good idea Tammie! Sounds like it was a multi purpose board. Thank you for watching and sharing your memories with us!
One feature some older homes had was a button on the floor in the dining room connected to a buzzer or bell in the kitchen to let the household help know it was time to come in and serve another course or clear the table.
You're right about that. It can still be found in some of those older homes. Thank you for watching ttop64!
Very fascinating! Never saw those wacky stairs before!
They are definitely wacky! Thank you for watching Brenda!
Rhett, I enjoyed this video about home features that have disappeared. I grew up in a house that was built in 1906 and we had radiators for our heating. If we were out of the house and came in from a cold day and turned on the heat we would have to wait for the radiators to heat up the house and it seemed like we would wait for hours, period! Have a fantastic weekend. Take care 🐎
Those radiators work unbelievable good! I almost put that in the video. Thank you for watching and sharing what you had Brenda!
I can remember a lot of those features in my aunt’s old 1800’s house when I was a kid. There was also a narrow staircase in the kitchen that only went up to the maids quarters.
Hi Jodie! 👋😁🇦🇺
Very interesting Paul! Sounds like she had a really cool house. Thank you for watching!
Hi Paul 👋😁🇺🇸
I like the old windows that had a hand-crank for opening them, where they then opened up the same way old windows shutters used to. I'd love to have an old house that still has them.
Those really are a great feature to have. Thank you for watching 3Storms!
Casement windows. My current house actually had them in the kitchen when we moved in despite being a modern house built in the 1990's. I liked them but the problem was they don't seal as well as a conventional window and moisture got in the framework and rotted the wood out. One day I opened one of them and it fell off 😂. I replaced it with a conventional up and down sliding window mainly because of the cost. A new casement window was almost 2 grand at the time where a regular window was $400.
U always come up with the most interesting 🤔 things to learn about... thanks 👍
You're welcome and thank you for watching Philip!
Whole house fans work surprisingly well!
Yes, and not just to suck hot air out of the house, but to clear it from the attic as well, reducing heat transfer downwards.
I can still remember the sound and the curtains pulling in from the air when it switched on. Trying to remember where the switch was for it though. Can't picture it.
@@Mama4d8 Mine has the switch right underneath it on the wall.
Yes they do! Thank you for watching Brian!
We had one that could pull bugs through the screens and slam doors. Before turning on the fan, all doors inside needed a good, heavy duty door stop to prevent this.
I've seen many homes with screened in porches. I think they're nice, never thought of sleeping out there but I can see how it would make sense back then to do so.
Thank you for watching Jessica. Thankfully we now have a better choice on where to sleep.
The "Transom window" over the doorway for air circulation in not seen to often in new homes nowadays...
It's making a slight comeback but nowhere near what it used to be. The other difference is that they don't open at all and they should. Thank you for watching!
Most didn't open. They were to provide lighting in rooms without an outer wall and window.
They require taller ceilings or shorter doors.
My sister in law's two story craftsman had transom windows over several of the room doors. Her home had 12 foot (3.65 meter) ceilings. Our ceilings are nine feet and that leaves no room for transom windows.
@@user-mv9tt4st9k The house we live in was built 3 years ago. It has 12 foot ceilings with transom windows over all the interior doors, but none of them open.
Things change but it’s fun to see these old features. Thanks Rhetty 😊🏠
You're welcome and thank you for watching Rosita!
I think the witch's stairs are kinda cool. I've never seen them before.
And as someone who works at a dry cleaners, I can attest that people just don't iron at home like they used to. We get a lot of customers that bring in items just to get them pressed.
That's very interesting Shannon. Thank you for watching and giving us a little insight on that.
We have a whole house fan. Our home was built in the 1940s. It’s loud but it does the trick
Thank you for watching and sharing what you have Joanne!
We had a whole house fan, we called it the "central fan" growing up. I don't know how old the house was but my grandfather and my great uncle built it probably in the 50s-60s. That fan was the best thing EVER! I miss it so much, and I don't know anyone who ever had one. It would pull a breeze through our whole house, and it was great in the spring to let some fresh air in after a long cooped up winter. I would put one in a new home in a heartbeat.
Thank you for watching and telling us about your central fan in your home.
@@RhettyforHistoryyou bet. I was so excited to that that in your video. It was like a precious gem for us. ❤
The house I grew up in was 60’s mod so it didn’t have any of these features. It did have an intercom system but those talk tubes seemed more fun!
I always thought those intercoms were cool and I loved playing with those. They definitely an old feature of the past. Thank you for watching and sharing what you grew up in!
Never even heard of witch's stairs. Very neat.
I will gobble up anything Victorian and Edwardian so this was right up my alley thank you
Love the sleeping porch ❤ thanks Rhetty for the great video.
You're welcome and thank you for watching Monika! Those sleeping porches are still nice to have.
I love these videos! I lived in a couple of houses w/some of these features, and one even had a coal shute.
Thank you for watching and telling us a little about what you had!
Fun video. Brought back a few memories.
Thank you for watching Betty and I happy to hear you enjoyed the video.
I would enjoy those outdoor sleeping rooms. Especially when it's raining outside 😴💤
That would definitely be relaxing. Thank you for watching!
Hello from Simon in Australia, Thanks for the video, love it ❤
I'm glad to hear you enjoyed the video and I appreciate you watching from Australia!
It's good to hear from other countries, thank you.👍🏻
@@ZMAN_420 - You're welcome
Good Morning Rhett 🙋🏽. Thank You for inviting me to watch your video ‼️ Enjoy your Weekend ‼️👊🏽👍🏽💯.
Hello Carole! Thank you for watching and I hope you have a great weekend too!
Our modest vernacular style home was built in 1913. We are the seventh owners, and fifth family to live in it. It has been built out toward the back and has had many modifications, including the enclosing of what was either a patio or sleeping porch. When the former owner told us that a pass through from the kitchen to dining room had been enclosed for a "modern" (late 1950s) kitchen cabinet update, I was stunned.
It is fun to go around and try to work out what our home might have looked like, and I am convinced that the original kitchen cabinetry had been installed in various locations (e.g., drawers in the enlarged pantry, which was likely once a semi-enclosed back porch). 😂
Sounds like you have a nice home! It would be neat to have old photos to be able to compare the differences in some of the changes that have been done. Thank you for watching and telling us about your home.
I have the same issue with mine. You can see where the pass through wasas the space is a different texture than the rest of the wall
I always wanted that central vacuum thing, and an intercom system. The other thing I want, and I know it's not a big deal now, but since age five I've always wanted music throughout the house! Can't live without music! Thank you, Rhetty! I always look forward to your videos! Hope things are going good for you!
We used to have a neighbor that had one. I did some house cleaning for them for a short time. I didn't like it. I thought the long hose was cumbersome, especially in a 2 story house.
I do like those speakers that they are installing in the newer homes. You can hear it throughout or just in one room. You can hook just about anything up to them. Thank you for watching Jen0714!
Rhetty you just answered a question i have been wondering about for 40 years...that cabinet in my kitchen...now i know..lol...used to be an old time fridge..thanks
Oh nice Lisa! You might still be able to use it if you want. Thank you for watching!
@@RhettyforHistory no..someone modernized it to a cupboard..but most of it there..but it looked so funny..now I know! Thanks again
Awnings were and still are a protection from the sun and prevent heat buildup in the house. Homes used to have telephone niches in the wall. Phones were used for business and brief communication, not long conversations, so even a niches in the hall with no seating were made.
4:25 My dad put one of these in our 2 story house in the 70's .I remember being bad and tossing crap in it and then getting yelled at a week later.
Thank you for watching and sharing what your family had Shat_Tastic!
An old house feature not covered in the video that I believe would still be very useful are built in dressers and wardrobes. My grandparents house had them in the attic bedroom, and also the house my friends and I rented in college had one in the hallway. Great space savers and also saves you from having to buy an expensive piece of furniture!
We have a newer house (15 years old) and we put in a central vac. Smartest purchase ever!
Very interesting that you had one put in. Thank you for watching and sharing what you have girlgamergear3260!
Thanks for sharing Rhetty.
You're welcome and thank you for watching Ron!
One of my aunts used to have this beautiful old house in San Jose, CA that had a very sharp turning staircase in it. She saw an article in the paper about earlier years of the place, but didn't believe it was their house because it didn't have the coffin corner niche in it anymore! But my cousin went up the stairs and pointed out that there did used to be one there that had been sealed up! That stairway had very dangerous curves at the top where some of the steps are only about two inches wide to make the curve! I just about fell down them once! My dad told me those kinds of stairways can no longer be built in properties in California by code anymore, but could still exist in older places until they officially renovate them! One thing you show in a couple of the pictures are cupolas on houses! They can still be made these days, but are usually just for aesthetics!
That's interesting to hear about your aunts home and how they can't build those stairs like that anymore. It's too bad someone sealed up those coffin corners. I'm curious if the home is still standing? I sure hope so. Thank you for watching and sharing a little more with us jons.6216!
I looked at a 1917 model home that had both a speaking tube (from front door to owner's bedroom) and a sleeping porch.
That's pretty cool Jay. Thank you for watching!
I need the shutters- i work overnights, and those would block the light nicely 😅 also, the attic fans work wonderfully. I lived in a house for a while that had one, and it was always extremely tolerable, if not completely comfortable, in the house during the summer. I'd still be a ~little~ warm, but not sweating excessively
You do need those shutters if you work overnights. That would be a sleep changer. Thank you for watching!
The "summer kitchen" originally started as a prevention to house fires. It was easier to replace the building than house. And also unfortunately the slaves were not to be seen lots of time.
That is definitely a benefit for the summer kitchen. Less house fires. Thank you for watching sheneiaparks4745!
I love Victorian homes. Interesting video as always! Never heard of Witches stairs. You would definately need to be on your toes day or night for these. Im one of those that fights the drowsies until well into a stuper before heading upstairs. I liked the practicality of the the sash shutter. Having them on the interior rather than exterior. My first apartment, when I was still in Michigan. Currently living in Los Angeles. Where I had a speaking tube and hide away ironing board located in the kitchen next to eachother. The beginning of the tube was near the mail boxes. Love the channel, please keep the vidoes coming.
Thank you for watching and there will definitely be more on the way! I would hate to fall down those witches stairs. Those sash shutters are pretty cool and I would love to have them in my home.
Those stairs were weird. Only thing that I can remember that isn’t around anymore are clothes lines. Thanks Rhetty for the video
You're welcome and thank you for watching Anita! I used to love using clothes lines and you're right about those not being around anymore. At least not in new homes.
I just dried my laundry on the clothesline today. My grandpa bought the house in the 1960s so one end slopes a little but It's still good.
Our brick ranch has a pocket door going down the basement stairs, a metal mail door built into the house for mail and you don’t have to go outside, a cutout in the wall between the kitchen and living room that was used for a landline phone and phone book, a laundry chute, and built in shelves in the kitchen, living room and one bedroom. The house is solidly built and I wouldn’t trade it for a blah gray modern home. Too boring. I love my 1950’s house.
Thank you for watching and telling us a little about your house. There are a lot of old features that I feel should still be around.
I enjoyed this very interesting thank you
Thank you for watching grangrampa832 and I'm happy to know you enjoyed the video!
My home has a summer kitchen, transom windows, a coal chute, radiators, built-out closets, original floor-mount tub taps, a sleeping porch, and a door between two bedrooms. It had a janky central vac when we bought it.
Thank you for watching and sharing what you have in your home! Sounds like you have a nice one. Thank you for watching Tyler!
I miss the whole house fan. The house I grew up in had one and so did my grandmothers home. We didn't have AC for the first 4 years we lived there.
No mention of Dumbwaiters! Little elevators to put things like a hot meal to send upstairs from the Kitchen.
Or root cellars to store food for the Winter.
Newer homes are awful. There's no charm. I absolutely detest the open floorplan that is common in new builds. I'd MUCH rather purchase an old home and upgrade the plumbing and electric for the same price as a NEW house. Actually, cheaper and my old house in Ventura still had it's
"California Cooler", pop out ironing board, lazy butler and service porch! We loved it, but couldn't afford to buy it. I hope whomever did, kept these charming features! Thank you for another wonderful video. You're channel is always good for my soul! 😊
Thank you for watching Sandee and I'm glad you enjoyed this video. I am always amazed at the people that move in old homes and then open them up. They get rid of some of the unique character and charm.
My parents have a central vacuum system. I’ve seen a LOT of these type videos and even I hadn’t seen some of these !! THANK YOU.
You're welcome and thank you for watching Ilovevintage77! That's neat that your parents have the central vacuum!
We had a milk chute in the 50's era home I grew up in. It was a small passthru from the outside to the inside where a milk home delivery driver could drop off bottles that you could grab without having to go outside. I don't recall us ever using it for that purpose.
Those were cool to have and I think they could be repurposed to use as package drop off areas. Thank you for watching jimsteele9261!
The floor passage in the kitchen or side room that allows access to the underhouse cold storage used back in the 1800s and early 1900s... My 1907 house had one many years ago,and one literally lifted a section upwards on hinges,walked down the stairs to under the house into a bricked up room that stays cool year round,even when it's 100f + outside,the in ground room stays below 70,or 60f...
Attic storage areas with hanging rods,a staircase access,and dirty windows allowing murky views outside..
Ceiling fans on the fully screened sleeping porch...
Real brick fireplaces with built in clean out grates,and outdoor chimney access doors to clean out the ashes dumped below the fireplace...
The 100+ yr old kitchen sink with a still working hand pump for when the local water isn't drinkable or working..
Houses were built with much thicker,and heavier grained wood back then and withstand even the strongest of storms for hundreds of years,unlike the modern vinyl siding over fir framed stick houses today...
Thank you for watching and sharing some more features. Sounds like you really had a cool house Wil_Liam1! They definitely used to make houses pretty solid and much better. It all seems like cheaper materials now.
There were features like these in my grandparents' house, in my 1st apartment and in the 2nd house I bought in the town my daughter and I lived in while she was going to school, 2nd grade through 2nd year of college. I'm retired now and just bought a house in a beautiful, historic town in my area. The house was built in 1920 and has many of the features of all the other places I've lived in this one house! When I saw it, I knew I was home!!
Thank you for watching and telling us a little of what you and your family have had. It sounds like you have a nice house!
Very interesting Rhett. Never seen anything like that in the UK 🇬🇧 or South Africa 🇿🇦. You all take care. ❤
Thank you for watching Yvonne! I hope you have a great weekend!
The central vacuum looks like a good idea.
Some like and some don't. Thank you for watching crazyviking24!
My parents' old had an attic fan just like the one you showed. The house was built in the 1960s so no central AC. Until the early 90's where my mom insisted to my dad that we needed central AC! One thing I'll tell you is that the attic fan never seemed to cool the house down! Abd it was VERY noisy!
Thank you for watching and sharing your experience with attic fans. I can definitely see why your mom pushed for the AC!
This is really interesting because here in Oklahoma where I live
I've had kinfolk who had features like this in their homes as well
as relatives that lived in Texas also but this was back in the 70's
and 80's in the older houses but thanks for the memories of the
past especially here in Oklahoma and over in Texas Thank You.
🇺🇲🏡🏘🏠🏡🇺🇲
You're welcome Roger and I appreciate you watching!
In floor gas furnaces is another item not seen anymore. My grandmother had one, and when we would spend the night it was like a game to not step on it with our bare feet when it was running.
You're right about that feature Chris. I used to love those. They felt great standing over them in the dead of winter. Thanks for watching and mentioning that one.
The Mike man delivery door. Could have a modern use. Store packages delivered securely.
Holy cow how times have changed! But I'm glad to be living with air conditioning, & refrigerators! Thanks, Rhetty, another classic "Down Memory Lane!"
Yeah I love my cold items and air conditioning too. Thank you for watching my friend!
I have 3 pocket doors and a laundry chute in my state of the art 1954 ranch style house. A few houses in my neighborhood have carriage steps.
Thank you for watching and sharing what you have jilledmondson6894!
Great video. Thank you
You're welcome and thank you for watching goodguy4342!
I have a whole house fan. Sometimes I'll use it at night when the temperature drops significantly and the house is still very warm. It's not that effective compared with AC and takes a few hours to really cool the home. It does bring fresh air in though. You need to have the windows open during operation.
Thank you for watching WinterInTheForest! It's great to hear what you had and your experience with it.
Love this topic!
Thank you for watching and I'm happy to know you enjoyed the video!
Queensland has those sleeping porches as it's tropical up there & very sticky...it's freezing down here in the south during winter (now) 😊
What do the temperatures get to in the winter where you are?
@@RhettyforHistory- well in Adelaide down to 5 degrees Celsius
@@DUMPSTERDIVINGADELAIDE Thats not even cold lol
@@lucky43113 - it's a different kind of cold in Adelaide, we are near the desert, everyone is staying home, come feel it yourself
@@DUMPSTERDIVINGADELAIDE 5c is 41f . Im used to single digits or below.
Yay top 711 and top 161 likes and comments. Love this channel. Thanks for making this video.
You're welcome and thank you for watching cziegle3794!
My house has 2 metal spinners(?) on the roof & a vent on the side of the roof. We cover them during the winter to keep the heat in. I don't see them around anymore.
A gas heater in the bathroom wall. I still miss ours. 😢
I don't know if this counts but we had an old medicine cabinet with a slit at the bottom for razors. It was heavy! 😄
Those old medicine cabinets are pretty interesting. There may be a catch in the back but most of them did hit the ground below or in the bottom of the wall. Those turbine vents are still being sold but I really don't see anyone using them anymore. Thank you for watching and sharing a little more of what you have and have.
super interesting !!!
Thank you for watching and I'm happy to hear you enjoyed this one kleokleopatra3536!
Sounds like something a witch would say. We need these stairs in every home!
Haha! Thank you for watching DukeCannon!
I wish we still had those window sashes and central vacs.
Good thing is you can still get the central vacuums. Thank you for watching GenRN!
I owned a home in the SF Bay with a whole house fan. It's not uncommon for the East bay to get hot in the day and cool at night - turning on that whole house fan and opening windows would cool the home down in 5-10 minutes. Best feature that house had.
Thank you for watching and sharing your experience with them Carlos!
I moved to California and bought my first house. I installed a whole house fan. It helped cool the house, and reduced how much I had to run the air conditioning. They are nice features.
Your videos are one of the highlights of the weekend, along with relaxation and grocery shopping.
I typed it in your voice 😂
Haha! Thank you for watching and making mea part of your weekends!
So cool !! I love the speaking tubes 👍 thanks Rhett !!
You're welcome and thank you for watching Lisa!
A friend in NH had those stairs! They were pretty cool, but I wondered how she got her furniture up into the room.
I'm curious on the same thing. It seems like it would be difficult to do. Thank you for watching Nicki
I haven't seen beds that fold into the wall in quite some time. Maybe they're still out there and I haven't seen them, but they used to be common when I was growing up
As we go to smaller apartments and homes, they(Murphy Beds are starting to make a comeback. The ones that come from the ceiling(Sorlien Beds) are also starting to come back into homes. Thank you for watching!
Lol I always think of The Happiness Hotel from The Muppet Movie where everyone's sitting on the bed & it suddenly springs back into the wall! Everyone's legs are sticking out & The lightbulb breaks! 😂
Cool features, my parents house has an intercom system, that's as close as I get to any of these
I loved playing around with those old intercoms. Thank you for watching my friend!
I myself was born in 1954, but have always considered myself as an "Old Soul." I loved everything Victorian since I was a child. Other features you failed to mention worth bringing back is kitchen call boxes or announciaters (I believe) and dumb waiters which were very useful. Also liked transit windows above the doors.
I do have those in a previous video. The call boxes are the intercoms? Or is that something different? Thank you for watching Shawn!
Those witch stairs look like a deathtrap. Hahaha
I completely agree! Imagine moving furniture up and down them. Thank you for watching wiggycarter!
@@RhettyforHistory moving was the first thing I thought of when I saw them.
Great video as usual, I can't count the times I've wished my house had a central vacuum system. What a great idea that should be the rule and not the exception.
Whole house, or attic fans, are another thing that should still be common. I had one in a house I rented years ago and you could partially open your windows on a hot day, turn on the attic fan and it would pull air through your house like you were standing in front of a normal fan. It was great for keeping you cool in the summer without running your AC and racking up big electricity bills.
Central vacs are still amazing!
Thank you for watching China-Clay!
Coal holes, milk doors, knob and tube wire mounts in the attic and I'm not sure if it counts but having a Den and living room separately where the family would relax in the den but the living room was generally for guests and the furniture had plastic over it unless you knew guests were coming, it was strictly used for guests.
That definitely counts. A lot has changed over the years. Thank you for watching AnotherWun!
Transoms. The rectangular window above doors inside and outside a house. They were closed by a lock and had a chain to hold them in place when cracked open. The house my mother grew up in was built in 1900 and she was the third generation to live there. When my grandfather did remodeling in the 70s he removed them and covered them up. Thanks for the video, enjoyed it. 🌞🏘️
You're welcome and thank you for watching Laura! It's great to hear your experience with the Transoms. Those really were great features to have. When you see them now they don't open.
@@RhettyforHistory You're welcome. Don't understand why people don't use them anymore. Oh well 🤷
I love this subject ❤. I would love to have most of these👍💙🏴
They really would be nice to have. Great back ups on some and others would just be fun!
@@RhettyforHistoryYou at least made sense of a few "cubby holes" I have seen in a few homes! Thanks!
I learned a lot by watching this video. Thanks a lot rhett!
This was a fun and educational watch! I wasn't familiar with the majority of these features. Great vid!
Thank you for watching and I happy to hear you enjoyed the video flyingtypetrainer4072!
plumber here...just installed a central vac system last month...they are not common at all anymore.
Very interesting. Thanks for watching and giving us a little more background on the current installations or it.
My first condo built 1979 had one. pretty cool!
I never heard of those witch's stairs or the Victorian sash shutters. Both seem really cool ideas. The oldest house we ever lived in was from 1949. From 1985 to 2023 we lived in a house built 1982. Well my parents added a small ranch house to the side of that house in 1988 (for my grandparents), and when they did, they had a central vacuum system and hide away ironing board installed during construction. I had never seen either feature before. I determined that the central vac system was more of a pain in the neck than it was worth. I found it much easier to use an upright vacuum, and take that from room to room, than to drag that ridiculous hose around the house, and knock things over in the process. Then it would have to be stowed in the bottom of the hall closet all over again when I was done. No thanks. I had enough after only using it a few times.
It really is amazing but when I have seen people with those central vacs they used upright vacuums instead for various reasons. Some said they didn't work as good as an upright and others said they were broken. A couple said it was more of a hassle. Thank you for watching and sharing some about the homes you lived in.