That secret room in the basement is an old cistern. The pipe you saw high in the wall was where the eavestrough dump rain water in. That's why It is so heavily built and has no door. Looks like someone punched a hole in the concrete to make a cold storage out of it. Once the town got a water supply the cisterns were no longer used. Lots of root vegetable cellars like this on the prairies.
I GUESSED that it was a water cistern, my parents and us kids moved in 1953 to a house built in 1912, the cistern was under the kitchen, there was a trap door in the kitchen floor that that opened into the cistern.
Correct. Some are still in use in my area as only shallow wells and no city water. There would have been the water inlet as well as an overflow. Some used a manual lever on the gutters to switch over to dumping the rain outside if the cistern was full, the "fancy" ones used a float that moved the lever.
Very much appreciate that you have changed the title to “Potter’s House”. The fact that there was a hoard in her home does not define her. She was so much more than that. An artist, a mother, a community member. Thank you for allowing us to get to know this incredible woman.
i kinda wish he mentioned who the artist was, i would've liked to see their other work, but respect to the dude for following the families wishes and not disclosing her name.
The plywood you found under the old carpet may be just a thin layer (1/4"-1/2") installed to make carpet installation easier. At 100 years old, there's a chance that that old house has wide plank flooring, rather than the 1"X3" hardwood that is in more common use these days. My house is 140 years old, and that's exactly what we found here!! If you can find a spot where you can cut a patch out of the plywood (carefully, so that it can be replaced if necessary) you may find a pleasant surprise beneath the plywood! If not, just put the patch back and install a new floor covering.
@@CuriosityIncorporated Definitely check! Also, people with emotional stability issues sometimes hoard money (as you found), so you may find $100 bills under the underlayment. Hope you do!
@@CuriosityIncorporated I agree with Norm as its the fist floor above an unfinished basement you might try looking from below at the condition of the original floors. wholes for old sink locations, original wood or coal stove locations will be strengthened and the planking will all be seeable from below.
@@CuriosityIncorporated Check for sure, we pulled carpet out of a house we renovated too and were bummed to find plywood, but it had gorgeous hardwoods under it.
IKR? This series has made me get super funny about organising my flat. Donating stuff to charity, and buying a few nice looking paintings and stuff. My flat is looking much better, little by little:)
Its what I would call an American Four Square, which was a very common house plan in the late Victorian era. I don't know what you'd call it in Canada. The front rooms would have been a living room and dining room. It was not uncommon to have pocket doors between them, as the dining room would be used by the men for drinking and smoking after dinner, while the ladies would retire to the parlor and close the door. The width of the doorway when you stand in front of it makes me think it probably did have pocket doors. They may be still in the wall behind the modern trim, or they may be in the basement. They tended to stick as the house settled, and to stop being used. It probably didn't have two kitchens, but a kitchen and a pantry. The hardwood may be under that plywood. Its worth checking. Also, those floors look more like pine than hardwood to me, and that was more common in that period. They may have put down plywood to make a smoother surface for the shag carpet. Cracks like that aren't real uncommon in lathe and plaster walls. The house I grew up in as a kid had those, and it was in good condition, no overloaded and had never been unoccupied. One good snow can put way more than nine tons on a house, and most older houses were way overbuilt to a modern house. There may be a concrete patch somewhere in that coal cellar where they closed it in when they got a gas furnace. We did that in our house, which was built in 1900. The coal cellar was in use in our house until six months before we bought it. The contractor that we bought it from had installed an oil burner, but the coal cellar hadn't been closed up, so we paid someone to brick it closed. Ours originally had glass windows that opened to admit the coal dealer's wooden chute to fill the cellar. That meant you had natural light in that coal cellar to see to shovel the coal. Since it seems these folks saved everything, you may even find those windows in the coal cellar. I can't see the orientation of this basement, but coal cellars were typically on the front of the house, and often under the front porch or maybe on a driveway side of the house. A horse and wagon and later a truck had to be able to back right up to it and dump into it via that wooden chute. A coal furnace is pretty much what there was at the turn of the century. Oil and gas came later. The early gas was something called "town gas" which was meant for lighting, not heating, and as far as I know, there weren't gas furnaces that burned town gas. So if that house has original heat ducts for a furnace, it had a coal furnace and that coal had to be stored somewhere. If it didn't have a coal furnace, it likely had a stove in every room, and there would be a capped chimney in every room. Even then, you would likely have had a coal cellar, because there would have had to have been coal to feed the stoves. Also, in a house of that age, there is likely a chimney in whatever room was the original kitchen, as they would likely have cooked on a coal range. Our house did. I don't know what the date of that house is, but it looks to be 1895-1915ish to me. That was kind of the range of the American Four Square, and the window trim looks to be that era as well. In that coal cellar, I saw what was almost certainly the original front door, if you wanted to put it back to original. It looks like the original banister is there too, if you wanted to get rid of that fifties wrought iron. It looks like the wood shop contains some of the original kitchen too. The thickness of the nosing on that top basement step would make me think that the original hardwood is under that plywood. The box of onion skins might have been saved for dying. You can dye fabric a lovely yellow with those. I had a beaded bracelet very similar to that belt.
Amazing details Thanks for sharing. I love old homes and by your description I can surely envision how homes were designed to fit the needs before modern times.
Beth Stokes Is he referring to their name, is it Potter? Or is he calling it that because she was a pottery maker? Because I know at one point he said he didn't want to reveal her name. Sorry if that was a dumb question just trying to make sure.
its an artist house :) ... and I might be crazy, but I feel the house must feel happy, and all those objects hidden away hoping to be useful and found (Ive been watching too much Disney lately hahah ..well actually I imagine it more like Howls Moving Castle )
Plus, it's so much more compassionate to refer to it as The Potter's house. For her to have become a hoarder, I imagine it was borne from trauma at some point in her life and the impression I get is she is/was a kind-hearted soul.
Still heading into hoarder territory IMO. It's one thing to have lots of stuff, it's when what is objectively trash is kept that it starts to be a problem and it really counts when it can have an effect on health and quality of life, which this clearly strays into (though she apparently is 103 so...). Creative people are probably more at risk because it's possible to envision a future use for nearly anything. With that said, there are worse things than being a hoarder. Unless you've been trapped under a pile of junk for three days while a cat eats your face, perhaps.
@@chaos.corner Of course the lady was a hoarder, but she was also an artist. This is about choosing which aspect of her we remember her by. I think it's more respectful to remember her as an artist. :)
Well she obviously *was* a hoarder and possibly proud of it since she had so many great things so who are YOU to say that being a hoarder is negative?!?!
Yes those are soooo personal and irreplaceable. Make a some copies of her for his authenticity of the art and record of sh was and is but for sure give them back!
You should check the stairs. I know several old houses that have hinged stair treads. People would use them as vaults to keep their valuables. Sometimes the tread pulls forward a bit, then can be removed.
Our house does, it has one at the bottom of our staircase the landing lifts up with a hinged door, we didnt find it until we removed the 3 layers of carpet on our staircase. We found old embalming fluid bottles, newspaper and butter flavor packages. We donated them to our museum. It's my husband's favorite hidy hole now.
Don’t be hasty! That old Fridgedaire has great lines, the styling is collectible. The way it is iced up, it looks like it is still working. I have a 1949 coke machine with the original compressor that works great. Appliances were built to last back then. People will buy an old fridge like that to keep as a chiller for beverages. Also movie/television production types look for these period appliances for era authentic set pieces. They are fairly rare now.
T B I was gonna say the same thing. I have a 1941 GE imperial fridge that I use everyday and still hasn’t been serviced. I also use my 1955 Westinghouse dryer quite often. He should post about the appliances on the automatic washer forum. I’m sure he’d get buyers for each of them.
The old appliances are EXTREMELY collectible and very worth fixing if they need it - and they are worth a LOT of money. I love them and buy old appliances and fix rather than new ones - they rarely break down.
Mary Lenardson true, but I’m sure the control panel and stuff is still good. A lot of appliance collectors would still buy it for parts to keep the one they have running.
Pam Steed: The demeanor is Canadian. There was one vid of a guy trying to whisper the bear in his back yard away and then saying to it “thank you for visiting.” They are very kind people.
When you plugged in your co detector...you need to place it high in the room. The co is lighter then air, by the time the detector senses it, when placed low, the co has already filled the space from the ceiling downward. We found this information out when the fire department came to our daughter's house, middle of night -40C, because of a co alarm. Her detectors were low, they went off due to malfunction. Daughter and family were safe & very lucky! The local fire department removed the faulty detectors & would not leave till they installed 2 new ones in the house! Our fire department has a supply in each truck & a policy where they can't leave a call if there is not a working fire/co detector. Cost of $10 each unless you can't afford it, then it's free. The volunteer fire departments in our area are top line guys!!! Btw...Your videos are the best!!!
Actually CO is slightly lighter than air and spreads evenly throughout the room so you can place the detector anywhere in the room and the alarm will operate correctly.
Interesting what you say about carbon monoxide detectors. In my previous house, I had all new duct work installed, and the heating and air conditioning company installed the carbon monoxide detector just about 12 inches above the floor, saying that it is dense and is first detected at the lowest place. I don't know who is right, but it's a problem for someone else, I don't live there anymore!
Alex, you are a true gem. I love watching your videos, they make my heart happy! Watching you and your adventures is much more interesting than anything on tv. I especially love that you do series and updates, I can’t wait to see what happens next or what you find next. Thank you for being you and for sharing your life, kindness and talents with the rest of us. Kudos to your wife, she truly is a special lady for supporting you the way she does. Also, if you hear any news on Adam and how he’s doing we’d love to hear. Keep sending us the beautiful music and all the treasure finds. And know that your dad is with you every minute of every day on your journey through life. Much love from Indiana and God Bless you and your family!!!
Not sure why I enjoyed watching these hoarder house videos other than seeing one of my possible futures, I bought a house in Iowa where I moved after living in Las Vegas for 30 yrs. It was a 1920's master craftsman style with a huge basement where most of my auction scores were housed. I had the potential of becoming a hoarder! Thank goodness I had to move from this house and in that process I had an epiphany of this very real issue, I have since taken on a more minimalist lifestyle. I moved to Maui upon getting my disability. (spinal cord injury) I moved there with 2 suitcases and two boxes of person trinkets. I have been traveling since 2015 and most of my belongings now fit into three suitcases...wow things could have really gone another way..I like this way just fine,,,
My partner, before he met me, decided one day to sell almost everything except one suitcase worth of clothes in order to go traveling. He said with each physical thing he got rid of he felt lighter and free-er spiritually. Although I'm not quite as extreme as him, I do find it very liberating to cull my belongings, and aim to always be getting rid of more than I acquire.
Floors - take a peek UNDER the plywood. I am betting you find hardwood under it. Laying plywood over original floor was pretty common during midcentury carpet laying.
I was going to say the same. Had to help pull up a floor once. It was obvious in that case what had happened as there was major differences in floor levels from one room to the next. What wasn't obvious was that the original hard wood floors were three layers deep under ply wood put down during 3 different "remodels". Lol
fran lipsey They can be in both time periods because I my mom and grandma had ones similar and as a child in the 70s I. Had a number of things with the same collar and Japanese style clothing. It could be because I grew up near Washington DC which has always been a metropolitan area with many different cultures.
The braided rugs are resellable. New they cost 300-400 USD for a rug that size. It does not look discolored. If it's not frayed it's probably almost as good as new.
The braided rugs are still for sale. When I find one with specific colors colors it'll be mine. Wish they could be dyed or painted! I have several, but the colors are dull. I've had two for forty plus years. The little ones even wear like iron and they wash beautifully. I have a lovely round one in pinks, teals and purples. So if any one knows how to change their color... 1 second ago
Thoughts about newspapers. So i was fixing my 140 yo house (multiple owners, several expansions) and the topic was removing all the electrical systems in the newer annex. Wadded up inside the cavity behind the plug, was a newspaper front with bold letters (part of it) "US enters the war". Mind you, this house is in South Germany, and the paper is from Canada.
Of Course, as a fairly new sub Alex, I haven't seen All of your Videos, (Maybe a doz or so), but I have noticed an underlying theme regarding your integrity when it comes to returning Items to their owners and Families, "doing the Next Right Thing" and so forth, that many "treasure Hunters" etc., would discard! Even when its Obvious there was profit to me made, I Find this element of your character rather comforting young Man... which is why I continue to observe your Journey....So many times, as a "Detached Observer" , I unexpectedly find myself disappointed in people's choices, which negates "Detached" ....However Alex, your Wife, (Most excellent Choice Alex, Her smile brings out the best in you!) and ("the keeps you grounded type) of quiet strength is evident in the brief appearances, along with your Children, whom seem to reflect the same values instilled by Attentive Parenting.... My Old Man Porcupine Hat "Tips" with a Smile and a Cocked-Head nod of Approval! Not that its needed, just felt...see you next week Friend! WMC
This comment was such a joy to read! We’re so happy that you have joined us for our journey and your kind words have certainly made our day :) Thank you❤️
@@MelArchbold Hello Melissa and Family! Imagine my surprise reading your heartfelt response today! (kinda got a little chokey') while sitting with my little Marly girl on my lap, I didn't mean to tear and she licked my eye making me giggle, all warm-like, taking away my loneliness instantly. In a rare way, observing vicariously (for me) has returned a rapidly diminishing hope of "The Family Unit" Gratitude from an Old Man. WMC
I'm looking forward to seeing you channel your inner Mike Holmes and get the house back to a livable home again. As much as I love the treasure hunt aspect of this series, I'm also really looking forward to seeing the house restored to a space that can be lived in. I also really like that you're calling it the Potter's House now, it really is so much more than a typical hoarder house. Yes she kept a lot of newspapers and other things that are pretty unambiguously trash, but she also hung onto a lot of stuff with real value, and that's been fun to discover through this series. I really hope her family appreciates the memories that you're finding as you peel back the layers of the house.
Anyone feel like he kinda looks like Brendan Fraser? Really enjoying this series! I feel motivated! ...To maybe clean out my closets, don’t think I’m daring enough to attempt something of this scale haha.
A comment about those cracks in the upstairs wall to the left of the side window, they appear to be on the left side of the house directly above the front left corner of the house where you noticed some foundation crumbling, in a previous video. This is as you are facing the house from the front and IF I have my bearings correct while watching the videos. Also I'm pretty sure the 'secret room' with the electric lawn mower is a cistern. Almost every home of that era had one and if it is directly below the kitchen in the non-renovated half of the house then it is a cistern to collect rain water from the roof that's why the pipe sized hole. There would have been a hand pump in the kitchen to pump water up for washing dishes, floors, laundry, bathing, etc - everything but cooking/eating.
I mostly love your thoughtfullness, and how often you say, "We'll hang on to that," or "people collect things like that." You are going through carefully, and so much can be saved. I like your style. Sorry about the rough day you had, hope some of those finds made you smile today. That heavy box of attic 'rags' looked like the awesome quilting fabrics we vintage piecers highly prize; please don't throw them away. It was hard enough to watch you toss an intact old school TV into the dumpster at the beginning! Can't wait for the next installment, and hope it goes even better!
I have several Canadian friends and they are all like that. Very kind, very polite, very sweet people. I love how considerate they all are, nice folks up there.
Have you been paying attention to the damage the lack of upkeep has done to this house? Do you have even the slightest amount of money it will take to bring it back, and maintain an old house like this? I do, I have, and I never will again.
I’m most excited by the possibility of getting to hear from this 102 year old artist. I know that age and infirmity can cause people to stop cleaning, as well as creative personalities that deal in possibilities and not maintenance. I love this series, watching you unearth the treasures of the past.
Seeing what I was seeing is that she saved the old windows and doors. That is a big plus if you can get someone to restore it back with them. Great finds in the attic. Thanks for sharing.
Sorry about your fall and the whole key thing. Really enjoying The Hoarder house videos. The attic intrigues me. The old embroidery, the vintage fabric, and magazines from the year I was born 1956. But my eyes lit up like a kid when you opened that box of Christmas!! Many fond memories of ornaments just like that on my parents tree. I hope you rescued them.
I love those ornaments. We had some on our tree growing up, but us kids broke so many of them, sadly. I think we still have the angel tree topper somewhere
I think that hidden room in the basement was an old cistern. You can see the water levels on the walls. Looks like someone jackhammered a huge hole to access the cistern for storage. The small diameter hole was probably used to pipe the water from the eaves trough into the cistern.
The large hole at the floor may also have been started when the house was hooked up to a public water supply. After that hook up, cisterns were required to be made unusable, hence the whole at the floor. The owners may have made the hole bigger too.
Space Alien heheheh yes.... but see I’m polish and do not like my last name for a couple reasons so I rhymed, you caught me! Also wanted to spell it different as well because my first name is very uniquely spelled as well (stephany)
@@stephiepefie1588 Lol. My last name at birth was also polish, it was Zalenski. So i changed it a while back to my mothers maiden name which is Italian because i hated it so much. That is funny, i wonder what it is about our Polish last names that both of us hate so much. Well mine is obvious. When you think of Zalenski you think of "Honey I Shrunk The Kids" Wayne Zalenski. LOL! Yup, had to get rid of that name asap!
I have been following you and your family for so long. When I first found you, Alex, I knew you had that "something" special, that something that drew me in. I have watched you and your wife and children together, you and your dad, and your in-laws and I have had so much fun. I cried with you thru your video dedicated to your dad and I cheered you and Adam on, donated money, and prayed for him and your family thru his journey. I sang along with you and laughed with you as you drank that old booze you found. I am delighted that your channel has grown and so many people have come to know and love you. I feel like I have been in on the beginning of something that has become and will become even more amazing. Thank you for bringing me along on your journey so far, it has been a pleasure getting to know you and those you cherish. xx ~Jen
Yeah Alex, no doubt, almost everything g is collectible that house is a gold mine. Dave some of that quilting stuff. Quilters are mad crazy for fabrics. You could make a beautiful piece out of they vintage fabric.
How far you have come with the house is simply amazing. The attic looks like some stuff was more carefully put away with things folded and such. Not surprising it would be much older items from when the house wasn't a hoarder house. I think it's sweet that you're keeping photos to give back to the family. I think it's wonderful what you're finding, both the savable and the dross. Thank you for bringing us along on the journey with you.
*sigh of relief* when you said that the fall caused trouble later on I thought "oh no did you get a concussion and will get too sick to drive home?" And I'm so relieved that it wasn't the case. I've grown so attached to this house and its relics, I love this series! That house is really so charming and I love that you are sharing the entire journey! Both my grandparents in Sweden had super old houses so I always feel attached to old houses with old relics and collections. :) I'm so glad that this hoarder had pretty good taste in things and wasn't all that gross compared to many TV show houses that are filmed for shock value. Many of those old magazines in the attic might have patterns or recipies in them that women might be interested in! My mom saves magazines for patterns and recipies and I bet she isn't alone in having interest in such. :) I'm glad you are okay from that fall. I love this series
That's a shame they didn't bother to call and let you know the driver wasn't going out. Even if you were at home, Hans could have covered the stuff with tarps to keep the snow off. And it looked like a classic My Little Pony sleeping bag under the Pac Man one, I hope you took them both!
The key in snow (potentially) is the reason I have a lanyard on my keys. When they fall into snow they usually fall in far, but the lanyard usually stays on top or near the top of the snow enough for me to find them and pick them back up.
Once at the recycling centre I accidentally caught my keys along with an armful of old barbecue parts and threw them into a giant dumpster full of metal. Fortunately they were on a long orange lanyard and the staff could fish them back out with a hook on a pole. Saved my bacon!
You and your wife are wonderful for saving the artifacts and the home of this famous potter! It is respect for the past - this sensitivity is rare. I am riveted. What a series! LOVE it.. Your h.ard work is awesome
I wish you traveled to the USA. My mom was a hoarder. She passed away in 2017 and I'm the proud new owner of her home...and belongings. There may be something you'd be interested in her hoard. ;) I've went through some of her things already, but there's ohhhh so much more. It's definitely going to be a job to finish going through her things. Like you do in these videos, I'm going through every single box & bag thoroughly. I've found some important things this way. Including the only video recording of my sister's delivery! It was in the bottom of a box of store bags and empty jars. Something anyone else would have just thrown out. :) Anyway--- Thanks so much for sharing your adventure of this hoarder's house. The videos have given me tips & ideas for helping me sort through my mom's hoard.
I'd love to help. Always wanted to do stuff like that. Always wanted to go thru an attic full of old stuff, lol. It would be a joy just to be able to help find and see stuff. It always made me mad watching those shows where they just throw everything is away. Especially when the owners are still there. How upset the owners were to see their things so horribly treated with no respect what so ever to the owner. A lot of there valuables were probably tossed.
All videos of this house are interesting. The house itself is beginning to be interesting. She'll clean up good. I am 79, been dealing in Antiques since the age of 12! My best hit on a single item was bought for $250 which sold 3 weeks later for $5,000. You should be living on an old farmstead with many outbuildings. You need more storage room. Stil waiting for Pottery Identification and outlook. I am patient....
He does. I'm sure he's hoping to do that . He loves vehicles so a place with a big lot is needed 4 those mainly. This old place only has 2 city size lots huh? Darn.
Right? When he opened that great old Christmas box and we saw the reindeer and santa and all those treasures, my heart skipped a beat. I would LOVE to have that box of goodies.
I used to work for kirby actually and lifetime does mean exactly what I think it means. They are easy to fix and had a lady who had her kirby since the 50s or 60s and still brought it in to be fixed and whatnot. It's a great vacuum and a great company who honors their pledges to keep quality high.
@@robins5230 Hey there! I'm googling Kirby vacuums now thanks to your comment. I've been going through Hoover vacs like it is going out of style ... 4 weeks at the shop and it already has to go back. Maybe Kirby has a solution for us.
This is definitely a unique hoarder situation because most hoarders seem to have mostly junk. It seems to be pretty rare to find a well-off hoarder. Very fun channel!
Those braided rugs are vintage and in style now. I got one free on Kijiji, paid to have it cleaned ($100) and sold it for $225. And your rugs in better shape!!
@@Rachel-dx9kb That's a great idea for today! Angry at your boss? Mad at your husband? Or, is it simply time for a good work out? I'm eye-balling the snow in my back yard and my braided rug right now...and it's only -2...
Saw that too! He should get in touch with some potters or a shop that's specialized in material for pottery. They might want some of the equipment left behind.
Sorry you had such a hard trip this time around. 😔 But I’m glad it paid off! You found some great pieces this time and made some massive progress! This series has been like the ultimate mystery unboxing on TH-cam ever. This is so fascinating thank you for including us in this!!
Me too! I came across and binge-watched Potter house parts 1 - 4 in one evening. I’m loving it and am looking forward to the next episodes! I’m in Michigan USA, but I have vacationed in Alberta twice and went to Edmonton (including The Mall) once.
14:11 That coat is gorgeous! Also, it was nice to see you handle a difficult situation with such a positive attitude. Instead of wallowing in anger and frustration , you made the best of what was going on. I've known many people that cling to the negatives and relish in complaining and being pissed off, like they enjoy it. Oh, and vintage Christmas stuff is big money! I collect it, I should know!
This just fascinated me. Having moved over 35 times, I absolutely love seeing a home which shows they had put roots down for years and years... it’s like a story unfolding. I’m hoping this is finally my last move and I can bed down and creat a lived in home with memories too.
If someone was really enthusiastic about the potter, they might be interested in those bags of clay. They could say they made something using the same material she did salvaged directly from her estate.
Clay can be recycled ☺ Raku & Pit fired pots can be fragile - low firing. pit fired clay pots are burnished when pot leather-hard with stone or smooth object. Very time consuming. Oxides, raw clay materials, burnishing, & the pit firing, give the fired pots their sheen. Mary put a lot of love & energy into her creations. Finished pit fired pots can be beautiful, but still fragile & porous. (Me watching: "Alex! be careful with that pot!")
This whole house is like a house dream. You guys ever have dreams of mazes inside of a house? That's totally what I'm going through watching this. It would be unbelievably cool to talk to this lady. Hear her stories.
@@thelatenightattempts Absolutely! And then you watch old slasher movies like My Bloody Valentine (we are in Canada after all) and wonder what the noises coming from the attic are :O
When you noted that the fall would have later consequences, I thought you had injured yourself and the ugliness of it all would set in with a bit of time. Losing the keys was a bad thing, but in reality it was just an unfortunate, expensive, stressful bummer. Hurting yourself could have been catastrophic with long range consequences. So, despite your misfortune, it was minor compared to what could have been. Yay! Seriously Alex, thank you for taking us along on your adventure. I have thoroughly loved this series.
I'm so glad that you were able to salvage so much of Mary's stuff. Now other people will get to enjoy the many treasures that she collected over the years! She sounds like she was a very interesting and talented lady!
I think that little secret room was the old cistern for the house. My grandmas house had one. Took me a while to place it, but if there isn't a coal window for delivery it must be the old cistern that was opened up and used for storage. Edit: that little opening was where the water would come in and fill the tank. It's defiantly the old cistern cause it's under the kitchen.
Anathryn, I totally agree with you that it is a cistern. We had them in 2 of our houses growing up. There is also a large one under my husband's business. It is used to test the fire trucks my husband builds. The fire dept uses it to refill water on their trucks. They keep the cistern full of water in exchange for the use of the water.
Your "bunker" or "secret room" looks to be a cistern to me (built to catch and store rainwater). The house I grew up in had 2 in it (as it used to be 2 apartments). When they stopped using it, a door was cut into it (like yours). But our doors were taller, allowing us to walk in and store things. I suggest you break open a bigger door so you don't have to crawl in there, as storage space can be valuable and should not be so hard to get to. One year I actually turned one of the cisterns into a green house with grow lights and a Styrofoam door to keep the warmth from heater in. It was great.
What I love most is that I feel like Im part of this journey :) its amazing! Great job uncluttering her house... thank you for being respectful to her & her family. Cant wait to watch the rest of the progress!
Oh my gosh. That is not a drinking vessel. It is a Peruvian whistling vessel used to access other realms and to see visions. I highly recommend reading the book Animated Earth by Daniel K Statnekov. Would you like to sell it to me???
I think you are onto something. It looks like this one on Pinterest called a Moche Death figure whistling vessel. www.pinterest.com/pin/550002173224745873/
Wow, he handled that situation so well! He's so positive and genuine, and while the contents of the series are extremely interesting, he also makes it really nice and pleasant to watch
I agree. He should keep all of the appliances and plumbing and light fixtures that are original. Also if he decides to rewire the place he should save the old light switches, cover plates, fuse panels, etc. A lot of that kind of stuff is collectible and useful for restoring older buildings.
Is supposed to make a scream as he moves the mug like a pourin motion maybe he have to cover the "drinkin" hole there are different kinds like animals but the skeleton one is the scary one
Check each and every one of those Pockets before you get rid of those clothes. A lot of times back in the fifties and sixties people stashed stuff in the pockets of garments and hung them in the closet.! Good job making your dreams come true. Being able to save history and be with your family while providing for them. Priceless....
You are so right about checking pockets. My husband does that. He will put money in a coat pocket or jacket and forget about. He was just telling me tonight to check his pockets.
A good hiding place for cash💵🗞 and gems💍 was and is the metal rod/pole/bar/stick in wardrobes/cupboards/closets🚪. Nowadays also inside the plastic bar for showers 🚿 and bathtubs🛁.
My mother had a clothing shop in the 60's. In Calera Al. She named it after me, "Sheila's Style Shoppe" Those clothes takes me back to a wonderful time of my childhood. Bc in 1971 my mother was killed in a car wreck, I was 7yrs old. So my best memories of her are connected to that style of fashion. Thanks for sharing your finds!! ♥️
My grandmother used to hide $1 coins in jars and put them in the back of the freezer. As the freezer thaws out you might want to check any containers you find, while things are still a bit frozen. That way they won’t smell if it does have old food but you can still check for stashed money.
We just binge watched the first 4 of your hoarder house adventures. Really cool. We love how respectful you are to the previous owner and her family. You're doing a great job!
That secret room in the basement is an old cistern. The pipe you saw high in the wall was where the eavestrough dump rain water in. That's why It is so heavily built and has no door. Looks like someone punched a hole in the concrete to make a cold storage out of it. Once the town got a water supply the cisterns were no longer used. Lots of root vegetable cellars like this on the prairies.
Bet you’re right!
That makes a LOT more sense than my “tornado shelter” idea lol
Mines a lil overkill lol
@@CanadianMum444 well if I were in that house and a twister came through I know where I would run to😁
I GUESSED that it was a water cistern, my parents and us kids moved in 1953 to a house built in 1912, the cistern was under the kitchen, there was a trap door in the kitchen floor that that opened into the cistern.
Correct. Some are still in use in my area as only shallow wells and no city water. There would have been the water inlet as well as an overflow. Some used a manual lever on the gutters to switch over to dumping the rain outside if the cistern was full, the "fancy" ones used a float that moved the lever.
Very much appreciate that you have changed the title to “Potter’s House”.
The fact that there was a hoard in her home does not define her. She was so much more than that. An artist, a mother, a community member. Thank you for allowing us to get to know this incredible woman.
i kinda wish he mentioned who the artist was, i would've liked to see their other work, but respect to the dude for following the families wishes and not disclosing her name.
@@championplaya63 Mary Borgstrom, if you haven't figured it out by now.
If you look on the Enquirer magazine the last name was at the top in pen
At the 3:47 mark precisely
@@championplaya63 it was an easy google search "female indigenous potter canada"
The plywood you found under the old carpet may be just a thin layer (1/4"-1/2") installed to make carpet installation easier. At 100 years old, there's a chance that that old house has wide plank flooring, rather than the 1"X3" hardwood that is in more common use these days. My house is 140 years old, and that's exactly what we found here!! If you can find a spot where you can cut a patch out of the plywood (carefully, so that it can be replaced if necessary) you may find a pleasant surprise beneath the plywood! If not, just put the patch back and install a new floor covering.
Maybe I’ll see if there’s anything under there
@@CuriosityIncorporated definitely!
@@CuriosityIncorporated Definitely check! Also, people with emotional stability issues sometimes hoard money (as you found), so you may find $100 bills under the underlayment. Hope you do!
@@CuriosityIncorporated I agree with Norm as its the fist floor above an unfinished basement you might try looking from below at the condition of the original floors. wholes for old sink locations, original wood or coal stove locations will be strengthened and the planking will all be seeable from below.
@@CuriosityIncorporated Check for sure, we pulled carpet out of a house we renovated too and were bummed to find plywood, but it had gorgeous hardwoods under it.
*"I. . .don't want to sound like a hoarder myself, but I don't think I'm gonna throw that out"* 25:21
That's how it starts. . . .
IKR? This series has made me get super funny about organising my flat. Donating stuff to charity, and buying a few nice looking paintings and stuff. My flat is looking much better, little by little:)
Stettafire his hives are making me have sympathy itch😂😂😂
Its what I would call an American Four Square, which was a very common house plan in the late Victorian era. I don't know what you'd call it in Canada. The front rooms would have been a living room and dining room. It was not uncommon to have pocket doors between them, as the dining room would be used by the men for drinking and smoking after dinner, while the ladies would retire to the parlor and close the door. The width of the doorway when you stand in front of it makes me think it probably did have pocket doors. They may be still in the wall behind the modern trim, or they may be in the basement. They tended to stick as the house settled, and to stop being used. It probably didn't have two kitchens, but a kitchen and a pantry. The hardwood may be under that plywood. Its worth checking. Also, those floors look more like pine than hardwood to me, and that was more common in that period. They may have put down plywood to make a smoother surface for the shag carpet. Cracks like that aren't real uncommon in lathe and plaster walls. The house I grew up in as a kid had those, and it was in good condition, no overloaded and had never been unoccupied. One good snow can put way more than nine tons on a house, and most older houses were way overbuilt to a modern house.
There may be a concrete patch somewhere in that coal cellar where they closed it in when they got a gas furnace. We did that in our house, which was built in 1900. The coal cellar was in use in our house until six months before we bought it. The contractor that we bought it from had installed an oil burner, but the coal cellar hadn't been closed up, so we paid someone to brick it closed. Ours originally had glass windows that opened to admit the coal dealer's wooden chute to fill the cellar. That meant you had natural light in that coal cellar to see to shovel the coal. Since it seems these folks saved everything, you may even find those windows in the coal cellar. I can't see the orientation of this basement, but coal cellars were typically on the front of the house, and often under the front porch or maybe on a driveway side of the house. A horse and wagon and later a truck had to be able to back right up to it and dump into it via that wooden chute. A coal furnace is pretty much what there was at the turn of the century. Oil and gas came later. The early gas was something called "town gas" which was meant for lighting, not heating, and as far as I know, there weren't gas furnaces that burned town gas. So if that house has original heat ducts for a furnace, it had a coal furnace and that coal had to be stored somewhere. If it didn't have a coal furnace, it likely had a stove in every room, and there would be a capped chimney in every room. Even then, you would likely have had a coal cellar, because there would have had to have been coal to feed the stoves. Also, in a house of that age, there is likely a chimney in whatever room was the original kitchen, as they would likely have cooked on a coal range. Our house did. I don't know what the date of that house is, but it looks to be 1895-1915ish to me. That was kind of the range of the American Four Square, and the window trim looks to be that era as well.
In that coal cellar, I saw what was almost certainly the original front door, if you wanted to put it back to original. It looks like the original banister is there too, if you wanted to get rid of that fifties wrought iron. It looks like the wood shop contains some of the original kitchen too. The thickness of the nosing on that top basement step would make me think that the original hardwood is under that plywood.
The box of onion skins might have been saved for dying. You can dye fabric a lovely yellow with those. I had a beaded bracelet very similar to that belt.
Thank you for the additional info for houses of this period. Very informative :)
Very interesting! I Love hearing about the older homes and you describe in very good detail how they were made.. thanks ❤
Amazing details Thanks for sharing. I love old homes and by your description I can surely envision how homes were designed to fit the needs before modern times.
thank you so much for all the info
That was really helpful info! Thanks!
I'm so pleased you are now referring to it as the Potter's House now. It never was a traditional kind of hoarders house.
True. It's a house of treasures
Beth Stokes Is he referring to their name, is it Potter? Or is he calling it that because she was a pottery maker? Because I know at one point he said he didn't want to reveal her name. Sorry if that was a dumb question just trying to make sure.
its an artist house :)
... and I might be crazy, but I feel the house must feel happy, and all those objects hidden away hoping to be useful and found
(Ive been watching too much Disney lately hahah ..well actually I imagine it more like Howls Moving Castle )
Plus, it's so much more compassionate to refer to it as The Potter's house. For her to have become a hoarder, I imagine it was borne from trauma at some point in her life and the impression I get is she is/was a kind-hearted soul.
No it never looked dirty more like messy
Very respectful of you to have changed the name of the house to
The Potters House vs The Hoarders House. Another great video in this series, Alex👍🏻
Mary Bobb It makes Great sense the name POTTERS HOUSE, considering her love of ceramics and pottery!
Still heading into hoarder territory IMO. It's one thing to have lots of stuff, it's when what is objectively trash is kept that it starts to be a problem and it really counts when it can have an effect on health and quality of life, which this clearly strays into (though she apparently is 103 so...).
Creative people are probably more at risk because it's possible to envision a future use for nearly anything. With that said, there are worse things than being a hoarder. Unless you've been trapped under a pile of junk for three days while a cat eats your face, perhaps.
Ha!@@chaos.corner
@@chaos.corner Of course the lady was a hoarder, but she was also an artist. This is about choosing which aspect of her we remember her by. I think it's more respectful to remember her as an artist. :)
Well she obviously *was* a hoarder and possibly proud of it since she had so many great things so who are YOU to say that being a hoarder is negative?!?!
The original hardwood floors may be under the plywood. that was a pretty standard practice with 1970s remodeling.
This happened in my home and I dug my way down to the old floor!
Ply wood was put down as a base for lino, hardwood shows through and eventually in high traffic areas cuts it.
I really like the old green tile in the bathroom. It has a lot of some older character.
With the small jewelry boxes that are empty, always look under the insert. Us girls hide the better stuff there!
That we do
And that's how you keep your valuable stuff from getting stolen
I am a girl didn’t know that. So thank you ladies.
You are the Indy Jones of antique dealers. Thanks for taking us along and exploring in a way that keeps in mind that you have viewers.
Indy Jones - yeah! Good image for him.
This would have made a great Netflix docu-series!
Becca Nichols i think it’s even better as it isn’t over produced and over dramatic! It’s brilliant 😃
Your hair awesome
lemon ste aw thank you!
nope keep it Internet
Yes!! I have been glued to this journey!
Glad to see you're saving personal items like photos to return to the family! That's awesome!
Yes those are soooo personal and irreplaceable. Make a some copies of her for his authenticity of the art and record of sh was and is but for sure give them back!
You should check the stairs. I know several old houses that have hinged stair treads. People would use them as vaults to keep their valuables. Sometimes the tread pulls forward a bit, then can be removed.
Our house does, it has one at the bottom of our staircase the landing lifts up with a hinged door, we didnt find it until we removed the 3 layers of carpet on our staircase. We found old embalming fluid bottles, newspaper and butter flavor packages. We donated them to our museum.
It's my husband's favorite hidy hole now.
@@Johnstonsamantha when was the house built and in what country? I love the idea.
@@lisab9541 I believe 1947, but not 100% on that, in Prince Albert , Saskatchewan, Canada ❤
@@lisab9541 I don't remember the year, but he is applying to have it named an historic site. The country is Canada.
He actually found a small storage cupboard under the stairs! It's somewhere in the Part 3 video !
Don’t be hasty! That old Fridgedaire has great lines, the styling is collectible. The way it is iced up, it looks like it is still working. I have a 1949 coke machine with the original compressor that works great. Appliances were built to last back then. People will buy an old fridge like that to keep as a chiller for beverages. Also movie/television production types look for these period appliances for era authentic set pieces. They are fairly rare now.
T B I was gonna say the same thing. I have a 1941 GE imperial fridge that I use everyday and still hasn’t been serviced. I also use my 1955 Westinghouse dryer quite often. He should post about the appliances on the automatic washer forum. I’m sure he’d get buyers for each of them.
The old appliances are EXTREMELY collectible and very worth fixing if they need it - and they are worth a LOT of money. I love them and buy old appliances and fix rather than new ones - they rarely break down.
ayy lmao, I doubt one would ever get all the mold out of all the crevices of the clothes washer, it still had clothes in it from years ago.😷
Mary Lenardson true, but I’m sure the control panel and stuff is still good. A lot of appliance collectors would still buy it for parts to keep the one they have running.
Around 5:40 you had half a bowl which looks like the top half of the carved lamp at the end of part 2
Good Eye
Noticed the same. Your comment was a second from the top
Yes !
oh jinx LOL
Well spotted, I don't know how you saw that! :D
You have such a pleasant demeanor, a joy to watch and so knowledgeable. Gratz on your lovely family as well. TY for your hard work.
Thanks for watching Pam
Pam Steed: The demeanor is Canadian. There was one vid of a guy trying to whisper the bear in his back yard away and then saying to it “thank you for visiting.” They are very kind people.
When you plugged in your co detector...you need to place it high in the room. The co is lighter then air, by the time the detector senses it, when placed low, the co has already filled the space from the ceiling downward. We found this information out when the fire department came to our daughter's house, middle of night -40C, because of a co alarm. Her detectors were low, they went off due to malfunction. Daughter and family were safe & very lucky! The local fire department removed the faulty detectors & would not leave till they installed 2 new ones in the house! Our fire department has a supply in each truck & a policy where they can't leave a call if there is not a working fire/co detector. Cost of $10 each unless you can't afford it, then it's free. The volunteer fire departments in our area are top line guys!!!
Btw...Your videos are the best!!!
Actually CO is slightly lighter than air and spreads evenly throughout the room so you can place the detector anywhere in the room and the alarm will operate correctly.
Interesting what you say about carbon monoxide detectors. In my previous house, I had all new duct work installed, and the heating and air conditioning company installed the carbon monoxide detector just about 12 inches above the floor, saying that it is dense and is first detected at the lowest place. I don't know who is right, but it's a problem for someone else, I don't live there anymore!
I would check the manufacturer’s instructions. CO hangs in the middle-ish, not ceiling or floor level.
I couldn’t stop watching this series. I loved it. It’s like going thrift store shopping without walking or getting dirty. Thanks for the fun.
Yep I also enjoyed
I actually know of the artist, who's house this was. I am glad to see you've really treated her work with respect!
Alex, you are a true gem. I love watching your videos, they make my heart happy! Watching you and your adventures is much more interesting than anything on tv. I especially love that you do series and updates, I can’t wait to see what happens next or what you find next. Thank you for being you and for sharing your life, kindness and talents with the rest of us. Kudos to your wife, she truly is a special lady for supporting you the way she does. Also, if you hear any news on Adam and how he’s doing we’d love to hear. Keep sending us the beautiful music and all the treasure finds. And know that your dad is with you every minute of every day on your journey through life. Much love from Indiana and God Bless you and your family!!!
I saw an update on Homeless. He's doing o.k. Alex said he's with family where they live.
You left a comment that was really nice! And pretty much how we all fill.
You have a good soul!🌝
Not sure why I enjoyed watching these hoarder house videos other than seeing one of my possible futures, I bought a house in Iowa where I moved after living in Las Vegas for 30 yrs. It was a 1920's master craftsman style with a huge basement where most of my auction scores were housed. I had the potential of becoming a hoarder! Thank goodness I had to move from this house and in that process I had an epiphany of this very real issue, I have since taken on a more minimalist lifestyle. I moved to Maui upon getting my disability. (spinal cord injury) I moved there with 2 suitcases and two boxes of person trinkets. I have been traveling since 2015 and most of my belongings now fit into three suitcases...wow things could have really gone another way..I like this way just fine,,,
Conscious Observation how smart you are. Although I do not have much or a house, I am truly interested in Minimalist living also. Traveling is Key.
My partner, before he met me, decided one day to sell almost everything except one suitcase worth of clothes in order to go traveling. He said with each physical thing he got rid of he felt lighter and free-er spiritually. Although I'm not quite as extreme as him, I do find it very liberating to cull my belongings, and aim to always be getting rid of more than I acquire.
Floors - take a peek UNDER the plywood. I am betting you find hardwood under it. Laying plywood over original floor was pretty common during midcentury carpet laying.
I was going to say the same. Had to help pull up a floor once. It was obvious in that case what had happened as there was major differences in floor levels from one room to the next. What wasn't obvious was that the original hard wood floors were three layers deep under ply wood put down during 3 different "remodels". Lol
The mandrin dresses are not 60s or 70s more like 39s 49s
fran lipsey They can be in both time periods because I my mom and grandma had ones similar and as a child in the 70s I. Had a number of things with the same collar and Japanese style clothing. It could be because I grew up near Washington DC which has always been a metropolitan area with many different cultures.
Rowan Sprintwalker- That’s EXACTLY what I was thinking!!!
You're right Merilora, I wore them in the 70s.
The braided rugs are resellable. New they cost 300-400 USD for a rug that size. It does not look discolored. If it's not frayed it's probably almost as good as new.
Xalorous Gamer Idk with the mice and garbage potentially on rug for 10+ years 😳 Surly it should be washed somehow at least 🙈
New York City would cost that much to have it cleaned well
In about 1955 my parents bought a similar braided rug for our new family room. That gives you an age idea.
The braided rugs are still for sale. When I find one with specific colors colors it'll be mine. Wish they could be dyed or painted! I have several, but the colors are dull. I've had two for forty plus years. The little ones even wear like iron and they wash beautifully. I have a lovely round one in pinks, teals and purples. So if any one knows how to change their color...
1 second ago
I love the braided rugs
Thoughts about newspapers. So i was fixing my 140 yo house (multiple owners, several expansions) and the topic was removing all the electrical systems in the newer annex. Wadded up inside the cavity behind the plug, was a newspaper front with bold letters (part of it) "US enters the war". Mind you, this house is in South Germany, and the paper is from Canada.
How neat is that! Wow!
Wow!
would you like a cookie?
Of Course, as a fairly new sub Alex, I haven't seen All of your Videos, (Maybe a doz or so), but I have noticed an underlying theme regarding your integrity when it comes to returning Items to their owners and Families, "doing the Next Right Thing" and so forth, that many "treasure Hunters" etc., would discard! Even when its Obvious there was profit to me made, I Find this element of your character rather comforting young Man... which is why I continue to observe your Journey....So many times, as a "Detached Observer" , I unexpectedly find myself disappointed in people's choices, which negates "Detached" ....However Alex, your Wife, (Most excellent Choice Alex, Her smile brings out the best in you!) and ("the keeps you grounded type) of quiet strength is evident in the brief appearances, along with your Children, whom seem to reflect the same values instilled by Attentive Parenting.... My Old Man Porcupine Hat "Tips" with a Smile and a Cocked-Head nod of Approval! Not that its needed, just felt...see you next week Friend! WMC
This comment was such a joy to read! We’re so happy that you have joined us for our journey and your kind words have certainly made our day :) Thank you❤️
@@MelArchbold He said exactly what I would say!! Your family is like a breath of fresh air in these turbulent times.
@@MelArchbold Hello Melissa and Family! Imagine my surprise reading your heartfelt response today! (kinda got a little chokey') while sitting with my little Marly girl on my lap, I didn't mean to tear and she licked my eye making me giggle, all warm-like, taking away my loneliness instantly. In a rare way, observing vicariously (for me) has returned a rapidly diminishing hope of "The Family Unit" Gratitude from an Old Man. WMC
I'm looking forward to seeing you channel your inner Mike Holmes and get the house back to a livable home again. As much as I love the treasure hunt aspect of this series, I'm also really looking forward to seeing the house restored to a space that can be lived in. I also really like that you're calling it the Potter's House now, it really is so much more than a typical hoarder house. Yes she kept a lot of newspapers and other things that are pretty unambiguously trash, but she also hung onto a lot of stuff with real value, and that's been fun to discover through this series. I really hope her family appreciates the memories that you're finding as you peel back the layers of the house.
Anyone feel like he kinda looks like Brendan Fraser?
Really enjoying this series! I feel motivated! ...To maybe clean out my closets, don’t think I’m daring enough to attempt something of this scale haha.
I agree. Brendon in his younger years...
... No
It’s the hair!
A comment about those cracks in the upstairs wall to the left of the side window, they appear to be on the left side of the house directly above the front left corner of the house where you noticed some foundation crumbling, in a previous video. This is as you are facing the house from the front and IF I have my bearings correct while watching the videos.
Also I'm pretty sure the 'secret room' with the electric lawn mower is a cistern. Almost every home of that era had one and if it is directly below the kitchen in the non-renovated half of the house then it is a cistern to collect rain water from the roof that's why the pipe sized hole. There would have been a hand pump in the kitchen to pump water up for washing dishes, floors, laundry, bathing, etc - everything but cooking/eating.
I ❤ the name change to The Potters House. 😁
I mostly love your thoughtfullness, and how often you say, "We'll hang on to that," or "people collect things like that." You are going through carefully, and so much can be saved. I like your style. Sorry about the rough day you had, hope some of those finds made you smile today. That heavy box of attic 'rags' looked like the awesome quilting fabrics we vintage piecers highly prize; please don't throw them away. It was hard enough to watch you toss an intact old school TV into the dumpster at the beginning! Can't wait for the next installment, and hope it goes even better!
I have several Canadian friends and they are all like that. Very kind, very polite, very sweet people. I love how considerate they all are, nice folks up there.
I am falling in love with this house. It would be wonderful for kids to grow up in such a labyrinth..
It's just so much space...
Have you been paying attention to the damage the lack of upkeep has done to this house? Do you have even the slightest amount of money it will take to bring it back, and maintain an old house like this? I do, I have, and I never will again.
I’m most excited by the possibility of getting to hear from this 102 year old artist. I know that age and infirmity can cause people to stop cleaning, as well as creative personalities that deal in possibilities and not maintenance. I love this series, watching you unearth the treasures of the past.
I totally agree. I have really enjoyed and will love seeing the house being restored
@marideathy DEELZ "creative personalities that deal in possibilities and not maintenance" Thank you for this. It explains a lot. :)
Seeing what I was seeing is that she saved the old windows and doors. That is a big plus if you can get someone to restore it back with them. Great finds in the attic. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for renaming it the potters house!💗
That bicycle is a Schwinn Stingray. They were the greatest bikes of the 1970s. Possibly the greatest bikes of all time, but I'm biased.
I am getting an odd satisfaction watching this while I declutter all my crap! We just moved into my husbands grandparents house and the purge is real!
🤔😯😮😀😁😂🤗
Sorry about your fall and the whole key thing. Really enjoying The Hoarder house videos. The attic intrigues me. The old embroidery, the vintage fabric, and magazines from the year I was born 1956. But my eyes lit up like a kid when you opened that box of Christmas!! Many fond memories of ornaments just like that on my parents tree. I hope you rescued them.
Just bought some off ebay. U won't believe how much they go for!
Yeah the glass Christmas icicles caught my eye too! Don't make beautiful stuff like that anymore.
I want the wicker chair. We had one when I was younger, much younger, 50's or 60's
I love those ornaments. We had some on our tree growing up, but us kids broke so many of them, sadly. I think we still have the angel tree topper somewhere
I still have some of those ornaments from my parents. They went up on my tree this year. (Hadn't done a tree for at least 5 years.)
I think that hidden room in the basement was an old cistern. You can see the water levels on the walls. Looks like someone jackhammered a huge hole to access the cistern for storage. The small diameter hole was probably used to pipe the water from the eaves trough into the cistern.
I said the same thing just now, that explains the gutter sized chute.
Agreed
The large hole at the floor may also have been started when the house was hooked up to a public water supply. After that hook up, cisterns were required to be made unusable, hence the whole at the floor. The owners may have made the hole bigger too.
WHY TH-cam WHY WOULD YOU KEEP SUGGESTING THESE VIDEOS?????? WHY!!!!!!! ..............yes I watched all of them
Lol still a great repair tho
Oh Stephie Pefie. Does that rhyme? As in Stephie Peffie? Haha, that is so cute.
Space Alien heheheh yes.... but see I’m polish and do not like my last name for a couple reasons so I rhymed, you caught me! Also wanted to spell it different as well because my first name is very uniquely spelled as well (stephany)
@@stephiepefie1588 Lol. My last name at birth was also polish, it was Zalenski. So i changed it a while back to my mothers maiden name which is Italian because i hated it so much. That is funny, i wonder what it is about our Polish last names that both of us hate so much. Well mine is obvious. When you think of Zalenski you think of "Honey I Shrunk The Kids" Wayne Zalenski. LOL! Yup, had to get rid of that name asap!
@@stephiepefie1588 Do you live in Poland? Or did you ever live there? Or are you an American with Polish name?
I have been following you and your family for so long. When I first found you, Alex, I knew you had that "something" special, that something that drew me in. I have watched you and your wife and children together, you and your dad, and your in-laws and I have had so much fun. I cried with you thru your video dedicated to your dad and I cheered you and Adam on, donated money, and prayed for him and your family thru his journey. I sang along with you and laughed with you as you drank that old booze you found. I am delighted that your channel has grown and so many people have come to know and love you. I feel like I have been in on the beginning of something that has become and will become even more amazing. Thank you for bringing me along on your journey so far, it has been a pleasure getting to know you and those you cherish. xx ~Jen
Those rags can be vintage cotton fabric pieces that us quilters would love to have!!!
Kathy Mallonee that’s what I was thinking!!!
Yeah Alex, no doubt, almost everything g is collectible that house is a gold mine. Dave some of that quilting stuff. Quilters are mad crazy for fabrics. You could make a beautiful piece out of they vintage fabric.
U GH predictive text.
How far you have come with the house is simply amazing. The attic looks like some stuff was more carefully put away with things folded and such. Not surprising it would be much older items from when the house wasn't a hoarder house. I think it's sweet that you're keeping photos to give back to the family. I think it's wonderful what you're finding, both the savable and the dross. Thank you for bringing us along on the journey with you.
This is my dream! To run a antique store and find treasures. I love old houses too. I can't stop watching!! Wish I had the money to invest
Why dont you marry him
@@skynac he's married
You have a good community of viewers here! Helpful, knowledgeable and engaged in the process! You provide an amazing channel! Keep up the good work!
I have yet to see the typical nasty trolls...
Right aaaww Alex is too cool for that. No trolls.
@@mozu517 -- Exactly right, Carol and Sarah Pedro. Alex curates the comments, trolls and treasures he finds!
Are you going to film the reconstruction of the house?
He did mention in earlier videos that he'll cover how they approach the house's repairs after they finish. I really hope so!
*sigh of relief* when you said that the fall caused trouble later on I thought "oh no did you get a concussion and will get too sick to drive home?" And I'm so relieved that it wasn't the case. I've grown so attached to this house and its relics, I love this series! That house is really so charming and I love that you are sharing the entire journey! Both my grandparents in Sweden had super old houses so I always feel attached to old houses with old relics and collections. :) I'm so glad that this hoarder had pretty good taste in things and wasn't all that gross compared to many TV show houses that are filmed for shock value. Many of those old magazines in the attic might have patterns or recipies in them that women might be interested in! My mom saves magazines for patterns and recipies and I bet she isn't alone in having interest in such. :) I'm glad you are okay from that fall. I love this series
That's a shame they didn't bother to call and let you know the driver wasn't going out. Even if you were at home, Hans could have covered the stuff with tarps to keep the snow off. And it looked like a classic My Little Pony sleeping bag under the Pac Man one, I hope you took them both!
I see it too! I want to see the My Little Pony sleeping bag!
The MLP sleeping bag, no!!!! 😭
I see it too! Did he keep it?!
Thank you!!! I want that MLP one!!
The key in snow (potentially) is the reason I have a lanyard on my keys. When they fall into snow they usually fall in far, but the lanyard usually stays on top or near the top of the snow enough for me to find them and pick them back up.
Once at the recycling centre I accidentally caught my keys along with an armful of old barbecue parts and threw them into a giant dumpster full of metal. Fortunately they were on a long orange lanyard and the staff could fish them back out with a hook on a pole. Saved my bacon!
@@PKMartin -- Yes, PK, make that lanyard orange or fire engine red in color!
I use a cane now and attached neodymium magnets to the handle for just such an emergency.
I always check the pockets in vintage clothing at estate sales. I have found some beautiful jewelry.
Great tip!
Love this series, and thank you for returning the photos to the family, kudos to you. Love your personality, you're very fun to watch! Keep it up!
I know right I was so happy when he said that. Mad respect.
@@FatNebraskaMom Very cool. At the end of the day its just the pictures that matter.
You and your wife are wonderful for saving the artifacts and the home of this famous potter! It is respect for the past - this sensitivity is rare. I am riveted. What a series! LOVE it.. Your h.ard work is awesome
What an amazing amount of work you did in freezing conditions! Thanks for taking us along, I love the potter´s house.
I wish you traveled to the USA. My mom was a hoarder. She passed away in 2017 and I'm the proud new owner of her home...and belongings. There may be something you'd be interested in her hoard. ;) I've went through some of her things already, but there's ohhhh so much more. It's definitely going to be a job to finish going through her things. Like you do in these videos, I'm going through every single box & bag thoroughly. I've found some important things this way. Including the only video recording of my sister's delivery! It was in the bottom of a box of store bags and empty jars. Something anyone else would have just thrown out. :) Anyway--- Thanks so much for sharing your adventure of this hoarder's house. The videos have given me tips & ideas for helping me sort through my mom's hoard.
where are you located? I might be able to help.
I’d help too if it was nearby! It’s a dream of mine to help you find your treasures!
Same!!
I'd love to help. Always wanted to do stuff like that. Always wanted to go thru an attic full of old stuff, lol. It would be a joy just to be able to help find and see stuff. It always made me mad watching those shows where they just throw everything is away. Especially when the owners are still there. How upset the owners were to see their things so horribly treated with no respect what so ever to the owner. A lot of there valuables were probably tossed.
maybe you could do some videos of your hoard , id watch
All videos of this house are interesting. The house itself is beginning to be interesting. She'll clean up good.
I am 79, been dealing in Antiques since the age of 12! My best hit on a single item was bought for $250 which sold 3 weeks later for $5,000. You should be living on an old farmstead with many outbuildings. You need more storage room. Stil waiting for Pottery Identification and outlook. I am patient....
He does. I'm sure he's hoping to do that . He loves vehicles so a place with a big lot is needed 4 those mainly. This old place only has 2 city size lots huh? Darn.
I would give anything to have the old Christmas Decorations!! Dang!!
Right? When he opened that great old Christmas box and we saw the reindeer and santa and all those treasures, my heart skipped a beat. I would LOVE to have that box of goodies.
I'm quite sure you can buy them straight from his store and have them shipped right to you, lol
that kirby vacuum has a lifetime warranty so you can get it fixed easily and it will be fine.
Kirby vacuum cleaners of that style are indestructible, not much to fix, In wish I had one.
I used to work for kirby actually and lifetime does mean exactly what I think it means. They are easy to fix and had a lady who had her kirby since the 50s or 60s and still brought it in to be fixed and whatnot. It's a great vacuum and a great company who honors their pledges to keep quality high.
@@robins5230 Hey there! I'm googling Kirby vacuums now thanks to your comment. I've been going through Hoover vacs like it is going out of style ... 4 weeks at the shop and it already has to go back. Maybe Kirby has a solution for us.
@@thatsclassicher1149 oh I hope it works out!!!! Best of luck!!!
I hope he can find the receipt for it to get the warranty registered for it
This is definitely a unique hoarder situation because most hoarders seem to have mostly junk. It seems to be pretty rare to find a well-off hoarder. Very fun channel!
You've been so respectful which has made it even more enjoyable to watch. I hope you brought back all that great old fabric!
I feel like I got dust in my eyes just watching the attic part
Those braided rugs are vintage and in style now. I got one free on Kijiji, paid to have it cleaned ($100) and sold it for $225. And your rugs in better shape!!
It’s still there waiting for me :)
How do I find out about the brass parrot? I love it!
A friend of mine from Russian would wait until a snowfall and throw the rug on the clean snow and then beat it. It was a yearly thing for her family
Yes, a broom and some snow is a good way to clean rugs. We do it in Sweden too 👍
@@Rachel-dx9kb That's a great idea for today! Angry at your boss? Mad at your husband? Or, is it simply time for a good work out? I'm eye-balling the snow in my back yard and my braided rug right now...and it's only -2...
Clean the fridge and freezer before you get heat
The big bags in the secret room say premium clay on them. They are probably the clay that the sculptor used to make her pottery.
Saw that too! He should get in touch with some potters or a shop that's specialized in material for pottery. They might want some of the equipment left behind.
Interesting that she would put her most used clay in a hard place to get to.
Great! I just spent 4 hours watching this series lmao
Me too
ThingsGalore me two lol
Me too! I love it!!
Me, too!
My teen kids & I did too! Fascinating! Makes me want to go clean out my basement now. 😁
Sorry you had such a hard trip this time around. 😔 But I’m glad it paid off! You found some great pieces this time and made some massive progress! This series has been like the ultimate mystery unboxing on TH-cam ever. This is so fascinating thank you for including us in this!!
I usually dislike unboxing videos. But this series is fascinating!
Came across you kinda randomly earlier this week; I'm all caught up on the Potter house saga, and I'm addicted! Can't wait to see what happens next.
Me too! I came across and binge-watched Potter house parts 1 - 4 in one evening. I’m loving it and am looking forward to the next episodes! I’m in Michigan USA, but I have vacationed in Alberta twice and went to Edmonton (including The Mall) once.
I'm 4 episodes in tonight and it's gone midnight. This is like crack lol
Same here, I'm on part 4 and have watched all prior episodes of potters house today.
So nice (and funny) to find solidarity here. It's total crack! Meanwhile, MY home is starting to look like a landfill bc i CAN NOT STOP WATCHING!
Ha ha, i watch on my phone, I carry it around while I do chores. It helps to make the tasks more interested and fun. 😝
Every time is see one of these episodes i fall more and more in love with that house! It is so beautiful!
Cool.Buy it..if u can live so far from town.
14:11 That coat is gorgeous! Also, it was nice to see you handle a difficult situation with such a positive attitude. Instead of wallowing in anger and frustration , you made the best of what was going on. I've known many people that cling to the negatives and relish in complaining and being pissed off, like they enjoy it.
Oh, and vintage Christmas stuff is big money! I collect it, I should know!
I wonder if there is a storage cabinet under the stairs that has been covered with sheetrock.
Peruvian here, the kind of pottery you have is called a Huaco. Love your videos!
Oh how I'd love to go through that fabric & patterns.
This just fascinated me. Having moved over 35 times, I absolutely love seeing a home which shows they had put roots down for years and years... it’s like a story unfolding. I’m hoping this is finally my last move and I can bed down and creat a lived in home with memories too.
You always stay positive..God bless.
If someone was really enthusiastic about the potter, they might be interested in those bags of clay. They could say they made something using the same material she did salvaged directly from her estate.
I don't know much about clay, tbh, but would it still be good after all this time?
@@FatNebraskaMom - No, you're right. Probably qualify as really large bricks now.
Clay can be recycled ☺
Raku & Pit fired pots can be fragile - low firing.
pit fired clay pots are burnished when pot leather-hard with stone or smooth object. Very time consuming. Oxides, raw clay materials, burnishing, & the pit firing, give the fired pots their sheen.
Mary put a lot of love & energy into her creations. Finished pit fired pots can be beautiful, but still fragile & porous. (Me watching: "Alex! be careful with that pot!")
Love the hidden staircase in the closet.
Would've been a great opportunity for a hidden speakeasy in the attic back in the day!
;-D
This whole house is like a house dream. You guys ever have dreams of mazes inside of a house? That's totally what I'm going through watching this. It would be unbelievably cool to talk to this lady. Hear her stories.
Sarah Pedro I know. I’d die to have a house like this
I would have insisted that be my bedroom as a kid. How cool would that have been?
@@thelatenightattempts Absolutely! And then you watch old slasher movies like My Bloody Valentine (we are in Canada after all) and wonder what the noises coming from the attic are :O
did you add smell to the video? I could swear I smell dusty old stuffed boxes and my allergies have triggered... XD
Luke Arts I felt like my eyes were itching!
Watch part one....
@@trail4844 I had already done that... Somehow this episode was worse to me hahaha
@@lukearts2954 lmao
I got a sore throat watching the videos
Mr T cereal box sells for $20-$50. That's the stuff I love to find and sell on eBay.
When you noted that the fall would have later consequences, I thought you had injured yourself and the ugliness of it all would set in with a bit of time. Losing the keys was a bad thing, but in reality it was just an unfortunate, expensive, stressful bummer. Hurting yourself could have been catastrophic with long range consequences. So, despite your misfortune, it was minor compared to what could have been. Yay! Seriously Alex, thank you for taking us along on your adventure. I have thoroughly loved this series.
That's what I was expecting too!
I love your positive attitude...i am enjoying your journey
I'm so glad that you were able to salvage so much of Mary's stuff. Now other people will get to enjoy the many treasures that she collected over the years! She sounds like she was a very interesting and talented lady!
I think that little secret room was the old cistern for the house. My grandmas house had one. Took me a while to place it, but if there isn't a coal window for delivery it must be the old cistern that was opened up and used for storage. Edit: that little opening was where the water would come in and fill the tank. It's defiantly the old cistern cause it's under the kitchen.
Anathryn, I totally agree with you that it is a cistern. We had them in 2 of our houses growing up. There is also a large one under my husband's business. It is used to test the fire trucks my husband builds. The fire dept uses it to refill water on their trucks. They keep the cistern full of water in exchange for the use of the water.
I believe you are right!
That's interesting...
I’m not familiar with cisterns. Wouldn’t that be a lot of disgusting, stagnant water sitting there? Was there a way to filter it or something?
Angie, rain water fills those and then a kitchen hand pump, or later an electric pump, brought the water to the kitchen sink.
The rug at 4:50 is worth a small fortune. Definitely keep if it’s in good condition just dirty.
Is that feces in the middle of the rug ??
@@derrickbullard8054 Sure looked like it was.
Your "bunker" or "secret room" looks to be a cistern to me (built to catch and store rainwater). The house I grew up in had 2 in it (as it used to be 2 apartments). When they stopped using it, a door was cut into it (like yours). But our doors were taller, allowing us to walk in and store things. I suggest you break open a bigger door so you don't have to crawl in there, as storage space can be valuable and should not be so hard to get to. One year I actually turned one of the cisterns into a green house with grow lights and a Styrofoam door to keep the warmth from heater in. It was great.
Wayne & Jessica Thompson excellent idea!!!
I was also going to say it may be a cistern.
What I love most is that I feel like Im part of this journey :) its amazing! Great job uncluttering her house... thank you for being respectful to her & her family. Cant wait to watch the rest of the progress!
Oh my gosh. That is not a drinking vessel. It is a Peruvian whistling vessel used to access other realms and to see visions. I highly recommend reading the book Animated Earth by Daniel K Statnekov. Would you like to sell it to me???
I think you are onto something. It looks like this one on Pinterest called a Moche Death figure whistling vessel. www.pinterest.com/pin/550002173224745873/
excellent comment etiquette .
You could e mail him, regarding the purchase. He'd see it faster that way. 🌝
You should e mail him, he would see it faster that way regarding purchasing it. 🌝
You don't think you're going to access other realms do you?
I can totally see the house being filled with gorgeous mid-century modern furniture. I need this to happen lol
This adventure has been so cool to follow. I just love digging through other people’s “junk”!
Wow, he handled that situation so well! He's so positive and genuine, and while the contents of the series are extremely interesting, he also makes it really nice and pleasant to watch
So cool! Love watching these. I'd be happy if you just kept buying houses and cleaning them out. :) I know, too much work, but still cool!
SO WHEN DO WE GET PART 5???
Well fancy meeting you here! Lol
@@LoriFNMLifestyle Whats up!!! :) Loving this series!
KETO Diamond Me too. And I love watching other people working. 🥶🥵
Omg I know right!?! HE makes them soooo interesting!!! Could have his own series in the making!!! ;-)
April in Halifax
I like that fridge. And it has a pocket for eggs. That is cool
A 40 year old fridge that has been neglected and is still running! Amazing! Do not throw it away, it's worth keeping.
I agree. He should keep all of the appliances and plumbing and light fixtures that are original. Also if he decides to rewire the place he should save the old light switches, cover plates, fuse panels, etc. A lot of that kind of stuff is collectible and useful for restoring older buildings.
42:40 this is from Peru area, is not a mug. Is a music instrument, put water and blow.
Could possibly be a death whistle.
Is supposed to make a scream as he moves the mug like a pourin motion maybe he have to cover the "drinkin" hole there are different kinds like animals but the skeleton one is the scary one
It is called "huaco"
This is a fantastic show. You definitely should be on CBC. I cannot wait for the next episode!
Susan Osbourne No no! A&E with The Toe Bro!
Check each and every one of those Pockets before you get rid of those clothes. A lot of times back in the fifties and sixties people stashed stuff in the pockets of garments and hung them in the closet.! Good job making your dreams come true. Being able to save history and be with your family while providing for them. Priceless....
Check the hems as well, especially on coats. You never know!
You are so right about checking pockets. My husband does that. He will put money in a coat pocket or jacket and forget about. He was just telling me tonight to check his pockets.
My father loves to find forgotten cash in his pockets.
A good hiding place for cash💵🗞 and gems💍 was and is the metal rod/pole/bar/stick in wardrobes/cupboards/closets🚪. Nowadays also inside the plastic bar for showers 🚿 and bathtubs🛁.
I would take that fridge still working. Just major cleaning job. Built better then modern stuff.
did you nothce the wooden shelf repair?? lol.
With the brittle and broken plastic? Nah
You could never get all the microorganisms out of it for storing food again. Perhaps it could be made into storage for something else.
My mother had a clothing shop in the 60's. In Calera Al.
She named it after me, "Sheila's Style Shoppe"
Those clothes takes me back to a wonderful time of my childhood. Bc in 1971 my mother was killed in a car wreck, I was 7yrs old.
So my best memories of her are connected to that style of fashion. Thanks for sharing your finds!! ♥️
i dont think you want to throw the fridge out,people look for those especially if it works like that one does..........
yes that fridge is gorgeous
Oh man, I would TOTALLY buy that fridge and make it new again - DON'T THROW IT OUT!!!
Funky green tile?! You mean awesome retro tile! 😁
Looked like plastic... I ran into that in a house reno and it a mess to get the old glue off!
He could probably pair it with some black and white furnishings in a more modern style to bring a nice contrast.
1950 tile keep it
I thought it was painted over tiles.
Awesome green plastic mid century tiles! Keep them! I saw a box with extra green es in the basement.
My grandmother used to hide $1 coins in jars and put them in the back of the freezer. As the freezer thaws out you might want to check any containers you find, while things are still a bit frozen. That way they won’t smell if it does have old food but you can still check for stashed money.
We just binge watched the first 4 of your hoarder house adventures. Really cool. We love how respectful you are to the previous owner and her family. You're doing a great job!