Over the past century, houses have changed a lot. Availability of building materials, changes in technology, the development of internal plumbing, heat and electricity. Changes in family size, invention and ownership of cars, transportation options and a general increase in living standards have played a role in the evolution of our homes.
Although I love the history of Riverside, this article is certainly NOT a historical resource, but more observations from my many-year exhibitions of homes in our city. So ... let's see what amenities the first home buyer may have found at Riverside for decades.
For the first time, many home buyers start hunting for pets, demanding a charming vintage house, sometimes Victorian, artisan or a Spanish-style bungalow, something built in the early 1900s. They drive through the neighborhood, fascinated by the charming exteriors of these beautiful houses. Showing historical homes is always an adventure. I have seen older houses, lovingly restored original wooden floors, built-in wardrobes for porcelain, old refrigerators, incredible original equipment, claw-clad foot baths, antique windows with beautiful stucco decorations, the list of charming details continues and continues.
However, with all this charm come many features that the buyer may not have considered. First is the size of the house. The average houses during this time period ranged from 700 to 1022 square feet. Most families lived much simpler in the early 20th century, and personal privacy was a luxury reserved for the rich there, before many of the houses were smaller with two or three bedrooms, often with one bathroom, tiny kitchens and floor plans that were not Designed for large screen TVs, computer stations and large clothes, storage or cars. Many old houses include outdated rooms and garages, which, although not up to code, were riddled with square marks, cracks in the walls, outdated electrical and plumbing, without garages or only with small small garages, problems with root and wood, lack of air conditioning and decades of neglect.
In the 1950s and 1960s, Riverside experienced a boom in housing construction. During this period, the average household buyer in America developed, they had more space, more cabinets, more bathrooms, and the builders responded. You will notice that during this time more “tract” houses were built, and in smaller houses there was the usual wood, arches and character of previous decades. During the 50s and 60s, there were large houses with a lot of family rooms, the average size of the house was closer to 1,000 square feet and starter houses from 1,400 to 1,600 square feet. More families wanting a personal space, and the concept of having more bedrooms was flourishing. While family sizes have decreased, house sizes have increased. The main bedrooms had a private bathroom. The houses were built with more modern amenities, instead of floor heaters were wall heaters or centralized heat. Since most families had at least one car, houses were usually built with attached garages.
During the 1970s, homes were even larger. More houses were built between 1500-2000 square feet, some with 4-5 bedrooms, some with 3 car garages and most houses were built with central air conditioning during the 70s! Our appliances were also developing, now houses were built in dishwashers! In the 1960s and 1970s, shaky roofs were very popular, which are suitable for popular ranch-style houses in the area. With the growing popularity of television in the 50s and 60s, the family room became more common in the 1970s. Families wanted the children to simply watch TV and play games that did not interfere with the formal living room.
In the mid-1980s, domestic builders in the area presented many new floor plans and homeownerships. Open floor plans with cathedral ceilings and decorative windows emphasizing light and aerial floor plans were becoming increasingly popular, the colors in the closet became lighter, and the two-story houses that maximized the lot size were outstanding. Tiled roofs have become very popular, as they were considered material for life. Many houses were built in three car garages, as most families had at least two or more cars. Most of the houses built in 1980 became standard with central air conditioning. Homeowners ’associations have emerged with all amenities, such as community pools, resorts, parks and green spaces. Again, house sizes have increased, the number of bathrooms has increased, the number of bedrooms has increased.
By the year 2000, technology had a surplus of our living standards and social status that influenced how we lived and built houses. Over the next decade, we saw the emergence of computer niches, media rooms, areas for large-screen TVs, upgrading of standard building materials (granite, travertine, stone, etc.), Four car garages and stairs for the laundry on the upper floor to name a few features. Huge homes, built in an array of more than 3,000 square feet, are now commonplace. Creative floor plans with open kitchens, large rooms, maid's quarters, kazity, courtyard entrances, decorative niches, electric fireplaces and bonuses are now commonplace. Now, many people own what our ancestors would consider "apart." But the size of our family has not increased.
After many years, developers began to build new communities further and further on the outskirts of our cities. Since these areas have not been developed, we are seeing an increase in special taxes for taxation and areas of community facilities, which are an additional part of the homeowner's tax bill. These fees are transferred to homeowners to pay for community development. Although I have yet to find a buyer who “likes” to pay special assessments, those who want to create a new community will have to realize that this is part of the package.
I have a saying “there is a buyer for every house.” Consumers come in different shapes and sizes, have different financial grounds and have different meanings. While some of them are happy to have a smaller vintage house with a charm that they can lovingly care for or recover from, others want the house to be completely new and modern. Some may need a large parcel or a large garage, while others will donate these things in the right school district. No matter how big or small, expensive or economical thing, at home, where the heart.
