Residential building in America. What an average, typical, American family home looks like from the outside and inside

American style is a special chapter in architecture and design. It has a number of characteristic features that distinguish it from the rest. These features attract many, so American-style houses are increasingly being built in the expanses of the CIS countries. They are many-sided and have a lot of advantages and disadvantages.

Let us consider in detail in the article what a typical American house is. The layout and architecture of the cottages, the features of the interior decoration of the premises will be described below.

How did it all start?

The American style, which we all know very well, evolved from the old European style. Emigrants from England and Europe brought the architectural trends of their countries, which took root in the United States for many years. Of course, everything has changed over time, but the projects of old European dwellings stand at the origins.

The architecture has such features as spaciousness, symmetry, numerous cascades of roofs, a large number of windows, columns and a minimum of relief details. The layout of American houses, the photo of which is presented in the article, is characterized by the absence of a full-fledged entrance hall, the original arrangement of the kitchen and dining areas. The main idea of ​​the premises is first of all convenience and comfort. Let's dwell on this in more detail.

Architectural features of American houses

The architecture of American cottages combines simplicity and intricacy. What are the cascades of gable roofs! Along the perimeter of the house you can often find a spacious terrace, and through the numerous windows a large amount of natural light enters. By the way, shutters are also quite common.

American-style houses are usually light or pastel shades. And some elements (for example, a foundation or a chimney) are made of natural stone or sandstone. But most of all, the choice of materials from which houses are built, and the appearance of buildings is influenced by the specific location of the house.

In all states, the weather is different from each other, and this affects construction as well. For example, the terraces mentioned above are mandatory attributes of cottages located in the southern regions of America. In the northern regions of the country, houses with thick walls and basements are more appropriate. It follows from this that, although all cottages belong to the American style, each has its own characteristics.

What is the American layout?

As mentioned above, the American promotes convenience and comfort. This is primarily about simplicity and freedom. Therefore, American houses are characterized by the absence of a full-fledged hallway and partitions between the dining area and the living room. And this is despite the fact that the American layout of the house initially involves fairly spacious rooms. Not only the living room and dining room have a wide area, there is plenty of space in the bathroom, kitchen, nursery.

But, no matter how strange it may be, the American layout of the house provides only that one family will live in the cottage, and not several generations. Therefore, they most often provide only two bedrooms: the master and the guest. And each house assumes the presence of at least two exits: front and backyard. Also, the front door can be located in other rooms on the first floor (for example, in a bedroom or office). There may be an entrance to the garage if it is attached to the house.

We must not forget about them. They are also included in the layout and are a mandatory attribute of every American-style home.

One-storey cottages

The layout of American one-story houses is striking in its diversity. Quite often, such cottages are made with a wide porch or veranda. There is no vestibule in the usual sense. At best, the entrance will be fenced off from the rest of the premises by an arch or columns.

The dining area is usually connected to the kitchen or living room. As a rule, one-story houses have two bedrooms and one nursery. Also in the cottages there is space for three bathrooms and several dressing rooms.

Quite often, garages are attached to the house, so there must be an entrance to the parking lot, next to which there is a place for a laundry corner (washing machine, dryer, ironing board, and so on). Usually it is placed behind the walls of the built-in wardrobe.

Two-storey cottages

Buildings with two floors are compact and take up less space, so their number prevails over one-story cottages. The layout of the American usually looks like this.

On the ground floor there is a spacious kitchen, dining room and living room. All three rooms are often interconnected. There is also a toilet, a pantry, if the garage is attached to the house, then the entrance to it. There may also be an office and a guest bedroom.

If the first floor is intended for receiving guests, then the second is completely the owner's territory. There is a master bedroom, children's room, bathrooms, dressing room. If the size of the room allows, often on the second floor they equip another living room.

Interior decoration

Wood is often used. The floor is covered with real parquet, there are decorative beams on the ceiling, and the walls are finished with wooden panels.

The bathroom uses traditional materials - tiles, tiles. In the kitchen, the floor is also tiled, but the walls can be very diverse. It all depends on the features of the layout. For example, if the kitchen area is not separated from the dining room and living room, then everything is done in the same style.

In most rooms, the walls are painted. Friezes, moldings and panels are used as decorative elements. For the fireplace area, choose either wood or stone. The main principle of the American interior is that everything should be harmonious and not irritate the eyes.

Furniture

The layouts of private American houses are not complete without providing space for furniture, and it occupies a rather large space. After all, the furniture in American cottages is large in size, it is customary to arrange it almost in the center of the room. But it is usually very soft and comfortable. And this proves the principle of American style - comfort and coziness.

The rest of the furniture is no less bulky. Dining rooms in American homes are often decorated with natural wood tables and chests of drawers. The same principle is present in the classrooms. But in the bedrooms, among the furniture, there is usually a bed with a massive headboard and a couple of bedside tables. Sometimes you can find a chest of drawers, a dressing table, a pouffe or an armchair.

As a place of storage, the American layout of the house provides dressing rooms, which are located not only in the bedrooms, but throughout the house (for example, near the front door and in the kitchen).

Who suits the American

Despite all its advantages, the described type of premises is not suitable for everyone. The layout of American-style houses involves frequent communication with family and friends. Therefore, it is recommended to build such cottages for people:

  • active and sociable (large space and combined living and dining rooms incline to this);
  • family-oriented (a large number of wardrobes allows you to store expensive things, and the interior is conducive to placing frames with cute photos and various cozy accessories);
  • those who love travel (think of cozy furniture that is nice to sit on when you return home).

If you are more inclined towards a clear division into zones and love corridors, then this layout will definitely not bring you joy.

The American frame house is one of the types of buildings when the basis of the house is the frame, which is the basis (skeleton) of the building being constructed. Frame elements, rafters, stairs and other large fragments are manufactured at the factory, after which they are sent to the construction site, where they are assembled and installed.

Americans have been building frame houses for many years, so by trial and error they created their own construction technology, which is based on:

  • Reliability of design solutions;
  • Optimization of labor costs for the construction of a building;
  • Accurate calculation of the amount of materials used, processed in the factory;
  • Use of high-quality materials with good thermal parameters.

We can say that the frame according to American technology is the standard in all respects for other types of frame housing construction. Such a design is strong and reliable, quickly assembled, functional and relatively less costly in financial terms.

The distinctive points that characterize the American frame house are:

  1. Use only dry lumber.
  2. The construction does not use timber, but only edged board.
  3. If it is necessary to strengthen individual elements (window and door openings, etc.), the strengthening is carried out by mounting double or triple racks using edged boards.
  4. To strengthen the structure above the openings, the board is laid on the edge.
  5. The upper trim of the frame is also made of a double board.
  6. The upper and lower rows of strapping are carried out with an overlap in the main nodal parts of the frame (corners, junction of partitions and walls, and other fragments of enclosing structures).

The design features of the American frame are also:

  • Frame corner.

There are several variations of this design element, but the most common of them are:

  1. “California corner” - in this case, from the inside, another board (a strip of OSB-plate) is nailed to the extreme stand of one of the walls of the corner, as a result of which a shelf is formed on the inside of the corner.
  2. Closed corner - in this option, an additional rack is mounted, forming a shelf on the inner corner.
  • Framing of window and door openings.
  1. Double framing.
  2. The presence of a "header" (header) - an element that reinforces the frame over the openings.
  3. Double top binding.

This element gives the wall structure strength when exposed to vertical loads (deflection) and its integrity, which is achieved by overlapping rows of strapping.

If we talk about the layout, number of floors and design elements, then the projects of American houses are distinguished by a large glazing area and a large seating area that combines a kitchen, dining room and living room. The house is equipped with several bathrooms, living rooms are located on the second floor.

As a rule, American houses are two-story houses equipped with a basement with an attached large garage for several cars and a terrace at the front door.


By design, the houses of this group are: in the Tudor style, colonial, rustic and Victorian styles, as well as in the ranch style.

Building a house using American technology


A distinctive feature of this technology is the speed of construction of the building, which is ensured by the manufacture of the main elements of the frame and construction trusses in the factory, as well as installation using special equipment (crane, tower, lift).

The frame of the building, with a built-up area of ​​up to 200 m 2 , is assembled in the USA within a week. In Russia, taking into account the specific features of the climate and the mentality of workers, the installation of such a frame will be completed within a month.

Foundation

A frame house is a lightweight structure that does not require the construction of a reinforced foundation. When building houses of this type in America, they make a tape-type foundation or in the form of a slab, laid below the freezing depth of the soil at the construction site. On average, taking into account the construction of the basement and the outer plinth, the height is 2.0 - 2.4 meters.

In the conditions of our country, and taking into account modern construction technologies, screw piles or shallowly buried types of foundation can be used.

Frame construction


The frame is assembled from factory-calibrated boards with a thickness of 50.0 mm, which are mounted on a prepared surface. This surface, “dirty floor” and interfloor overlap, as a rule, is carried out using the “platform” technology, which involves laying logs and insulation with lining them with sheet material (OSB, plywood, etc.) on a prepared base (foundation, walls of the 1st floor ).

When mounting the frame, the required geometric dimensions are monitored, as well as the exact spatial arrangement of all elements of the structure being constructed.

In the United States, all utility networks are laid inside the frame elements before it is sheathed, while the rules governing the laying of electrical networks are less demanding than the domestic Electrical Code.

The speed of assembly and its quality are greatly influenced by the careful study of a specific project, which should reflect the laying of all engineering networks and communications. The necessary holes and other passage elements are made at the factory during the manufacture of frame blanks, followed by marking and designation on the assembly plan of the house being built.

From the outside, the frame is sheathed with OSB-plates, after which a heater is laid in its internal space. In America, mineral wool is used as a heater, but we, at present, have many other types of insulation that can be used in the construction of frame houses (foam plastic, penoizol and others).

The inner surface of the frame is sewn up; OSB-boards or plywood are also used for this. A vapor barrier is laid between the insulation and the plates, and the junctions of its strips are glued with a special tape or adhesive tape.

Exterior and interior decoration

When the frame is assembled, engineering communications are laid and the surfaces of the enclosing structures are sewn up, you can start finishing them.

There are a lot of options for exterior decoration, so it all depends on the imagination of the developer and his financial capabilities, as well as on the style in which the house being built will be decorated.

But first of all, glazing elements (windows, stained-glass windows) and doors are installed, as well as the installation of stairs and other large factory-assembled elements.


For exterior decoration, siding, facade panels, artificial or natural stone and other weather-resistant materials can be used.

In interior decoration, you can use lumber (lining, side-house, etc.), as well as drywall, followed by wallpapering or other finishing materials.

The roof can be made of any material that is available and meets the style of the house under construction (various types of tiles, metal profiles, slate, etc.).

Advantages of frame houses using American technology


The construction of frame-based houses, according to American technology, has a number of advantages in comparison with other similar construction methods.

The advantages of this method are:

  • The speed of installation work.
  • Ability to perform in various styles of design and design.
  • Environmental safety based on the use of high-quality and environmentally friendly materials.
  • The absence of the need to build a complex foundation facilitates the work and reduces the overall cost of construction.
  • The ability to create an individual interior layout, allows you to create comfortable living conditions.
  • They are energy efficient buildings that ensure the preservation of heat in the interior of the house.
  • Possibility of use in regions with the most extreme ambient temperatures (from +40 to -60 * C).
  • During construction, there is no need to use heavy equipment and complex mechanisms, which allows you to perform the installation yourself.
  • All seasonality of work performance, achieved due to prefabrication of components and fast installation time.
  • Long terms of operation.
  • It is always possible to increase the usable space of the house by building adjoining areas.
  • Affordable cost of house kits made for this assembly technology.

The American technology for the construction of frame houses is a common technology for the construction of prefabricated buildings, common in many countries of the world, regardless of the location of the house under construction.

This method of construction has much in common with other technologies of frame housing construction (Finnish, Canadian, German), but is distinguished by the reliability and timing of the construction of facilities, as well as the structural elements that were described above.

Many guests of my page have been waiting for this post for a long time, and now, finally, I have material for writing the first part of the note.
Today I will tell you how houses are built in the central states, where the air temperature in winter drops to -15C degrees. Such a process is applied in those parts of the country that correspond to the light green and light yellow colors on this map.

The next part is about how houses are built in the northern states, where there are bitter frosts down to minus 30C. In the near future, I will visit Alberta and write about building houses in freezing Canada. For those who are completely curious, I will say that the principle of construction does not change, only some materials and technologies for performing work change.
For those who are not with us in the tank, I advise you to climb there first, after reading five other notes. Otherwise, it will not be entirely clear what it is about in some places. So note , and .


1. First, a few words about the winter building process. Many people believe that it is impossible to build in winter. It is not true. In winter, you can build, but the construction process will move a little slower and it will be more difficult. You will need additional equipment and tools. In addition, for example in Canada, as well as in Russia or Finland, it is simply physically impossible to build something completely in the summer. For example, this year, in Alberta, the first snow fell in mid-August.

2. Most people taboo the construction of frame houses in winter for two reasons: concrete cannot be poured in winter, and secondly, there is a negative reaction of lumber to low temperatures. About concrete - everything is clear: this is a long-standing old myth. Today, skyscrapers and high-rise monolithic buildings are flooded in winter frosts, and there are no problems with concrete. The whole secret is only in the additives that are mixed into the winter concrete, as well as in the process of pouring the forms itself. Basically, as an additive, CaCl2 is used. Calcium chloride, like other additives, is aimed at a single goal - to accelerate the set of strength. As soon as the concrete crosses the strength mark of 3.45 Mpa, the temperature is no longer of fundamental importance. It takes about two days for concrete to gain such strength. In order to keep concrete, it is usually poured warm and kept warm for at least the first three days. As a result, concrete poured in winter is almost as strong as concrete poured in summer. I’ll make a reservation right away that winter work on concrete is regulated and must obey the building code, which specifies operating temperatures and the design of mixtures. Who cares more - read ACI Committee 306.

3. As for lumber and their reaction to cold, everything is also pretty clear. Building codes for wood are written under ideal conditions, this applies to the materials themselves, as well as the temperature: +22.5C degrees. The problem is that this is a utopia, when sawing and transporting, the tree gets caught in the rain, in the summer in the southern states, construction takes place in conditions of heavy rains and high humidity. What is worse - rain or frost is still a very controversial issue. Therefore, building codes also regulated a compromise - all lumber used in the construction of the frame is kiln dried and treated with a solution that helps to keep a constant percentage of moisture, which should be 19%. Thus, as tests show, if your carcass is slightly frozen or wet, then the percentage of moisture will not change much. Therefore, there are no problems with houses built in winter either after 5 or 50 years.

4. So let's go. I won’t tell you how the districts are being equipped and the infrastructure is being built a second time, for those who missed it, everything is described and shown in detail in the previous part, here nothing changes throughout America in the process.
First of all, the foundation is poured. A regular monolithic foundation is also being made. Reinforcement is stretched, communications are laid, after which concrete is poured. The first difference that is present here, in comparison with Houston, is the insulation of pipes. The soil freezes in these states by about 20-30 cm, so all communications are insulated, both in the ground and inside the house itself. For insulation, rubber insulation is usually used with an R value of 3-4, in mountainous states - 5.

5. In the house, insulation looks like this. Inside the house, in this case, rubber insulation was also used, R = 3.3.

6. After the foundation has been poured, the construction of the frame of the house begins. Visually, the frame is absolutely no different from the Houston houses. But this is only the frame itself, and if you look closely at the little things, then there are still differences.

7. The first difference is windows. Unlike Houston, double-glazed windows here, and two frames, not one. Still it's cold.

8. The walls themselves are also insulated differently inside.

9. Double insulation is laid in the house, under the roof itself and, then, between the roof and the ceiling. In Houston, there is no insulation on the roof itself, there is only insulation between the attic and the ceiling. Sheet insulation is sewn under the roof, with identical R values ​​​​that I mentioned above. The ceiling is sheathed with the same sheets from the side of the attic. Then, a layer of mineral (stone) wool, about a meter thick, is thrown onto these sheathed sheets.

10. Electricians are not affected by the changes, everything is done identically to Houston.

11.

12. Also, the changes did not affect ventilation and air injection systems. Materials identical to Houston are used, only with different R values. Basically, soft pipes of this configuration are used, of various diameters. Rigid ventilation is also insulated, in some places it is present.

13. As for the internal walls, there are also changes here. After all communications are carried out, they are clogged tightly with insulation. I want to immediately reassure paranoid fire safety, mineral wool is also used for insulation, which, as you know, does not burn.

14. After that, the walls are sewn up with drywall.

15.

16. Changes also apply to the decoration of external walls. Initially, the outer chipboard boards are sheathed with a moisture-repellent film. Under the double particle boards, on the reverse side, there is mineral wool, which we only saw from inside the house.

17. Then they are sheathed with insulation. Here, builders use Rmax R-Matte 3 panels. After that, the wall is lined with brickwork in half a brick. Between the wall and the masonry, an outlet is left for air circulation. The same vent serves as a heater. Under these conditions, such insulation is enough so that the walls do not freeze through, and the house perfectly retains heat.

18. The process of sheathing and preparing the house for laying outside. By the way, it’s Sunday, there’s no one, but there are tools and materials everywhere, there’s equipment. Why - I already explained earlier.

19. The result is such a house.

20. However, in the winter, when handing over a house, builders impose certain restrictions on their work. For example, in winter you will be denied the improvement of the area near the house. Those. you can call in and live without problems, but the builders will plant trees and grass for you only in the spring, when everything thaws and the temperature is adequate for plant transplantation. True, the builders are cunning in some places, and they plant trees immediately, before the foundation is poured, while it is still warm. Thus, the house is already ennobled immediately upon completion of construction.

21. Otherwise, the house will be completed without problems. By the way, paving slabs, like parking tiles, are very thin, so if they float in the spring, they will be redone for you. Of course, for free.

22. The house keeps heat very well, a heated fireplace in the evening will give enough heat for the night, even when the electric heating is turned off. Therefore, those who write that it is cold in such houses simply never lived in them, or lived in an improperly insulated house. Well, next time we will look at the very north.

I lived in the states for a long time.
The video is most likely California. Snow is rare there. As well as low temperatures.
Yes, many private houses are built this way. Appears to be of good quality. It's nice to live. There is no feeling of fragility. It's warm inside.
But they also do not hesitate to build from blocks, larger in size than our cinder blocks, but perhaps easier at the same time.

I don't know how they stand in Canada. Asked about their "Canadian sip panel technology". They say yes, sometimes they build it. Those. far from overwhelming. But not pine is used, but another tree, even in California. Also coniferous, to the touch more dense. Maybe even a sequoia (Not specified).
I agree with the fundamentals comments. We have a weak foundation simply will not survive under thermal deformations and state transition conditions (liquid freezing). So we have a light foundation from this point of view, even taking into account a lightweight house, it will not work by itself. Although, on the other hand, screw piles can be freely used. In general, they are more like screws. My neighbor has a cottage on a slope. To make an ordinary foundation resulted in a huge amount. I found a company - they arrived, screwed the piles and he already has a summer house (the size of a good average house) without any problems.
A 20 cm wall using frame technology will not be very warm with us. It needs to be made thicker. Most insulation materials have such a stupid feature as sagging. Especially cotton. they either need to make permanent fastenings, or in layers, and fasten again. I think in the final house it will be compared in price with "the old fashioned way"
Different grades of foams, polyesters, extruded and conventional have their drawbacks. To begin with, it is difficult to find an eco-friendly one in our country. And if you find it, it’s not cheap anymore, that again the “fashionable” house will bring the price closer to the classics.
OSB I would not use at all. Even though it's not unhealthy by standards, the phenol content blah blah blah. Are you sure that the OSB that you bought while looking for cheaper was made using technology? Or will you ship from the USA? - again, normal materials at a cost will bring them closer to the classics.
It all comes down to the fact that when building a house with frame technology in which you can live without grieve in our climate, you won’t save a damn thing. And at the same time, on the contrary, you will get problems. The frame house is not typical for our region. And his service and problem solving is also not typical. Of course, a lot can be done for money, but think about it, you wanted to save money using Merlikan technologies. What's the point then?
Personally, my opinion is to build cheaper the way most people in this region are built. Due to "standard solutions" it will be cheaper. Provided, of course, that the requirements are met. Of course, you can build a frame house quickly, cheaply. The first 4 years it will be good. And then you start having problems. Vata will sag - it will become cold. Styrofoam and others like them will be devoured by mice. Believe me. When they are cold and have nothing to eat, they eat everything!!! It’s not even that they eat - but they make holes in them, it’s warmer inside than on the street, and for you minks are cold bridges.
Personally, I like the classic approach for our region, but made of modern materials. Large clay blocks especially. not bricks, namely shiiiiirkie blocks with hollow sections inside. They breathe, with the right choice of thickness they do not need insulation, the finish is minimal.

I also want to add about the mentality of the Merlikos. what is said that they do not want to buy houses is a complete provocation. They want!!! really want!!! fucking want!!! they just can't. Banally expensive. Another question is what is not expensive for anyone - they can do this once a year, twice a year, simply because they offered a job in another city with better conditions, they sold the old one and bought a new one. They do not bother to change the house because of better conditions. Really mobile people.

In general, I want to sum up - do not get fooled by provocations. If you want to build quickly, cheaply and sell it, then don’t worry, build a frame house out of shit (osb, insulation that will sag) - yes, an option. But in 4 years, the owners will remember you not with an evil, quiet word.
If for yourself - use the classics but from new materials, or also frame construction, but AS NECESSARY.
In short, if you want to save money without harming your health - do not spare money, regardless of the path you choose

The typical house is not only the “model design” popular in America, but also the house that the average American family can afford. For an example, I went to a real estate website and looked for houses within a radius of up to 30 miles around me.

Photos Depositphotos

I searched for a long time, by the way, because the photos are bad. Americans don't bother taking pictures because everyone knows roughly what's inside. You still have to go and see. I have chosen a couple of houses worth up to $ 200 thousand, and using their examples I will talk about a typical American house.

The ad text 3 Bed, 3 Bath means that the house has 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms with toilets. And besides this - a living room, utility room, garage.

The most common house design in the US. Photo realtor.com

I lived almost in such and well I know the device of the house. On the right is a garage for 2 cars, and the garage is quite long and spacious. To the left is the entrance and a small porch. A tiny front garden, by default, builders plant rose hips there. We go into the house.

Hall in the house - by default. Photo realtor.com

To the left is the entrance door, immediately from it there is a staircase to the second floor. In the lobby there are windows overlooking the "front yard", that is, the area in front of the house. In the first picture, these same windows to the left of the front door, did you get your bearings?

If we reach the opposite wall of the house, we will exit through the glass sliding door to the "back yard", that is, to the backyard.

The typical house has doors to the front yard and back yard. Photo realtor.com

A microwave oven is attached to the wall above the stove - as they often do now. It seems inconvenient to me, because it is simply dangerous to lower the hot from above. Lighting and an extractor hood are required above the stove, moreover, with a fan at 2 speeds.

When renting a house, as a rule, everything is already built in, except for the refrigerator. Or maybe now they are building a refrigerator. To the right of the sink is a dish sink - "dish-washer". In the sink itself, a garbage grinder - “disposal” is necessarily built-in.

In the kitchen, a door to the basement or "basement". Builders rent it, as a rule, simply with cement walls. But you can turn this basement into a candy. For example, like this:

The basement is equipped as the fantasy of the owners suggests. Photo realtor.com

The basement usually has suspended ceilings, and the long white doors to the right and left are built-in storage rooms. In general, I didn’t see anything in the basements: bars, game rooms, gyms, workshops.

Let's go back to the first floor. Here, in addition to the hall with a kitchen, there are other rooms. Some have a playroom for children. Often in one of these side rooms there is a fireplace, a TV and armchairs.

Classic lounge. Photo realtor.com

This is a classic of the genre - a lounge with a fireplace and a TV on the wall. And in this picture is the second floor - one of the bedrooms.

Master bedroom. Photo realtor.com

Most likely, this is the parent's bedroom, that is, the "master bedroom". It differs in that it has its own toilet with a bathtub. The sink is often made double there, so as not to quarrel in the morning.

Photo realtor.com

All toilets must be ventilated. Turns on next to the light. The rest of the bedrooms (children's) have a shared toilet. Americans always try to ensure that each child has his own room.

A mandatory room in a typical American house is the "landry room", that is, the room in which the washing machine and dryer are located.

Photo realtor.com

This room is small, just outside the garage door. Well, in the end, look at this house from the back.

Photo realtor.com

Apparently the bedrooms are small. On the ground floor there is a small kitchen window. They always make him so small.

There are moments that are not included in the photo. Every room has a smoke detector hanging on the wall or ceiling. And now they are also obligated to hang up an indicator of CO, that is, carbon monoxide. This is the so-called carbon monoxide, colorless and odorless, which is just poisoned if the stove is closed early. All these sensors howl terribly if something is on fire in the house. And they fall silent only when you thoroughly ventilate everything.

These indicators have one more unpleasant property. When the battery starts to run out, they beep. At night - that's it! You get up, pull the battery out of it and put a new one in the morning.

I haven't talked about lighting yet. There are many switches in the house. The simplest example - you entered the house, turned on the light, undressed, took off your shoes and immediately went up to the second floor. There is a second switch that can be used to turn off the light on the stairs. And there are a lot of such “paired”, and even built-in switches throughout the house.

Both houses that I described are not far from me and from Chicago. The one I mainly talked about costs about $190,000, the second costs about $170. Approximately, because you can always bargain and agree.

The material is printed with the permission of the author.

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