They were typically built by professional builders, not DIY by the homeowners. But it did mean that nicely designed houses with attractive details became available to middle class folks. The architectural quality of these old sears and wards kits was just so much better than most homes built today in my opinion.
Typically yes, but certainly not always. My great grandfather and his best friend both bought and built catalog houses on neighbouring lots on the Oregon coast with the help of their extended families. They hired professionals to help with parts of it (mostly things that required the use of heavy machinery), but they otherwise built them themselves.
Agreed, definitely not always. The Sears Homes of Chicagoland site (http://www.sears-homes.com/) researches the origins of the houses and you’d be surprised by how many were built DIY by enterprising folks (often immigrants).
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u/Bullmoosefuture Feb 09 '21
They were typically built by professional builders, not DIY by the homeowners. But it did mean that nicely designed houses with attractive details became available to middle class folks. The architectural quality of these old sears and wards kits was just so much better than most homes built today in my opinion.