1950's Homes including prices

What was a home like in the 1950's and how much did they cost

Remember or Imagine you could go shopping for electrical goods and appliances in the 1950's

1950's Homes including prices

Although it took the world quite awhile to recover from the affects of World War II, the 1950s were more of a prosperous time than in times past. Vast improvements in housing were made during this time. A priority was placed on building homes for war veterans and families. Early 1950s Family Homes

In 1952, several homes were placed on the market and those homes were primarily purchased by families. Some of the most attractive homes that were built during this time were ones located in Oakland California.

These homes were complete with one or more of the following features: Attached double garage, central heat, cedar roof, brick and stone trim, 100 feet of land with trees, large front and rear covered porches, spacious rooms. Careful attention to interior decorating detail was given during this time.

Additional attributes of these homes included brick fireplaces, hardwood floors, ranch-style kitchen, and/or garbage disposal. What made these homes so desirable is their convenient location near elementary schools as well as police fire stations.

Homes Still Being Offered to War Veterans

Even though the Second World War was finished for about 10 years, in the year 1955 provisions for veterans were still being made. Homes such as this one below were being offered to them:

Homes such as the ones in the picture above were described in a local Long Beach, California newspaper as three- and four-bedroom luxury homes. Buena Park Homes were designed with features such as heavy hardwood flooring, rock wool insulation, lath and plaster walls, two-foot concrete foundation, cedar shingles, and/or "built up rock roofs".

Extra heavy hardwood flooring was often used in the construction of the above-mentioned veteran homes as well. Additionally, these dwellings typically included two bathrooms, shower stalls with glass doors, ceramic tile tub/shower splashes, and rubber tile floors w/easy to clean cove base. Roomy service porches were also attached to these homes to make party hosting easier.

In the kitchens of these veteran homes the sand-colored cabinets installed matched the built-in gas range and oven, and double-drain sinks. Furthermore, the kitchens of thee fine homes also more often than not came with a heatproof, drain proof stain board. The kitchen floors in these homes were typically made from linoleum.

Other features of these luxury homes: sliding glass patio door, interior slab doors, huge walk-in closets, oversized wardrobes, shutters, trellises on porches, natural redwood sidings, window boxes, bay or picture windows. Moreover, these homes came with landscaped front and back yards (grass planted from seeds, shrubbery planted, etc.).

The description of housed above were dwellings of the development called Buena Park Homes. Homes were built for veterans in mind in other locations as well, such as in East Anaheim.

In East Anaheim (Sun Estate) ranch style homes were designed with features such as custom made draperies, force air heating system, built in range and oven, and barbecue patio area. Additional attributes of Sun Estates homes included built-in bar, interior planter, and room dividers made from brick or slump stone.

Some examples of Homes you may have seen for sale in the 50's with prices

1950 Mansfield Ohio
Modern Home Living room dining room Kitchen and 2 bedrooms $6,500
1950 Long Beach California
GI Homes Living Room Wood burning fireplace , Shower and Bathroom , 2 bedrooms $8,825
1950 Pittsfield Massachusetts
9 room modern brick home 2 bedrooms large living room $11,500
1951 Pittsfield Massachusetts
Bungalow 4 rooms , attic oil fired heating and oak floors $11,000
1951 Sheboygan Wisconsin 1 1/2 Acres River front plot on Sheboygan River $750
1951 Chicago Illinois
6 room brick home built by one of Chicagos best builders modern kitchen and gas heating $14,500
1951 Mansfield Ohio
Brick and Frame modern bungalow 5 rooms and bath all paneled with natural light mahogany and open burning fireplace $13,000
1952 Lowell Massachusetts
6 room cape code home hardwood floors, Formica counter tops , automatic heat , 10,000 square feet $11,200
1952 Pottstown Pennsylvania
Semi Detached Brick Home 5 rooms bath and garage and large lot $7,000
1952 Redlands California
Stream running through property with 2 car garage, 2 bedrooms kitchen and living room , fruit trees , $15,000
1952 Syracuse New York
Modern three bedroom home living room , furnace , kitchen and new roof $9,900
1953 Oshkosh Wisconsin
Lakeside 4 bedroom home 90ft frontage on Lake Winnebago
1953 Elyria Ohio
3 1/2 acres 8 room house basement , furnace and outbuildings $6,000

Stratford Homes 1950s housing development East Anaheim (CA )

Stratford Homes was another 1950s housing development located in East Anaheim. The following is a picture of the outside of one of these homes:

Anaheim California Home (Stratford Homes)

1959 Homes in Fresno, California

A typical Fresno home usually was made with three bedrooms and two bathrooms, as well as a family room and a living room. This is the design of a large number of homes even in the present day (2007), and is most likely considered a classic home design of all times.

Additional features of a Fresno, California home would possibly include a large patio area and one or two fireplaces. These homes varied in cost, with many in the high $20,000 or low $30,000 range. These were considered some of the finest homes of the times and were located near schools, a garden park (Fig Garden Village), and other local conveniences.

Another housing development area known as Meadow Fair Homes included homes loaded with a variety of unique features and modern conveniences. For instance, three homes often had a garbage disposal installed in a dual sink or low-maintenance (not hard to clean) corktone tile.

Another unique feature of the Meadow Fair Homes is the elegant noiseless monolithic floors. Moreover, these homes were modernized with sliding aluminum windows.

Fine Homes in Pasadena

Pasadena is another area where fine homes existed. A large number of these homes that were available to buy in the year 1959 usually were built with fully equipped kitchen facilities such as electric refrigerator, range and oven, and "disposer" (presumably a kitchen garbage disposal. These homes often had washers and dryers installed within them as well.

Safety Equipment

Efforts were made to ensure home safety. For example, fire extinguishers were made for and installed in kitchens. The following picture will give you an idea of what fire extinguishers looked like back then:

What Was Used to Heat Certain Homes

One of the units that was used to heat homes looks just like in this picture below:

This particular heating system costs a little over $189.00. Some people still operated the models of furnaces that they may have purchased in the late 1950s as well. (See 1940s models of furnaces.)

Kitchen Interiors

If you want to get an idea of what 1950s kitchens may have looked like you would look like then you may want to take a look at these images:1956 Anaheim California Kitchen (Stratford Homes) and the 1955 California Kitchen (Miranda Park, Long Beach Press)

1956 Anaheim California Kitchen (Stratford Homes)

1955 California Kitchen (Miranda Park, Long Beach Press)

Furniture and Accessories of The Times

Some of the items advertised in local newspapers during the 1950s include items such as sofa chair covers for the living room or 72-inch (or 81-inch) curtains that did not need to be starched or pressed.

In order to understand more what furniture was like during these times you can take a look at these black and white photos and/or drawings of living room and/or dining room furniture and design. Please view the images below (edited photos from various 1950s newspapers):

1950s living room furniture, sample living room and dinette

Childrens Toys From The 1950's

Childrens toys offered a much wider range following the boom in babies born, but toys were very much gender designed with dolls, prams, dressmaking for girls toys and Cowboys and indians, cars and construction sets for boys.

Part of our Collection of Toys from The 1950's
Some further examples of home prices in the 1950's from Newspaper Adds

1953 Joplin Missouri
6 room modern with built in bath 2 car garage other outbuildings on 8 acres close to new school $8,500
1953 Atchison Kansas 4 years old cottage 5 rooms with 2 bedrooms $8,700

1954 Oshkosh Wisconsin
Lake property 3 bedroom modern home furnace and basement $7,000

1954 Mansfield Ohio Ranch Style Bungalow large living room with stone fireplace modern kitchen dinette 3 bedrooms , large garage well landscaped lot just completed $17,900

1954 Portsmouth New Hampshire New Cottage on shaded lot within 3 minutes walk of Hampton Beach $5,500

1954 Fort Pierce Florida
15 acres 5 room home and outbuildings with orange groves $8,500

1955 Lowell Massachusetts
large Colonial home 32 Acres secluded country lane double living room dining room modern kitchen 3 bedrooms and bath with brook running through property and two car garage $14,000

1955 Sheboygan Wisconsin
Blue Mound Sub Division Frame home with built in range and oven 3 large bedrooms and basement on large plot with double garage $16,400

1955 Joplin Missouri
5 room modern ranch house with 2 bedrooms fully insulated on 3 acres $6,600

1955 Newark Ohio
3 bedroom furnished cottage with on like with boat dock $7,700

1956 Pittsfield Massachusetts
3 bedroom ranch home tiled bath full basement fully fitted kitchen 2 car garage on large plot $14,300

1956 Oshkosh Wisconsin
2 homes on Lakeside lot 1 2 bedroom home and 1 3 bedroom with living room kitchen and dinette both have been re modernized $16,000

1956 Coshocton Ohio
7 room Country Brick Home oil heating and basement $7,000

1956 Pasco Washington
1 Acre Home site lot with irrigation and city water $1,000

1957 Odessa Texas 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, den, water well and pump house $13,350

1957 Mansfield Ohio
New Designed 3 bedroom ranch home , large living room modern kitchen , shower and bathroom with double garage
$15,000

1957 Oshkosh Wisconsin
Cute Colonial 2 bedrooms large kitchen in need of modernization 2 acre plot $10,400

1957 Ironwood Michigan
40 acres Ironwood township
$300

1958 Appleton Wisconsin
New brick and frame home all oak floors trim and cupboards , large kitchen , full basement , oil heating
$15,500

1958 Chicago Illinois
Colonial 7 rooms 4 bedrooms 1 12/ baths brick built tile baths recreation room
$36,500

1958 Williamsport Pennsylvania
5 room Bungalow, furnace , garage and large plot
$7,500

1958 Long Beach California
new 3 bedroom 2 bathrooms , built in kitchen , ceramic tiles , breakfast bar and brick fireplace on large lots
From $17,700

1959 Appleton Wisconsin
2 bedroom Ranch House fireplace attached garage , basement oil heat on improved road
$16,500

1959 Salisbury Maryland
5 room Bungalow with 2 bedrooms living room dining room modern kitchen full basement with hot air heating
$7,000

1959 Mansfield Ohio
4 bedrooms kitchen with built in stove and range large family room and outbuildings on 25 acres
$15,500

1959 Maine
Brick House good residential area 12 rooms 4 baths 2 acres
$7,000