[phoenixreader]

It is amazing to me that people used to spend one month full time on their own to build their own house using the instructions provided by Sears. Does anyone know whether any instruction booklets have survived? And whether it is possible for someone today to follow the same instructions and build their own house?

[gnopgnip]

Here is a catalog from the peak years https://dahp.wa.gov/sites/default/files/ModernHomessears1936...

[tkgally]

The Internet Archive has many catalogs of house plans from Sears and other suppliers:

https://archive.org/details/artisticmodernho00asso/mode/2up

https://archive.org/details/BetterHomesAtLowerCostACollectio...

https://archive.org/details/ClevelandPublicationsModernhomes...

https://archive.org/details/GarlinghouseAmericasBestHomePlan...

https://archive.org/details/honorbiltmodernh00sear

https://archive.org/details/ModernHomes-Sears/mode/2up

https://archive.org/details/modernhomes00nati/mode/2up

https://archive.org/details/ModernHomesSearsRoebuckCo

https://archive.org/details/PlansOfModernHomes320/mode/2up

https://archive.org/details/Sears1919Pg001

https://archive.org/details/SearsModernHomes1917Pg00000

[phoenixreader]

What you showed are the advertisements of the homes, but these are not the instructions that Sears sold. I assume the instructions would include a bill of materials and the step-by-step assembly process.

[taeric]

I lived in one of those homes, probably doable to build. Almost certainly not earthquake safe. Or insulated. Or setup for good airflow.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sears_Modern_Homes is a good coverage of a lot of the details. Shame that isn't the root for this, as it has a lot of good details.

There was a fun article a few years ago of some folks that built a house in WA. Still very doable, but probably not right in the city that easily.

[AlbertCory]

The story, not sure it's true, is that settlers out on the prairie would order these things and assemble them themselves, maybe with help from the neighbors. It wasn't your typical suburban guy with a job downtown.

Don't ask for a citation on that.

[djangelic]

I would love to know this as well. Can the current automation and robotics driven systems make this a more efficient and viable option for manufacturing?

[bombcar]

You can buy kit homes that are damn near assembled like Lego - every single board pre cut exactly to length.

You can also buy log cabins that literally go together like Lincoln logs.

Sadly, they both are usually more expensive than standard stick-built.

[WalterBright]

These days the day after Sears dumped the kit in your front yard, it will have been thoroughly looted.

[taeric]

I mean, in those days, the city would spite mound houses that were fully built. Not sure things are fully worse today. :D

[giraffe_lady]

Not everyone has that kind of relationship with their neighbors walter.

[bombcar]

Any one with an empty lot is probably in an area that’s not too bad for construction material laying around, statistically speaking.