Yes, You Really Could Order an Apartment Complex From a Catalog

A look back at the boldest mail-order idea in American housing: the catalog apartment building, offered by Sears & Roebuck.

In a time before on-line Amazon orders and weekend trips to Target, everyone — and I mean EVERYONE — got their goods from Sears and Roebuck. In fact, they were the leading retailer for over one hundred years before Walmart finally caught up to them in the late 1980s.

What began as a tiny catalog hawking jewelry to ordinary folks in the 1890s ended up giving general stores around the country a run for their money by offering everything from sporting goods to clothing, automobiles, and even houses! They didn’t stop there either, and by the early 1900s, they offered entire apartment complexes in their “Honor Bilt Modern Home Plan Catalogs.”

The Original “Add to Cart”: Sears & Roebuck’s Rise to Retail Glory

These guys knew how to sell stuff! The Sears home plan catalogs answered every question and handled every foreseeable objection a would-be homeowner might have. Their clever house plan books started by discussing all the upsides of owning your own place — “stop renting and wasting your money.” Humorously, Sears promised parents that by owning a home, they could avoid the embarrassment of noisy kids annoying the neighbors. They delved into the financial practicality of building versus renting for price-conscious shoppers by sharing examples of how much other owners had saved. Sears implored their catalog readers to “Stop wasting time dreaming of owning a home sometime. Build it this year!”

Testimonials That Would Put Today’s Google Reviews to Shame

They also used testimonials throughout their catalog to add credibility to their sales pitch.

“Gentlemen- I am sending you a picture of my new house built according to your plans. There is no better house in town, and it is admired by all. This you may think is putting it pretty strong, but it is nevertheless a fact. Many have put the cost of my house as high as $3500. I have a fine house and have been congratulated many times for the design, fine appearance, fine lumber, and trimmings. Respectfully Yours, N. E. Noblet” (His testimonial was for a Ten-Room Two-Family Duplex priced at $1299)

Throughout the catalog, the company makes a compelling case for saving money and impressing friends by ordering a gorgeous home from their extensive selection of house plans.

When Catalog Shopping Turned Into Multi-Family Development

Sears already offered hundreds of individual house plans to choose from. And if that wasn’t bold enough, in the 1913 catalog, they started selling entire apartment complexes in House Kits that could be shipped by rail directly to any landowner for a couple thousand dollars and the ingenuity to assemble these massive multi-unit buildings.

How Much Were These Apartment Kits? (Prepare to Cry.)

In the 1913 edition of the Modern Homes catalog, a hopeful property investor could choose from a small collection of multi-family plans. Apartments, ranging from the $1744 twelve-room, two-family duplex to the $2152 larger sixteen-room, four-plex building, were all artfully detailed in the book’s last pages.

Each catalog description instructed potential owners about which foundation to use and what lot size the plan would work best on. It also outlined optional features a buyer could purchase that we take for granted today, like furnaces and hot water heating systems.

Why These Homes Still Fascinate Historians—and Realtors Like Me

Sears understood the basic economies of scale in homebuilding quite well. Each of the multi-family apartment house plans had common areas like front doors, expensive stairwells, and vestibules that could be shared, thus reducing building costs. Plumbing for baths was conveniently bunched together on one wall for all the units, saving money and installation fees. Cost-saving methods like these are still used today.

Sears knew they weren’t just selling shelter. Aesthetics was part of the package too. They included handsome details like skylights, beveled and leaded glass windows, and wood front doors. They sold their buyers on quality products they included with calls-outs on their marketing pages about the benefits of two coats of paint, top-notch roofing material, and fine millwork. They smartly added other features that would give each residence privacy, such as separate entrances at the back of the home or balconies on second-floor units.

The Earliest Multifamily Floor Plans—Chambers, Parlors & Pantries

What were these early 1900s apartments like? Their stylish quarters had living rooms with wood-burning fireplaces and mantles. Sometimes they had formal parlors. Occasionally, apartments contained traditional dining rooms, but if not, its residence ate casually in the kitchen. Cupboards stored dishes in, and food was kept in large walk-in pantries with sinks. A single bathroom was usually all that was offered, but that would have been a considerable step up from the outhouses people were accustomed to. Indoor plumbing was making its debut in residential housing, and these homes came with a tub, a toilet, and a small washbasin. Sears and Roebuck commonly referred to bedrooms as “chambers” on their house plans, and apartments might have two or three depending on the layout and size.

What This All Says About Buyers… Then and Now

As a realtor, I am impressed with how little home shoppers have changed in the past one hundred years. The objections to buying a home have remained constant. The quest for quality-built, affordable places to live is still a common goal. Even though scrolling through the pages of Zillow has replaced thumbing through the Sears & Roebuck’s Modern Homes catalog, we are still dreaming of that one perfect place to call “home.”

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