House porn, before you go getting all excited about something which I am not going to deliver on, is the glorious pursuit of everything related to homes and decorating, usually in the form of magazines, websites, blogs, or television programs.

Before the current real estate market went berserk, I used to love perusing the real estate section of the newspaper, particularly on the weekend when The Globe and Mail and Toronto Star devoted an entire section to the sale of houses, townhouses, condos, and cottages. It was so much fun to scan the adverts looking for what appeared to be a great house at a bargain price, in need of some TLC and my personal decorating expertise. A boomer broad’s version of house porn.

Whenever I spot a great fixer-upper, I instantly morph into a fantasy Debbie Decorator. Picking out a derelict gem, I imagine how I would update it, renovate it, or if it was completely destroyed, perhaps I could preserve its basic good bones and after gutting it, create a new version of old beauty. Old commercial buildings or limestone buildings really get my motor running. I envision lovely condos for seniors with interior exposed brick, loft ceilings, and walls of industrial windows. I mentally calculated how exterior terraces or balconies could be structurally added where there were formerly none.

Check out this little Italian-style beauty (below) for only $38,900.00 in northern New York State. It has been subdivided into apartments but could be restored into a lovely single-family home with a financial infusion and some TLC.  Click this link to see the inside. Makes my little heart go pitty-pat.

Of course, in my fantasy world when there were real estate bargains in housing, I would be able to afford to hire the right people to do structural and other major updates. I’d then take over the repurposing of rooms, pick the appropriate and most flattering paint colours for the interior and exterior, perhaps some tasteful wallpaper when it was warranted, install new landscaping, select window coverings . . . and, oooh, it would be so wonderful when I put my touches on the final creation. I might even want to move in.

That was back in the days when bargains still existed in real estate and I subscribed to a dozen decorating magazines every month. I could waste a lot of time on house porn and I loved it. Still do.

Communal living with a twist?

Discussions with boomer girlfriends in recent years often veered toward us all living together in our dotage, in a great big beautiful old Queen Anne Victorian, Italianate, or Second Empire mansion. We would hire a chef, housekeepers, gardeners, a chauffeur, laundry service (not that pushing a button on the washer and dryer is particularly onerous), and perhaps a part-time nurse if we need one.

Alas, the days of bargain house-hunting are gone. Lately, though, I’ve been following certain websites like Captivating Houses for some tantalizing bargains just crying out for a little TLC. There’s another site I like called Old Houses Under $100K which features interesting properties including some for even less than $50K.

Abandoned properties and foreclosures offer some spectacular old mansions and homes that people walked away from. I poke through the pictures of the interiors figuring out how I can make these old gems modern and appealing. It’s great fun and satisfies the nosey side of my character that loves to snoop into other people’s homes.

Most often these bargains are in the United States but the odd Canadian one pops up from time to time. I could spend hours poking through the pictures of these beautiful old gems fantasizing about what I could do with them.

I can spend far too much time browsing through these sites letting my imagination go wild. Most of the properties are obviously huge money pits but when you’re creating, designing, and decorating in your mind only, you can have so much fun without spending a dime.

Most of the places need major renovations and updating but every so often I come across one like this gem Victorian House. Click on the link to see a lovely home with great bones that needs only tweaking and decorating. Finding these places online is addictive. The abandoned French chateaux and castles are so sad and heartbreaking but particularly tantalizing. Apparently, there are thousands of them just calling out for an infusion of cash and TLC along the lines of Escape To The Chateau.

The neighbours are a bit close in this one (below) but I could envision a conversion to three spectacular condo apartments with trees planted around the perimeter of the property for more privacy and a touch of nature. And, it’s only $225,000.00. Click on this link to see the interior.

Maybe in my next life I should be a residential property developer. I already have a hard hat and safety boots left over from my days in the corporate world. My earlier dream of being a magazine editor was squashed by the catastrophic decline in print publications and it’s always a good idea to have a Plan B.

Regardless of our age, it’s always fun to have something to look forward to, even if our ambitions are dreams or fantasies. It keeps those synapses firing on all cylinders and gives me an excuse to hang out on Facebook and Instagram. It’s better than spending my time ironing clothes or washing the kitchen floor—again! Isn’t it? If you’re like me and you enjoy peeking in people’s front windows as you walk by after dark, then you’ll enjoy these sites.